22. Barack Obama's favorite books, movies and music in 2018

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Former American President Barack Obama has posted on Facebook the list of books he read, the movies he watched and the music he listened to in the year 2018. Of all the books, his favorite was the one authored by his wife, Michelle Obama. This reflects that Mr Obama is a voracious reader like many other people and he doesn't shy away from letting people know what he reads. For people, it is a wonderful experience to learn about his post-presidency activities, for he has been an inspiration for so many.



Here's what he says: 

"As 2018 draws to a close, I’m continuing a favorite tradition of mine and sharing my year-end lists. It gives me a moment to pause and reflect on the year through the books, movies, and music that I found most thought-provoking, inspiring, or just plain loved. It also gives me a chance to highlight talented authors, artists, and storytellers – some who are household names and others who you may not have heard of before. Here’s my best of 2018 list - I hope you enjoy reading, watching, and listening."

Here’s a reminder of the books that he read this year that appeared on earlier lists:

1. Becoming by Michelle Obama (obviously my favorite!)

2. An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

3 .Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

4. The Broken Ladder: How Inequality Affects the Way We Think, Live, and Die by Keith            Payne

5. Educated by Tara Westover

6. Factfulness by Hans Rosling

7. Futureface: A Family Mystery, an Epic Quest, and the Secret to Belonging by Alex                Wagner

8. A Grain of Wheat by Ngugi wa Thiong’o

9. A House for Mr Biswas by V.S. Naipaul

10. How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt

11. In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History by Mitch Landrieu

12. Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela

13. The New Geography of Jobs by Enrico Moretti

14. The Return by Hisham Matar

15. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

16. Warlight by Michael Ondaatje

17. Why Liberalism Failed by Patrick Deneen

18. The World As It Is by Ben Rhodes

Here are his other favorite books of 2018:

1. American Prison by Shane Bauer

2. Arthur Ashe: A Life by Raymond Arsenault

3. Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday

4. Feel Free by Zadie Smith

5. Florida by Lauren Groff

6. Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight

7. Immigrant, Montana by Amitava Kumar

8. The Largesse of the Sea Maiden by Denis Johnson

9. Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence by Max Tegmark

10. There There by Tommy Orange

11. Washington Black by Esi Edugyan

 His favorite movies of 2018:

1. Annihilation

2. Black Panther

3. BlacKkKlansman

4. Blindspotting

5. Burning

6. The Death of Stalin

7. Eighth Grade

8. If Beale Street Could Talk

9. Leave No Trace

10. Minding the Gap

11. The Rider

12. Roma

13. Shoplifters

14 .Support the Girls

15. Won’t You Be My Neighbor

And finally, his favorite songs of 2018:

  1. Apes••t by The Carters
  2. Bad Bad News by Leon Bridges
  3. Could’ve Been by H.E.R. (feat. Bryson Tiller)
  4. Disco Yes by Tom Misch (feat. Poppy Ajudha)
  5. Ekombe by Jupiter & Okwess
  6. Every Time I Hear That Song by Brandi Carlile
  7. Girl Goin’ Nowhere by Ashley McBryde
  8. Historia De Un Amor by Tonina (feat. Javier Limón and Tali Rubinstein)
  9. I Like It by Cardi B (feat. Bad Bunny and J Balvin)
  10. Kevin’s Heart by J. Cole
  11. King For A Day by Anderson East
  12. Love Lies by Khalid & Normani
  13. Make Me Feel by Janelle Monáe
  14. Mary Don’t You Weep (Piano & A Microphone 1983 Version) by Prince
  15. My Own Thing by Chance the Rapper (feat. Joey Purp)
  16. Need a Little Time by Courtney Barnett
  17. Nina Cried Power by Hozier (feat. Mavis Staples)
  18. Nterini by Fatoumata Diawara
  19. One Trick Ponies by Kurt Vile
  20. Turnin’ Me Up by BJ the Chicago Kid
  21. Wait by the River by Lord Huron
  22. Wow Freestyle by Jay Rock (feat. Kendrick Lamar)

It is a great opportunity for all of us to go through all these books, the movies and the songs to improve our taste. Moreover, one does not have to waste much time on selecting some phenomenal readings as one of the most credible person has given his vote in favor of these masterpieces. Go get yourself a new collection of books for the new year.  

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