As 2025 draws to a close, I'm continuing a tradition I started during my time in the White House: sharing my annual lists of favorite books, movies, and music. I hope you find something new to enjoy, and please send any recommendations my way!
Favorite Books of 2025
- Paper Girl — Beth Macy
- Flashlight — Susan Choi
- We the People — Jill Lepore
- The Wilderness — Angela Flournoy
- There is No Place for Us — Brian Goldstone
- North Sun — Ethan Rutherford
- 1929 — Andrew Ross Sorkin
- The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny — Kiran Desai
- Dead and Alive — Zadie Smith
- What We Can Know — Ian McEwan
- The Look — Michelle Obama (Naturally, I'm biased!)
Here's a reminder of the books I recommended over the summer:
- Mark Twain — Ron Chernow
- The Book of Records — Madeleine Thien
- King of Ashes — S.A. Cosby
- Rosarita — Anita Desai
- Audition — Katie Kitamura
- The Buffalo Hunter Hunter — Stephen Graham Jones
- Abundance — Ezra Klein & Derek Thompson
- A Marriage at Sea — Sophie Elmhirst
- Who is Government? — Michael Lewis
- The Sirens’ Call — Chris Hayes
Favorite Movies of 2025
- One Battle After Another
- Sinners
- It Was Just an Accident
- Hamnet
- Sentimental Value
- No Other Choice
- The Secret Agent
- Become a Member
- Train Dreams
- Jay Kelly
- Good Fortune
- Orwell: 2+2=5
Favorite Music of 2025
- Nice to Each Other — Olivia Dean
- Luther — Kendrick Lamar & SZA
- TaTaTa — Burna Boy ft. Travis Scott
- JUMP — BLACKPINK
- Faithless — Bruce Springsteen
- Pasayadan — Ganavya
- 99 — Olamidé ft. Daecolm, Seyi Vibez, Asake, & Young Jonn
- Pending — Lil Naay & Myke Towers
- Sexo, Violencia y Llantas — Rosalía
- Metal — The Beths
- Abracadabra — Lady Gaga
- Just Say Dat — Gunna
- The Giver — Chappell Roan
- Aurora — Mora & De La Rose
- Silver Lining — Laufey
- No More Old Men — Chance the Rapper & Jamila Woods
- Bury Me — Jason Isbell
- I Wish I Could Go Travelling Again — Stacey Kent
- Never Felt Better — Everything is Recorded ft. Sampha & Florence Welch
- Please Don’t Cry — Kacy Hill
- Stay — ROE
- In the Name of Love — Victoria Noelle
- Ancient Light — I’m With Her
- Vitamina — Jombriel, DFZM & Jøtta
- Float — Jay Som ft. Jim Adkins
- Ordinary — Alex Warren
- Sycamore Tree — Khamari
- NOKIA — Drake
- En Privado — Xavi & Manuel Turizo
- Not In Surrender — Obongjayar