Barack Obama reveals his 19 favourite books of 2019

Former US president is known for being a voracious reader

Barack Obama has continued a popular annual tradition of revealing his favourite books of the year.

The former US president’s list ranges from books on history, economics, fiction and autobiographies.

“As we wind down 2019, I wanted to share with you my annual list of favourites that made the last year a little brighter,” Obama said in a post on Twitter.

“We’ll start with books today — movies and music coming soon. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did.”

Obama is known for being a voracious reader, and in a longer post on Instagram noted how his annual lists had become “a fun little tradition”.

“Because while each of us has plenty that keeps us busy -— work and family life, social and volunteer commitments — outlets like literature and art can enhance our day-to-day experiences,” he wrote. “They’re the fabric that helps make up a life.”

Included on this year’s list is the Booker Prize-winning Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo; Lost Children Archive, a novel by Valeria Luiselli inspired in part by the ongoing American policy of separating children from their parents at the Mexican-American border; and Normal People by Sally Rooney.

Click through the gallery below to see the full list: