Barack Obama's 2025 Reading List Features Mother-Daughter Anita, Kiran Desai

Former US President Barack Obama has released his annual reading list, which also features Indian novelists Anita Desai and Kiran Desai. The mother and daughter are among his 2025 favourites, with their works Rosarita and The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny earning special mention.

As 2025 comes to a close, I'm continuing a tradition that 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 for me to check out! pic.twitter.com/T9LFt5fnKG

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) December 18, 2025

Anita Desai, a three-time Booker Prize nominee, appears on Obama's list with Rosarita, a 112-page novella. The story follows Bonita, a young Indian woman studying Spanish in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. One day, an older woman approaches her in a park, claiming to have known her mother, Rosarita. Surprised by this revelation, Bonita sets out to trace her mother's past. The novella examines family secrets, lost histories, and the nature of identity.

In contrast, Kiran Desai's The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny spans 700 pages and follows Sonia and Sunny, two young Indians whose lives shift between India and the United States. Sonia, an aspiring novelist, returns home after studying in Vermont, unsettled by a failed romance. Sunny, a journalist in New York, struggles to gain independence from his family. They meet on an overnight train in India, and their connection grows into a story that explores love, family, and the social forces shaping their lives.

Kiran Desai was shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2025 for this book.

Alongside the Desais, Barack Obama's 2025 book recommendations include contemporary fiction, historical works, and political analysis. 

Highlights include Beth Macy's Paper Girl, Susan Choi's Flashlight, Jill Lepore's We the People, Ron Chernow's Mark Twain, and Zadie Smith's Dead and Alive, among others.