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Kendrick Lamar, Harry Styles, Cory Taylor feature in Barack Obama's annual list of favourite books, songs

Jay-Z's 'Family Feud' and Bruce Springsteen's unreleased song 'Born in the USA' also made the final cut.

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Continuing the tradition of sharing his reading and playlists, former US President Barack Obama has named the books and songs that "moved" and "inspired" him in 2017.

The diverse list features ten books, including Pakistani writer Mohsin Hamid's Exit West, and has songs by rappers Kendrick Lamar and Jay-Z picked by the 56-year-old Obama among his favourites.

 

"During my presidency, I started a tradition of sharing my reading lists and playlists. It was a nice way to reflect on the works that resonated with me and lift up authors and artists from around the world," Obama wrote on his Facebook page on Sunday.

"With some extra time on my hands this year to catch up, I wanted to share the books and music that I enjoyed most. From songs that got me moving to stories that inspired me," he said.

 

According to the list, the "best books" that Obama read in 2017 include The Power by Naomi Alderman, Grant by Ron Chernow, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond , Exit West by Mohsin Hamid, Five-Carat Soul by James McBride among others.

American rappers Lamar's 'Humble' and Jay-Z's 'Family Feud' along with singer Harry Styles' 'Sign of the Times' are among the songs that Obama named as his favourites.

Here's the complete list

Books he read in 2017:

The Power by Naomi Alderman

Grant by Ron Chernow

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond 

Janesville: An American Story by Amy Goldstein

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid 

Five-Carat Soul by James McBride 

Anything Is Possible by Elizabeth Strout

Dying: A Memoir by Cory Taylor

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

*Bonus for hoops fans: Coach Wooden and Me by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Basketball (and Other Things) by Shea Serrano

His favourite songs of 2017:

Mi Gente by J Balvin & Willy William 

Havana by Camila Cabello (feat. Young Thug)

Blessed by Daniel Caesar 

The Joke by Brandi Carlile

First World Problems by Chance The Rapper (feat. Daniel Caesar)

Rise Up by Andra Day

Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled (feat. Rihanna and Bryson Tiller)

Family Feud by Jay-Z (feat. Beyoncé)

Humble by Kendrick Lamar

La Dame et Ses Valises by Les Amazones d’Afrique (feat. Nneka)

Unforgettable by French Montana (feat. Swae Lee)

The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness by The National

Chanel by Frank Ocean 

Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man

Butterfly Effect by Travis Scott

Matter of Time by Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings

Little Bit by Mavis Staples

Millionaire by Chris Stapleton

Sign of the Times by Harry Styles 

Broken Clocks by SZA

Ordinary Love (Extraordinary Mix) by U2

*Bonus: Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen

(With agencies input)

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