Yahoo Finance 18 books Bill Clinton thinks you should read this year
If you’ve just finished a book and looking for your next read, or if you’re looking to take a break from binge-watching TV, Bill Clinton has you covered.
In a tweet, the former US President revealed the 18 “best things” he’s read this year.
Unsurprisingly, many books to do with American history, politics and society feature on the list – but so do crime novels, mystery novels, and thrillers.
Here are some of the best things I’ve read this year. pic.twitter.com/SXd8zwxsFM
— Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) August 21, 2019
Take a look at the list, because there might just be something for you:
Non-fiction
Tony Morrison’s Nobel Prize Speech
Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison died earlier this month, age 88, sparking a resurgence of interest in her novels and her Nobel Prize Speech. Clinton said he “read it two or three times”. Read (or listen) to the speech here.
This is America – Jill Lepore
“With dangerous forms of nationalism on the rise, Lepore, a Harvard historian and New Yorker staff writer, repudiates nationalism here by explaining its long history―and the history of the idea of the nation itself―while calling for a “new Americanism”: a generous patriotism that requires an honest reckoning with America’s past.”
Clinton describes it as a “short powerful call for inclusive nationalism”. Find it on Amazon here.
How Do We Look: The Body, the Divine, and the Question of Civilization – Mary Beard
Classicist Mary Beard examines how we look at art: “Focusing in Part I on the Olmec heads of early Mesoamerica, the colossal statues of the pharaoh Amenhotep III, and the nudes of classical Greece, Beard explores the power, hierarchy, and gender politics of the art of the ancient world, and explains how it came to define the so-called civilized world.
“In Part II, Beard chronicles some of the most breathtaking religious imagery ever made—whether at Angkor Wat, Ravenna, Venice, or in the art of Jewish and Islamic calligraphers— to show how all religions, ancient and modern, have faced irreconcilable problems in trying to picture the divine. With this classic volume, Beard redefines the Western-and male-centric legacies of Ernst Gombrich and Kenneth Clark.” Get it here.
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The Widow of Washington – Martha Sexton
This is book is a biography of Mary Ball Washington, the mother of George Washington, based on archival sources. “Her son’s biographers have, for the most part, painted her as self-centered and crude, a trial and an obstacle to her oldest child. But the records tell a very different story.”
Clinton said: “George’s mother bore the burdens and strained at the confines of womanhood in 18th century Virginia.” Find it on Amazon here.
Fantasyland: How America went Haywire: a 500-Year History – Kurt Andersen
The election of Donald Trump to President of the United States stunned the entire world. “How did we get here?” This book aims to answer that question.
“An irreverent look at our long embrace of fantasy for better and worse,” Clinton said. Get it on Amazon.
Beyond Charlottesville: Taking a Stand Against White Nationalism – Terry McAuliffe
A New York Times bestseller, this former governor of Virginia gives his behind-the-scenes account of the violent rally in Charlottesville in August 2017.
“When Governor Terry McAuliffe hung up the phone on the afternoon of the violent “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, he was sure Donald Trump would do the right thing as president: condemn the white supremacists who’d descended on the college town and who’d caused McAuliffe to declare a state of emergency that morning. He didn’t.”
“On that fateful day, he spoke for America,” Clinton said. Get it on Amazon here.
The Fifth Domain: Defending Our Country, Our Companies, and Ourselves in the Age of Cyber Threats – Richard A. Clarke, Robert K. Knake
Two security experts issue an urgent new warning about how to navigate the digital space which is being turned into a war zone by hackers and cyber criminals.
“Read this and you’ll see what we’re all up against in cyberspace,” said Clinton. Get it here.
Fiction
Clinton isn’t always reading up on US history and society – he’s also enjoying a good mystery novel, or three. Here are his favourites so far this year:
One Good Deed – David Baldacci
The New York Times best-selling author introduces Archer, a straight-talking former World War II soldier fresh out of prison for a crime he didn’t commit.
It’s been described by Clinton as “one of [Baldacci]’s finest books”. “Great character, great story, great portrait of an era.” Get it here.
The New Girl – Daniel Silva
“At an exclusive private school in Switzerland, mystery surrounds the identity of the beautiful raven-haired girl who arrives each morning in a motorcade fit for a head of state. She is said to be the daughter of a wealthy international businessman. In truth, her father is Khalid bin Mohammed, the much-maligned crown prince of Saudi Arabia. Once celebrated for his daring social and religious reforms, he is now reviled for his role in the murder of a dissident journalist. And when his only child is brutally kidnapped, he turns to the one man he can trust to find her before it is too late.”
Clinton’s take: “This one explains Israel’s view of the neighbourhood.” Buy it here.
The Wolf of Sarajevo – Matthew Palmer
A novel by veteran diplomat Matthew Palmer, The Wolf of Sarajevo is “compelling tour of Bosnia by a seasoned diplomat and first-class storyteller,” Cilnton said. Find it here.
Unsolved – James Patterson, David Ellis; The Inn – James Patterson, Candice Fox
Clinton isn’t exempt from the broad appeal of James Patterson’s thriller and mystery novels.
“America’s storyteller keeps finding good ones to tell,” the former president stated.
A Better Man: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel – Louise Penny
What would you do if your child’s killer walked free?
It’s a question burning in the mind of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache on his first day upon returning to his position as head of the homicide department. “Flood waters are rising across the province. In the middle of the turmoil a father approaches Gamache, pleading for help in finding his daughter.” He realises the search should be abandoned, but with a daughter of his own, he develops a “profound and perhaps unwise” empathy for the distraught father. Get it here.
The Dry – Jane Harper
This crime novel is by Aussie Jane Harper and tells a story that is unmistakably Australian.
“This book makes the Australian outback come alive and breeds respect for its survivors,” said Clinton. Find it on Booktopia.
The American Agent: A Maisie Dobbs Novel – Jacqueline Winspear
This is one of many novels about Maisie Dobbs, a fictional heroine by Winspear. In The American Agent, Dobbs “investigates the mysterious murder of an American war correspondent in London during the Blitz in a page-turning tale of love and war, terror and survival.”
“Maisie Dobbs is aging well,” Clinton said simply. Find it on Amazon.
Conviction – Denise Mina; Someone Knows – Lisa Scottoline; The Last Widow – Karin Slaughter; The Better Sister – Alafair Burke.
Clinton grouped these books together, stating that they “deal with both current and age-old challenges women face … in different ways”.
“The characters and plots are good, and there are some interesting takes on the role of social media in shaping our perceptions of reality.
“It’s been a great year for mystery writers!”
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