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Kate Beaton, Emily St. John Mandel make Obama's best books list

Former U.S. president Barack Obama has included works by Canadians Kate Beaton and Emily St. John Mandel on his list of favourite books of the year.
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Author Emily St. John Mandel is shown in a handout photo. Former U.S. president Barack Obama has included works by St. John Mandel and fellow Canadian Kate Beaton on his list of favourite books of the year. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Sarah Shatz MANDATORY CREDIT

Former U.S. president Barack Obama has included works by Canadians Kate Beaton and Emily St. John Mandel on his list of favourite books of the year.

His annual pop culture roundup listed Beaton's autobiographical comic "Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands," published by Montreal-based Drawn & Quarterly. 

The book chronicles Beaton's time working in Alberta to pay off her student loans. 

Mandel made the list with "Sea of Tranquility," from Harper Collins Canada.

The book follows a cast of characters separated by time and space but connected by a time traveller.

Mandel's previous book, "The Glass Hotel," made Obama's list in 2020.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 23, 2022.

The Canadian Press