Melinda Gates Shares Favorite Reads: Two Debuts Shine

Philanthropist Melinda French Gates has unveiled her recent reading list, sharing three titles she highly recommends. Among her favorites are two debut novels: "The Correspondent" by Virginia Evans, which has spent 36 weeks on bestseller lists and won the 2026 Women's Prize for Fiction, and Allen Levi's "Theo of Golden," published in 2023, which has held a spot on bestseller lists for 42 weeks. The third selection is "Whistler" by Ann Patchett, released earlier this summer and debuting at No. 1 on The New York Times bestseller list. Patchett was also honored with the 2026 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction.

French Gates presented her list as an invitation to conversation, asking followers about their own recent favorites and fall reading plans. This approach aligns with her decades-long commitment to promoting access to books and information, a mission that began with the Gates Library Foundation in 1997. Initially focused on providing computers and digital access to libraries in the United States and Canada, the foundation expanded its reach globally, investing $1 billion in libraries worldwide over two decades. Though the global libraries program was phased out starting in 2014, its impact continues.