Bill Gates Bill Gates with his favorite books from 2017.In what’s become an annual tradition, Bill Gates has named his favorite books of the year. And this year’s diverse list features a graphic novel about the immigrant experience and a thorough exploration of the importance of energy in the development of civilization, among others. Given the range of subjects on the Microsoft MSFT, -3.77% co-founder’s list this year, the selections point to how curiosity drives Gates’s reading habits. “Although I’m lucky that I get to meet with a lot of interesting people and visit fascinating places through my work, I still think books are the best way to explore new topics that interest you,” the billionaire says. Among the titles that attracted his attention but didn’t make the top 5 were best-selling author John Green’s latest tome, “Turtles All the Way Down,” and “Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS,” a look at the making of the terror organization. Here are the books that did make the cut:“The Best We Could Do,” by Thi Bui“Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City,” by Matthew Desmond“Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death, and Jazz Chickens,” by Eddie Izzard“The Sympathizer,” by Viet Thanh Nguyen“Energy and Civilization: A History,” by Vaclav Smilvia