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The Most Read Books on Goodreads This Week

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Stop the presses! This week’s roundup of the most read books on Goodreads has some new titles! We’ve been seeing the same books slightly rearranged for months, so it’s nice to see some new covers in the mix. Both of them are romance books in popular series.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros is nearing the top of the charts again, this time coinciding with its paperback release on September 17th. This limited edition has sprayed and stenciled edges (of course), plus a new scene from the hero’s perspective as well as two previously released bonus chapters. It’s hard to believe there is anyone interested in Fourth Wing that hasn’t already read it, but here we are!

As usual, the most reads books on Goodreads this week are extremely white. In fact, roughly 95% of the top 50 most read titles are by white authors. Not a great look. That’s why I’ve also included a couple of books popular on the Storygraph this week that are by authors of color, so be sure to check those out, too!

#5:

Daydream cover

Daydream by Hannah Grace

The first new addition to this list is book three of the Maple Hills romance series that started with Icebreaker and Wildfire. Henry is dreading taking a difficult class with his least favorite professor while also balancing his role as reluctant captain of the hockey team. When he accidentally crashes Halle’s book club, they make a deal. He’ll help her with getting some new experiences that will combat her writer’s block, and she’ll help him study for his class. Falling in love was not part of the plan. This was read by almost 14,000 Goodreads users this week and has a 4.1 average.

#4:

cover of The Women by Kristin Hannah

The Women by Kristin Hannah

This February release, on the other hand, is a familiar sight on the most read list. It’s the newest from the author of The Nightingale and is set in 1965, during the Vietnam War. It was marked as read by more than 14,000 readers this week and has a 4.6 average — an exceptionally high rating.

#3:

Cover of The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

Another familiar author on this list is Freida McFadden. Her thrillers have been taking over the bestseller lists — especially the Housemaid series. This is the first book in the series, followed by The Housemaid’s Secret and The Housemaid Is Watching. It was read by almost 15,000 Goodreads users this week, with over 1.5 million total ratings and an average of 4.3.

#2:

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros Book Cover

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

As mentioned in the intro, Fourth Wing is seeing a new resurgence of popularity, likely because of its paperback release this month (complete with an exclusive bonus chapter). It was was marked as read close to 15,000 times last week, with almost two million total ratings and an average of 4.6.

#1:

Wild Eyes by Elsie Silver cover

Wild Eyes by Elsie Silver

Here’s another title new to the most read list, and in the number one spot! This is book two in the Rose Hill series, which started with Wild Love. Book three, Wild Side, will be coming out in 2025. They all are single dad romances set in a “rugged mountain town.” In this one, a country music star escapes from the spotlight and stumbles into Weston, a horse trainer with two kids who immediately steal her heart. It was read by almost 20,000 Goodreads users and had a 4.4 average rating.

Two of the Most Popular Books on the StoryGraph This Week

The StoryGraph doesn’t have quite as many users as Goodreads, but it’s still worth taking a look at — not least of all because the most popular this week list seems to have a little more diversity than the Goodreads most read this week list. So, here a couple a couple of books on the StoryGraph’s most popular this week page. It doesn’t specify how it determines this page — is it most read, the books most added to the “to read” shelf, or a combination? Regardless, it says something about the books their users are paying attention to now.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna Book Cover

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

It’s September, which means it’s practically Halloween, right? Either way, it’s the perfect time to pick up this heartwarming story about a witch who travels to Nowhere House to teach three kids how to control their magic — and clashes with the hot and grouchy librarian of Nowhere House, Jamie. The Storygraph users describe this as funny, hopeful, and lighthearted.

james cover

James by Percival Everett

2024 has been Percival Everett’s year: first, American Fiction, the adaptation of his book Erasure, won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. Then, his 2024 novel James quickly became his most popular work. And yes, the movie is in development now. This is a satirical take on Adventures of Huckleberry Finn starring Jim. The Storygraph users call it adventurous, emotional, tense, and fast-paced.

If you’re looking for more buzzy books, check out The Bestselling Books of the Week, According to All the Lists.

Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books.