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The Most Read Books on Goodreads This Week

Here are the five most-read books on Goodreads this week! These are the buzziest books of the moment, from romance to thrillers.

Community Oct 4, 2024

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We have a new book on the list this week! Most of the time, the most read books on Goodreads stays pretty similar week to week, shifting slightly but keeping most of the same names. That’s true of numbers two through five of the most read books this week, but number one is appearing here for the first time. I won’t spoil what it is, but here are some hints: it came out last year, and there’s a good reason that it rose to popularity in this precise week…also, you might want to read it while sipping a specific seasonal beverage.

This list frustrating remains very white — in fact, of the top 50 most read books on Goodreads this week, roughly 95% are by white authors. At a glance, the only books by authors of color I see are Yellowface by R.F. Kuang (#38) and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (#49).

In light of this, I’ve also highlighted a couple of fall-themed romances by Black authors that pair well with the #1 most read book on Goodreads this week. But first, the top five.

#5:

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Romantasy continues to throw its weight around as a subgenre: two of the top five most read books this week are romantasy. Maas is far from the first author to write romantic fantasy novels, of course, but her books have become the face of this iteration of the subgenre. More than 11,000 people marked this as read this week, bringing it to more than three million total ratings with a 4.2 average rating.

#4:

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

Freida McFadden has only recently become one of the most read and bestselling authors in her genre, thrillers, but it’s been a meteoric rise to fame. This is the first book in her Housemaid series — you can pick up The Housemaid’s Secret and The Housemaid is Watching, too, if you want to catch up with the whole series. It was read by almost 12,000 users this week, with a 4.3 average rating.

#3:

The Women by Kristin Hannah

A title with one of the with the highest ratings in the top 50 this week is Kristin Hannah’s newest historical fiction book, The Women. This book club favorite author has been a mainstay on the most read list since The Women released in February. It was marked as read 12,000 times this week and has an impressive 4.6 average rating.

#2:

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Fourth Wing continues to enjoy a bump in readership (and sales) with its recent paperback release, but it has been unseated from the number one spot this week. We’ll see if it reclaims its throne next week or if its second peak of popularity is behind it. It was read by almost 13,000 users last week, adding to its two million total ratings. It has a 4.6 average rating.

#1:

The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore

And now, making its debut on the most read list: The Pumpkin Spice Café! Apparently, a whole lot of people have been saving this to read in October. This promises to be a “cozy romantic mystery for fans of Gilmore Girls, with a grumpy x sunshine dynamic, a small-town setting and a HEA guaranteed.” This is the first in a series that continues in The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore and the upcoming The Christmas Tree Farm and The Strawberry Patch Pancake House. Almost 14,000 Goodreads users read it this week, and it has a 3.5 average rating.

More Pumpkin Spice Romance Books

If you’re looking for more seasonal romance reads, check out these excellent fall-themed romance books by Black authors, recommended by fellow Book Rioter R. Nassor.

What a Match by Mimi Grace

This autumnal brother’s best friend romance is perfect. Gwen Gilmore is determined to find success using a matchmaker who can land her a perfect relationship. Sure, she might be distracted by her brother’s best friend, Anthony Woods, who’s recently started staying on her couch, but not enough to stop dating. Anthony has tried to keep his distance from his best friend’s cute sister, but moving in with Gwen while she is on the hunt for the one has not helped things. As hard as they both try, they might not be able to resist the great love that’s been staring them in the face for years.

Fall Into You by Georgina Kiersten

If you are looking for a sapphic contemporary fall romance novella with plus-sized main characters in a childhood friends-to-lovers relationship, this is the book for you. Moving to a small town in autumn is Imari Haines’s best chance at a fresh start after leaving her fiancé at the altar. Now, she has an opportunity to make new friends and fall memories in a town that appreciates her for her. But when Imari runs into her childhood best friend, Cassidy Martinez, at the fall apple festival, she is drawn to the charismatic woman she’s become. Imari will have to decide if falling in love is worth risking her fresh start.

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.