Last week was the first time in a quite a while that Empyrean books were not represented in either the top five most read books on Goodreads or the top ten bestselling books—but that’s not true this week. The series still isn’t in the top bestsellers, but Onyx Storm has made its way back into the top five most read books on Goodreads. I really need to stop declaring the end of peak Empyrean.
Other than that, most of the most read titles this time around are familiar, just in a slightly different order. Before we get into those, let’s talk about a couple of new releases you should know about.
Two New Books Out This Week You Should Know About
Unfortunately, the most read books on Goodreads tend not to be diverse by any definition of the word. So, here are a couple of new books out this week that deserve wider readership, both recommended by Erica Ezeifedi in the New Books newsletter.
The Book of Records by Madeleine ThienThis trippy, temporally fluid novel starts as Lina and her father find themselves at The Sea. The Sea is mysterious, it shifts its shape as well as its time, and while there, Lina find friendship with a 17th-century Jewish scholar in Amsterdam, a 1930s philosopher fleeing Nazi persecution, and a Tang Dynasty poet. Through their guidance, she begins to face her father’s role in her family’s trauma. |
Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson by TourmalineHere, Tourmaline brings luster to the life of Marsha P. Johnson, who was said to have thrown the first brick during the 1969 Stonewall Uprising. This is actually the first official biography of Marsha, and through it, we see the queer icon as an activist and a performer who worked alongside RuPaul and the drag troupe The Hot Peaches. |
The Most Read Books on Goodreads This Week
#5:
Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby JimenezThis is the newest romance novel from the author of Just for the Summer. It follows Samantha, who has a perfect, endless date with handsome Greek veterinarian Xavier. Then Samantha admits that it can only be for one night because her family is in crisis. Despite the distance, though, neither of them can forget the time they spent together. More than 16,000 Goodreads users read it this week, and it has a 4.1 average rating. |
#4:
Onyx Storm (The Empyrean #3) by Rebecca YarrosYarros has slid off the bestseller lists, but Onyx Storm is still holding onto its spot in the top five most read books on Goodreads. The newest Empyrean novel was read by more than 16,000 Goodreads users this week and has a 4.2 average rating. |
#3:
Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games #0.5) by Suzanne CollinsThe Hunger Games series is still just as relevant (if not more so) than it was when it started more than 15 years ago. Collins’s latest, which tells Haymitch Abernathy’s story, also sold 1.5 million copies in English in its first week. It was read by almost 27,000 users this week and has a 4.6 average rating. |
#2:
Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily HenryEmily Henry is a staple author on the bestseller lists and the Goodreads most read list, so it’s no surprise to see her newest title here. It follows two writers competing to write the official biography of a reclusive heiress. It was read by 34,000 users and has a 4.1 average rating. |
#1:
The Tenant by Freida McFaddenMcFadden has been a familiar name in this feature ever since The Housemaid exploded onto the bestseller lists. In her newest thriller, Blake and his fiancée rent out a room in their house to a new tenant. Soon, strange things start happening around the house, and the neighbors begin treating them differently. This one has been read by almost 47,000 Goodreads users this week, and it has a 3.9 average rating. |
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.
