The Most Read Books on Goodreads This Week

via The Most Read Books on Goodreads This Week

In this week’s bestseller list roundup, I noted a missing name: Freida McFadden. She’s been a mainstay of these Goodreads popularity lists for many months and has also been a big bestseller, especially after the announcement of a movie adaptation of The Housemaid coming out in December, so it was surprising not to see any of her titles on the bestseller lists.

Despite the overlap, there are some differences between the most-read books on Goodreads and the bestseller lists, though, and this week demonstrates that. Freida McFadden isn’t just on this list: she has both of the top two spots.

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.

Next Time Will Be Our Turn by Jesse Q. Sutanto I love Jesse Q. Sutanto’s cozy mysteries, Dial A for Aunties and Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, so I’m thrilled to see her dipping her metaphorical toes into historical fiction. In Next Time Will Be Our Turn, Sutanto explores complicated family relationships and second chances. When Izzy Chen reluctantly shows up to her family’s annual Chinese New Year Celebration only to see her grandmother walk in with a stunning woman, everything she thought she knew about her family is turned on its head. Izzy’s reaction reminds Magnolia Chen of the girl she once was, prompting her to share her story of being sent to LA from Jakarta and finding herself caught between familial expectations and the girl she loved. —Rachel Brittain

The Marriage Narrative by Claire Kann  I am a sucker for romances that take on reality television in a new and interesting way. This book introduces Jordan, whose family has long been the subject of a reality show, Kardashian-style. The producers are urging him to marry his ex for the plot, but he wants to do things on his terms. A marriage of convenience with ambitious Zinnia, who views marriage in very businesslike terms, ought to work out cleanly. But we readers know that those pesky feelings are always bound to make a mess. —Isabelle Popp

The Most Read Books on Goodreads This Week

#5:

The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore It’s pumpkin spice reading season! Apparently, a whole lot of people have been saving this to read in fall. 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, The Christmas Tree Farm, and The Strawberry Patch Pancake House. It was read by almost 12,000 Goodreads users and has a 3.4 average rating.

#4:

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid Taylor Jenkins Reid is best known for The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six. Now, she’s back with a new novel about two women astronauts in the 1980s. It came out in June and became an instant #1 New York Times bestseller. It’s also a Good Morning America Book Club Pick. Almost 12,000 Goodreads users marked it read this week, and it has a 4.4 average rating.

#3:

Mate (Bride #2) by Ali Hazelwood This is paranormal romances is the companion novel to Bride and came out on October 7th. It is about Serena, the first Were-Human hybrid, who finds herself a political target of Humans, Vampyres, and Weres alike. Her safety depends on the protection of the Alpha Were Koen. It was read by 14,000 users this week and has a 4.2 average rating.

#2:

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden This is the first book in Freida McFadden’s Housemaid series, followed by The Housemaid’s Secret and The Housemaid Is Watching. It’s about a housemaid who cleans for a wealthy family, takes care of their child, and lives in their attic bedroom. She’s soon pulled into the family’s dangerous secrets, but her employers may have underestimated what she’s capable of. A movie adaptation is coming out in December. This was read by almost 16,000 Goodreads users, with a 4.3 average rating.

#1:

The Intruder by Freida McFadden Freida McFadden has two books in the top five this week. This is her newest thriller, which came out October 7th. It’s about Casey, who is weathering a hurricane in her rundown cabin in the woods when she sees a girl outside her window. She is covered in blood and clutching a knife. “The girl has a dark secret. One she’ll kill to keep. And if Casey gets too close to the truth, she may not live to see the morning.” Almost 22,000 users read it 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.

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