The top five most read books on Goodreads this week look pretty familiar, and that’s because they’re the same as last week, just with #2 and #3 swapped. To make it more interesting, I’ve added in the top five most popular books on the StoryGraph this week, too. This isn’t a one-to-one comparison, because the most popular books on the StoryGraph includes titles that have been added as want to read, not just the most read. There is overlap between the two, but there are also some differences.
What both lists have in common, though, is a lack of authors of color. So, before we get into the most read and most popular books of the week, let’s spotlight a couple of new releases that 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, recommended by Erica Ezeifedi.
Zeal by Morgan JerkinsJerkins’ (Caul Baby) latest has this vital duality. It’s about the lasting consequences of slavery, just as it is about the power of love. It’s 1865, and Harrison has been discharged from the Union Army as a free man, so he tries to reunite with his love, Tirzah. His plans get rearranged, though, after he settles with another woman after a tragedy. Then there’s Tirzah, who teaches at the Freedman’s School. She sees an ad in the paper looking for her and knows it’s Harrison looking for her, but the state of the world, despite her new freedom, means reuniting with him is full of risk. Jerkins’ narrative sweeps over generations, and 150 years later, in 2019 Harlem, Ardelia and Oliver are hosting their engagement party, and he gives her a crumbling, aged love letter. The question of whether their connection was some sort of cosmic reconciliation, started generations ago, arises. |
Medicine River: A Story of Survival and the Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools by Mary Annette PemberThis chronicles the very deliberate effort to destroy First Nations communities and cultures by way of cultural genocide. From the mid-1800s to the late 1930s, tens of thousands of Indigenous American children were stolen from their families and forced to go to boarding schools that were sponsored by the US government—and which had virtually no regulation. At the schools, they were abused and discouraged from engaging in their traditions and culture through violence. Ojibwe journalist Mary Pember explores the long-term ramifications of attending these loveless institutions, detailing how her mother, having attended one, set the stage for a fraught mother-daughter dynamic. |
The Most Read Books on Goodreads This Week: April 25, 2025
#5:
Fourth Wing (The Empyrean #1) by Rebecca YarrosBook one in the Empyrean series is holding onto its spot in the top five. Somehow, there are still readers discovering this series even now. Almost 15,000 users marked this dragon riding academy romantasy book as read this week. It has a 4.6 average rating. The fifth most popular book on the StoryGraph this week is Fearless by Lauren Roberts, which users describe as adventurous, emotional, and tense. |
#4:
Onyx Storm (The Empyrean #3) by Rebecca YarrosOnyx Storm‘s reign at the top of this list has ended, and its spot has been taken by another SFF sequel! The newest Empyrean novel was read by almost 22,000 Goodreads users this week and has a 4.2 average rating. The fourth most popular book on the StoryGraph this week is Wild and Wrangled by Lyla Sage, which users describe as emotional, hopeful, and lighthearted. |
#3:
Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby JimenezFrom the author of Just for the Summer comes a new romance novel that came out April 1st! 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. Almost 26,000 Goodreads users read it this week, and it has a 4.2 average rating. The third most popular book on the StoryGraph this week is Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green, which users describe as hopeful, informative, and reflective. |
#2:
Fearless (Powerless #3) by Lauren RobertsThis romantasy sequel is rising up the ranks of the most read books on Goodreads. It’s the third book in the Powerless series, which is about a “forbidden romance between a powerful prince and an ordinary girl.” Fearless came out April 8th. It was read by almost 35,000 users last week and has a 4.3 average rating. The second most popular book on the StoryGraph this week is Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry, which users describe as emotional and lighthearted. |
#1:
Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games #0.5) by Suzanne Collins#1 this week is the new Hunger Games book! This 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 47,000 users last week and has a 4.6 average rating. The most popular book on the StoryGraph this week is also Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins, which users describe as dark, emotional, sad, 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.
