The most read books on Goodreads tend to be pretty similar week to week, but we actually have a couple new titles in the top five this time. The other three books are all in the same series. You guessed it: it’s books one through three of the Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros. It’s hard to overstate just how popular it is: it’s unusual for one series to break out like this in recent years, even getting midnight release parties for the newest volume.
The titles new to the top five are nevertheless from authors you’re likely familiar with: Deep End by Ali Hazelwood and The Crash by Freida McFadden. In total, McFadden has eight books on the top 50 most read books on Goodreads list, second only to Sarah J. Maas, who claims ten of the top 50.
You might spot some other patterns looking at the top 50 list, including just how white it is: less than 10% of the books are by authors of color. If you’re only reading the most popular books, you’re missing out on some of best, including the countless incredible books by authors of color coming out every week. Here are two that should be on your TBR.
Two New Romance Books Out This Week You Should Know About
It’s Valentine’s Day, so let’s celebrate with a couple of new romance books out this week! These are both recommended by Jessica Pryde, one of our resident romance experts.
Can’t Help Faking In Love by Swati HegdeWhat happens when you’re back home in Bangalore and have to go to your cousin’s wedding, but you don’t have a date? You use your trust fund to hire your favorite barista, apparently. Harsha and Veer both have their own issues, and they’re able to help each other in ways only they can. In Harsha’s instance, she has plenty of money set aside in a trust fund that she would rather not use in everyday life, while Veer took a barista job instead of going for his big Bollywood break, but needs more money to help pay for his brother’s schooling. This wedding deal is great for both of them, but what happens when real chemistry gets in the way? |
Losing Sight by Tati RichardsonIf you want to cackle your head off with a romance novel, Tati Richardson’s first novel with Generous Press promises to be a great addition to the fabulist romance world. Nikki is a sports reporter who is starting to see signs of her age—literally, her eyesight is starting to go. When she goes to her (very handsome) optometrist to potentially get some glasses, the pair she ends up with turn out to be a little magical. (Transparency note: I have also published with Generous Press and am friendly with Tati on the socials.) |
The Most Read Books On Goodreads This Week
#5:
Deep End by Ali HazelwoodIt’s fitting for Valentine’s Day that we’re talking about a new romance books from one of the most popular authors in the genre! Ali Hazelwood is the author of many other romances, including The Love Hypothesis and the paranormal romance Bride. Her newest is a college romance between a competitive diver and star swimmer. It was read by almost 24,000 Goodreads users this week and has a 4.2 average rating. |
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#4:
Iron Flame (The Empyrean, #2) by Rebecca YarrosWhether it’s people rereading the second book to prepare for book three or those new to the series scrambling to catch up, Iron Flame has seen a bump in readers alongside Fourth Wing and Onyx Storm. In fact, over 40,000 people read it least week, which is a dramatic jump from #5 on this list. It has a 4.4 average rating. |
#3:
Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1) by Rebecca YarrosFourth Wing may have slipped down the most read books on Goodreads ranking slightly, but only because book three has taken it over. It’s hard to believe there are still new readers for it to reach, but more than 41,000 users marked this dragon riding academy romantasy book as read this week. It has a 4.6 average rating. |
#2:
The Crash by Freida McFaddenHere’s the second new title on this week’s list, written by an author who has become a staple of these round ups: Freida McFadden. Other McFadden titles in the full top 50 list include The Boyfriend, Never Lie, The Inmate, The Teacher, and several books in The Housemaid series. This one is about a pregnant woman who crashes her car during a storm and is taken in by a couple in a remote cabin. It was read by over 52,000 users and has a 3.8 average rating. |
#1:
Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3) by Rebecca YarrosFinally, to no one’s surprise, the #1 goes to the newest Empyrean book, which came out January 21st. The question now is whether we’re at peak Empyrean or if the hype will stay alive until the next volume—Yarros has said she hasn’t started book four yet. Onyx Storm was read by almost 142,000 Goodreads users this week and has a 4.3 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.
