I’ll give you one guess to identify the most-read book on Goodreads in March. It is the inspiration behind the hit movie of the moment, which has rocketed this 2021 novel back to the top of bestseller lists.
But setting the obvious aside, can you name the other four books on this list? We have two thrillers (only one is by Freida McFadden), a book club favorite, and a baseball romance rounding out the top five. Before we check your answers, though, let’s talk about a few new releases that deserve more attention.
March Releases 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 few new books that came out in March that deserve wider readership. These all come recommended by Erica Ezeifedi. Sign up for her New Books newsletter for more!
I Love You Don’t Die by Jade Song
This is a new kind of coming-of-age tale. One that dibbles in Sally Rooney realness and dabbles in Ottessa Moshfegh weirdness. Vicky is our main girl, whose obsession with death has carried her from living above an NYC Chinatown funeral parlor to working at a start-up for bespoke urns. She’s well acquainted with the transience of all things, which may be why she struggles to connect with people other than her only friend, Jen. But then she shakes the table: a dating app romp ends in her getting involved with a throuple that includes an artist and a labor organizer. The love she receives from the dynamic really suits her, but doubt still manages to creep in before long.
A Girl Like Her by Talia Hibbert
If Talia Hibbert has no fans, I’m dead. Seriously, her Brown Sisters trilogy is as soul-fortifying as it is steamy, and this latest promises much of the same. In it, we have Ruth Kabbah, who’s autistic, nerdy, a little cranky, and a bit of an outcast in her small town. Then the confident Evan Miller arrives in town, becomes Ruth’s neighbor, and she thinks he might kinda sorta…like her. But she’s been hurt before, and she doesn’t know if this time will be any different.
Seasons of Glass and Iron: Stories by Amal El-Mohtar
After having read the gorgeous and lilting sci-fi novella This Is How You Lose the Time War, I’ll read anything by Amal El-Mohtar. This collection by her is full of award-winning stories that get told through letters, folktales, poetry, and even diary entries. Each of them offers a peek into fairy tale worlds that have just enough bite.
The Most Read Books on Goodreads in March 2026
#5:
My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney
In January, the TV series His & Hers started airing, adapted from Alice Feeney’s book of the same name. A couple weeks later, Feeney’s new thriller released—so it’s no surprise it’s gotten a lot of attention. This follows a woman who returns to her home one day to find her key no longer fits the lock, and the woman who opens the door claims to be her husband’s wife. It promises to be a “mind-bending marriage thriller.” This was read by 73,000 Goodreads users in March and has a 4.1 average rating.
#4:
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
This turned out to be the sleeper hit of 2025: it has kept growing in popularity, seemingly just from word-of-mouth recommendations. Recently, Katie Couric named it the first pick for her new book club. It’s about a woman who has written letters daily her whole life. When someone from her past writes back, she has to reevaluate a painful period in her life and find a way to forgive. This was read by almost 89,000 users in March and has a 4.5 average rating.
#3:
In Her Own League by Liz Tomforde
This baseball romance novel is a spin-off of Liz Tomforde’s popular Windy City series. It follows Reese, the first female team owner in Major League Baseball. Despite her qualifications, she’s endlessly questioned, including by field manager Emmett. He sees her as cold, caring more about the business than the team. The more games they spend side-by-side, though, the more sparks fly between them. 90,000 Goodreads users read it in March, and it has a 4.4 average rating.
#2:
Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden
The latest McFadden thriller is about an advice columnist who has been guiding the women who write to her through dealing with their lackluster or even abusive husbands. When she loses her job and realizes her husband is keeping secrets from her, she decides it’s time for her to take her own advice and get revenge. Almost 102,000 Goodreads users read it in March, and it has a 4.0 average rating.
#1:
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
This 2021 sci-fi novel from the author of The Martian is getting renewed interest thanks to the movie adaptation starring Ryan Gosling, out now. Like The Martian, Project Hail Mary is hard sci-fi about an isolated astronaut. Ryland Grace is a junior high teacher and former molecular biologist who becomes the unlikely last hope of life on Earth. It was read by 146,000 Goodreads users in March and has a 4.5 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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