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August is over, but the summer reading vibes continue in the most read books on Goodreads this week. We have romance novels, a thriller, and a couple of general fiction titles that were seen poolside and tucked into carry-on luggage plenty of times this summer. It will be interesting to see how this list shifts with the change of seasons.
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.
To the Moon and Back by Eliana Ramage (Sept 2)
To the Moon and Back is about Steph, who is determined to become the first Cherokee astronaut. We also follow her sister, an Indigenous artist and social media influencer; her mother, who is keeping secrets about her past; and Steph’s college girlfriend, whose custody case between her Cherokee biological father and white adoptive parents made her a household name as a toddler. It’s a fascinating and complex literary fiction novel that I hope will get the attention it deserves. It was just named a Reese’s Book Club pick! —Danika Ellis
Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy
Legendary writer Arundhati Roy writes about her experience growing up with a single mother in Kerala, India. Her mother, Mary, passed away in 2022, and Roy was startled by the depth of her grief. She began to write about her mother “to be able to continue to love her.” Roy’s first memoir is a stunning rumination on grieving and the messiness of truly loving someone. —Kendra Winchester
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The Most Read Books on Goodreads This Week
#5:
One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
Romance readers love a seasonal read, and this seems to be the summer romance of the year! It follows Alice, who spent a perfect summer at her Nan’s cottage when she was 17. Now an adult, she returns to take care of her injured Nan—only to run into the guy who she crushed on as a teen. But is this a summer fling or something more? This one was read by 12,000 users this week and has a 4.3 average rating.
#4:
Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
Emily 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 12,000 users this week and has a 4.0 average rating.
#3:
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 follows 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. It was read by almost 13,000 Goodreads users, with a 4.3 average rating.
#2:
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
This Read With Jenna pick follows Phoebe, a suicidal woman who has decided to give herself one last splurge at the Cornwall Inn. When she arrives, everyone assumes she’s there for the wedding, and she and the bride end up confiding each other. This was read by 14,000 users, with a 4.1 average rating.
#1:
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. 19,000 Goodreads users marked it read this week, and it has a 4.4 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.
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