This week’s roundup of the most read books on Goodreads includes two marriage thrillers, two recent adaptations, and a word-of-mouth hit perfect for book clubs. Freida McFadden continues to take top spot, even while competing against several popular movie adaptations.
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.
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. —Erica Ezeifedi
When I Was Death by Alexis Henderson
Alexis Henderson is the author behind the dark horror/fantasy novels The Year of the Witching, House of Hunger, and An Academy for Liars. After Roslyn’s sister Adeline dies under mysterious circumstances, Roslyn gets closer to the strange group of girls Adeline was hanging out with before her death, hoping for answers. It turns out the girls have made a deal with Death himself to save their own lives. In exchange, they travel the country finding souls for Death to devour. —Emily Martin
The Most Read Books on Goodreads This Week
#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 almost 17,000 Goodreads users this week and has a 4.2 average rating.
#4:
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
It’s not often we see a classic novel in the top five most read books on Goodreads, but the recent adaptation—however loosely it relates to the original—has renewed interest in it. I initially assumed readers who picked it up because of the movie would be disappointed (and confused) by the book, since they’re so different, but the average rating has actually improved since the movie was announced. It was read by 17,000 Goodreads users this week and has a 3.9 average rating.
#3:
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, which comes out March 20th. Like The Martian, Project Hail Mary is hard sci-fi about a man alone in space. 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 almost 18,000 Goodreads users this week and has a 4.5 average rating.
#2:
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 20,000 users this week and has a 4.5 average rating.
#1:
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 29,000 Goodreads users read it this week, and it has a 4.0 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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