The Most Read Books of the Reading Challenge (By Genre)

Posted by Cybil on January 3, 2020
Every January, millions of readers join the Goodreads Reading Challenge. Last year alone, more than 4.3 million Goodreads members pledged to read more than 276 million books.

As we begin the 2020 Reading Challenge, we thought we'd quickly look back at the most-read books of last year's Challenge. Of millions of readers who participated in 2019, these were their top eight books across several genres. Of course this list is full of Goodreads members favorite books, from Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine to Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup, and everything in between!

We hope this selection helps kickstart your new year of reading! And don't forget to add the books that pique your interest to your Want to Read shelf.


Historical Fiction

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Contemporary Fiction

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Mysteries & Thrillers

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Classics

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Nonfiction

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Comments Showing 1-50 of 159 (159 new)


message 1: by Marie (new)

Marie Wollitzer’s female persuasion


message 2: by TMR (new)

TMR These look good. Will check out for sure.


message 3: by Alex (new)

Alex This is a great use of the data available through the yearly reading challenges. Would love to see more lists covering multiple genres and maybe also some infographics.

Keep up the good work!


message 4: by Amber (new)

Amber Very cool, love this kind of content. I'm reading my first Discworld novel (Guards! Guards!)


message 5: by Evelin (new)

Evelin What about fantasy, sifi, romance and YA?


message 6: by Cheryl (new)

Cheryl Davis The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek


message 7: by Marisol (new)

Marisol Gomez Good to get these list but missing other genre like sci-fi, ya, romance...


message 8: by Rachel (new)

Rachel Where the Fantasy section?


message 9: by Cameron (new)

Cameron  Cowperthwaite I’ll Be Gone in the Dark is bone chilling!


message 10: by Marius (new)

Marius Paulsen On earth we’re briefly gorgeous


message 12: by Rita (new)

Rita The Beantown Girls is sad, funny, and enlightening about life in WWII.


message 13: by Jay O. Aronson (new)

Jay O.  Aronson Women Talking by Miriam Toews
Olive Again by Elizabeth Strout


a female book lover The road by Cormac Mccarthy


message 15: by Kate (new)

Kate Norris Miracle Creek, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine


message 16: by Vanessa (new)


message 17: by Katy (new)

Katy Good list! Added 5 I want to read soon!


message 18: by anaray (new)

anaray im reading 1984 and the secret
1984The Secret


message 19: by Alison (new)

Alison Holliday Kate wrote: "Miracle Creek, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine"
Miracle Creek was my favourite read of 2019. Hope you enjoy!


message 20: by Alison (new)

Alison Holliday I am reading Different Seasons by Stephen King in paper, reading the Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall on kindle and listening to Chase Darkness with Me by Billy Jenssen on audio


message 21: by Carla (new)

Carla Bernard Schlink, Olga


message 22: by Marcia (new)

Marcia Lee Trieste. Just finished.


message 23: by Lorena (new)

Lorena Got some ideas from these lists. Thanks!


message 24: by Leah (new)

Leah No YA or fantasy??


message 25: by Lorna (new)

Lorna The Handmaids Tale to get ready for Testaments - our January book club read!


message 26: by Amber (new)

Amber mine was Strange Girls: Women in Horror Anthology which officially comes out during Women in Horror month 2020 on February 18,2020


message 27: by Paula REEVES (new)

Paula REEVES Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward


message 28: by Freed (new)

Freed (for actuality's reason) On Fire: The Case for the Green New Deal
by Naomi Klein. And I just finished 'A Politics of Love' by Marianne Williamson.


message 29: by Eddie (new)

Eddie Horror Stories by Liz Phair


message 30: by Dimple (new)

Dimple My Sister, A Serial Killer is good!


message 31: by Taylor (new)

Taylor The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp


message 32: by Kate (new)

Kate Amber wrote: "Very cool, love this kind of content. I'm reading my first Discworld novel (Guards! Guards!)"

That was my introduction to Discworld, too! An old manager of mine turned me onto Discworld and I remain eternally grateful. Enjoy!


message 33: by Samantha (new)

Samantha The Nice and the Good by Iris Murdoch


message 34: by Lucy (new)

Lucy King What happened to Fantasy, Sci-fi?


message 35: by Meg (new)

Meg Meermans Ask Again, Yes


message 36: by Inge (new)

Inge Amber wrote: "Very cool, love this kind of content. I'm reading my first Discworld novel (Guards! Guards!)"
If you find that you like that one, you're on for a fantastic journey :-) Happy reading!


message 37: by Stan (new)

Stan Lucy wrote: "What happened to Fantasy, Sci-fi?"

Great question! And, it should be two categories!


message 39: by Stan (new)


message 40: by Erin (new)

Erin Victoria by Daisy Goodwin.


message 41: by Helen (new)

Helen Halfway through "Where the Crawdads Sing" and my next book will be "The Life we Bury"


message 42: by Carol (new)

Carol Holdstock The Last Train to London by Meg Waite Clayton


message 43: by Tammy O (new)

Tammy O Much better list than the 2019 Goodreads Vote List kust published.


message 44: by A (new)

A Always fascinated to see what other people consider a "classic." I don't count it unless it's over 100 years old; literature is such an old tradition anything younger than that seems untested.

I'd also like to see a distinction between general nonfiction and memoir/biography.

And poetry.

But more data and lists like this, please.

And bring back the most-read authors feature. Put it in a more prominent place and make it usable on the mobile app. It was one of the most useful tools on Goodreads.


message 45: by Rahaf (new)

Rahaf Qudah Amber wrote: "Very cool, love this kind of content. I'm reading my first Discworld novel (Guards! Guards!)"

i read my first in december, cheers!


message 46: by Susanna (new)

Susanna Sturgis Born Criminal: Matilda Joslyn Gage, Radical Suffragist, by Angelica Shirley Carpenter. I'm reading up on the history of the fight for U.S. women's suffrage. Just finished Elaine Weiss's The Woman's Hour.


message 47: by Joanne (new)

Joanne Fate Listening to Among Others by Jo Walton and enjoying it very much


message 48: by Kamila (new)

Kamila Jast The great sea- the human history of Mediterranean by D.A.


message 49: by Terry (new)

Terry The Small House at Allington


message 50: by Donna (new)

Donna McEachran Peace by Gary Disher


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