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The Most Read Books of the 2020 Reading Challenge
We all want to spend more time lost in the pages of great books. That's the idea behind our annual Goodreads Reading Challenge! It's simple: Every January readers set a goal of how many books they want to read that year, and we help them keep track of it. This year more than 4 million readers have joined the Challenge, pledging to read a total of 237 million books!
Now that we're halfway through the year, we thought it would be fun to see which books have been the most read of the 2020 Challenge. Below you'll find those books listed in order of popularity. So far this year, we're seeing a strong return to the classics and beloved favorites, with the boy wizard taking the lead among the Challenge takers.
By the way: It's not too late to set a reading goal or even edit your current Challenge! Check out the list below and get inspired to read more books this summer.
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What are some of your favorite reads from your 2020 Reading Challenge so far this year? Let us know in the comments!
Comments Showing 1-50 of 156 (156 new)
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Audrey
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Jun 01, 2020 06:31AM
Will there be a Summer Reading Challenge like the last few years?
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I do not participate because last time I tried reading challenge it didn't count some books for the challenge, probably a glitch. But I've read most books from this list anyway.
I’m surprised Crescent City isn’t up there. My fav read so far this year is probably Alpha Erased or American Royals.
I am surprised there aren't more new releases.
My favourite read so far tis year is Harriet Tyce's Blood Orange
My favorite read so far in 2020 is Thrown Upon the World: A True Story by George Kolber and Charles Kolber. A very engaging family history that should be more widely read!
now i have FIONA GIBSON novels.i love her sens as a writer.not ma bist in 2020.but that what i have in my hand now.i finish" pedigree mum"not fun like another novel.but here some relity woman fiction.
i read more than 20 in this list and i will try to serche and read the other.if i tell i hate the hunger game ,am i spolly reader!
I have read Jodi Picoult. Love her books!
My favorites so far for 2020 are The Hilarious World of Depression, The Book of Lost Friends, & The Yellow Bird Sings.
Sara wrote: "i read more than 20 in this list and i will try to serche and read the other.if i tell i hate the hunger game ,am i spolly reader!"I LOVED the Hunger Games, but everyone has different tastes. I have read 14 from this list so far, but many more are on my to read list.
Michelle wrote: "I have read Jodi Picoult. Love her books!"She has a new novel coming out in the fall 2020.
Does anyone else get the suspicion that perhaps some people are adding to their already finished lists books they have already read, perhaps as early as the 6th grade, despite not bothering rereading those books? Perhaps not I suppose. Seems rather absurd to cheat a goal you set for yourself that offers nothing as reward beside a sense of accomplishment, well unless you did cheat. I only ask because despite reading most of the older books on the list here, some many many times, none of them can be found on my list nor that of anyone I know. There's just so many newer or brand new booms out that I haven't gotten to that I wouldn't make time to reread a boom for the 4th or 5th time.
I loved All the Broken People, The Kingdom of Liars, Until Summer Comes Around, Misfits Time for Retribution and more. I read a hodgepodge of new and older books. The ones I have listed are ARCS I've read of books that have been or are going to be released this year. My challenge goal is 150 books and its going well for my Reading for Pleasure reading challenge so far.
Adam wrote: "Does anyone else get the suspicion that perhaps some people are adding to their already finished lists books they have already read, perhaps as early as the 6th grade, despite not bothering rereadi..."It could just be the fact that many people join this service, start reading the popular books to try to get back into reading and then stop for whatever reason.
I already finished my reading challenge couple of months back. So, now I am close to 140% of the same. The original challenge was keeping in mind the pre-covid life. I now find more time at my hand as I am mostly at home, so am continuing to read at rapid pace. A lot of books from this list are in my To Read list, perhaps some day, I will finish them all.
No, I am not going to reset the challenge to a higher value because that's not why I read books. Participating in the challenge is a way to ensure I do not neglect reading in spite of my busy schedule.
I have read 19 of these and have 4 on my tbr; none this year, though. I am also something like 18 books ahead of schedule on my challenge, thanks to lockdown.
I read 42/50 of the books on this list. SMH my taste is so mainstream hahaha...
My favourite read this year was Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo!
![Madelyn Gadzen [hiatus]](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1677344755p1/60540340.jpg)
I have read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, The Kite Runner and The Diary of a Young Girl! :D
I myself have begun re-reading my favorite books. It's amazing to see how books age a decade later.My favorite NEW book I have read this year would be Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (2014). I had to read it for class in college and it was AMAZING. Instant favorite for sure!
I've only read 4 from that list. I have to start reading some of those classics up there.My favourite this year so far was The Overstory
Gabi wrote: "I've only read 4 from that list. I have to start reading some of those classics up there.My favourite this year so far was The Overstory"
I've read 11, but most of them I read in high school or uni.
8 read. (Only Jane Eyre this year)7 to read. (Not planning to read this yr)
My favourite this year (what I have read and updated) is Talia Carner's work Jerusalem Maiden, hopefully will be reading her couple of other books and Villete.
Some of my favorite reads so far are Watchmen (2019 edition) by Alan Moore, Blood Heir by Amelie Wen Zhao, Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, Jo & Laurie by Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz, and Furyborn by Claire Legrand.
They’re all either on my TBR or I’ve read a few. Just set a reading challenge.
My favorite book on this list is Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone.
My faves so far (not counting rereads) are the Scythe series, Anne of Green Gables and Deeplight.
Alex wrote: "Adam wrote: "Does anyone else get the suspicion that perhaps some people are adding to their already finished lists books they have already read, perhaps as early as the 6th grade, despite not both..."I love GOODREADS as a vehicle to keep my personal annotated bibliography I use the app for other reasons too— but no ego in my bibliophilic listing ” Yes, if I see a book I’ve read 50 years ago, I list it — to remember, savor, recommend or not, find other books by a certain author etc. But if someone takes pride in recording long past books read —YIPPEE better that than counting other silly or sad conquests, yes?
My favorite book I've read this year is "The Giver of Stars." It is good story and well written, I just loved it.I also started reading the Lord of the Rings books. They have been on my "to read" list for years but I haven't had the courage to dive in until now.
Dasha wrote: "I do not participate because last time I tried reading challenge it didn't count some books for the challenge, probably a glitch. But I've read most books from this list anyway."
Yeah that happened to me too at first. If you added them straight to your read shelf then it doesnt count them but if you put it through your currently reading then it does.
Hope that helped. 😉
I have read 30 of these so far and have 2 on my want to read list. I guess the favorite on my list for this year is "Redhead by the Side of the Road" by Anne Tyler. It was not one of her best, but it was very good. I've read all of her books, and loved them all.
AFTER THE PANDEMIC.... THOUGHTS.I was struggling during the first few days after the lock-down hit. It hit me VERY HARD the first week. I tried to keep myself busy but that wasn't helping. I couldn't stop myself from thinking about my health, the future, the kids, the family.... I just couldn't. I was a wreck, and all I was doing was watching more news about this thing.
Later that week when I couldnt take it any longer I sat back picked up this book ( I had won this book in a giveaway)( Choosing Light : By Dalal ... And I can tell you this... MY LIFE CHANGED...
I was engrossed in the book for the next two nights that I did not know or care about what was going on on the world. All I cared for was the story of the author who was was stuck while he was desperately looking for his family. My family members wondered why I was reading a survival story, but something was pulling me and I couldn't put this thing down. It was as if the book was telling me something.
It was a rollercoaster... Tears and smiles and darkness and yet so much light in the story After finishing the book all I had in my eyes was a new found energy yet again. I absolutely loved this book and cannot recommend this enough.
SPOILER ALERT:
Even after his entire family was killed, what this guy did and how he lived his life was something i learned from and i will always be recommending this books to the readers. I would recommend this book to anyone whos looking for an exceptional uplifting story.
My two cents. This book should be on your list... on everyones list.
Love.
Lenni wrote: "I’m surprised Crescent City isn’t up there. My fav read so far this year is probably Alpha Erased or American Royals."American Royals was so good!!!
Dasha wrote: "I do not participate because last time I tried reading challenge it didn't count some books for the challenge, probably a glitch. But I've read most books from this list anyway." Sometimes if it doesn't have the read date it doesn't get counted. Not sure if thats your problem but I had issues with that initially
My favourite books this year are :-1. Lucy Foley-The Hunting Party
2. Delia Owens-Where the Crawdads Sing
3. Beth O'Leary-The flat Share
4. Bernardine Evaristo-Mr Loverman and Girl, Woman, Other
5. Dorothy Koomson-Tell Me Your Secret
Looking forward to reading more great books this year.
Read 22 (Not this year though) and 8 on my TBR. My favourites this year have been American Dirt, Lilac Girls and The Beekeeper of Allepo 😊
13 read, 3 TBR. As to why there are so many older titles... one reason, for some of us, is the pandemic lockdown. My libraries all closed mid-March and didn't start re-opening until late May or early June. So, after I had read my already-checked-out stockpile, I started going through the house and finding what I wanted to read that hadn't been (we have at least 1000). I checked to see what free ebooks I'd downloaded and not read (I refuse to pay for them).
This means my titles were mostly older. Yes, I did check out some digital books from my library, too, but some platforms had so many holds it got frustrating.
The idea that some people have been adding titles they've read years ago is valid. But some of us actually guess a year when we add these and mark the finished date with that instead of today's date...
My favorite books of 2020: the poppy war, hitchhiker’s guide, red, white and royal blue
Dasha wrote: "I do not participate because last time I tried reading challenge it didn't count some books for the challenge, probably a glitch. But I've read most books from this list anyway."
Did you know it only counts them, if the start date and finish date are filled in and are set to the right year?
I've read 13 of these books and 8 are on my Want to Read shelf.Favorites that I've read this year are Skyward by Brandon Sanderson, The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz, The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn, Zorgamazoo by Robert Paul Weston, and City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare. I'm currently reading The Hundredth Queen by Emily R. King, which is likely to make it to a favorite of this year as well.
Dasha wrote: "I do not participate because last time I tried reading challenge it didn't count some books for the challenge, probably a glitch. But I've read most books from this list anyway."
If you are talking about the reading challenge where you pick a number of books to read for the year, depending on how you add a read book, it may or may not add a date. The reading challenge counts books that are dated the current year. To fix it, you can either go through your my books list and check dates or go to Check Challenge on the home page, underneath the box that says how many books you have read, there is a place for books that you added but are not dated.
My favorite read this far is the Hunger Games trilogy. Also loved Kafka on the shore by Haruki Murakami, a masterpiece
A great list of books! The three featured at the very top of the page drew me in as they are three of my favourite books of all time, i.e. Normal People, Where the Crawdads Sing and Little Fires Everywhere.I so loved these books - and also the TV adaptations of Normal People and Little Fires Everywhere were both excellent, so much so I will probably end up re-reading them both.
Where the Crawdads Sing was my Book of the Year for 2019;
Normal People was my January Book of the Month for 2019 but didn't quite make the Top Three at the end - these being Where the Crawdads Sing, On the Java Ridge and The Testaments;
Little Fires Everywhere was my No.2 book for 2018, equal with the author's other book Everything I Never Told You - No.1 for 2018 was A Ladder to the Sky (quite agree, EJ!).
My favourite books of 2020 so far are:-
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough and
You Took the Last Bus Home by Brian Bilston - poems
Adam wrote: "Does anyone else get the suspicion that perhaps some people are adding to their already finished lists books they have already read, perhaps as early as the 6th grade, despite not bothering rereadi..."If you don't put a "finished date", then it will record that you read the book, but not that it was part of your challenge. When I first joined goodreads, I tried to put in all the books I could remember that I had read, because the point of joining was to keep track so I could maximize my reading to new books only. It definitely helps when I go to used book stores in deciding whether to purchase a book or not. Now I put "finished dates" in so I can keep track year by year, but when I come across a book I know I've already read, I put it in without the date. Hope that helps for all the people who thought there were glitches in the program.
