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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 101-150 of 154 (154 new)
This year my favorite so far is "ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE" because it was not what I expected at all.
Given the state of this year so far, if you're looking for something "nice"...that is, calming and quiet, try anything by Erica Bauermeister. Her "School of Essential Ingredients," and its follow-up, "The Lost Art of Mixing," are two great beginnings. But her book, "Joy for Beginners," is my pick for the best book I've read so far this year.
Books are forever... I've read 17 on this list, but only one of them I am currently reading is on the list, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind.A little known standout author I discovered is Paul Pen, a Spanish speaking author whose books are translated by Simon Bruni, who also translated, The Murmur of Bees. Which by the way, is possibly my #1 book so far this year, and its not even on the list.
Paul Pen books: Light of Fireflies, The and Desert Flowers.
Among my favorites of books I have read this year are A Good Marriage, A Good Neighborhood, The Book of Lost Friends, and These Is My Words.
My favorite new author- well, just new to me - is Anne Frasier. Read all 3 books in the Jude Fontaine series this summer. And Find Me (Inland Empire, #1). All were great.
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah was fantastic. Young very clever guy from the Daily Show. I read the book then listened to it on audible. It’s actually better on audible because he narrates. American Dirt is also really good. Surprised these aren’t on there. I’ve already ran quite a few from this list, these two were fast reads and a nice break.
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..."LOL, could be all the homeschooling.
Jenny wrote: "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." Som..."
Yes. so did I when first got on goodreads.
Top two reads so far this year: The Overstory by Richard Powers and American Dirt. Hauntingly beautiful and resonant stories on important and oh-so-timely themes.
The Glass Castle and The Silver Star are both amazing reads!
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..."This year especially, I find that I am reading "the classics" which I missed somehow in high school or deigned beneath me when I was younger and more foolish, or had less time. Some I am re-reading with a more mature point of view (1984), others I am re-reading before the long overdue sequel (Handmaid's Tale / Testament). Currently, I am reading East of Eden.
So, while there may be some padding, many books are deeply satisfying regardless of the year they are read.
Love the annual challenge. It's fun to see what others are reading and to see how many books I've actually read in 12 months!
I don't believe in setting reading goals because they make me feel limited in my reading choices.The book that remains with me is "Becoming Mrs. Lewis", by Patti Callaghan. It tells the story of Joy Davidman Lewis, C.S Lewis's wife. Any devotee of this author's work will want to read it.
Right now I am immersed in Hilary Mantel's " Wolf Hall", a story of Thomas Cromwell, among others.
Sahra Cohen
I have read 22 books over the last 3 months during our Covid 19 lockdown. Of these my favourites have been A gentleman in Moscow by Amos Towles, Stonemouth by Ian Banks and The Narrow Road to the Deep North. Reading has kept me balanced over these difficult months it has taken me to other places and I have met lots of characters on the way some delightful and charming others not so nice! Happy reading everyone
Do not understand how Where the Crawdads Sing can be on any positive list. I enjoyed reading it but then after actually thinking about it I must say that it is in no way noteworthy. It is pure fantasy.
I'm currently reading, THE WARMTH OF OTHER SUNS, by Isabel Wilkerson. I usually don't read much non-fiction, but this one is fantastic and is so appropriate to educate myself during this Black Lives Matter time.Extremely readable as personal stories are traced thru history as well as historical facts. I think everyone would benefit from reading this Pulitzer Prize winning book. Don't be afraid of its huge size: the reading is so easy, the pages just zip by!
I am surprised at the "classics" on this list. I could barely read my old paperbacks from favorite authors for the first 2 or 3 months of the Pandemic, let along classics. Couldn't read or concentrate for more than 30 min at a time. And previously I often read 4 hours at a stretch. Fortunately I got over that finally!! About the time my library started curbside pickup & interloans again, so I got newly published books like Hideaway (Roberts) & Close Up (Quick.) Fortunately there are plenty of different books for every taste!!
Myah wrote: "My favourite read this year was Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo!"
One of my all time favorites.
One of my all time favorites.
Really enjoyed the "Seven Sisters" series so far. Lucinda Riley deserves a big mention.
• Wool• The Last Negroes at Harvard: The Class of 1963 and the 18 Young Men Who Changed Harvard Forever
• Fierce Patriot: The Tangled Lives of William Tecumseh Sherman
• A Man
Gerry wrote: "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!"Thanks for the recommendation...it sounds very interesting.
So far this year, my favorite books have been the Clare Furgusson/Russ Van Alstyne series by Julia Spencer Fleming; The Lilac Girls and Crisis in the Red Zone by Richard Preston. I've also reread some favorite series, because these are my "comfort food" in uncertain times!
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..."I don’t really care what others do and don’t see that it’s my business. If they want to cheat their own goal, that’s their problem. I set goals to achieve things and to learn and grow. Heating the goal only hurts me, nobody else.
I have read 50 books so far for the reading challenge. I've read over half of those since lockdown. I was lucky I went to the library the day before they closed and I also receive ARC's too. I have only read 2 bad books so far, they were incredibly bad, but that's not bad odds. The key to fear and the first part of the offered trilogy have been standout new releases. I discovered the Australia trilogy too and book one in particular was excellent.
I loved Daisy Jones and the Six. Read it twice this year!
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."
I had the same issue but you need to mark what date you finished reading it for it to count
I would like a list that I can tick off what I have read. I am an avid reader and would like to be able to save such a list.
I've read 30 out of the 40 listed. I'm surprised so many are older books.
I have read some of those, and even re-read a couple (yes even as current as this year). One of my all time favs is and will always be the Harry Potter series. So for that being the #1 on this list doesn't surprise me at all (especially when the library is still closed and you have to find books on you shelves at home). My favorites this year are:
Wicked Appetite
Wicked Business
Wicked Charms
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children / Hollow City / Library of Souls (all 5 in the series)
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
The Woman in the Window
Walk Two Moons
I am reading Isabel Allende s La casa de los espiritos. It is so beautifull and touching!!! My favourite read so far this year is The sound and the fury by William Faulkner!! Amazing!!!
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..."I feel a bit called out having read quite a few of the older books on this list as part of my challenge. Not everyone is a lifelong reader and manages to stay on top of their reading. I wished I was that disciplined, organized and lucky. For many years I have either bought or made sure to remember books that I want to read, but never gotten around to them. It's been exciting to start moving through the list this year. I hope to be able to keep reading in my life from now on. I admire people who are so on top of their reading they have no tbr regrets that have piled up over the years
I have read at least half the books I’ve ever read and people who buy books and don’t read them over and over again even when they don’t like the book are crazy! But my favorite book I’ve read this year(2020) is definitely the newest school for good and evil: the one true king by Soman Chainani
Oh and I agree with you, shayda. Of all the comments no one got no taste in books
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..."https://www.lapl.org/collections-reso...
Recent www.lapl.org library blog lists one title by Wendy Lesser on Re-reading books. Most literary classics were not written with child/teen/or even early 20's readers in mind. If that's age range you initially "read" such, likely you'll get much more out of multiple re-reads throughout a lifetime of maturing and experiences.
There's a poster on Good Reads for blog on re-reading (and how to mark titles you've re-read multiple times) which quotes Oscar Wilde: "If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all."
https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/8...
Ryan wrote: "So these are the most popular books of the 2020 challenge? I must say, seeing Harry Potter as #1 makes me sneer a bit. At least Austen, Tolkien and Orwell are in the top 10, which redeems some hope..."Access to books, as others noted here, helped shape this list. For instance, free e-editions in many languages of the first Harry Potter title were made available to all with devices to get it when COVID-10 lockdown began early in 2020. (Yet those readers weren't actually forced to do so; heaps of older classics in public domain are also available as free e-books.)
I don't log most books I read here (keep track of in other ways), in part because few on Good Reads would share my reading interests. I tend to find new to me reads thru serendipity and librarian curated lists on library websites. Of "Four Doorways" to books concept by famous Reader's Advisory libraan Nancy Pearl, my preferences are Language & Settings, over typically more popular Story & Character .https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/b...
Sample of books I enjoyed this summer (how many reading this will try--and finish--these?
Map of Knowledge by Violet Moller
Ivory Vikings by Nancy marie Brown
Catalogue of Shipwrecked Books by Edward Wilson-Lee
Wheels of Chance by H. G. Wells
There's a Mystery There by Jonathan Cott
Mairy wrote: "I am surprised there aren't more new releases."I think library closures have impacted the number of new books being read.
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..."I reread EIGHT COUSINS this year because my book club chose it. I've also reread a number of childhood favorites to my 7-year-old grandson--and yes, I counted them!
Love to read, but not under pressure. Btw, have read most on the list😃
My favourite was the silent patient and The Crawdads Sing. Loved them both.
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."
Check and make sure that the dates get recorded. When my books don't show up, it's always that the date didn't get recorded when I marked it read. And that's easy to go in and fix, so that you get credit for it on the challenge.
I have read 52. loved them all or I wouldn't have completed
Last Train to Key West, The Huntress, The Missing Sister, The Boy from the Woods.