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The 40 Most Read Books of the 2023 Goodreads Reading Challenge (So Far)
Time once again, gentle readers, for our midyear check-in on the Goodreads Reading Challenge, in which readers push themselves by pledging to read a set number of books for the year. Lots of activity this time around! Six million participants and more than 250 million books pledged?! Crazy numbers!
We’ve collected below the most popular books completed so far in this year’s Reading Challenge. That is to say, the books that people are marking "read" as part of this year's Challenge.
There are a few clear takeaways here at the halfway point. As is typical, the list tends to favor a few Very Popular Authors, each of whom has multiple individual books clocking in. For instance, Colleen Hoover, Taylor Jenkins Reid, and Sarah J. Maas. Romance continues to be a popular genre in the Challenge, but you’ll find other specimens, too: domestic thrillers, inventive fantasy, giant octopi, this sort of thing. Not surprisingly, you’ll also find plenty of nominees and winners of past Goodreads Choice Awards.
Take a leisurely scroll through the images below, click through the cover images for more details, and feel free to add to your own Want to Read shelf.
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What are some of your favorite reads so far this year from your own 2023 Reading Challenge? Let us know in the comments!
Comments Showing 451-500 of 688 (688 new)
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Marzia
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Jun 23, 2023 11:41AM
14/40
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~Anna~ wrote: "Amber wrote: "Y’all need to read some non fiction like damn. And step away from the Colleen Hoover."I agree with the part about Colleen Hoover, but please don't judge people because they like to ..."
I agree. I don't care for non fiction and can't stand people who judge those who don't read it. You're not special for reading NF.
Amber wrote: "Y’all need to read some non fiction like damn. And step away from the Colleen Hoover."That's kind of a rude comment. I agree with Colleen Hoover, but don't knock people down who don't like to read non fiction. It doesn't make you any better just because you read non fiction.
Jessica wrote: "I DNF'ed Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow at about 75 pages in... Didn't know where it was going and there wasn't ANYTHING happening imo... 😅😬"i liked the book but nothings happens actually, is like so relax maybe is not the tipically book
People, seriously, there are other authors than Colleen Hoover and Taylor Jenkins Reid....
There is next to nothing on this list I want to read, disappointing.
Legends & Lattes is an absolute delight. If I hadn’t binged it when I got it for Xmas, I would be doing so now. For anybody who likes fantasy but also enjoys easy, low-stakes beach reads, this scratches that itch.
What's with all the Colleen Hoover and Taylor Jenkins Reid, they must be really good and popular authors, I expected more books from different authors but this is not the case here...
I am 8/40. And I thought, that’s not bad, and then I read the comments. I now think I want to pick up my pace 😂
Amber wrote: "Y’all need to read some non fiction like damn. And step away from the Colleen Hoover."This made me laugh out loud.
But yes.
Julia wrote: "I swear to god, if there are no haters of The Silent Patient left, I'm dead."*raises hand*
Ooh-Ooh, I hated it!
Navid wrote: "I expected Tress of the Emerald Sea to be in this list."Ohhh, that's on my TBR! I'm saving it for the July holiday weekend! :)
Haven't read one of those, and not willing to read any. Maybe the Maas ones. One day. The rest is just not my cup of tea. Or my glass of malt.I'm reading Tolkien, Pullman, Gregory, Galbraith, Kyrö, Tervo, Jansson, Rothfuss, Fry, and a lot of history books and novels (but not Gabaldon - read the first one, boring and not deep enough in terms of history or storyline; any place where there was room for a story it was left superficial). And Attenborough. And murder mysteries. Also started reading Muriel Sparks, and loved her bio.
Currently on my various reading spots are Rickman's diaries, Heikki Aalto-Alanen's investigation into his grandparents' relationship to each other ant their art (speaking of architects Alvar and Aino Aalto), Myriam Margolyes's bio, Tuomas Kyrö's 'En Juhli', and the last book of the Wolfhall Trilogy by Hilary Mantel.
After one of those is read I might try French crime-writer Jean-Christophe Rufin's series 'Les énigmes d'Aurèle le Consul'. Heard a lot of praise.
I have no interest in reading any of those books except Jenette McCurdy's but then I only read non fiction. Definitely wouldn't read Spare even if I was offered money to do it. Ok, well, maybe for a few hundred bucks I would.
I would consider this a challenge. Time warps drive the narrative so hard to keep up but the prose is beautiful.
The sheer amount of Colleen Hoover on here is worrying me
Amber wrote: "Y’all need to read some non fiction like damn. And step away from the Colleen Hoover."Haha :)
I found that because I am paying for kindle unlimited I am inclined to read recommended books on this list. I think that that keeps some of the so/so books high on the read list.
Julia wrote: "I swear to god, if there are no haters of The Silent Patient left, I'm dead."I read it and didn't get all the hype. I thought it was just meh!
The amount of Colleen Hoover books on this list scares me. Earth will end before I pick one of those up. So I guess I will never be able to read all the books on this list. Maybe next year.
D.L. wrote: "I've read none of these and have only 3 of them on my TBR list. I've always marched to my own drummer and tended not to follow the "popular" crowd lol"I only have 1! Completely agree. Anything popular usually gets shelved as DNR. Find your own path and own it!
Amber wrote: "Y’all need to read some non fiction like damn. And step away from the Colleen Hoover."Wish there was a "like" button for comments like this..
Oh my days I've not read any of these, I always feel drawn away from popular hyped books. But then may read them a few years later
I've read 20 of these and currently in the middle of Daisy Jones & the Six. 16 were already on my TBR list. The other 3 I'm not interested in reading.
Most of these are booktok books..... I'm far less into booktok recommends and more into those books that everyone should read at least once in their lives. Books that tell the stories of people, make you question life, the universe and everything (yes the Hitchhikers Guide is on my list! Good Omens! A thousand splendid suns....
Julia wrote: "Amber wrote: "Y’all need to read some non fiction like damn. And step away from the Colleen Hoover."100%"
Any recs?
I’ve read 41 books of The 52 Book Challenge. I’ve read 8 of those listed.
11/40 with another in my TBR pile. I've read all the Colleen Hoover books but only one new this year and two I reread. Out of the 100+ books I've read this year it's hard picking one favorite. On the non fiction side definitely Scenes From My Life by Michael K. Williams, I was really surprised I liked it so much. Other favorites so far, The Match, Harlan Coben, Act Your Age Eve Brown, Talia Hibbert and By A Thread, Lucy Score. Honorable mention: Ken Follett, The Evening and The Morning, et al.
i've read 7 so far and planning to read others too . i always say that a lot of non famous books can be so good . but in the same time , when i see popular ones , the urge of bying them overwhelm me😅.
I've read 5 of these and have a few others on my tbr. I wouldn't really call these the best of the best and think many of these books have gained "popularity" because they are/have been on Kindle Unlimited. Regarding the Colleen Hoover bit - I've read two of the five on here, and although they were just ok for me and I have no intention of reading any of her other books, I understand the appeal of them for many folks. They also seem to draw a lot of "non-reader" readers (those who don't frequently read and/or read only a couple books a year), which I think is great. I don't care what people are reading as long as they are picking up something to read that is interesting to them. A quick way to deter people who don't read often from reading is to be a book snob and openly judgmental about their reading choices, so I don't participate in that nonsense!
Law wrote: "None of those books are on my TBR yet, but they do sound interesting, especially The Song of Achilles." That was a good one!
I've read 4 on this list and none of them this year.
I have read 12 of these book and most several years ago. Quite a diverse list and I would not dare judge other's selections. Probably the best on this list for me was "Remarkable creatures" and do also like Taylor Jenkins Reid, though she must churn out 2 a year. I would add Amor Towles, "The Lincoln Highway", "The Dinner List" by Rebecca Serle and "How the Penguins Saved Veronica" by Veronica McCreedy. Also I love autobiographies.
Wow I am seeing everyone saying I have only read 5 6 then there is me at only 2 I need to pick up my pace.
The London Seance Society is my top read so far this year
James wrote: ""A Confederacy of Dunces" is a book title which accurately describes the bulk of American readers today, as proved by this list."I hope that you realize that the majority of readers on this forum have never heard of "A Confederacy of Dunces". Having said that, I do subscribe to your point of view.
Why is everyone reading the same books as everyone else? Not trying to be rude, but I am tired of seeing the same books over and over again. I am definitely a picky reader and more power to read whatever you want; however, sometimes you gotta find that unknown book to bring back the magic. I unsubscribed from all the booktubers I was following except two because everyone was talking about the same book. Now I just follow Rachel on The Shades Of Orange and the late Pax Panic(May she rest in peace).
vivienne wrote: "this list is abysmal? do ppl not get tired of reading the same shit over n over again? how are 90% of the most read books this horrible."i'm wondering the same thing... this list is so booktok heavy, and the majority of them are so dull. it baffles me that there are people who genuinely enjoy mediocrity.
Well, I’m 26/40 not even intentionally 😝 thanks Libby
How can I block Colleen Hoover from my Goodreads? 🫠
