The 40 Most Read Books of the 2023 Goodreads Reading Challenge (So Far)

Posted by Cybil on June 12, 2023


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 HooverTaylor 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 601-650 of 688 (688 new)


message 601: by Chloe (new)

Chloe Wells 17/40 I’ve read! Not bad, but just proof I’m always jumping on trends


message 602: by Jackie (new)

Jackie My favorite reads from this list have been Spare, It Ends with Us, Silent Patient, Housemaid and It Ends with Us.


Maeva ( maevareadsbooks_ ) Dana wrote: "I'm getting really tired of seeing these same titles everywhere, on booktok and bookstagram and displayed prominently in bookstores."

Agree!


message 604: by Aishling (new)

Aishling Murphy 11/40 opps need to get more reading done 🤪🤪


message 605: by Becki (new)

Becki I've read 1, have 7 more on my TBR list... I've been super picky lately and just can't get into anything that's too predictable.


message 606: by Deanna (new)

Deanna 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... 😅😬"

agreed though I finished it. You didn't miss anything.


message 607: by Courtney (new)

Courtney Jackel I’ve read a few but a majority of these books are in my TBR!


message 608: by Brooklyn (new)

Brooklyn Read six - want to read 9 - and damn Sarah Maas!


message 609: by Kaitlyn (new)

Kaitlyn Savill LOL 60% of these are from booktok.


message 610: by Vanessa (new)

Vanessa Jade I’ve read 11 of these and I’ve added a heap more to my TBR list!


message 611: by Nicole (new)

Nicole McCarthy Read 16, TBR 8, DNF 3.
And I don’t understand why Perfect Marriage is still doing so well, it is terrible.


message 612: by MoonFaerieJen (new)

MoonFaerieJen 8 😬


message 613: by Kathleen (new)

Kathleen Erin Goodreads has the most ‘pick me’ energy of any social media platform I s2g


message 614: by Kathy (new)

Kathy Browning I’ve read 18/40 with 5 on my list!


simply.foreverasia I read 14 of these


message 616: by Sarah (new)

Sarah I’ve read 12 from the list and have 9 from it on my “want to read” list. 22/23 books read for this year’s challenge. I underestimated myself. ☺️


message 617: by Sunny (new)

Sunny Tapp I’ve read 4/40 and am currently reading another. Most of these are on my TBR but my favorites for sure are “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow,” “It Ends With Us,” and “The Perfect Marriage”


message 618: by Rachelle (new)

Rachelle 15/40….. almost there


message 619: by Lisa (new)

Lisa Judging by this Colleen Hoover and Sarah Maas are having a moment!


message 620: by Amber (new)

Amber Martingale Except for The Song of Achilles, I didn't see a single title that looked appealing to me.


message 621: by Allison (new)

Allison Hires 8/40… not too bad! Will be skipping the CoHo books though.


message 622: by Bridgett (new)

Bridgett Miller I’ve read 9 so far. Have two on my want to read list


message 623: by Josie (new)

Josie I've Read 3; I have 5 on my Want to Read; and I'm currently reading 1 😉 Not too bad 😁


message 624: by Amanda (new)

Amanda Amber wrote: "Y’all need to read some non fiction like damn. And step away from the Colleen Hoover."

I agree... nonfiction readers need their own list.


message 625: by Gab (new)

Gab 4/40😭😭


message 626: by Katlyn (new)

Katlyn Taueetia I’ve read 15, and have a lot of them on my TBR!

And I’ve currently only read one Colleen Hoover book, and I wasn’t crazy about it like everyone else was!


message 627: by Jessica (new)

Jessica So… Taylor Jenkins Reed, Colleen Hoover, Ali Hazelwood, and Sarah J Maas take up nearly half of this list. This is not including the rest of the romances written by female authors. I mean, yay? It’s nice to see the lady authors doing so well. But on the other hand, where is the diversity? There are some wildly popular books out there that aren’t on this list.


message 628: by Bailey (new)

Bailey Colleen Hoover 🤮


message 629: by Kay-Pee (new)

Kay-Pee 4/40


message 630: by Kristyn (new)

Kristyn Dayton Read 14/40 🥲


message 631: by Kellie (new)

Kellie Stop with the Colleen Hoover! I'll be glad when I stop seeing her books plastered everywhere.

Read 14/40
Have another 9 on my TBR pile


message 632: by Terry Tschann (new)

Terry Tschann Skelton I'm actually happy to see that I've only read one from this list. It was cute. But I'm not all that interested in silly romance (literary romance is fine) and sci-fi and fantasy. As for CH, really? I like something a little meatier and some not-too-gory mysteries. There are so many wonderful books out there that weren't published in the past few years. And some of the classics are worth doing again. Break away from the pack people and try something not on today's easy reading list! 62/75


message 633: by xheathersmith (new)

xheathersmith 10/40 read. I think I’ve got some catching up to do.


message 634: by Bev (new)

Bev I've read 6. By the way best nonfiction is Just Mercy--eye opening.


message 635: by Andrew (new)

Andrew Only read Tomorrow..... was OK I thought. Never heard of Colleen, and Yay to some Non Fiction


message 636: by Sharifeh (new)

Sharifeh I have read 6 from this list and have 9 on my TBR. The best book I’ve read so far this year is Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese - an epic of a masterpiece! Looking forward to reading The Covenant of Water soon!


message 637: by Mary (new)

Mary Light I’ve read four. I mostly read historical fiction and non-fiction.


message 638: by Catherine (new)

Catherine I feel like this list is one woman's reading list. It's mostly romance, which besides Song of Achilles (amazing Btw!!) there's really nothing else on the list which is interesting to me... Guess I'm not a typical woman.


message 639: by Mahathi (new)

Mahathi 24/40…


message 640: by Melissa (new)

Melissa Wermeister I have read 10 currently reading 1 and have 10 on my want to read list


message 641: by Duckoffimreading (new)

Duckoffimreading 14/40. And more than I would like admit of Colleen Hoover. I feel like there are a lot of books that didn’t make the list….


message 642: by Jamie Vitols (new)

Jamie Vitols I’ve only read four of these ! Im not interested in many of them and I’m ok with that !


message 643: by Cathy (new)

Cathy Oh I’ve read 16 of these… I own most of them…


message 644: by John (new)

John Paul Most of these are a bit too “easy” reading for my library . I prefer the works of Henry Miller, McCarthy or Roth. I did enjoy “The Silent Patient”.


message 645: by Diane (new)

Diane Reisman I’ve read 8/40. Started Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and didn’t finish it.


message 646: by Riddhi (new)

Riddhi Read 17 of these books and have almost all the rest in by TBR.


message 647: by Tracy (new)

Tracy Barger 21/40 here. Suggest Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan ❤️


message 648: by samantha (new)

samantha 24 read and the rest are tbr 👀🥳 some great books!! don’t know why people judge what others read. i dabble in fiction and non, depending on the mood!!


message 649: by Greg (new)

Greg I've read 3 of these and have no plans to read any more from this list.


message 650: by Kikki (new)

Kikki G 15 down.... More to go


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