From No. 1 to No. 60, Readers' Top Books Published in the Past Five Years

Spend enough time on this planet and random questions will gradually surface in the brain. Who invented the window? Why are oranges orange? And what are the 60 most popular books on Goodreads over the past five years?
We’re here to tackle that last question with today’s collection of the 60 top books published in the last half-decade, according to Goodreads members. This particular list is strictly by the numbers. We counted up the number of times Goodreads members marked these books as Want to Read, Currently Reading, or already Read. Then we looked at the average ratings on each title, with all of these books earning at least a 3.5-average star rating from fellow readers.
The books are sequenced according to overall popularity, without regard to genre or categorization. As such, for now, Alex Michaelides’ 2019 psychological thriller The Silent Patient is the most popular book overall. It seems that Goodreads regulars are also enjoying mysteries, romance, and the relatively new hybrid designation known as romantasy.
Authorwise, you’ll notice the usual suspects list of Goodreads fan favorites here—perennially popular writers including Sarah J. Maas, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Kristin Hannah, and Emily Henry. But the discerning reader will find all manner of things to catch the eye. Hockey lust, say, or Dickensian updates, or octopi.
Click on the book cover images for more information about each title. If you spot anything promising, use the Want to Read button to add the book to your digital shelf.
How many of these books have you read? Let us know in the comments below!
Comments Showing 501-550 of 631 (631 new)
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Lucy
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Oct 03, 2024 07:45AM
I have read ten with one more I really want to read.
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I've read 20 and only a couple are favorites, The House in the Cerulean Sea, Remarkably Bright Creatures, and Book Lovers. Generally I don't like romance books, but Book Lovers hit a chord with me. One that's never on any list, and is a delightful read is Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers. Also, any book by Karin Slaughter, especially the Will Trent series.
Read 11. Really liked The Four Winds and The Silent Patient. Disappointed with Demon Copperhead. We have some very fine writers out there
26… and I want to say that most of these I read in the past two years. **wonders where the books are from the three years prior**
I’ve read 9 of these. I found quite a few more on my want to read list, but there were also many trendy books that have less appeal to me.
why are so many people in these comments like “omg i’m not like other readers im not into popular books” besties please this world doesn’t need anymore pick me readers!!! it’s ok to not like booktok stuff, but that doesn’t make you better than the rest of us. isn’t the entire point of goodreads to build a community?
I've read 2 and they both stunk. Now I know not to take the recommendations of the people who told me about them.
It's Me - Yvette wrote: "Does anyone know if there are any African American authors on this list?"Yes, there's Kiley Reid, author of Such a Fun Age, and Brit Bennett, author of The Vanishing Half, on this list. Other than that, there are no other Black authors.
I’ve read 18/60 but I feel like there are some that aren’t listed but I do have 27/60 on tbr. Some of them I don’t care about though.
I have read 25 of these books. My favorites were The Women, None of This is True, and Lessons in Chemistry!
I’ve also read about 1/3 and liked most of those, but it depends on what genres you’re interested in reading because this list is all over the place. Right now, I’m in the mood for thrillers and historical fiction, rather thansentimental love stories, action space frontiers, or world building and defending. However, we are al different and this list looks like it has lots of potential for just about every taste. 📚📖 Happy Reading! 🥰
Please do say disparaging things about readers and reviewers who have goals to achieve 100+ volumes in a year. Now that I’m retired, I can easily get through an entire full-length novel in a day or two—and write a succinct engaging—hopefully—review for posting .
Law wrote: "annabelle wrote: "A wrote: "I haven't read a single one of these books. Some of these books are good or decent enough. But some of these choices make me despair for some of your souls. Especially t..."same
Demon Copperhead by Barbara KingsolverPulitzer Prize for Fiction,
Women's Prize for Fiction,
James Tait Black Memorial Prize
#60 on the Goodreads List.
Law wrote: "Whitney wrote: "I've read 15 and dnf'd another 5Only 8/60 are BIPOC...that's concerning. We need to do better about reading diversely (I know it's based on numbers before anyone comes at me)"
Ei..."
I asked that question, too. It got answered, but I think the reply to when I asked is a couple pages back, Law.
It's Me - Yvette wrote: "Does anyone know if there are any African American authors on this list?"I think there's only 2. Most of the other BIPOC authors are Chinese.
Idamus wrote: "Barbie wrote: "Idamus wrote: "Well, I dnf'ed 1 and the rest are not on my to be read list...And in average I only read about 200 books per year."
I would love to see your book list if you read 2..."
If you don't speak/read/write Danish at all, I advise you to get an English translation. Or a translation, if one is available, in your own native language.
I read 19 on the list. Really loved The Fourth Wing and The House in the Cerulean Sea. Books over about the last 5 years that I recommend:
Homecoming by Kate Morton,
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawson,
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer,
The Marriage Portrait by
Maggie O’Farrell
I’ve read 10 and have 10 on my TBR for this list.Hopefully, be able read more since there are many good books being published each month.
I read 13. Four of which I really liked. The rest I had to read because my book club selected them! This selection is not diverse enough for my tastes.
This list consists of many books I’ve read and many I have no interest in reading. The Midnight Library was all hype — such a disappointing read. Don’t think it deserves #2…and I tend to be generous with my ratings.
When you look at the ratings of many of these books, they are definitely NOT what I would consider top books. So what if someone marks a book as “to read” or “reading?” Why would that be considered in this instance? I have marked many books as such but ended up absolutely hating them. This list is not accurate at all in my opinion, for whatever that’s worth.
People need to look at how they determined this. This is not saying these are the best books to be put out. And there’s too many people crapping on others for their choice of books. We should be glad that so many people are reading. We should be happy that people are getting enjoyment out of reading. It’s all these negative attitudes that make people think book people are elitist or make them afraid to get into reading.
I've read 15. (My fave was ^Remarkably Bright Creatures^.)Lots of the others are on my Want to Read shelf.
















