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 301-350 of 631 (631 new)
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Tom
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Sep 27, 2024 10:12AM
Shocking.
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I’ve read 4 but I’m determined to read them all! I love recommended books to read. So far I have been disappointed by anyone’s recommendations.
Not a very diverse list and definitely lacking in range. I was also going to talk about the whole algorithm thing, but it looks like some people already know what's going on.This is a list for my college students and people who are only interested in ready what everybody else says is cool at that time.
I was hoping to find some interesting titles to add to my own list. I've read a few hear and I'd previously added some to my TBR, but even those I'm in no particular rush to get my hands on. Just my opinion.
I read a few books on this list, and there’s actually quite a few I have read or want to read! It’s a good list 😊👍
I've read like 3 of them, with a few others on my TBR. I'm probably not gonna read most of these tho. I would've personally put PJO up there but ik that a lot of people don't like it as much/haven't read it sooooMy favorite out of the 3 I've read is The Inheritance Games. I love ittt
Aferandox wrote: "The mainstream is never a good guide. This list is yet another proof of that simple fact. Still, reading them is better than watching TV."not every book is better than any TV show by default, let's be real
Really? I'm curious about who actually voted for this list. I'm thinking people who are not in social media much even knew about these, and people who are, have a specific taste they acquire from said media. Sample demographic has a huge role in this. People who have been very active 4 to 5 years ago on Goodreads don't even come here that often anymore.
Ash wrote: "The absolute state of these ugly ass book covers and most of these are just straight up smut masquerading as fiction. Tiktok women really let their standards go down the drain."Dat's sexiss :)
I have read 5 books, among them Demon Copperhead, which I loved. But it seems that many on the list would be considered "light reading" or in the romance genre, not my favorite categories.
варежка wrote: "What a disappointing list with a bunch of pornographic "romances" taking the lead of today's teens and young adults' interests. Shame."If it's not for you, don't read it. Why judge others for their reading interests? Also, you may want to look up the definition of pornography as none of these meet those qualifications.
I've read 11 of this list, some of them as an early reviewer. There is a lot of fluff to this particular list, but that's OK. Something for everybody:).
Law wrote: "I've read 13 books on this list and I plan to read many more. Can you recommend me a book to read from this list OTHER than American Dirt? I don't want to read that. Demon Copperhead, Lessons in Ch..."The Women will likely be my favorite book of 2024 and Lessons in Chemistry was a lot of fun.
Not going to lie, I'm pretty disappointed if this really is the top 60 books the majority of people picked over the past years. I'm curious to see how this data was collected. The majority of these lack any depth.
The Reading Bibliophile wrote: "варежка wrote: "What a disappointing list with a bunch of pornographic "romances" taking the lead of today's teens and young adults' interests. Shame."Agree. The best book is listed on the last p..."
And those books include?
Law wrote: "I've read 13 books on this list and I plan to read many more. Can you recommend me a book to read from this list OTHER than American Dirt? I don't want to read that. Demon Copperhead, Lessons in Ch..."Personally I found Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow very long, but I think about American Dirt all the time. Where the Crawdads Sing is a good read
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 the book, American ..." It's full of violence so would turn people off but it you want a book to make you think it's a good read.
I would be very interested to see similar lists of books that are not promoting what is already popular. Give me a list of the 60 highest rated books with the least amount of 'want to read/reading/read' clicks. (Well maybe with a small minimum threshold to avoid people pushing their own independent edition in with one 5-star review) Get those unknown jewels out there!
Kim wrote: "I would be very interested to see similar lists of books that are not promoting what is already popular. Give me a list of the 60 highest rated books with the least amount of 'want to read/reading/..."Yeah! These lists always feature the exact same books, and there are dozens of other authors and books that are just as good or better, just not mainstream. :(
Miyu wrote: "really, midnight library at #2? that's the middest book i've ever read, but to each their own i guess lol"Agreed. It was ok but #2?
I'd love to see this list a year from now, but with numbers of how many of those 'want to read's were converted into 'read's.
Ummmm... The Silent Patient was seriously one of the worst books I have ever read. I truly do not understand the hype at all, the twist was soooo poorly written.




























