![a photo of someone wearing a floppy hat and reading in a hammock](https://s32875.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/reading-in-hammock.png)
The Most Read Books On Goodreads in August
Every week, we take a look back at the most read books on Goodreads to take note of any trends. It’s a good way to get a gauge of the buzziest books of the moment, and how a title’s influence has grown or shrunk recently. After all, as all readers know, it’s one thing to buy a book (reflected on the bestseller lists), and it’s a very different thing to actually make the time to read it. The weekly lists shift only slightly, but by looking at the monthly lists, we can get a better sense of what’s changing.
The most read books on Goodreads in August look similar to July’s, but there are some differences. Reckless by Lauren Roberts took the #3 spot in July, but it’s already fallen to #16 in August. The Housemaid Is Watching by Freida McFadden was #1 in July, but it came just short of making this list: it’s the sixth most read book on Goodreads in August. Other titles have climbed back up the ranks, like Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros and It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover, neither of which appeared on July’s list.
The most read books on Goodreads continue to be far from diverse, so I’ve also added a few of the most popular books on Book Riot in August at the end.
#5:
![Just For the Summer Cover](https://s32875.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/195820807.jpg-e1703955720790.png)
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
This romance novel was read by 72,000 Goodreads users in August, with over 400,000 total ratings. It has a 4.4 average rating.
Erica Ezeifedi wrote about Just for the Summer for Books Popular on BookTok for the Summer: “This April release is all up and down BookTok. It’s a romance that starts with Reddit, of all things. Justin reveals in a Reddit thread that he’s cursed, and how every woman he goes on a date with finds her perfect match right after she breaks up with him. And Emma, feeling like she has nothing to lose, especially since her next assignment as a traveling nurse will place her in Minnesota, thinks that dating Justin might prove to be fruitful. But then Emma’s raggedy mother turns up, and Justin has to take care of his siblings, and suddenly, the idea that the two of them may be perfect together starts to form.”
#4:
![Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros Book Cover](https://s32875.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Fourth-Wing-by-Rebecca-Yarros-Book-Cover.jpeg.optimal.jpeg)
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
This romantasy is back in the public consciousness, possibly because the paperback is finally coming out in September. It was marked as read by 72,000 people with almost two million total ratings. It has a 4.6 average rating.
Nikki DeMarco wrote about Fourth Wing as one of the Most Polarizing Romance Novels Ever Written: “Since romance has so many subgenres, when a book toes the line between which genre is the primary one, it’s often criticized as being too much of one and not enough of the other. Fourth Wing is a romantasy that isn’t love-focused enough for many romance readers but is too love-focused for fantasy readers. Still, it’s hugely popular on TikTok and bestseller lists. It was also criticized for reading too much like a YA, but with a spice level inappropriate for teen readers — even though the main character is 20 and it was not released as a young adult title.”
#3:
![cover of Funny Story by Emily Henry](https://s32875.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Funny-Story-by-Emily-Henry.jpeg.optimal.jpeg)
Funny Story by Emily Henry
Emily Henry’s newest romance is holding onto its spot in the top five: it was read by almost 74,000 Goodreads users last month, with a total of almost 600,000 ratings. It has a 4.3 average rating.
Erica Ezeifedi wrote about Funny Story for Books Popular on BookTok for the Summer: “Ms. Henry rules the summer, and here, she’s turned her talents to a chaotic/organized romantic pairing. Daphne thought she had it going on, until her fiancé Peter realized he’d rather be with his childhood bestie, Petra. Now, the children’s librarian, away from everyone she knows and in need of a roommate, decides to live with someone in a similar situation: Petra’s ex, Miles. The two mostly avoid each other, until they come together one day to realize how fun it would be to pretend to date and share pictures of themselves doing so online. But it’s all for show, of course…”
#2:
![Cover of The Housemaid by Freida McFadden](https://s32875.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/The-Housemaid-by-Freida-McFadden.jpeg.optimal.jpeg)
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
The Housemaid Is Watching may have dipped in popularity, but the first book in this series is still finding plenty of new readers. It was marked as read by more than 75,000 users with almost 1.5 million total ratings. It has a 4.3 average rating.
Mikkaka Overstreet wrote about The Housemaid as a book you can’t put down: “Rich people are truly terrifying. A woman becomes a housemaid for a rich family. She finds that the wife is an asshole, the husband is downtrodden, and the kid is a pawn. But here’s the twist: the housemaid has a dark secret that her suburban antagonist doesn’t know about. Who should you root for? Who can be trusted? Readers won’t know until the very last page.”
#1:
![It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover Cover](https://s32875.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/It-Ends-with-Us-by-Colleen-Hoover-Cover.jpg.optimal.jpg)
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
Colleen Hoover has resumed her spot at the top of the most read list following the movie adaptation of It Ends With Us. It was read by over 115,000 users last month, with almost four million (!) total ratings. It has a 4.2 average rating
Addison Rizer wrote about It Ends With Us as one of the most popular books on TikTok: “Newly graduated and starting her own business, Lily meets a young neurosurgeon resident, Ryle. Their attraction is instant, but differences in what they want out of the relationship send them different directions. That is, until six months later when they run into each other again. Their attraction grows and they veer closer and closer to relationship territory. It’s perfect…until it isn’t, and Lily’s ex comes into the picture to only complicate things further. Definitely listen to the TikTokers and check the trigger warnings before picking up this one.”
Two of the Most Popular Books on Book Riot in August
If you’d like another take on the biggest books of last month, how about the titles on Book Riot that got the most clicks? You can check out the full list of The 10 Most Popular Books on Book Riot in August 2024, but here are a couple of them.
![The Seventh Veil of Salome cover](https://s32875.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/The-Seventh-Veil-of-Salome-Silvia-Moreno-Garcia-scaled.jpg.optimal.jpg)
The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a favorite author on Book Riot, so it’s no surprise her newest book was recommended multiple times. In fact, I would have expected it to be higher on this list! The Seventh Veil of Salome appeared on: The Most Anticipated Historical Fiction Books of Fall 2024, August 2024 Book Club Picks, and The Best New Book Releases Out August 6, 2024, as well as being mentioned in the New Books newsletter, Past Tense newsletter, In the Club newsletter, Book Radar newsletter, Check Your Shelf newsletter, and the All the Books podcast.
![There Are Rivers in the Sky cover](https://s32875.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/There-Are-Rivers-in-the-Sky-.jpg.optimal.jpg)
There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak
This novel set in 1840 London, 2014 Turkey, and 2018 London was mentioned in many articles this month, including The Most Anticipated Historical Fiction Books of Fall 2024; The Best New Books Out in September, According to Indie Booksellers; The Best BIPOC Books Out in August; and The Best New Book Releases Out August 21, 2024. It was also included in the All the Books Podcast, Past Tense newsletter, and the New Books newsletter.
If you’re looking for more buzzy books, check out The Bestselling Books of the Week, According to All the Lists.
Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books.
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