The Most Read Books on Goodreads This Week
This is the last Friday before Christmas, so it’s no surprise that holiday books are all over the Most Read Books on Goodreads list this week. The full 50-title list includes classics, like A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens; dark romance, like He Sees You When You’re Sleeping by Alta Hensley; mysteries, like The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter; and cozy romances, like The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore. Can you guess the one holiday book that made it into the top five this week?
Two New Books You Should Know About
Unfortunately, the most read books on Goodreads tend not to be diverse by any definition of the word. So, here are a couple of new books out this month that deserve wider readership.
An Arcane Inheritance by Kamilah Cole
For dark academia fans, this is an exciting novel about an elite university hiding terrible secrets. Ellory Morgan has worked hard to attend Warren University, but once there, she hears rumors about the occult and the use of forbidden magic, and that its success has come at the cost of its BIPOC students. —Liberty Hardy
Every Day I Read: 53 Ways to Get Closer to Books by Hwang Bo-reum, translated by Shanna Tan
Every Day I Read is a booklover’s dream. Hwang Bo-reum delves into the big ideas around a life centered around reading. What makes us choose a bestseller or read by whim? What inspired us to read outside of our favorite genres? Every Day I Read is a love letter to books and encourages readers to follow along and answer these questions for themselves. —Kendra Winchester
The Most Read Books on Goodreads This Week
#5:
Quicksilver by Callie Hart
This is the first book in the Fae & Alchemy series, and it’s about Saeris, a 24-year-old woman who is transported to a different world and accidentally binds herself to a Fae warrior named Kingfisher. Book two, Brimstone, came out on November 18, which has given the series a boost in readership. Book three comes out in November 2026. It was read by 12,000 Goodreads users this week and has a 4.3 average rating.
#4:
Good Spirits by B.K. Borison
Every year in December, Christmas books—especially Christmas romances—take over the Goodreads Most Read list. This year, the most popular holiday title is Good Spirits, but you can find a dozen more Christmas reads on the top 50. This one follows Nolan, aka the Ghost of Christmas Past, as he takes on a new assignment, haunting Harriet. But people-pleasing Harriet is no Scrooge, so why is she being haunted? As Christmas Eve approaches, the two begin to fall for each other. It was read by 16,000 Goodreads users this week and has a 4.0 average rating.
#3:
Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid
The incredible popularity of the Heated Rivalry TV show adaptation took everyone by surprise—including, apparently, the publishers, because this book has been difficult to get your hands on! Despite that, this rivals-to-lovers M/M hockey romance is one of the most read books this week. It was read by almost 18,000 Goodreads users this week and has a 4.3 average rating.
#2:
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
This is the first book in Freida McFadden’s Housemaid series, followed by The Housemaid’s Secret and The Housemaid Is Watching. It’s about a housemaid who cleans for a wealthy family, takes care of their child, and lives in their attic bedroom. She’s soon pulled into the family’s dangerous secrets, but her employers may have underestimated what she’s capable of. The movie adaptation is out now. This was read by almost 21,000 Goodreads users, with a 4.3 average rating.
#1:
Brimstone by Callie Hart
A recent entry to the top five is Brimstone, book two in the Fae & Alchemy romantasy series. This sequel came out on November 18th, and it’s a whopping 672 pages. You could probably have guessed what the #1 most read book on Goodreads is based on this title taking the #5 spot. It was read by 24,000 users this week and has a 4.2 average rating.
If you’re looking for more buzzy books, check out The Bestselling Books of the Week, According to All the Lists.
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