Each year, Goodreads compiles and ranks the most frequently added and rated books of the year on the platform.
In a year marked by constant change and digital saturation, reading has remained a powerful constant way to find escape, insight, and connection. Younger readers in particular are driving a resurgence in annotated editions, book clubs, BookTok, and more social media-driven reading challenges.
While the ways readers access books continue to evolve, roughly two-thirds of Americans still prefer reading physical books, a figure that has remained steady for over a decade. While readers seem to prefer owning physical books over e-books and audiobooks, they have turned more toward online purchasing, with 55% of book sales being made through Amazon.
With over 150 million members, Goodreads has become one of the most reliable ways to measure what stories are striking chords with readers. The company maintains an ongoing list of the most popular books released throughout the year, based on how many members add the books to their shelves.
Whether they’re gripping thrillers, sweeping romances, or thought-provoking memoirs, these are the books that have dominated book clubs everywhere.
2 / 11
1. Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
Red Tower Books | Goodreads
Release date: January 21, 2025
Featured on: 2 million shelves
The third novel in the best-selling Empyrean series following Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, Onyx Storm became a #1 New York Times bestseller and the fastest-selling adult novel of the last 20 years. The third entry sees protagonist Violet Sorrengail navigating political unrest and magical threats as she searches for a way to save Xaden, who is in danger of turning venin. The series as a whole is also expected to get a TV series adaptation through Prime Video.
3 / 11
2. Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
Scholastic Press | Goodreads
Release date: March 18, 2025
Featured on: 1 million shelves
Another #1 New York Times Bestseller, Sunrise on the Reaping is a prequel to the massively popular Hunger Games series that follows a young Haymitch Abernathy during the 50th Games. The novel goes into the roots of Haymitch’s rebellion and, like many entries in the series before it, already has a film adaptation slated for 2026.
4 / 11
3. Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
Release date: April 22, 2025
Featured on: 769 thousand shelves
Two journalists compete to write the biography of a reclusive heiress on a remote island in Great Big Beautiful Life, which made the New York Times Bestseller list and was the Reese’s Book Club pick for May 2025. As secrets unfold and a slow-burn romance develops, the novel explores ambition, legacy, and the stories we tell ourselves.
5 / 11
4. The Crash by Freida McFadden
Poisoned Pen Press | Goodreads
Release date: January 28, 2025
Featured on: 531 thousand shelves
Eight months pregnant expecting mother Tegan Werner crashes in a blizzard and is rescued by a couple in a remote cabin, though their hospitality hides dark secrets. Freida McFadden’s #1 New York Times bestselling thriller is tense and explores the complexities of trauma and the power of maternal instinct.
6 / 11
5. Deep End by Ali Hazelwood
Release date: February 4, 2025
Featured on: 512 thousand shelves
Scarlett, a diver recovering from an injury, and Lukas, a world-class swimmer, enter a no-strings relationship while training for the Olympics. Hazelwood’s sports romance dives deep into vulnerability, healing, and the strength of love, making the New York Times Bestseller list.
7 / 11
6. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Ballantine Books | Goodreads
Release date: June 3, 2025
Featured on: 470 thousand shelves
Despite only being out for a little over a month, Atmosphere has already landed on nearly half a million shelves on Goodreads. Set in NASA’s 1980s Space Shuttle program, the novel follows Joan Goodwin, an astronomer-turned-astronaut, and her secret romance with fellow astronaut Vanessa Ford. In addition to being a New York Times Bestseller, it was voted a top summer read by Goodreads users and was the Good Morning America Book Club pick for June.
8 / 11
7. Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
Flatiron Books | Goodreads
Release date: January 14, 2025
Featured on: 464 thousand shelves
Feeney’s New York Times bestselling psychological thriller sees author Grady retreat to a remote Scottish island after his wife Abby vanishes, only to encounter eerie events and a woman who looks just like her. As his grip on reality slips, Grady uncovers secrets buried beneath the island’s surface.
9 / 11
8. Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez
Release date: April 1, 2025
Featured on: 461 thousand shelves
Veterinarian Xavier Rush and Samantha Diaz share a perfect first date, only to be torn apart by family obligations. As they navigate long-distance love and caregiving challenges, their bond deepens. Jimenez’s heartfelt romance about memory and sacrifice was another #1 New York Times bestseller as well as one of the Amazon Editors’ Best Books of 2025 So far.
10 / 11
9. Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall
Simon & Schuster | Goodreads
Release date: March 4, 2025
Featured on: 386 thousand shelves
Another entry on the New York Times Bestseller list and the Reese’s Book Club pick for March, Broken Country sees protagonist Beth’s quiet life disrupted when her first love returns to her village, stirring up secrets and grief over her lost son. As past and present collide, Beth must choose between the life she built and the one she left behind.
11 / 11
10. Fearless by Lauren Roberts
Simon & Schuster | Goodreads
Release date: April 8, 2025
Featured on: 196 thousand shelves
In the explosive finale of the Powerless trilogy, Paedyn must survive brutal trials and protect her forbidden love for Kai. As political tensions rise and betrayals mount, the fate of the kingdom hangs in the balance in the high-stakes last entry of Roberts’ bestselling romantasy series.
