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The top five most read books on Goodreads this time around are the same as last week, but there are some less familiar titles in the top ten: Lost and Lassoed by Lyla Sage, which came out last week, and Lights Out by Navessa Allen, which came out in August, but seems to be getting more attention recently.
To add some variety, I’ve spotlighted the most read books on Goodreads in three countries around the world. This time, we’re taking a look at the bookshelves of Brazil, Hungary, and the Philippines. There is a lot of overlap with the global top five, but there’s also some variety, including books not (yet) available in English.
This list continues to not be diverse—in fact, authors of color are rare on the long list of the Most Read Books This Week, which has 50 titles. Approximately 95% of those are by white authors. At the end of this list, I’ve included a couple new books by authors of color out this week that deserve more attention.
#5:
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
Rebecca Yarros is holding onto two of the top five spots with her Empyrean series. Book three, Onyx Storm, comes out in January. This one was read by almost 11,000 users this week and has a 4.4 average rating.
Brazil: The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
Hungary: Bride by Ali Hazelwood
Philippines: Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
#4:
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Book one in the Empyrean series is still getting plenty of new readers, likely helped by its September paperback release. It was read by more than 12,000 users last week and it has a 4.6 average rating with two million total ratings.
Brazil: Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
Hungary: Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
Philippines: Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
#3:
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
Freida McFadden is another author who has two of the top five spots this week. The first book in the Housemaid series was read by almost 14,000 Goodreads users this week, with a 4.3 average rating.
Brazil: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Hungary: Mindig történik VALAMI a Deákban by Laura Leiner
Philippines: Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
#2:
The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore
October is over, but The Pumpkin Spice Café continues to enjoy its fall popularity. More than 14,000 Goodreads users read it this week, and it has a 3.4 average rating.
Brazil: The Vegetarian by Han Kang
Hungary: Powerless by Lauren Roberts
Philippines: The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
#1:
The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden
McFadden’s newest thriller, which came out in October, takes the #1 spot. It had almost 29,000 readers on Goodreads this week—double the readers of the title in spot #2—and it has a 4.1 average rating.
Brazil: Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
Hungary: The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore
Philippines: The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden
Two New Books Out This Week 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 week that deserve wider readership.
Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ, translated by Lin King
This one is so interesting. It disguises itself as a translation of a rediscovered book by a Japanese travel writer. What it really is is an exploration of two women who bond through food and travel, but who ultimately have something holding them back from getting closer. In 1938, young writer Aoyama Chizuko travels from her native Nagasaki to Taiwan after an invite from the Japanese government, which rules the island. She’s not really down for all the imperialist trappings, though, and instead seeks out an authentic island life experience. A younger Taiwanese woman, Chizuro, is hired as her interpreter and guides the novelist through scenic train rides and mouthwatering local dishes. Aoyama is sprung, but something is holding Chizuru back from taking the plunge into something real. —Erica Ezeifedi
Rani Choudhury Must Die by Adiba Jaigirdar (Sapphic YA Contemporary)
You might remember Adiba Jaigirdar as the author of Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating, The Henna Wars, and more. Now, she’s back with a sapphic YA revenge story. Meghna and Rani used to be best friends, but now they’re bitter rivals. They call a truce, though, when they realize they’re dating the same guy and team up to get revenge — by developing an app to expose cheaters that will hopefully win the European Young Scientist Exhibition. As they reluctantly work together, they begin to realize there’s chemistry between them. (Get it? Because it’s a science competition?) —Danika Ellis
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.