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The Top 20 Highest-Rated Best-Seller Books on Goodreads You Need to Read ASAP
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Time to read 16 min
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Skip Ahead, If You'd Like:
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr The Martian by Andy Weir Circe by Madeline Miller The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Educated by Tara Westover The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho Anxious People by Fredrik Backman The Help by Kathryn Stockett
If you're anything like me, you've been burned by over-hyped books before.
So today, we’re only talking about the cream of the crop — books with an average Goodreads rating of 4.3+ and over 30,000 reader ratings. That means not only do people love them… a lot of people love them.
From sweeping historical fiction to whimsical fantasy to heart-punch contemporary tales, these are the books readers can’t stop recommending.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
“I would have written you, myself, if I could put down in words everything I want to say to you. A sea of ink would not be enough.' 'But you built me dreams instead.”
Step into Le Cirque des Rêves, a midnight-only circus that shows up unannounced and dazzles with tents full of impossible magic—and serves as the battleground for two young illusionists locked in a secret, high-stakes duel. As Celia and Marco’s rival magic transforms into forbidden love, the only way out is to sacrifice everything, even their own physical selves, to protect the circus they’ve made their home.
Trust me: this one basically manifested the whole “dark whimsical” aesthetic before Pinterest even caught on. It’s got a cult following because it’s not just a book, it’s a vibe: moody stripes, magic at midnight, and prose that reads like it’s been dusted with powdered sugar and moonlight. The fans? Hardcore. People literally get tattoos of the tents and wear black-and-white to themed book parties.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
“People think that intimacy is about sex. But intimacy is about truth. When you realize you can tell someone your truth, when you can show yourself to them, when you stand in front of them bare and their response is 'you're safe with me'- that's intimacy.”
Imagine scandal-glamour-romance energy but make it vintage Hollywood, with the vibe turned up to eleven. A legendary actress, Cuban-born and iconically reclusive, finally picks an under-the-radar journalist to spill all her tea, laying bare every calculated marriage and the secret love that's been her heart’s true script. It's equal parts nostalgic glitz and a queer love so deep, it rewrites the definition of happily ever after.
Evelyn is that glamorous Hollywood star who curates her social feeds. She's messy, magnetic, and yet, always in control. This book blew up on TikTok because it’s equal parts Old Hollywood gossip, forbidden romance, and “I gasped out loud” reveals. Also, Taylor Jenkins Reid basically owns the “emotional but bingeable” genre now, and this is her crown jewel.
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
“Death is a strange thing. People live their whole lives as if it does not exist, and yet it's often one of the great motivations for living.”
Picture a cranky old man who’s practically allergic to joy, but when the new neighbor actually crashes into his carefully ordered world (literally), he starts doing everything he hates and actually begins loving it. It’s a vibe‑shift from “grim suicidal retiree” to “grumpy grandpa of a makeshift found family,” and it will destroy and rebuild your heart in like, six chapters. Expect ugly‑cry energy, neighbor‑bandwagon feels, and the unexpected warmth of your inner Ron Swanson.
If grumpy-old-man-core were an Olympic sport, Ove would take the gold, scowl, then secretly knit you a scarf. Backman has a gift for making you ugly cry over the most unexpected moments, like fixing a radiator or feeding a stray cat. The Netflix film adaptation (A Man Called Otto) only made the fandom louder, proving we will all risk dehydration for a heartwarming curmudgeon story.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
“A small but noteworthy note. I've seen so many young men over the years who think they're running at other young men. They are not. They are running at me.”
Think WWII historical fiction but narrated by Death (yes, literally Death), who serves up poetic commentary, existential dread, and unexpected tenderness as Liesel Meminger steals books to make sense of a collapsing world.
Through midnight basement readings and stolen pages, a young girl forges connection, resistance, and healing in the chaos of Nazi Germany. Her story is a reminder that words can survive even in the darkest times. Get ready for “ugly‑cry in public,” deep soul-food vibes that hit right in the feels.
This book manages to be poetic and tender while walking you straight through the most horrific of times in German History. It’s the kind of book that gets assigned in school and still makes you want to read it voluntarily. People cling to this one because it’s proof that words, even stolen ones, can outlive the worst humanity has to offer.
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
“When you're struggling hard to manage your own emotions, it becomes unbearable to have to witness other people's, to have to try and manage theirs too.”
Imagine a socially awkward 29‑year‑old who’s nailed the art of “fine” (like, frozen meals, vodka weekends, and zero human contact chill-level fine) until one tiny act of kindness cracks her routine and she discovers just how not fine she actually is. What follows is a wild heart‑upgrade: healing old scars, forging real friendships, and discovering that maybe, being “completely fine” was the loneliest lie ever. It’s ugly‑cry, second‑chances, found‑family energy. TLDR: Eleanor gives off "but I'm literally just a girl" vibes.
Eleanor is awkward, brutally honest, and completely oblivious to how heartbreaking she is, until you realize you’d die for her character growth. The rights got snapped up for a Reese Witherspoon production faster than Eleanor could microwave her weekend pizza.
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
“The moment you stop to think about whether you love someone, you've already stopped loving that person forever.”
You know that secret library your soul definitely wants to exist? Welcome to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books in 1945 Barcelona, where a kid picks up a dusty novel that’ll pull him into a decades‑spanning mystery of burning manuscripts, forbidden love, and identity so twisted it’ll make your heart do loops. Think “found‑family detective meets gothic romance,” drenched in fog, literary obsession, and enough plot layers to make your head spin beautifully.
This is the ultimate love letter to books — hidden libraries, doomed authors, gothic intrigue, all wrapped in a moody Barcelona fog. People who read it instantly want to buy a trench coat and wander cobblestone streets pretending they’re part of a mystery. It’s so beloved, it spawned an entire literary universe called The Cemetery of Forgotten Books — yes, it’s that extra.
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
“I asked you here tonight because when you realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”
Meet Don Tillman: a genius genetics professor whose life is so perfectly curated he literally builds a “Wife Project” questionnaire to find the ideal partner… until Rosie, totally not on his list, crashes in and turns everything upside down. He helps her track down her biological dad with science, logic, and unexpected chaos, and somewhere in the DNA dust, discovers that maybe love doesn’t come with bullet points and boxes to tick. It’s awkward‑rom‑com energy, heart-warming in the nerdiest way, and basically the best reminder that falling in love is the least logical thing you can do. It's like that’s the whole point.
Don Tillman is basically Sheldon Cooper if Sheldon tried dating via a scientifically engineered questionnaire. It’s rom-com gold because it leans into the awkwardness instead of sanding it down, and readers fall for Don as hard as Rosie does. This one’s been passed around offices, friend groups, and romance-averse dads because it’s that charming.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
“She laughed for his sake, something she’d never done. Giving away another piece of herself just to have someone else.”
Kya, nicknamed the “Marsh Girl”, grows up literally alone in the wild, untamed North Carolina marsh, surviving off shellfish while the whole town whispers about her. When a local golden boy turns up dead, everyone immediately points at her, ushering in a tangled mystery, courtroom drama, and lonely romance that all unfold like a slow, inescapable nightmare in the swamp. Think Southern Gothic meets murder mystery meets emotional rebirth. This story is lyrical, gut‑wrenching, and so atmospheric it makes the reeds feel alive.
This was the book club pick for like three years straight. The Marsh Girl went viral before the movie even hit. The Reese Witherspoon-produced film only made the fandom louder, and yes, people still argue about the ending.
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
“Don’t you want to be alive before you die?”
Two teens, worlds apart. Marie‑Laure, blind and hiding in Nazi-occupied France, and Werner, a German kid with a genius for radios, find their fates entangled in a way that makes you feel every whispered transmission and every moral choice in your bones.
It’s like historical fiction meets deeply poetic — heavy on sensory detail, shimmering with hope, and reminding you that even in the darkness, light finds a way in. The Netflix limited series gave it a second wind, pulling in new fans who now won’t stop telling you, “the book is still better.” This Pulitzer Prize–winning, heart‑shattering, ugly‑cry but hopeful book is backed by thousands of reviews on Goodreads and is worth its weight in gold.
The Martian by Andy Weir
“He’s stuck out there. He thinks he’s totally alone and that we all gave up on him. What kind of effect does that have on a man’s psychology?” He turned back to Venkat. “I wonder what he’s thinking right now.” LOG ENTRY: SOL 61 How come Aquaman can control whales? They’re mammals! Makes no sense.”
Stranded alone on Mars after a mission–ending dust storm, astronaut Mark Watney (botanist + engineer + salty AF) has to MacGyver his own survival. It’s sci-fi meets “math problem you actually wanna solve,” with tension, absurd humor, and that “please-don’t-let-the-Hab-explode” panic that keeps you flipping pages. Basically, it's nerd heart, pure resilience, and space‑camp‑meets‑Survivor energy all in one.
You can never go wrong with an Andy Weir book. You can always count on witty narration, science, and math "dumbed down" for us non-mathematicians, and world-building so good, you'll actually think you're with the character. This book made potatoes exciting, which is basically sorcery. It’s so funny and tense at the same time that NASA scientists and regular readers alike were raving — and then the Matt Damon movie turned it into a full-blown pop culture moment.
Circe by Madeline Miller
“He showed me his scars, and in return he let me pretend that I had none.”
Circe, a Greek witch known from the tales of The Odyssey, has been bullied by her coven and deemed the least goddess-y of them all. Banished to a remote island and forced to reinvent herself with herb magic, exile-era glow-ups, and a whole lot of trauma-to-triumph energy. It’s a mythic feminist glow-up, full of heartbreak, badass spells, found chosen family, and that whisper, “I will not be invisible anymore.”
This is Greek mythology modernly told - as if Taylor Swift herself bled onto the pages. Miller looked at Greek mythology, pointed to the sidelined witch on a random Odyssey page, and said, “Let’s give her the main-character arc she deserves.” The result? Gorgeous feminist myth-retelling that’s basically a slow-burn empowerment anthem in novel form. Instagram bookstagrammers ate it up — gold foil covers and all.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
“If I have learned anything in this long life of mine, it is this: in love we find out who we want to be; in war we find out who we are.”
Two sisters, two completely different reactions to Nazi‑occupied France: Vianne wants to keep her daughter safe by staying quiet, while Isabelle throws herself into the Resistance with reckless courage. When one becomes a concealed protector and the other a daring collector of fugitives, they each defy the darkest of times in jaw‑dropping, gut‑punch ways.
It’s sisterhood on fire, unfiltered trauma, and emotional fortitude wrapped in vintage badassery. A haunting love letter to women who fought wars inside and outside themselves. This is one of those books that people press into your hands while whispering, “This will destroy you in the best way.” The upcoming film with Dakota and Elle Fanning has fans feral.
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
“Straight people, he thinks, probably don't spend this much time convincing themselves that they're straight.”
Picture an enemies‑to‑lovers rom‑com where the U.S. First Son and a British prince collide, literally, at a royal wedding, sparking a fake‑friendship PR stunt that morphs into something way more real, juicy, and scandalous. It’s all wit, swoon, and political vibes as these two navigate secret texts, midnight confessions, and public scruting, learning that love doesn’t need permission, it just rewrites the rules. Think queer AF, royal fantasy, and campaign‑trail heat; this book is both a feel‑good rainbow and a slightly spicy political daydream.
This baby was a social media obsession—viral AF, NYT bestseller, and it broke romance norms by winning both Best Romance and Best Debut at the 2019 Goodreads Choice Awards. Plus, the movie adaptation dropped in 2023 and became a streaming smash. And, yes, a sequel’s already on deck.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
“The old gods may be great, but they are neither kind nor merciful. They are fickle, unsteady as moonlight on water, or shadows in a storm. If you insist on calling them, take heed: be careful what you ask for, be willing to pay the price. And no matter how desperate or dire, never pray to the gods that answer after dark.”
Addie makes a deal with the Devil in 1714 to escape an oppressive life as a stranger's bride. She gains immortality, but with the cruel catch that no one will ever remember her. Flash forward centuries later in NYC, and she's fallen in love —igniting a heartbreaking, ethereal journey about erasure, legacy, and being seen when it truly counts. Expect timeless magic, art‑obsessed prose, and soul‑punch emotional resonance that’ll haunt your brain long after you turn the last page.
This book spent a whopping 37 weeks on the NYT Best Seller list, proving it definitely struck a nerve with readers everywhere. And — hold the freakin' phone — there’s a real-deal movie adaptation in the works: Augustine Frizzell (Euphoria director energy) is set to direct, with Schwab as producer and co-writer, and the script is already locked and loaded. It's currently moving forward at Lionsgate, and fans are buzzing with major casting theories and hype.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
“...things get broken, and sometimes they get repaired, and in most cases, you realize that no matter what gets damaged, life rearranges itself to compensate for your loss, sometimes wonderfully.”
Four college friends, heartbroken, hopeful, and hustling, only to be anchored by one of them: Jude, whose hidden trauma is so heart‑shattering it’s practically a character of its own. His life turns into a cycle of brilliant achievements and gut‑wrenching pain, unflinchingly documenting abuse, self‑harm, and the haunting question: can friendship really save someone who can't save themself? It’s bleak heartbreak turned art, beautiful and brutal, and will leave you reeling.
This one is critically divisive. It’s a bestseller and a modern classic, but also a lightning rod for debate over its graphic content and moral weight. Whether you're sobbing or seething, you feel something. Trigger warnings include self-harm, on-page mention of suicide, and graphic content posing moral conflictions. Please take care as you read this novel.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
“If you aim to be something you are not, you will always fail. Aim to be you. Aim to look and act and think like you. Aim to be the truest version of you. Embrace that you-ness. Endorse it. Love it. Work hard at it. And don't give a second thought when people mock it or ridicule it. Most gossip is envy in disguise.”
What if all the “what ifs” in your life were books and you could flip through them until you find the one life where you truly belong? After a near-death meltdown, Nora Seed lands in a mystical library that lets her explore her very own alternate realities. It’s mind-bendy, emotionally cozy, and kinda existential, plus it reminds you that sometimes the best life is the one you're already living.
Winner of the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fiction (2020) with over half a million votes. Definitely reader-approved!
Educated by Tara Westover
“My life was narrated for me by others. Their voices were forceful, emphatic, absolute. It had never occurred to me that my voice might be as strong as theirs.”
No classrooms and zero birth certificate. Tara is left alone to educate herself just enough to take the ACT and get into Harvard, BYU, and eventually earn a PhD at Cambridge. In a raw, mind-blowing act of self-love and preservation, Tara explores what happens when education not only opens your world but tears your old one apart. This is rebellion, brain-hustle, and radical self-liberation rolled into one powerful memoir that dares you to ask: what are you willing to lose to be seen?
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
“It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”
Imagine a shepherd boy who leaves his flock to pursue a dream of finding treasure in the Egyptian pyramids. In his journey, he discovers that the true treasure was always within him. This mystical and allegorical fairy tale conveys the message that "the universe conspires to help you" when you chase your purpose with passion. It is simple, spiritual, and eternally inspiring, making it perfect for anyone who has ever ignored the noise of life to listen to their inner compass.
This isn’t just a bestselling book; it is the most translated work by a living author, available in over 67 languages, with more than 65 million copies sold worldwide.
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
We don't have a plan, we just do our best to get through the day, because there'll be another one coming along tomorrow.”
A failed bank robbery accidentally turns into a hostage comedy. Eight strangers—ranging from pregnant lesbians to cranky retirees and an awkward banker—find themselves trapped together, spilling their truths as chaos unfolds around them. The story is equal parts hilarious, heartwarming, and emotionally chaotic, emphasizing that even in our most anxious moments, empathy and human connection can save us. It feels like stepping into a group therapy session or a feel-good meme come to life, reminding us that we’re all awkwardly trying to be decent humans.
The internal narration is perfect, balancing poignant observations with a quirky and deeply moving story. Goodreads Reviewers called it “near perfect,” “funny,” “relatable,” and “a beautiful mess of people and plot.”
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
“Ever morning, until you dead in the ground, you gone have to make this decision. You gone have to ask yourself, "Am I gone believe what them fools say about me today?”
Step into 1960s Jackson, Mississippi, where Skeeter, a curious white young woman, aims to write a bold exposé, and the Black maids, Aibileen and Minny, whose voices she shares with the world, exposing her town for all that is ugly... and beautiful. It’s friendship, rebellion, and defiance against segregation, all wrapped in Southern charm and whispered truths between cupfuls of pie. Expect heartfelt laughter, quiet fury, and the strength of women daring to speak when silence was the norm.
Debuting in 2009, The Help was a breakout hit— Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fiction (2009), over seven million copies sold, and more than 100 weeks on the NYT Best Seller list. Just three years later, Tate Taylor directed Emma Stone (Skeeter), Viola Davis (Aibileen), and Octavia Spencer (Minny) in the movie of the same name, grossing $221M globally and sweeping major awards.
Bottom line? The Help is emotionally powerful and undeniably binge-worthy, glorified by fans and challenged by critics. Still, its blend of Southern grace, courage, and tea-spilling narrative makes it a staple for classrooms and homes alike.
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