In this week’s most read books on Goodreads, the Off-Campus novels have been pushed out of the top five by the newest novel from the author of The Help. That changes the genre breakdown slightly: this list is two parts thrillers and one part romance, historical fiction, and contemporary ficiton.
Two New Books Out This Week You Should Know About
Unfortunately—speaking of The Help—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.
The Memory Bookshop by Song Yu-jeong, translated by Shanna Tan
Magical establishments have been a hot subject in novels for a few years now, but nothing is better than a magical bookshop, amirite? In this Korean bestseller, the Memory Bookshop appears to those who need it most, its shelves filled with books of their own memories. Patrons can go back three chapters in their life to correct past mistakes…but they must give up time in their future as payment. —Liberty Hardy
The Last Soldier of Nava by Yejin Suh
In this sapphic romantasy inspired by Korean mythology, Shadow awakens after a thousand years, just when the country needs her most. A war is on the horizon, and magical dead zones threaten to consume the natural world. Shadow’s magic over darkness is key to restoring balance. She teams up in the royal court with Scarlet, who is determined to get revenge for her sister’s murder. They have to rely on each other to oppose the corruption in Shadow’s father’s court, but as they grow closer, Shadow struggles to keep her secret: she killed Scarlet’s sister in a past life. —Danika Ellis
#5:
Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune
One Golden Summer was one of the biggest romances of the summer last year, and now Carley Fortune is back just in time for 2026 beach reading season. Frankie’s life was perfect for one night, when she was celebrating her upcoming wedding with family and her lifelong best friend, George. Then, her fiancé dumped her the next day… by note. George convinces her to go with him on their honeymoon on the beaches of Tofino, where they start to faces the secrets and emotions they’ve been burying. It was read by 15,000 Goodreads readers this week and has a 4.1 average rating.
#4:
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
This turned out to be the sleeper hit of 2025: it has kept growing in popularity, seemingly just from word-of-mouth recommendations. Recently, Katie Couric named it the first pick for her new book club. It’s about a woman who has written letters daily her whole life. When someone from her past writes back, she has to reevaluate a painful period in her life and find a way to forgive. This was read by almost 16,000 users this week and has a 4.5 average rating.
#3:
The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett
This is the newest book from the author of The Help. The Help was a huge bestseller, made into a blockbuster movie, but it received a lot of criticism for its use of stereotypes of Black people and white saviorism, as well as its historical inaccuracies. This criticism didn’t prevent Stockett from snagging a lucrative book deal for her new novel, however, and it looks like it hasn’t hurt its sales. The Calamity Club was read by 17,000 users this week and has a 4.6 average rating.
#2:
The Divorce by Freida McFadden
In Freida McFadden’s newest thriller, Naomi is shocked when her perfect marriage abruptly ends and her husband moves in with a younger woman. She refuses to let it go, and she becomes obsessed with his new girlfriend. Along the way, she unearths secrets that put her life in danger. This was read by almost 23,000 Goodreads users this week and has a 3.9 average rating.
#1:
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
At the top of the list this week is Yesteryear, which came out in April. It’s one of several buzzy tradwife novels out this year. In this one, a tradwife influencer wakes up one day in the time period she’s been romanticizing, and real-life homesteading turns out to be much more difficult—and dangerous—than it looks on Instagram. Yesteryear was read by almost 44,000 users this week and has a 4.0 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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