How many have you read?
It’s no secret that we’re kind of bookworms over here at Katie Couric Media. From seasonal reading lists to life-changing reads, we love sharing all the engrossing tomes we’re devouring. We also love passing the microphone, like when we asked Wake-Up Call readers about the unforgettable books that altered their lives forever. So when Goodreads, the go-to destination for book ratings and reviews, shared with us their list of the 20 most popular books published in the last 5 years, we knew we had to spread the good word. (In case you’re curious about how they built the list: They crunched the numbers according to how many times Goodreads members marked a book as want-to-read, currently reading, or already read — and only ones earning at least 3.5 out of 5 stars made the cut.)
These reads span just about every genre and topic you could desire — including romance, fantasy, thrillers, and more. See how many of these favorites you’ve read, and save this list for the next time you need to get lost in a book.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
This psychological thriller took the world by storm back in 2019 when it was first published. Alicia Berenson seems to have it all: a career as a painter, a famous fashion photographer husband, and a gorgeous house. Until one day when Alicia’s husband comes home, and she shoots him right in the face — then refuses to speak again. A criminal psychologist’s dedication to unraveling what really happened that night sends him on a dark path.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
This book tackles that age-old icebreaker question, “If you could go back in time, what would you do differently?” In it, a woman named Nora Seed finds herself in the Midnight Library, the place between life and death. Each book before her is a choose-your-own-adventure of all the different decisions she could’ve made, and they give her the opportunity for a massive do-over. You’ll probably find yourself pondering the roads not taken as well.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Have you heard of romantasy, the hot hybrid literary genre that’s taken TikTok by storm? As you could probably guess, it’s a mixture of romance and fantasy — and Fourth Wing is emblematic of this genre. This is the first of the Empyrean series, and takes place in a magical world where protagonist Violet is suddenly called to train as a highly respected, and dangerous, dragon rider at the elite Basgiath War College.
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Written like a biography but actually a work of fiction, Taylor Jenkins Reid’s blockbuster hit was so beloved, it ended up on the small screen — in a series starring Elvis Presley’s granddaughter, no less. It chronicles the fictional band Daisy Jones and the Six from its humble beginnings singing in dive bars, to embarking on record-shattering world tours — and leads to the dramatic implosion that caused the brand to break up at the peak of its powers.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
Part historical fiction, part fantasy, this unforgettable book is about Addie LaRue, who makes a Monkey’s Paw-like bargain to live forever. The only catch? Everyone she meets immediately forgets her (rendering her, you guessed it, invisible). She spends 300 years in anonymity — until a young man in a hidden bookstore remembers her name.
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Ali Hazelwood is the queen of STEMinist rom-coms, and this one (her first) was a New York Times bestseller. It involves an awkward third-year Ph.D. student, a douchey hotshot professor (who might not be as bad as he seems?), and a fake dating plot.
It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover
If you’re a KCM reader, you’re probably no stranger to It Starts With Us and the world of Colleen Hoover in general. This one is, paradoxically sounding, the sequel to her smash hit It Ends With Us, which was recently made into a major motion picture starring Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively.
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
The Guest List is a classic Lucy Foley thriller in the style of Agatha Christie. A wedding is happening on an island off the coast of Ireland — and you just know there’s a storm coming, because of course there is. At the nuptials, a high-powered magazine publisher is set to marry an up-and-coming TV star, and it’s going to be the event of the year — until someone turns up dead.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Don’t let the YA classification fool you — this thriller will get any adult’s heart pumping. It takes place in a small town haunted by an infamous murder-suicide. Or was that actually what happened? High school senior Pip begins revisiting the investigation and realizes that what the town accepted as truth might be far from it.
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Who doesn’t want to get lost in a beach romance right now? Emily Henry is the queen of the genre, so it shouldn’t surprise you that she has not one but two books on this list. The first is a delightful friends-to-lovers plot about two best friends who have a yearly tradition of going on vacation together — until one trip ruined everything. Two years after that disastrous getaway, Poppy reaches out to Alex in the hopes of convincing him to do one last trip. And to her surprise, he agrees.
Beach Read by Emily Henry
There’s nothing we love more than books — unless you’re talking about a book written for, and about, book lovers. (How meta.) In this one, pretentious lit fic author Augustus Everett and romance writer January Andrews are polar opposites and bitter rivals. When they realize that they’ve booked adjacent summer homes, they decide to do something drastic to break their writer’s block: They switch genres.
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
Freida McFadden is the acclaimed writer of thriller tours de force, and The Housemaid is one of her biggest hits (which is why it’s currently being turned into a movie). It’s about a housemaid who begins working for the wealthy Winchesters, a family full of secrets. But of course, the protagonist has plenty of secrets of her own.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Given that Lessons in Chemistry was turned into a Hulu show, it’s no surprise that it’s one of Goodreads’ most popular books. (What better promo for your book than a TV show based on it?) This one is about Elizabeth Zott, a chemist in the 1960s — the only woman on her research team — who faces sexism from the men in the lab, except for one. They get married, but a few years later, Elizabeth finds herself a single mom and uses her chemistry prowess to start a super popular cooking show, Supper at Six.
Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
This CoHo hit is about a woman who serves a prison sentence for killing her daughter’s father in a car accident. When she gets out, she finds that her community isn’t very willing to forgive and forget, but she finds grace from her late partner’s best friend. Their budding romance could make things a lot more difficult for them both.
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Another Henry hit makes the list! It’s a (you guessed it) charming rom-com that bookworms will feel very seen by. The story revolves around a no-nonsense literary agent who visits the idyllic small town where her star author’s latest book is set — only to run into her professional nemesis, who’s apparently from there. (Hijinks ensue, naturally.)
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
The fourth installment of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series — or as fans call it, ACOTAR — focuses on Nesta, the prickly, fiery High Fae who struggles to find a place for herself in the world. The person who gets her more heated than anyone is Cassian, who she finds herself spending more and more time with. Meanwhile, the treacherous human queens are forming an alliance that could shatter the tenuous peace the realms have found — and Nesta and Cassian might be the only ones to save it.
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Jenkins Reid does it again, with another gripping drama that incorporates multiple perspectives. This novel will transport you back to the 1980s, when the surfing Riva family is in the spotlight, and Nina is planning her huge end-of-summer bash. Alternating between the past and present, this slow burn builds up to the night of the party and the disastrous fire that changes everything.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
This sweeping novel tells a story spanning three decades between two college friends who create a blockbuster video game hit before graduating — and shoot straight to stardom. Young and brilliant, they discover the pitfalls of peaking early, and of navigating a thorny professional/personal relationship.
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
This swoon-worthy rom-com is now a beloved Amazon movie — but before it hit the big screen, it was a mere charming novel about a British prince and the son of an American president. They’re enemies — until their parents force them to hang out for good publicity. Soon they realize what they feel for each other is not hatred, but quite the opposite…which proves to be a huge scandal in the making.
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
This twisty thriller starts with Hannah Michaels receiving a vague note from her new husband, Owen, before he completely disappears: “Protect her,” it says. The “her” he’s referring to is his 16-year-old daughter Bailey, with whom Hannah doesn’t have a great relationship. But they’re forced to stick together to find out what happened to Owen, especially as FBI agents and federal marshals close in and Owen’s reputation is ruined in the press.
