Best Books Book Lists Goodreads

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 2, 2025, 12:42 PM

Welcome back. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. We've researched and ranked the best goodreads books in the world, based on recommendations from world experts, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. Learn more Eric BerkowitzThe case is about racism, but it’s also about white sexual fear of the black man, and the failed effort of white America to stop intermixing. I think the notion of the scary black man still permeates the American justice system today.

I don’t think To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the greatest pieces of literature ever, but it is a very good window into the ingrained sexual fear that permeated at... (Source) Scott TurowIt’s dated in many ways; it’s extremely sentimental. But it’s beautifully done – you can’t take a thing away from it. (Source) David Heinemeier HanssonReally liking this one so far.

I’m sure a lot of people here probably read it in high school or whatever, but it wasn’t on the Danish curriculum, so here I am! (Source) Richard BransonToday is World Book Day, a wonderful opportunity to address this #ChallengeRichard sent in by Mike Gonzalez of New Jersey: Make a list of your top 65 books to read in a lifetime. (Source) We looked up the highest-rated books on Goodreads so you don't have to! Here are the top picks from the book-review site to help you meet your resolution to read more.

Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.Learn more. If your goal is to read more, or if you are a voracious reader on the hunt for an undiscovered gem, you’ve come to the right place. The sheer volume of content out today can be overwhelming, and you don’t want to pick up just any old book—you want to make sure it’s worth your time. We’ve done the homework for you by consulting one of the most popular book recommendations and review sites to curate a list of the highest-rated books on Goodreads. Here’s how we put the final lineup together: To establish a thoroughly vetted list of the best books you should read, we selected stand-alone books with at least 10,000 ratings on Goodreads.

We also weeded out those with just one five-star review to make sure that the majority of readers were in love with the selection. To further whittle down the list and compare apples to apples, we excluded books in series, though many of them are highly rated. (We’re looking at you, Harry Potter, Fourth Wing and pretty much anything by Brandon Sanderson!) The result is a robust roster of books that have been widely reviewed and are highly recommended by many, many readers. Whether you have a specific book genre in mind or simply want to pick up something you haven’t read yet, our list has your next good read. It is impossible to get readers to agree on what the best books ever written are.

With so many options to choose from, this task seems almost impossible. Which is why we will be looking at the the 50 best books on Goodreads and see what books amde their list! Relying in Goodreads is perfect because it is user based and with millions of monthly users, we get a large enougn sample size. And yes, we know it is still a popularity contest at the end of the day. However, that is what all lists are. To make Goodreads’ list, a book has to have at least 10,000 ratings.

This list excludes including boxsets, collection books, short stories or selection books, and non-fiction books, except for memoirs. You can check out the full list below! The highest rated book on Goodreads is Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson. It is the second book in The Stormlight Archive and one of the best fantasy series out there. Sanderson speculated that this book is rated so highly is that mostly fans of The Stormlight Archive would read it because it is the second book in the series. If you didn’t like the first book, then there is almost no chance for that person to willingly read this book.

Receive giveaways, book announcements and curated reading lists directly in your inbox. Written more than 70 years ago, 1984 was George Orwell’s chilling prophecy about the future. And while 1984 has come and gone, his dystopian vision of a government that will do anything to control the narrative is timelier than ever... “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” Winston Smith toes the Party line, rewriting history to satisfy the demands of the Ministry of Truth.

With each lie he writes, Winston grows to hate the Party that seeks power for its own sake and persecutes those who dare to commit thoughtcrimes. But as he starts to think for himself, Winston can’t escape the fact that Big Brother is always watching... A startling and haunting novel, 1984 creates an imaginary world that is completely convincing from start to finish. No one can deny the novel’s hold on the imaginations of whole generations, or the power of its admonitions—a power that seems to grow, not lessen, with the passage of time. It’s that time of the year again, when the book review site Goodreads asks its users to pick the most popular books of the year. From November, readers all over the world have voted in the Goodreads Choice Awards and now the results are in.

Let’s see what the 15th Annual Goodreads Awards says about the best books of 2023. 5,879,213 votes were cast, and these were the results: Yellowface was released this year with much fanfare. The novel follows failed author, June Heyward, as she steals the manuscript of her frenemy Athena Liu and passes off the work as her own after Liu dies in a freak pancake accident. Yellowface holds up a mirror to the publishing industry, the book community and social media. Weyward is a historical fiction novel that follows three women across three timelines, 1619, 1842 and 2019.

Jumping between the stories of these women, readers explore feminine growth, and transformative power rooted in the natural world. Freida McFadden beat out heavy hitters like Riley Sager and Lisa Jewell winning this year’s Goodreads Awards. The sequel to The Housemaid, this psychological thriller, follows Millie Calloway, a maid with a secret who works for wealthy clients in the Garricks, and soon finds herself caught in the middle of a... Click to learn how this list is calculated. This list represents a comprehensive and trusted collection of the greatest books. Developed through a specialized algorithm, it brings together 667 'best of' book lists to form a definitive guide to the world's most acclaimed books.

For those interested in how these books are chosen, additional details can be found on the rankings page. Get personalized book recommendations based on your reading history and preferences. Our algorithm analyzes your favorite books and reading patterns to suggest your next great read. Filter books by their publication year. Enter the earliest year (Start) and latest year (End) to find books published within that period. Leave either field empty to search from the beginning of time or up to the present day.

Click the button below to see how many of these books you've read! Welcome back. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Mix and match the filters below and the years above to explore nearly 4,000 recommendations from NPR staff and trusted critics. Get book recommendations, reviews, author interviews and more in the NPR Books newsletter

Best Books Book Lists Goodreads

People Also Search

Welcome Back. Just A Moment While We Sign You In

I Don’t Think To Kill A Mockingbird Is One Of

I’m Sure A Lot Of People Here Probably Read It

Our Editors And Experts Handpick Every Product We Feature. We

We Also Weeded Out Those With Just One Five-star Review