The Most Read Books on Goodreads in August 2025

Here it finally is, one of the most anticipated books of 2025! Following up on the dark academia fantasy Babel, this new standalone novel follows two students going through hell—literally. Alice and Peter are rivals at Cambridge, but they’ll have to work together to rescue their professor from Hell after he dies in an accident. Partly because they need his recommendation to advance their careers, and partly because his death might be Alice’s fault. —Liberty Hardy

When police officer Su-Yeon learns that four elderly people have died from jumping out a sixth story window at a hospital, she takes the case personally: Grandma Eun-Shim lives on that floor, and Su-Yeon is determined to stop her from facing the same fate. The rest of the police force dismisses the deaths as suicides, but as Su-Yeon investigates, she meets Violette, who claims to be a vampire hunter looking for her ex-girlfriend, Lily. When the next body is found drained of blood, Su-Yeon begins to believe Violette. It’s a vampire murder mystery! —Danika Ellis

This is the first book in Freida McFadden’s Housemaid series, followed by The Housemaid’s Secret and The Housemaid Is Watching. It follows a housemaid who cleans for a wealthy family, takes care of their child, and lives in their attic bedroom. She’s soon pulled into the family’s dangerous secrets, but her employers may have underestimated what she’s capable of. It was read by almost 69,000 Goodreads users in August, with a 4.3 average rating.

Emily Henry is a staple author on the bestseller lists and the Goodreads most read list, so it’s no surprise to see her newest title here. It follows two writers competing to write the official biography of a reclusive heiress. It was read by 70,000 users in August and has a 4.0 average rating.

Romance readers love a seasonal read, and this seems to be the summer romance of the year! It follows Alice, who spent a perfect summer at her Nan’s cottage when she was 17. Now an adult, she returns to take care of her injured Nan—only to run into the guy who she crushed on as a teen. But is this a summer fling or something more? This one was read by 73,000 users in August and has a 4.4 average rating.

This Read With Jenna pick follows Phoebe, a suicidal woman who has decided to give herself one last splurge at the Cornwall Inn. When she arrives, everyone assumes she’s there for the wedding, and she and the bride end up confiding each other. This was read by 74,000 users in August, with a 4.1 average rating.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is best known for The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six. Now, she’s back with a new novel about two women astronauts in the 1980s. It came out in June and became an instant #1 New York Times bestseller. It’s also a Good Morning America Book Club Pick. Almost 104,000 Goodreads users marked it read in August, and it has a 4.4 average rating.