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April looks to be the turning point of the year in terms of the most read books. The Empyrean series is still holding onto two spots in the top five, but it doesn’t have the dominance over the list that it did in earlier months. We have some new titles making an appearance in the top five, including the latest volume in one of the most popular YA series of this century.
Unfortunately, the top five—and let’s be honest, the entire 50-title list—is still looking very white. At a glance, about 98% of the titles on Goodreads’s Most Read Books This Month list are by white authors. If you’re only reading the buzziest books, you’re missing out on some of the best books being published, so before we get into the most read books on Goodreads in April, let’s talk about three new books out in April worth adding to your TBR, whether you’re looking for romance, litfic, or a very weird thriller.
3 New Books Out in April You Should Know About
Zeal by Morgan Jerkins (April 22)
Morgan Jerkins, the bestselling author of Caul Baby, pens a modern-day love story that rights the wrongs of a star-crossed past. When Ardelia and Oliver find each other, they discover each of them has a family history full of holes and secrets. Is it possible that their love story stretches back through the generations to a newly freed man looking for the woman he loves whose family fled in the Great Migration? —Rachel Brittain
Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory (April 8)
A queer romance from Jasmine Guillory? What have we done to deserve this good fortune? The brilliant mind of Jasmine Guillory who brought us The Wedding Date, The Proposal, Party of Two, and Royal Holiday, is back with a new contemporary romance about a series of flirting lessons that soon turn into something more. Now if that doesn’t sound like the perfect premise for a romance novel, I don’t know what does. —Rachel Brittain
Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang
For fans of twins, social commentary (social media/influencers), satire, and psychological thrillers!
Julie Chan and her twin sister Chloe VanHuusen were separated as children and are practically estranged as adults. Chloe is a popular, wealthy influencer, and Julie is an unhappy cashier. When Julie finds Chloe dead, she ends up switching places with her twin and taking over her life. Rather than glamour, she is out of her depth and about to find out the true price of the influencer industry and her sister’s life… — Jamie Canaves
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The Most Read Books on Goodreads in April 2025
#5:
Fourth Wing (The Empyrean #1) by Rebecca Yarros
Book one in the Empyrean series is holding onto its spot in the top five. Somehow, there are still readers discovering this series even now. Over 71,000 users marked this dragon riding academy romantasy book as read in April. It has a 4.6 average rating.
#4:
Fearless (Powerless #3) by Lauren Roberts
This romantasy sequel is rising up the ranks of the most read books on Goodreads. It’s the third book in the Powerless series, which is about a “forbidden romance between a powerful prince and an ordinary girl,” and it came out April 8th. It was read by over 100,000 users last month and has a 4.3 average rating.
#3:
Onyx Storm (The Empyrean #3) by Rebecca Yarros
Onyx Storm is no longer claiming the top spot, but it is still in the top five. The newest Empyrean novel was read by almost 111,000 Goodreads users in April and has a 4.2 average rating.
#2:
Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez
From the author of Just for the Summer comes a new romance novel that came out April 1st! It follows Samantha, who has a perfect, endless date with handsome Greek veterinarian Xavier. Then Samantha admits that it can only be for one night because her family is in crisis. Despite the distance, though, neither of them can forget the time they spent together. More than 113,000 Goodreads users read it in April, and it has a 4.1 average rating.
#1:
Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games #0.5) by Suzanne Collins
#1 in April is the new Hunger Games book! This series is still just as relevant (if not more so) than it was when it started more than 15 years ago. Collins’s latest, which tells Haymitch Abernathy’s story, also sold 1.5 million copies in English in its first week. It was read by 256,000 users last month and has a 4.6 average rating, which is one of the highest average ratings on the entire list.
If you’re looking for more buzzy books, check out The Bestselling Books of the Week, According to All the Lists.
Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books.
The following comes to you from the Editorial Desk.
This week, we’re highlighting a post about the literary events that should be on your calendar for the rest of 2025. From awards announcements to famous authors’ birthdays to Banned Books Week, these are the dates readers should have on their radars. Read on for an excerpt and become an All Access member to unlock the full post.
The Most Anticipated Literary Events of (the Rest of) 2025
For some, the major literary events of the year come as a pleasant or interesting surprise—something to enjoy in the moment, rather than to anticipate. For others, there’s big appeal in bookmarking these occasions in advance to plan, predict, and build around. I and the rest of the editorial team are in the business of thinking ahead about what the year has in store for book lovers, publishers, industry experts, and the like, which is why we all got together toward the end of 2024 to plot out everything from birthdays of literary greats, to anniversaries of books that have made a deep cultural impact, to literary awards and events coming up this year. We’ve been marking these events as they happen on the site for what’s shaping up to be a very busy year in books, but there are still so many big, exciting literary events of 2025 to anticipate.
Whether you’re a book-focused or -adjacent content creator, someone who beefs up their TBR with literary awards honorees, or a book lover who appreciates being in the know, I’m here with a starting place for calendaring out the rest of this storied year…
Sign up to become an All Access member for only $6/month and then click here to read the full, unlocked article. Level up your reading life with All Access membership and explore a full library of exclusive bonus content, including must-reads, deep dives, and reading challenge recommendations.