Goodreads Reading Challenge

Top off your to-read list with titles from the Goodreads Reading Challenge Collection. This broad Collection highlights both popular contemporary titles as well as classic picks with enduring appeal, empowering book lovers of all ages and tastes to find new recommendations and meet their reading goals.

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Femininity

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Psychological Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Relationships, British Literature, Gothic Literature


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Fame

Tags Historical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, LGBTQ

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (2017) is a work of historical fiction by Taylor Jenkins Reid. The novel follows Monique, a journalist struggling to make a name for herself until she receives an offer to interview the mysterious and reclusive 1960s Hollywood starlet, Evelyn Hugo, about fame, scandal, and love. The novel is a study of human nature that explores The Cost of Fame, The Oversexualization and Commodification of Women’s Bodies, and the difficulty... Read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

The Silent Patient (2019) is a contemporary psychological thriller from author Alex Michaelides. It tells the story of Alicia, who killed her husband, Gabriel, six years earlier—and hasn’t spoken since. The bulk of the novel takes place in the present-day, narrated by Theo Faber, a forensic psychoanalyst who recently began working with Alicia at The Grove, the psychiatric hospital where she resides following Gabriel’s murder. The novel uses the epistolary technique, interspersing Theo’s narrative with... Read The Silent Patient Summary


Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Fate

Tags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, History: European, Mythology, History: World, Fantasy, Romance

The Song of Achilles, author Madeline Miller’s bestselling novel, retells the events of Homer’s Iliad. Published in 2012, the book reimagines the relationship between ancient Greek Trojan war heroes Achilles and Patroclus. Narrated in the first person by Patroclus, the narrative explores themes central to ancient Greek mythology, notably the immutability of fate and the pursuit of glory.The novel begins with Patroclus narrating his birth and early childhood. Son of King Menoitius, the undersized and... Read The Song of Achilles Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride

Tags Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World

The Vanishing Half, published in June 2020, is the second novel by author Brit Bennett. It became a New York Times bestseller and was selected as a Good Morning America Book Club Pick. The novel explores the themes of female family bonds and the Black experience in America. Bennett covered similar material in her debut novel, The Mothers (2016), which also became a New York Times bestseller. HBO has purchased the film rights to The... Read The Vanishing Half Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: The Past, Society: Class

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance, Gothic Literature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2020

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Self Help, Biography

Published in 2020, Glennon Doyle’s Untamed is her third memoir. An accomplished writer, philanthropist, and activist, Doyle documents her lifelong journey of self-discovery and uses personal experiences to encourage women on their own respective journeys towards freedom. Through the intersections of gender, sexuality, religion, and race, Doyle unpacks the social conditioning that affects the lives of all humans, particularly women. Ultimately, Doyle offers a reflective guide to navigating life by looking internally and honoring one’s... Read Untamed Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Realistic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance

Where the Crawdads Sing is the debut novel of Delia Owens. Set in the marshes of coastal North Carolina from the 1940s to the 2000s, the novel is Southern literary fiction that tells the story of Kya, a little girl who comes of age alone after her family abandons her.  Published in 2018 by Putnam, the novel was a New York Times bestseller and a selection of Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine book club. In 2022 it... Read Where the Crawdads Sing Summary