Our Top Picks From Goodreads Most-Read Books In August
From a Riley Sager thriller to Reese's book club selection, here's what everyone was reading last month
Key Takeaways
- Riley Sager's new thriller ‘Unknown’ topped Goodreads' most read list in August.
- Three celebrity book club picks—Reese, Jenna and GMA—made this month's list.
- ‘Big Little Truths’ returns readers to the world of ‘Big Little Lies,’ 10 years later.
Goodreads users, listen up! The app that lets readers track everything from their TBR (to be read list) to their DNF (did not finish list—a new option this year!) and total books read just announced which books were the most popular with their readers in August, and trust us when we say some of the selections aren’t what you would expect. This month’s roundup is packed with brand-new releases, several of which are also Woman’s World Best Book picks, along with book club selections from Reese Witherspoon, Jenna Bush Hager and Good Morning America. To learn which books we recommend from the Goodreads most-read books in August 2026, keep scrolling!
‘The Unknown’ by Riley Sager
From bestselling author Riley Sager comes another page-turning mystery that was at the top of Goodreads most-read books in August 2026. In 1926, on a remote Vermont island, five women vanished without a trace—only their clothes hanging from branches proved they were ever there. Now, 100 years later, it’s happening again. Struggling actress Marin Keane is shocked when she learns her newest role involves the mysterious missing women. But what’s even more shocking is when a health emergency leaves her and her castmates stranded on the island with no way to escape. All Marin has for comfort is a diary from Daisy, one of the 1926 women who claimed her friends were performing a séance before they disappeared. Can Marin escape, or will she and her friends meet the same fate?
What Goodreads users are saying: “Okay, THIS is the Riley Sager book I’ve been waiting for. This felt like vintage Riley Sager to me—the kind of atmospheric, twisty, bingeable thriller that makes you say just one more chapter until you suddenly realize it’s WAY past your bedtime.”
‘The Wild Beneath’ by Kelly Anderson
This magical novel, which was Reese Witherspoon’s August Book Club pick and a Woman’s World Best New Books selection, follows Annie MacLeod, who grew up on a sailboat in the Pacific Northwest with her parents. When a devastating tsunami hits, Annie is stranded on land and rescues a mysterious, wordless man named Walker. Their connection is instant and electric, and when they touch, Annie experiences visions of the ocean’s hidden world. But just as suddenly as he appeared, Walker vanishes. Six years later, Annie has left her sea life behind and built a new existence on solid ground with her childhood best friend Evan. But when Walker unexpectedly returns, Annie must decide: Was leaving the ocean the right choice?
What Goodreads users are saying: “This was a beautiful read that pulled me in from the first page, and from there I couldn’t put it down. It balances romance and mystery perfectly, and I felt totally immersed in another world.”
‘Sunlight Finds You’ by Laura Moriarty
Laura Moriarty’s newest novel, which was the August Read With Jenna pick, is set in 1949, during the Cold War, in St. Petersburg, Florida. When 17-year-old Nora falls deeply in love with a young man named Leonard, she thinks she’s finally found her happily ever after. But when Leonard’s father threatens to destroy their relationship, Nora makes a devastating choice and walks away. Decades later, Nora finds herself haunted by her past, questioning whether she made the right decision all those years ago and wondering if it’s too late for a second chance at the love she lost.
What Goodreads users are saying: “This novel is full of everything I love about reading. It explores the impact of judgment, secrets, betrayal, forgiveness and love. It is a propulsive page-turner so you will stay up past your bedtime to find out what happens next. Nora is fully fleshed out and human nature is fully explored. I highly recommend reading this historical romance full of sunlight.”
‘Take What You Can’ by Naima Coster
In this Good Morning America August book club selection, Val and Milly become inseparable after falling in love with France during a college study abroad trip. Now an adult, Milly is a successful influencer married to restaurant royalty while Val works as a journalist. When Milly asks Val to move to New York so they can raise their daughters together after a decade apart, Val agrees. But their reunion unearths buried secrets and long-hidden truths, forcing both women to wonder: Have they simply grown up, or have they grown apart?
What Goodreads users are saying: “Take What You Can is an absorbing and emotionally resonant read. It invites reflection on the ways we carry our pasts, the relationships that shape us, and the complicated love that binds us to one another.”
‘Big Little Truths’ by Liane Moriarty
More than a decade after Liane Moriarty’s bestselling Big Little Lies——a Woman’s World best new summer books selection—the beloved Monterey Five return with new secrets and drama. As their children navigate high school, each woman faces her own crisis: Madeline wrestles with a life-altering decision, Celeste is getting more and more concerned about her mother-in-law’s strange behavior, Jane’s marriage appears to be crumbling and both Bonnie and Renata struggle with lingering resentment. But when a mysterious stranger begins asking pointed questions near the school, the deadly secret they’ve protected for years threatens to surface.
What Goodreads users are saying: “Big Little Lies is one of the best books I’ve ever read, so Big Little Truths was easily one of my most anticipated books of the year. I loved being back in the satirical world of Pirriwee and seeing where Madeline, Jane, and Celeste ended up 10 years after the first novel and the different sets of personal challenges they faced this time around. It was so trippy seeing the kids’ different personalities, and how much they evolved as teenagers. It felt very natural and realistic. There were many times while I was reading where I found myself weirdly emotional and protective over them. Liane Moriarty I am still forever in awe of your mind and so thankful you decided to gift us with another book in this world.”
‘The Amateur’ by Chris Bohjalian
Set during the summer of 1978, this gripping thriller—another Woman’s World Best New Books selection—follows 18-year-old golf prodigy Mira Winston, whose promising future crumbles when she accidentally strikes and kills a caddy with a stray ball. As the tragedy escalates into a devastating legal battle, Mira’s carefully guarded secrets begin surfacing—and soon nothing can stop them from coming out.
What Goodreads users are saying: “Never in my life did I think I would love a book about an unlikable teenage golfer but I was completely wrong. This book is fantastic! The author has created a story about a spoiled girl from a wealthy family and the reader actually cares deeply about her. The Amateur is an outstanding, well written, thought provoking novel.”
Ready for more? Subscribe to our YouTube channel for video podcasts, health tips and uplifting stories designed for women 40, 50, 60 and beyond.
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Woman's World does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.
