The 23 most-read and best-loved books first published in 2018, with the numbers behind each one.
The best books first published in 2018, ranked by what readers actually do: how many shelved them, how they rate them, and how many are reading them now. 2018 is complete, so this list updates only when reader numbers move meaningfully.
For the books readers love across all years see the Top 100. For the hottest brand-new releases see Rising.
← Best Books of 2017Best Books of 2019 →
Alice Oseman · 2018
Charlie and Nick attend the same school but only meet when they are made to sit together. A friendship grows, and Charlie falls for Nick while doubting his chances, though Nick may be more interested than either realizes.
Why it’s here: 3,496 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.3 out of 5 (183 ratings); 166 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who enjoy sweet, slow-building boy-meets-boy love stories
Delia Owens · 2018
A solitary girl raised in a North Carolina marsh becomes the town's main suspect when a local man is found dead in 1969. The story blends nature writing, a tender coming-of-age arc and a murder question.
Why it’s here: 2,841 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.3 out of 5 (102 ratings); 71 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who love nature-rich coming-of-age stories with a murder puzzle at the center
Robert Greene · 2018
A long, example-rich look at why people act as they do, from envy to conformity to the need for control. Dense but rewarding, and it changes how you read people.
Why it’s here: 5,597 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (121 ratings); 338 are reading it right now.
Best for: Curious readers who enjoy people-watching
James Clear · 2018
A practical guide to building good routines and dropping bad ones by changing small daily systems rather than chasing big goals. Clear, friendly, and easy to start using today.
Why it’s here: 63,538 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (1,445 ratings); 4,957 are reading it right now.
Best for: Anyone rebuilding their daily routines
Rachael Lippincott · 2018
Two teens with damaged lungs must keep their distance in the hospital to protect their health and a possible transplant. As feelings grow, they wonder whether a little less space is worth the risk.
Why it’s here: 786 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.4 out of 5 (37 ratings); 39 are reading it right now.
Best for: Fans of The Fault in Our Stars who enjoy emotional teen romance
Lisa Jewell · 2018
Ten years after her teenage daughter Ellie vanished, Laurel meets a charming man whose young daughter looks strikingly like the missing girl. Old questions resurface, and Laurel begins doubting who this man really is.
Why it’s here: 752 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.4 out of 5 (28 ratings); 44 are reading it right now.
Best for: Suspense readers who like domestic mysteries built around a long-unsolved disappearance
Sally Rooney · 2018
Two Irish teenagers from different social positions form a hidden bond that carries through their university years. Drifting apart and back again, they face how far they will go for each other.
Why it’s here: 1,914 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (81 ratings); 46 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who like spare, psychologically sharp stories of first love and class
Madeline Miller · 2018
The unusual daughter of the sun god discovers she has the power of witchcraft and is exiled to a lonely island. There she meets famous mythological figures and must decide where she truly belongs.
Why it’s here: 1,125 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (109 ratings); 28 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who enjoy mythology retold through a strong, independent female lead
Colleen Hoover · 2018
A struggling writer is hired to finish a bestselling author's series and finds a disturbing unfinished autobiography in her notes. Hiding it from the grieving husband tempts her as her feelings for him grow.
Why it’s here: 5,155 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (126 ratings); 153 are reading it right now.
Best for: Thriller readers who enjoy dark secrets, tense suspense and morally murky choices
Tahereh Mafi · 2018
Juliette has taken over Sector 45 and become Supreme Commander of North America, with Warner at her side. When tragedy hits, she has to face the darkness around her and within.
Why it’s here: 810 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (24 ratings); 41 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers already following this dystopian series who want the next chapter
Tara Westover · 2018
This memoir follows a woman raised in a survivalist family in the Idaho mountains who had no formal schooling. She ends up earning a history PhD at Cambridge while torn between learning and loyalty.
Why it’s here: 543 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.5 out of 5 (22 ratings); 22 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who value true stories about self-education and breaking from family expectations
Colleen Hoover · 2018
Quinn and Graham's marriage began with perfect love but is now strained by years of mistakes and secrets. A forgotten promise from the past may either rescue them or finish them off.
Why it’s here: 1,495 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.8 out of 5 (42 ratings); 67 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who like heartbreaking, emotionally intense stories about troubled marriages
Rick Riordan · 2018
Apollo, banished from Olympus and living as a mortal teenager, must restore darkened Oracles without his powers. Alongside Meg, he heads into a Labyrinth to confront a threat to Camp Jupiter.
Why it’s here: 510 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.4 out of 5 (14 ratings).
Best for: Young fans of mythology-based adventure and the ongoing Riordan series
Hans Rosling · 2018
People consistently misjudge global trends like poverty, population and education, often worse than random guesses. The authors name ten instincts that distort our view and argue the world is better than we think.
Why it’s here: 399 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.3 out of 5 (78 ratings).
Best for: Curious readers who want a fact-based, less fearful view of the world
Ottessa Moshfegh · 2018
In New York City at the start of 2000, a young woman who has lost her parents and drifted from everyone decides to spend a year essentially sleeping. Her pill use grows, her isolation deepens, and a strong medication brings dangerous blackouts.
Why it’s here: 658 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (37 ratings).
Best for: Readers who like dark, unsettling stories about alienation and withdrawing from the world
Tiffany D. Jackson · 2018
When her closest friend Monday fails to appear at school, Claudia is the only one who seems worried. As she searches for answers, she finds that Monday's family stays evasive and nobody can recall when they last saw her.
Why it’s here: 432 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.5 out of 5 (10 ratings); 20 are reading it right now.
Best for: Teen readers who enjoy mysteries about friendship and a missing girl
Kelly Yang · 2018
Ten-year-old Mia Tang runs the front desk of a motel while her immigrant parents clean rooms, all while keeping several secrets. She hopes to become a writer, but she must also protect her family's quiet kindness toward immigrants from the owner.
Why it’s here: 348 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.5 out of 5 (21 ratings).
Best for: Young readers who like hopeful stories about immigrant families, courage and chasing dreams
Helen Hoang · 2018
Stella Lane, a math-minded woman who builds algorithms for a living, has little dating experience and decides to hire an escort, Michael Phan, to teach her. Their arrangement begins as a practical lesson plan but starts to feel like something more.
Why it’s here: 642 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (10 ratings); 38 are reading it right now.
Best for: Romance readers who like a math-loving heroine and a heartwarming love story
Dolly Alderton · 2018
Journalist Dolly Alderton looks back on growing up, from romance and dating mishaps to jobs, loss and close female friendships. Her funny, sometimes moving memoir mixes stories, lists and recipes, and lands on the idea that you are enough.
Why it’s here: 766 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.5 out of 5 (15 ratings); 21 are reading it right now.
Best for: Women navigating early adulthood who want a funny read about friends and love
Samantha Shannon · 2018
Queen Sabran of Inys must bear a daughter to shield her realm, while assassins close in and a secret mage, Ead, protects her. Elsewhere, dragonrider trainee Tané faces a life-changing choice as chaos stirs and East and West stay divided.
Why it’s here: 362 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.4 out of 5 (14 ratings).
Best for: Epic fantasy readers who enjoy queens, dragonriders, hidden magic and a divided world
Yuval Noah Harari · 2018
Harari takes on urgent questions of today, from the state of liberal democracy and fake news to nationalism, immigration and what children should learn. He argues that busy people still need clarity, since the future of humanity will be decided with or without them.
Why it’s here: 466 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (46 ratings).
Best for: Busy readers who want clear thinking on today's biggest global issues
Sarah J. Maas · 2018
The final Throne of Glass book finds Aelin imprisoned and tortured by the Fae queen Maeve while war breaks out across her world. Her allies and companions scatter and fight to defend Terrasen and to find her before it is too late.
Why it’s here: 327 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.6 out of 5 (21 ratings).
Best for: Readers who have followed the Throne of Glass series and want its finale
R. F. Kuang · 2018
Rin, a war orphan, surprises everyone by acing an Empire-wide exam and entering an elite military school, where she is targeted for her poverty, color and gender. There she finds she has a deadly shamanic gift tied to gods thought long dead.
Why it’s here: 610 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.8 out of 5 (53 ratings).
Best for: Fans of military fantasy inspired by twentieth century Chinese history, with magic and treachery
← Best Books of 2017Best Books of 2019 →
Other years: 2025 · 2024 · 2023 · 2022 · 2021 · 2020 · 2019 · 2018 · 2017 · 2016 · 2015 · 2014 · 2013 · 2012 · 2011 · 2010 · 2009 · 2008 · 2007 · 2006 · 2005 · 2004 · 2003 · 2002 · 2001 · 2000 · 1999 · 1998 · 1997 · 1996 · 1995 · 1994 · 1993 · 1992 · 1991 · 1990 · All years
We start with every book first published in 2018 on Open Library, then keep the ones with real evidence behind them: at least 300 readers and at least 3 editions, with a cover, in English. 59 books cleared that bar for 2018, and the 23 below scored highest. No author appears more than twice. We publish a year only when at least 15 books clear the bar, so no list is thin.
| Signal | Weight | What it captures |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 55% | How many readers have shelved the book on Open Library (want to read, reading, or read). |
| Reader love | 25% | Average reader rating, adjusted so a handful of ratings cannot inflate it. |
| Being read right now | 20% | How many Open Library readers are in the middle of it. |
Each signal is scored from 0 to 100 against the other 2018 books and blended with the weights above. The “why it’s here” line on each book is built from its real numbers. Descriptions are paraphrased from real source text.
This list reflects reading interest on public data, not quality, sales or awards, and it can be affected by data gaps. Open Library counts grow over time, so older books have had longer to gather readers; every book on this page is compared only against books from the same year.
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