Young adult (YA) books have a way of pulling teens back into reading—sometimes because a new installment drops, sometimes because BookTok resurrects an older favorite, and sometimes because a screen adaptation sends everyone scrambling to reread the series before it comes out. That kind of momentum matters right now. National reading scores have continued to slide in recent years, and fewer teens are reading for fun as consistently as they used to. Reading for pleasure can be one of the simplest ways to strengthen comprehension and vocabulary over time, and research links early pleasure reading with stronger cognitive and academic outcomes later on. With post-pandemic learning gaps still showing up in literacy, anything that sparks voluntary reading can be a meaningful counterweight to those broader trends.
That’s why Fusion Academy is interested in what books teens and parents are seeking out. The challenge is that students don’t all connect with the same books, and a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t always leave room for those differences. As a school built around a one-to-one teaching model, Fusion meets students where they are and helps them rebuild skills and confidence, especially after the learning disruptions of the past few years.
To better understand what YA stories are capturing attention right now, we analyzed Google Trends search interest for more than 140 unique YA titles that appeared on The New York Times YA Series Best Sellers list throughout every week of 2025. Using search data from the past 12 months, we identified the single YA title with the highest relative search interest in each state and also tallied which books and series topped the list across the most states nationwide.
Because reading culture doesn’t stop at graduation, we also expanded the project beyond teen titles. We ran a parallel analysis for adult readers. For this, we pulled 100 book-title search terms from The New York Times “Best Books of the 21st Century” list and repeated the same Google Trends comparison, naming the adult title with the highest relative search interest in each state. To determine the most popular adult pick nationwide, we then counted how many states each title ranked #1 in and crowned the book that led the most states.
So what’s everyone searching for? Let’s dig into the results.
The Most Popular YA Series NYT Best Sellers in Every State
Across the country, a few titles appeared repeatedly as the most searched in multiple states. Here are the YA New York Times best-selling books that topped search interest in the most states overall:
- Boys of Tommen: Taming 7 (5 states)
- Culpable: Our Fault (4 states)
- Lightlark Saga: Crowntide (4 states)
- The Twilight Saga: New Moon (3 states)
- We Were Liars: We Were Liars (3 states)
- Boys of Tommen: Releasing 10 (2 states)
- Harry Potter: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2 states)
- Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2 states)
- The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (2 states)
- The Hunger Games: Mockingjay (2 states)
- The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn (2 states)
One clear standout was Taming 7 from Chloe Walsh’s Boys of Tommen series, which was the most-searched YA bestseller in five states: Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina. That kind of multi-state momentum often points to an active fan community and strong word-of-mouth, especially for series-driven reads where readers search to track the right order, find the next installment, or revisit earlier books. The same series showed up again with Walsh’s Releasing 10, which ranked highest in Minnesota and Tennessee.
Several newer, buzz-heavy series also showed broad interest across regions. Mercedes Ron’s Our Fault from the Culpable series ranked first in four states: Arizona, Delaware, Florida, and Georgia. Alex Aster’s Crowntide from the Lightlark Saga did the same, leading in Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Virginia. E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars was the top search in three states: Connecticut, Illinois, and Massachusetts, showing that high-stakes mysteries and twist-driven stories still pull strong curiosity, especially when readers want to unpack a plot or see what the hype is about. That We Were Liars curiosity may be getting an extra boost from the screen side, too: Prime Video’s We Were Liars adaptation was officially renewed for Season 2, keeping the title in the cultural conversation.
At the same time, some of the biggest YA franchises continue to dominate search interest years after release. Stephenie Meyer’s The Twilight Saga placed two different titles at the top: New Moon led search interest in Alabama, Missouri, and Oregon (three states), while Breaking Dawn led in Nevada and Texas (two states).
Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games also had multiple state-level winners, with Sunrise on the Reaping ranking highest in Colorado and Utah, and Mockingjay leading in Kansas and Wyoming (two states each). That interest may be getting an extra boost right now, too: The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is slated for a theatrical release on Nov. 20, 2026, which could be what’s nudging search activity upward.
Long-running series like J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians stayed in the mix as well. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ranked first in Ohio and Washington, and The Lightning Thief led in New York and North Carolina. That Percy Jackson interest isn’t surprising on the timing front: Season 2 of Disney+’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians premiered in December 2025, which likely sent some readers back to the source material (or searching to compare plots). And for New York specifically, there’s an extra layer of built-in relevance. The series’ core “home base,” Camp Half-Blood, is tied to Long Island, New York, in the books, so it makes sense the title would resonate there.
The Most Popular New York Times Best Selling YA Series Overall
Looking beyond individual titles, we also tallied which YA series generated the strongest statewide search interest overall. These series ranked #1 in the most states:
- Boys of Tommen (9 states)
- The Hunger Games (5 states)
- The Twilight Saga (5 states)
- Culpable (4 states)
- Harry Potter (4 states)
- Lightlark Saga (4 states)
- Percy Jackson & the Olympians (4 states)
- We Were Liars (4 states)
- A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (3 states)
- Giver Quartet (2 states)
- The Inheritance Games (2 states)
- The Legendborn Cycle (2 states)
When you view the results at the series level, a clear pattern emerges: franchises with multiple entry points tend to stay top of mind. Boys of Tommen appeared most often across the map, ranking highest in nine states overall. That kind of reach suggests sustained interest across several books in the series, not just one standout title. That interest may be getting a timely boost, too: Prime Video announced a Boys of Tommen adaptation on Feb. 11, 2026, with Season 1 set to adapt Binding 13 and Keeping 13. It’s the kind of news that often sends readers (and parents) back to the books to get ahead of the plot before the show hits.
The Hunger Games and The Twilight Saga each ranked #1 in five states, showing that well-known worlds can continue to captivate as new readers discover them and longtime fans revisit their favorite installments. Twilight also has a built-in ‘reread moment’ on the horizon: Netflix is developing an animated adaptation of Midnight Sun (told from Edward’s perspective), which tends to send fans back to the books to compare details before the screen version arrives.
Mystery-heavy series also performed well, which makes sense given how often suspenseful stories spark discussion and curiosity. Holly Jackson’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series ranked highest in three states (including Montana, New Mexico, and North Dakota), and Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ The Inheritance Games series led in two states (Idaho and Maine). Both series invite readers to track clues, compare theories, and confirm details, which can naturally lead to more searching as fans move through each book.
Books from Lois Lowry’s Giver Quartet ranked highest in Louisiana and New Jersey, and Tracy Deonn’s Legendborn Cycle series led in two states (the District of Columbia and Mississippi). Meanwhile, widely read series like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson & the Olympians each ranked highest in four states, showing how often these books continue to appear on reading lists and in personal libraries even decades after their initial release — and with HBO’s Harry Potter TV reboot in the works (currently expected to debut in 2027), it’s the kind of franchise that naturally cycles back into the spotlight and sends readers back to the page.
The Most Popular Adult New York Times Best Sellers of the 21st Century (By State)
To round out the picture, we also looked at a selection of adult best-sellers. After all, reading culture does not stop at young adults. Many of these titles appear in family conversations, book clubs, and even recommended reading lists, which can shape what adults, young and old, search for.
Based on Google Trends search interest, these are the adult New York Times–recognized titles that ranked as the most searched in the greatest number of states:
- The Road by Cormac McCarthy (12 states)
- A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan (3 states)
- Atonement by Ian McEwan (3 states)
- Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (3 states)
- An American Marriage by Tayari Jones (2 states)
- Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (2 states)
- Tenth of December by George Saunders (2 states)
- The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (2 states)
- The Plot Against America by Philip Roth (2 states)
- The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (2 states)
- Train Dreams by Denis Johnson (2 states)
- White Teeth by Zadie Smith (2 states)
One title stood out well ahead of the rest: The Road by Cormac McCarthy ranked as the top-searched adult book in 12 states. It also won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2007, cementing its place as one of the most widely discussed American novels of the century. It led in Alaska, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wyoming. As a widely discussed modern novel with a stark premise and big themes, it makes sense that it would generate ongoing curiosity.
Several other adult titles rose to the top in three states each, with results that also reflect how strongly setting and cultural conversation can influence interest. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver ranked first in Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia. The novel is set in the Appalachian Mountains, specifically in Lee County, Virginia, about 80 miles west of where Kingsolver lives and writes in real life. The book also won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, which likely helped keep it top of mind for readers searching for award-winning contemporary novels.
Meanwhile, Atonement by Ian McEwan led in Alabama, North Carolina, and Utah (three states), and A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan led in Connecticut, Iowa, and Pennsylvania (three states).
The two-state leaders highlight how varied adult reading interests can be across the country. An American Marriage by Tayari Jones ranked highest in Georgia and Maryland, while Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides led in Massachusetts and Michigan. Short story collections and literary fiction also made a strong showing, including Tenth of December by George Saunders (top in Illinois and Rhode Island) and The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (top in Colorado and Vermont). A few results point to enduring cultural relevance: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead ranked highest in Florida and Idaho, while White Teeth by Zadie Smith ranked highest in Arkansas and Texas.
Closing Thoughts
From breakout YA series to long-standing favorites, this study shows just how differently reading interest can look across the country. In some states, newer titles drove the most curiosity. In others, classic series and widely discussed adult novels continued to spark searches year after year.
What stands out most is that engagement often starts with connection. When a student finds a story, genre, or series that genuinely interests them, reading becomes more than an assignment. It becomes a way to build confidence, strengthen comprehension, and develop critical thinking.
But the reality is that not all students connect with the same books, and a one-size-fits-all approach does not always leave room for those differences. That’s where Fusion Academy comes in. With a 1-to-1 teaching model and a learning environment built around personalization, Fusion helps students meet academic goals while staying connected to what motivates them, including their reading interests.
Want to learn more about how Fusion supports middle and high school students through individualized instruction? Explore our personalized learning approach or connect with a campus near you to see what a customized education can look like.
Methodology
This campaign includes two Google Trends analyses: one for young adult (YA) New York Times best-selling series and one for adult New York Times–recognized titles.
For the YA analysis, we scraped The New York Times YA Series Best Sellers list each week throughout 2025 and compiled more than 140 unique book title search terms. Using Google Trends data from the past 12 months, we compared search interest for each title and identified the YA book with the highest relative search interest in each state. We also identified the most popular YA titles and series nationwide by counting how many states ranked each one highest.
For the adult analysis, we scraped 100 book title search terms from The New York Times “Best Books of the 21st Century” list. We then repeated the same Google Trends comparison, selecting the adult title with the highest relative search interest in each state. Finally, we identified the adult title with the strongest nationwide interest by tallying the number of states in which each book ranked first.
Fair Use
You are welcome to use, reference, and share non-commercial excerpts of this study with proper attribution. If you cite or cover our findings, please link back to this page so readers can view the full methodology, charts, and context.
Last Updated: 2/16/2026
