Since 1931, the country's best-selling books have appeared on an authoritative weekly list in the New York Times, a list that has transformed into a resource for readers and booksellers alike. Read on to discover both past and present best sellers—you just might find your next book club pick!
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge
Tags Psychological Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Arts / Culture, Psychology, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Philosophy, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1997
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy, Psychology, Self Help, Inspirational, Psychology, Philosophy
Publication year 2021
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Politics / Government, Health / Medicine, History: U.S., Science / Nature, Sociology, History: World
Publication year 2002
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Christian literature, Inspirational, Self Help
The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? by Rick Warren, an American evangelical Christian pastor and author, is a work of Christian literature that offers guidance by means of a 40-day personal, spiritual journey. Warren brings his experience in spiritual leadership to this text, exploring what he identifies as God’s five purposes for human life on Earth. This framework seeks to serve as a blueprint for Christian living in the modern... Read The Purpose Driven Life Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Psychological Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
The Racketeer is John Grisham’s 30th book. It debuted at the top of the New York Times bestseller list in November 2012. John Grisham has twice won the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and also received the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction. He has written over 35 bestsellers. Eight of his novels have been adapted for film, and one, The Firm, spawned a 2012 television series that takes place 10 years... Read The Racketeer Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Inspirational, History: World, Biography
Publication year 2008
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: Community
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Christian literature, Philosophy, Philosophy
The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism is a 2008 book by Timothy Keller that seeks to provide a rational defense of the Christian faith. As such, it is a book on religion and society that falls within the subgenre of Christian apologetics. Keller (1950-2023) was the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City and is the author of many notable works of popular Christian theology, with a particular focus... Read The Reason for God Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: War, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Identity: Race, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Nation
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Crime / Legal, Race / Racism, Military / War, History: World
Publication year 1997
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Self Discovery
Tags Historical Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Religion / Spirituality, Jewish Literature, Love / Sexuality, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: World
The Red Tent (1997) is an adult historical novel by Jewish American author Anita Diamant. It describes the life of Dinah, daughter of Jacob, who appears in the biblical Book of Genesis. While her mention in the Bible only concerns her abduction by a Canaanite man and her brothers’ act of atrocity in response, Diamant imagines a full life for Dinah—including a childhood raised by several mothers, her first marriage, and life in Egypt, where... Read The Red Tent Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Teams, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, American Revolution, Military / War, History: World, Biography
Publication year 2005
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Masculinity, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags History: World, Biography, History: U.S., History: The Americas, Politics / Government, Travel Literature, Action / Adventure
The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey (2005) is a work of nonfiction by Candice Millard, a former writer and editor for National Geographic. The book describes Roosevelt’s 1914 expedition down an unexplored river in the Amazon rainforest, which nearly cost him his life. Despite poor preparation for the trip, Roosevelt and the group managed to overcome the Amazon’s physical and psychological challenges and placed a 1,000-mile river on the map in a historic... Read The River of Doubt Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Tags Politics / Government, History: U.S., History: World, Biography
The Room Where It Happened is a nonfiction memoir published in 2020 by American diplomat John Bolton. A New York Times best-seller, the book chronicles Bolton’s 17-month tenure as national security advisor under President Donald Trump. Between April 2018 and September 2019, Bolton was party to some of the most important events in Trump’s presidency, including two summits with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, the US’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, and the 2019... Read The Room Where It Happened Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Teams, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Gender / Feminism, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Military / War, History: World, Romance
Publication year 1988
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Magical Realism, Fantasy, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
The Satanic Verses is a 1988 magical realism novel by Salman Rushdie. The novel weaves together different narratives spread across hundreds of years, framed by the story of two competing Indian Muslim actors. The publication of The Satanic Verses caused controversy, particularly due to the novel's supposedly blasphemous depiction of the prophet Muhammad. The book was burned, riots resulted in death, and a religious edict was issued against Rushdie in 1989 by the Ayatollah Ruhollah... Read The Satanic Verses Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, WWII / World War II, British Literature, History: World, Fantasy
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Self Discovery, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Russian Literature, History: World
Publication year 2021
Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Language
Tags Grief / Death, Biography
Publication year 2018
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Self Discovery, Society: Nation, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, American Literature, History: World
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Family
Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Chinese Literature, History: World