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 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Relationships, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Love / Sexuality, Social Justice, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Written in 2007 by Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy is the first of six novels in the Vampire Academy series, which follows the coming-of-age journey of Rosemarie “Rose” Hathaway, a dhampir (half vampire) who is training to become a guardian for her best friend, Vasilisa “Lissa” Dragomir. Lissa is a royal Moroi (or full vampire) with mysterious powers. The novel addresses themes of friendship, forbidden romance, and personal responsibility within a school setting. In 2014, Vampire... Read Vampire Academy Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Indigenous, Society: Community, Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Realistic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1986
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Teams, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: The Future
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure
Watchmen is a limited series of comic books written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons, published serially from 1986 to 1987 and then republished as a single volume in 1987. Set in an alternate 1985 in which masked vigilantism has been banned, Watchmen follows a cadre of “costumed heroes”—some of whom work for the government—who uncover a plot hatched by one of their own to stop global nuclear annihilation by killing a significant... Read Watchmen Summary
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Aging, Identity: Disability, Natural World: Animals, Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Great Depression, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Water for Elephants, a New York Times bestseller and author Sara Gruen’s third novel, was published in 2006 by Algonquin. The novel was adapted into a full-length film in 2011 starring Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattison.Gruen often features animals in her novels, and Water for Elephants is no exception, as she follows two lovers in a forbidden relationship set against the backdrop of a circus and its eclectic mix of characters and exotic animals. The... Read Water for Elephants Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community
Tags Sports
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Siblings
Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Irish Literature
Publication year 2021
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Politics / Government, Social Justice, Gender / Feminism, Race / Racism, Philosophy, Philosophy
Publication year 2017
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Race / Racism, Black Lives Matter, History: World, Social Justice, Politics / Government
We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy is a collection of essays by Ta-Nehisi Coates, a regular contributor to The Atlantic and a commentator on matters of race, Black identity, and White supremacy. Published in 2017, the collection focuses on what accounts for America’s inability to escape its White supremacist past, the impact of the Obama presidency on American culture and the writer, and the enduring impact of slavery on the country; the... Read We Were Eight Years in Power Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Equality, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Gender / Feminism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 2021
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family
Tags Psychology, Self Help, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Mental Illness, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Parenting, Psychology, Health / Medicine
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Business / Economics, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science / Nature, Humor, History: World
Publication year 2009
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Tags Psychology, Sociology, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Social Science, Psychology, Self Help
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Immigration, Relationships: Family
Tags Romance, Relationships, Arts / Culture, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
When Dimple Met Rishi (2017), a young adult romantic novel by Indian-American author Sandhya Menon, is focused on the blossoming love story between two Indian-American teenagers during a tech summer camp. It was widely praised for its realistic and original depiction of the ways in which second-generation teenagers react to their mixed cultures.Dimple Shah is a strong-willed eighteen-year-old girl with plans to go to Stanford. She wants to go to university to build a career... Read When Dimple Met Rishi Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Society: Community, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Race / Racism, Romance, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Grandparents, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Children's Literature, Chinese Literature
When the Sea Turned Silver by Grace Lin takes readers on a journey through a richly imagined world full of imagery and Chinese folklore. The novel follows the adventures of Pinmei and Yishan as they navigate themes of Finding and Creating Identity, The Power of Stories, and how Perception Shapes Reality. Recognized for its storytelling and cultural depth, When the Sea Turned Silver was a 2016 National Book Award Finalist. Critics praise the novel for... Read When the Sea Turned to Silver Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Family, Society: Nation
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Cold War, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World