New York Times Best Sellers

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 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Fame, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear

Tags Sports, Historical Fiction, Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World


Publication year 2015

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Sociology, Health / Medicine, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Science / Nature, History: World, Psychology, Psychology

Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs is a 2015 work of investigative nonfiction by British-Swiss author Johann Hari. Hari explores the so-called international war on drugs by looking deeply into its historical roots, its legal and social implications, and the possibility for reform. He examines addiction and the consequences of past and present drug laws across nine continents and 30,000 miles. A major focus is the criminalization and... Read Chasing the Scream Summary


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Humor, Action / Adventure, Realistic Fiction, Animals, Children's Literature

Written in 2012 by Carl Hiaasen, Chomp is a young adult novel set in Hiaasen’s native Florida (specifically, Everglades National Park). Hiaasen, who began his career as a journalist, is the author of six other books for young readers (as well as numerous adult novels). Because his work blends humor with grim realism, Chomp features characters who are just as “bizarre” as their Florida setting. Primarily known for his crime fiction, Hiaasen also crafts stories... Read Chomp Summary


Publication year 1967

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Place, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags History: World, Religion / Spirituality, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Christian literature, Romance, Inspirational


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Grandparents

Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Grief / Death, Children's Literature

Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley is a middle-grade fantasy/magical realism novel about a young boy named Micah Tuttle who is struggling to come to terms with the impending death of his grandfather, Ephraim. Micah learns from Ephraim that Circus Mirandus, a fantastical traveling circus that Micah thought was a fictional story, is actually real. As Ephraim nears death, Micah and his friend Jenny go to Circus Mirandus to find the Lightbender, who owes Ephraim a... Read Circus Mirandus Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance

City of Girls is the third novel by author Elizabeth Gilbert, published in 2019. Gilbert is a New York Times bestselling author whose novels include Stern Men (2000) and The Signature of All Things (2013). A noted writer of nonfiction, she has also written a biography entitled The Last American Man (2002), as well as several memoirs including Eat Pray Love (2006), Committed (2010), and Big Magic (2015). Eat Pray Love became a worldwide bestseller... Read City of Girls Summary


Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Tags Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy, Post Modernism

E. L. Doctorow’s 2000 novel City of God is a postmodern, metafictional novel of religious questioning that attempts to reconcile the history of the 20th century, particularly the Holocaust, with modern conceptions of morality and God. The novel is structured as a fragmented writer’s notebook written by a character loosely based on Doctorow himself. The plot, which concerns a stolen cross and an Episcopalian priest’s doubts about his faith, is rendered through the mediated lens... Read City of God Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Self Discovery, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Society: Community, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Realistic Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Parenting, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction

Clock Dance (2018) is Anne Tyler’s 22nd domestic literary fiction novel that explores the smaller details of the human condition. Clock Dance, which spans time periods from 1967 to 2017, follows Willa, a woman who’s always made herself useful to those around her without any regard for her own needs. Through Willa’s life, Clock Dance explores themes of self-fulfillment, appreciation, passivity, and community to show how people do (or don’t) change throughout time. This novel... Read Clock Dance Summary


Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality, Romance, Historical Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Addiction / Substance Abuse

Clockwork Angel is the first book in Cassandra Clare’s historical fantasy trilogy The Infernal Devices, a prequel to the internationally bestselling series The Mortal Instruments. Clockwork Angel was first published in 2010, followed by Clockwork Prince in 2011 and Clockwork Princess in 2013. The trilogy follows Theresa (Tessa) Gray, an American girl in Victorian London, who discovers she is a member of the Shadow World, the hidden world of supernatural creatures, angels, and demons. Clockwork... Read Clockwork Angel Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Fantasy


Publication year 2023

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Environment, Society: Colonialism, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags History: African , Politics / Government, Business / Economics, Technology, Social Justice, Science / Nature, History: World


Publication year 1997

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: The Past, Society: War

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, American Civil War, Military / War, Literary Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Survival Fiction, History: World, Classic Fiction

Cold Mountain (1997) is a novel by Charles Frazier. It tells the story of W.P. Inman, a deserter from the Confederate Army who attempts to return home to his romantic partner, Ada. The novel won the National Book Award and was adapted into an Academy Award–winning film of the same name. This guide refers to the 2011 Sceptre edition. Content Warning: The source text contains discussions of racism, violence, abuse of women and children, and... Read Cold Mountain Summary


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Music, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Mental Health

Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Japanese Literature, Realistic Fiction, Grief / Death, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Magical Realism

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage is a 2014 novel by renowned Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami. The novel tells the story of a man who attempts to overcome past emotional suffering to make his present life more rewarding. Through Tsukuru’s point of view, we see the ripple effects of rejection and the necessity of sometimes confronting the past to make sense of who we are in the present. After a group of friends... Read Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage Summary


Publication year 2015

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Joy

Tags Gender / Feminism, Science / Nature, Health / Medicine, Relationships, Self Help, Love / Sexuality, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Psychology, Psychology


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Identity: Race, Society: Immigration

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Black Lives Matter, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2013

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags Business / Economics, Psychology, Self Help


Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: War, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Politics & Government

Tags History: U.S., WWII / World War II, Politics / Government, Military / War, History: World


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Survival Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Class, Relationships: Family

Tags Romance, Humor, Satire, Asian Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Crazy Rich Asians is a 2013 romance comedy novel by American author Kevin Kwan about a young Asian American woman who travels with her boyfriend to his native Singapore and finds herself suddenly thrust into the cutthroat world of Asia’s uber-rich. Kwan based the novel loosely on his own experiences growing up in Singapore. It is the first novel in a three-book series, followed by China Rich Girlfriend (2015) and Rich People Problems (2017), all... Read Crazy Rich Asians Summary