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 2019
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Economics, Life/Time: Birth, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Parenting, Science / Nature, Self Help
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, LGBTQ, Romance
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Military / War, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2002
Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Language, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Teams
Tags Self Help, Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Relationships, Psychology, Psychology
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When the Stakes Are High (2002) was written by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Al Switzler, and Ron McMillan. It has become a cornerstone of the field of interpersonal communication and self-improvement, offering insights into the dynamics that govern our most vital conversations. Both Kerry Patterson and Joseph Grenny are leading authorities on organizational change and have advised some of the world’s largest organizations. Al Switzler is a renowned speaker and... Read Crucial Conversations Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Society: Immigration, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Food, Grief / Death, Relationships, Asian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Music, Biography
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Siblings
Tags Historical Fiction, Health / Medicine, African Literature
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese was published in 2009. Verghese, an Indian American doctor born in Ethiopia, interrupted his medical career to attend the University of Iowa’s Writing Workshop and wrote two memoirs before publishing this novel. The book is notable for its incorporation of medical knowledge and its intimate portrayal of the lives of medical doctors. The novel spans several decades, weaving a deeply personal story with the complex 20th-century history of Ethiopia... Read Cutting for Stone Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Music, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Fame
Tags Historical Fiction, Music, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Taylor Jenkins Reid’s historical fiction novel Daisy Jones & The Six, published in 2019, is a contemporary work of fiction that explores the rich music culture of the 1970s in the United States. This time was known for rock ’n’ roll, partly as a cultural response to the strict rules of the 1960s and the disaster of the Vietnam War. The California dream world of hard partying, no rules, and freedom persists as a major... Read Daisy Jones & The Six Summary
Publication year 2012
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: Community
Tags Self Help, Parenting
Brené Brown’s Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead (2012) is a self-help book that argues people need to embrace vulnerability and live courageously. Rooted in 12 years of ground-breaking research, the book shows that vulnerability is not a weakness but instead it is a measure of courage and the key to a fulfilling life. Daring Greatly is a New York Times best seller and... Read Daring Greatly Summary
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Masculinity
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Crime / Legal, Modern Classic Fiction
Dark Places is a 2009 mystery thriller novel by American author Gillian Flynn. The narrative moves between two time periods, 1985 and 2009, as the protagonist, Libby Day, tries to solve her family’s brutal murder. The novel deals with the consequences of the 1980s Satanic Panic and the fallout from the 1970s Farm Boom for a community in the rural Midwest. Flynn is the author of Gone Girl (2012) and other popular mystery thrillers.Dark Places... Read Dark Places Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature
Publication year 2013
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Language, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Teams, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Russian Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Biography, History: European, Crime / Legal, Action / Adventure, Travel Literature
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Birth, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano was published in 2020. It is the story of a 12-year-old boy who is the lone survivor of a plane crash that kills 191 others, including his family. As Edward struggles to cope with the tragedy, letters from others affected by the crash spark a journey of healing and self-discovery. Although the novel is fiction, it was inspired by true events. Ann Napolitano is a resident of New York City... Read Dear Edward Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Class, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Politics & Government, Self Discovery, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Romance, Love / Sexuality, Fantasy
Written by Lauren Oliver in 2011, Delirium is a young adult, dystopian novel that takes place in a world where love is considered a disease and is thus surgically removed from a person’s brain when they turn 18. The protagonist, Lena Haloway, falls in love with a boy named Alex Warren and must navigate a world in which their love is forbidden. The novel explores the power of love in opposition to an unfair totalitarian... Read Delirium Summary
Publication year 2007
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Relationships, Bullying, Children's Literature
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is the first graphic novel in the titular series by Jeff Kinney. Since its initial publication in 2007, Diary of a Wimpy Kid has become a New York Times bestseller and 16 sequels have followed in the series. Diary of a Wimpy Kid is written in a diary format and documents the misadventures of middle school student Greg Heffley, who longs for popularity and hatches dozens of schemes to achieve... Read Diary of a Wimpy Kid Summary
Publication year 1992
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Drama / Tragedy
Dolores Claiborne (1992) is a psychological thriller by the American novelist Stephen King. The novel, narrated from Dolores’s first-person point of view, tells the story of her work as a housekeeper for the wealthy Vera Donovan and Dolores’s eventual murder of her abusive husband. Unique among King’s work for its unconventional narrative style, including a lack of chapter designations and section breaks, the novel deals with themes of revenge, family, physical and sexual abuse, and... Read Dolores Claiborne Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Health / Medicine, Psychology, Science / Nature, Self Help, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness
Tags Fantasy, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Action / Adventure, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige (Harper Collins, 2014) is the first installment in the 4-book Dorothy Must Die series, followed by The Wicked Will Rise. The story follows a girl from Kansas through a dystopian land of Oz in which Dorothy rules with an iron will and unforgiving hand. Dorothy Must Die is set in the world of the Oz books by L. Frank Baum and was a New York Times bestseller. Danielle Paige... Read Dorothy Must Die Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Music, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings
Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Mental Illness, Modern Classic Fiction, Music