This is a list of books that topped The New York Times best-seller list in 1939. When the list began in 1931 through 1941 it only reflected sales in the New York City area.[1]
The following list ranks the number-one best-selling fiction books.
The two most popular books that year were The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, which held on top of the list for 24 weeks, and All This and Heaven Too by Rachel Field, which was on top of the list for 14 weeks.[2]
| Date | Book | Author | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2 | All This and Heaven Too | Rachel Field | |
| January 9 | Rebecca | Daphne du Maurier | |
| January 16 | All This and Heaven Too | Rachel Field | |
| January 23 | |||
| January 30 | |||
| February 6 | |||
| February 13 | |||
| February 10 | |||
| February 27 | |||
| March 6 | |||
| March 13 | |||
| March 20 | |||
| March 27 | |||
| April 3 | Wickford Point | ||
| April 10 | All This and Heaven Too | Rachel Field | |
| April 17 | |||
| April 24 | Wickford Point | John P. Marquand | |
| May 1 | The Grapes of Wrath | ||
| May 8 | |||
| May 15 | |||
| May 22 | |||
| May 29 | |||
| June 5 | |||
| June 12 | |||
| June 19 | |||
| June 26 | |||
| July 3 | |||
| July 10 | |||
| July 17 | |||
| July 24 | |||
| July 31 | |||
| August 7 | |||
| August 14 | |||
| August 21 | |||
| August 28 | |||
| September 4 | |||
| September 11 | |||
| September 18 | |||
| September 25 | |||
| October 2 | |||
| October 9 | Escape | Ethel Vance | |
| October 16 | The Grapes of Wrath | John Steinbeck | |
| October 23 | Escape | Ethel Vance | |
| October 30 | |||
| November 6 | |||
| November 13 | |||
| November 20 | Kitty Foyle | Christopher Morley | |
| November 27 | |||
| December 4 | |||
| December 11 | |||
| December 18 | The Nazarene | ||
| December 25 | Moment in Peking | Lin Yutang |
The following list ranks the number-one best-selling nonfiction books.