The American daily newspaper The New York Times publishes multiple weekly lists ranking the best selling books in the United States. The lists are split in three genres—fiction, nonfiction and children's books. Both the fiction and nonfiction lists are further split into multiple lists.
The following list ranks the number-one best selling fiction books, in the hardcover fiction category.[1]
The most frequent weekly best seller of the year was The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown with 7 weeks at the top of the list, followed closely by The Broker by John Grisham with 5 weeks.
| Date | Book | Author | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2 | The Five People You Meet in Heaven | Mitch Albom | |
| January 9 | The Da Vinci Code | Dan Brown | |
| January 16 | |||
| January 23 | |||
| January 30 | The Broker | John Grisham | |
| February 6 | |||
| February 13 | |||
| February 20 | |||
| February 27 | |||
| March 6 | Honeymoon | James Patterson and Howard Roughan | |
| March 13 | |||
| March 20 | |||
| March 27 | |||
| April 3 | The Rising | Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins | |
| April 10 | The Da Vinci Code | Dan Brown | |
| April 17 | |||
| April 24 | No Place Like Home | Mary Higgins Clark | |
| May 1 | True Believer | Nicholas Sparks | |
| May 8 | |||
| May 15 | |||
| May 22 | 4th of July | James Patterson and Maxine Paetro | |
| May 29 | |||
| June 5 | The Closers | Michael Connelly | |
| June 12 | 4th of July | James Patterson and Maxine Paetro | |
| June 19 | |||
| June 26 | The Mermaid Chair | Sue Monk Kidd | |
| July 3 | The Historian | Elizabeth Kostova | |
| July 10 | Eleven on Top | Janet Evanovich | |
| July 17 | |||
| July 24 | |||
| July 31 | Lifeguard | James Patterson and Andrew Gross | |
| August 7 | |||
| August 14 | |||
| August 21 | |||
| August 28 | The Da Vinci Code | Dan Brown | |
| September 4 | Chill Factor | Sandra Brown | |
| September 11 | Point Blank | Catherine Coulter | |
| September 18 | Polar Shift | Clive Cussler and Paul Kemprecos | |
| September 25 | |||
| October 2 | The Da Vinci Code | Dan Brown | |
| October 9 | Anansi Boys | Neil Gaiman | |
| October 16 | A Breath of Snow and Ashes | Diana Gabaldon | |
| October 23 | The Lincoln Lawyer | Michael Connelly | |
| October 30 | Knife of Dreams | Robert Jordan | |
| November 6 | At First Sight | Nicholas Sparks | |
| November 13 | Predator | Patricia Cornwell | |
| November 20 | |||
| November 27 | A Feast for Crows | George R. R. Martin | |
| December 4 | Mary, Mary | James Patterson | |
| December 11 | |||
| December 18 | |||
| December 25 | "S" Is for Silence | Sue Grafton |
The following list ranks the number-one best selling nonfiction books, in the hardcover nonfiction category.
| Date | Book | Author |
|---|---|---|
| January 2 | Jon Stewart and The Daily Show writers | |
| January 9 | ||
| January 16 | ||
| January 23 | Witness | Amber Frey |
| January 30 | ||
| February 6 | Blink | Malcolm Gladwell |
| February 13 | ||
| February 20 | ||
| February 27 | ||
| March 6 | Juiced | Jose Canseco |
| March 13 | Blink | Malcolm Gladwell |
| March 20 | Blood Brother | Anne Bird |
| March 27 | ||
| April 3 | A Deadly Game | Catherine Crier with Cole Thompson |
| April 10 | Blink | Malcolm Gladwell |
| April 17 | ||
| April 24 | My Life So Far | Jane Fonda |
| May 1 | ||
| May 8 | ||
| May 15 | The World Is Flat | Thomas Friedman |
| May 22 | ||
| May 29 | ||
| June 5 | On Bullshit | Harry Frankfurt |
| June 12 | 1776 | David McCullough |
| June 19 | ||
| June 26 | ||
| July 3 | ||
| July 10 | ||
| July 17 | ||
| July 24 | ||
| July 31 | ||
| August 7 | ||
| August 14 | ||
| August 21 | The FairTax Book | Neal Boortz and John Linder |
| August 28 | ||
| September 4 | 1776 | David McCullough |
| September 11 | ||
| September 18 | The World Is Flat | Thomas Friedman |
| September 25 | ||
| October 2 | ||
| October 9 | ||
| October 16 | The City of Falling Angels | John Berendt |
| October 23 | ||
| October 30 | The World Is Flat | Thomas Friedman |
| November 6 | ||
| November 13 | The Truth (with jokes) | Al Franken |
| November 20 | Our Endangered Values | Jimmy Carter |
| November 27 | ||
| December 4 | Teacher Man | Frank McCourt |
| December 11 | Our Endangered Values | Jimmy Carter |
| December 18 | Teacher Man | Frank McCourt |
| December 25 |