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 popular books of the year were The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, by Stieg Larsson and The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, with respectively 8 and 6 weeks at the top. The author James Patterson was at the top for five different books (Worst Case, The 9th Judgment, Private, The Postcard Killers and Cross Fire).
| Date | Book | Author |
|---|---|---|
| January 3 | The Lost Symbol | Dan Brown |
| January 10 | ||
| January 17 | ||
| January 24 | The Help | Kathryn Stockett |
| January 31 | ||
| February 7 | ||
| February 14 | ||
| February 21 | Worst Case | James Patterson |
| February 28 | ||
| March 7 | The Help | Kathryn Stockett |
| March 14 | Fantasy in Death | J. D. Robb |
| March 21 | House Rules | Jodi Picoult |
| March 28 | ||
| April 4 | The Help | Kathryn Stockett |
| April 11 | Caught | Harlan Coben |
| April 18 | Silver Borne | Patricia Briggs |
| April 25 | Changes | Jim Butcher |
| May 2 | The Shadow of Your Smile | Mary Higgins Clark |
| May 9 | Deliver us from Evil | David Baldacci |
| May 16 | The 9th Judgment | James Patterson and Maxine Paetro |
| May 23 | Dead in the Family | Charlaine Harris |
| May 30 | ||
| June 6 | 61 Hours | Lee Child |
| June 13 | The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest | Stieg Larsson |
| June 20 | ||
| June 27 | ||
| July 4 | The Overton Window | Glenn Beck |
| July 11 | Sizzling Sixteen | Janet Evanovich |
| July 18 | Private | James Patterson |
| July 25 | The Search | Nora Roberts |
| August 1 | The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest | Stieg Larsson |
| August 8 | The Rembrandt Affair | Daniel Silva |
| August 15 | The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest | Stieg Larsson |
| August 22 | ||
| August 29 | ||
| September 5 | The Postcard Killers | James Patterson and Liza Marklund |
| September 12 | The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest | Stieg Larsson |
| September 19 | Freedom | Jonathan Franzen |
| September 26 | ||
| October 3 | Safe Haven | Nicholas Sparks |
| October 10 | Freedom | Jonathan Franzen |
| October 17 | Fall of Giants | Ken Follett |
| October 24 | The Reversal | Michael Connelly |
| October 31 | American Assassin | Vince Flynn |
| November 7 | Worth Dying For | Lee Child |
| November 14 | The Confession | John Grisham |
| November 21 | Towers of Midnight | Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson |
| November 28 | Hell's Corner | David Baldacci |
| December 5 | Cross Fire | James Patterson |
| December 12 | ||
| December 19 | Port Mortuary | Patricia Cornwell |
| December 26 | Dead or Alive | Tom Clancy and Grant Blackwood |
The following list ranks the number-one best selling nonfiction books, in the hardcover nonfiction category.[2]
| Date | Book | Author | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 3 | Going Rogue | HarperCollins | |
| January 10 | Have a Little Faith | Hyperion | |
| January 19 | Committed | Viking | |
| January 24 | Game Change | HarperCollins | |
| January 31 | |||
| February 7 | |||
| February 14 | |||
| February 21 | |||
| February 28 | |||
| March 7 | |||
| March 14 | No Apology | St. Martin's | |
| March 21 | Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang | Grand Central | |
| March 28 | The Big Short | Norton | |
| April 4 | |||
| April 11 | |||
| April 18 | |||
| April 25 | Crown | ||
| May 2 | The Big Short | Michael Lewis | Norton |
| May 9 | |||
| May 16 | Spoken from the Heart | Scribner | |
| May 30 | |||
| June 6 | |||
| June 13 | |||
| June 20 | Shit My Dad Says | HarperCollins | |
| June 27 | |||
| July 4 | |||
| July 11 | |||
| July 18 | |||
| July 25 | |||
| August 1 | The Obama Diaries | ||
| August 8 | Shit My Dad Says | Justin Halpern | HarperCollins |
| August 15 | |||
| August 22 | |||
| August 29 | |||
| September 5 | |||
| September 12 | Crimes Against Liberty | Regnery | |
| September 19 | |||
| September 26 | The Grand Design | Bantam Books | |
| October 3 | |||
| October 10 | Earth (The Book) | Jon Stewart and others | Grand Central |
| October 17 | Obama's Wars | Simon & Schuster | |
| October 24 | |||
| October 31 | Earth (The Book) | Jon Stewart and others | Grand Central |
| November 7 | |||
| November 14 | Life | Little, Brown | |
| November 21 | |||
| November 28 | Decision Points | Crown | |
| December 5 | |||
| December 12 | |||
| December 19 | |||
| December 26 |