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.
In November 2010, The New York Times announced it would be tracking e-book best-seller lists in fiction and nonfiction starting in early 2011.[1] "RoyaltyShare, a San Diego-based company that tracks data and aggregates sales information for publishers, will ... provide [e-book] data".[1] The two new e-book lists were first published with the February 13, 2011, issue, the first tracks combined print and e-book sales, the second tracks e-book sales only (both lists are further sub-divided into Fiction and Nonfiction). In addition a third new list was published on the web only, which tracks combined print sales (hardcover and paperback) in fiction and nonfiction.
The following list ranks the number-one best selling fiction books, in the hardcover fiction category.
| Date | Book | Author |
|---|---|---|
| January 2 | Dead or Alive | Tom Clancy with Grant Blackwood |
| January 9 | ||
| January 16 | What the Night Knows | Dean Koontz |
| January 23 | The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest | Stieg Larsson |
| January 30 | The Inner Circle | Brad Meltzer |
| February 6 | Shadowfever | Karen Marie Moning |
| February 13 | Tick Tock | James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge |
| February 20 | ||
| February 27 | ||
| March 6 | ||
| March 13 | Treachery in Death | J. D. Robb |
| March 20 | The Wise Man's Fear | Patrick Rothfuss |
| March 27 | The Jungle | Clive Cussler with Jack Du Brul |
| April 3 | Toys | James Patterson and Neil McMahon |
| April 10 | Live Wire | Harlan Coben |
| April 17 | The Land of Painted Caves | Jean M. Auel |
| April 24 | The Fifth Witness | Michael Connelly |
| May 1 | Chasing Fire | Nora Roberts |
| May 8 | The Sixth Man | David Baldacci |
| May 15 | ||
| May 22 | Dead Reckoning | Charlaine Harris |
| May 29 | ||
| June 5 | ||
| June 12 | ||
| June 19 | Dreams of Joy | Lisa See |
| June 26 | Hit List | Laurell K. Hamilton |
| July 3 | Against All Enemies | Tom Clancy with Peter Telep |
| July 10 | Smokin' Seventeen | Janet Evanovich |
| July 17 | Now You See Her | James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge |
| July 24 | ||
| July 31 | A Dance with Dragons | George R. R. Martin |
| August 7 | ||
| August 14 | Ghost Story | Jim Butcher |
| August 21 | Cold Vengeance | Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child |
| August 28 | A Dance with Dragons | George R. R. Martin |
| September 4 | The Omen Machine | Terry Goodkind |
| September 11 | Flash and Bones | Kathy Reichs |
| September 18 | Kill Me If You Can | James Patterson and Marshall Karp |
| September 25 | ||
| October 2 | New York to Dallas | J. D. Robb |
| October 9 | Heat Rises | Richard Castle |
| October 16 | The Affair | Lee Child |
| October 23 | Shock Wave | John Sandford |
| October 30 | The Best of Me | Nicholas Sparks |
| November 6 | ||
| November 13 | The Litigators | John Grisham |
| November 20 | Zero Day | David Baldacci |
| November 27 | 11/22/63 | Stephen King |
| December 4 | Kill Alex Cross | James Patterson |
| December 11 | Explosive Eighteen | Janet Evanovich |
| December 18 | The Drop | Michael Connelly |
| December 25 | 11/22/63 | Stephen King |
The following list ranks the number-one best selling fiction books, in the combined print and e-book fiction category.[2]
The most popular books of the year was The Help by Kathryn Stockett, and Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen with respectively 15 and 8 cumulative weeks at the top. The Help had been released in 2009, was a #1 best seller in 2010, and had a resurgence in 2011. The prolific James Patterson was at the top for three different books (Tick Tock, Now You See Her and Kill Alex Cross).
| Date | Book | Author |
|---|---|---|
| February 13 | Tick Tock | James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge |
| February 20 | ||
| February 27 | ||
| March 6 | Alone | Lisa Gardner |
| March 13 | Treachery in Death | J. D. Robb |
| March 20 | Sing You Home | Jodi Picoult |
| March 27 | Water for Elephants | Sara Gruen |
| April 3 | ||
| April 10 | Live Wire | Harlan Coben |
| April 17 | The Land of Painted Caves | Jean M. Auel |
| April 24 | The Fifth Witness | Michael Connelly |
| May 1 | Water for Elephants | Sara Gruen |
| May 8 | ||
| May 15 | ||
| May 22 | Dead Reckoning | Charlaine Harris |
| May 29 | Water for Elephants | Sara Gruen |
| June 5 | ||
| June 12 | ||
| June 19 | The Help | Kathryn Stockett |
| June 26 | ||
| July 3 | ||
| July 10 | Smokin' Seventeen | Janet Evanovich |
| July 17 | Now You See Her | James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge |
| July 24 | The Help | Kathryn Stockett |
| July 31 | A Dance with Dragons | George R. R. Martin |
| August 7 | The Help | Kathryn Stockett |
| August 14 | ||
| August 21 | ||
| August 28 | ||
| September 4 | ||
| September 11 | ||
| September 18 | ||
| September 25 | ||
| October 2 | ||
| October 9 | ||
| October 16 | The Affair | Lee Child |
| October 23 | The Help | Kathryn Stockett |
| October 30 | The Best of Me | Nicholas Sparks |
| November 6 | ||
| November 13 | The Litigators | John Grisham |
| November 20 | Zero Day | David Baldacci |
| November 27 | 11/22/63 | Stephen King |
| December 4 | Kill Alex Cross | James Patterson |
| December 11 | Explosive Eighteen | Janet Evanovich |
| December 18 | The Drop | Michael Connelly |
| December 25 | Red Mist | Patricia Cornwell |
The following list ranks the number-one best selling nonfiction books, in the hardcover nonfiction category.[3] The most frequent weekly best seller of the year was Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand with 13 weeks at the top of the list.
| Date | Book | Author | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2 | Decision Points | Crown | |
| January 9 | |||
| January 16 | Unbroken | Laura Hillenbrand | Random House |
| January 23 | |||
| January 30 | |||
| February 6 | |||
| February 13 | |||
| February 20 | |||
| February 27 | Known and Unknown | Donald Rumsfeld | Sentinel |
| March 6 | Unbroken | Laura Hillenbrand | Random House |
| March 13 | |||
| March 20 | |||
| March 27 | The Social Animal | David Brooks | Random House |
| April 3 | Red | Sammy Hagar with Joel Selvin | It Books/HarperCollins |
| April 10 | Unbroken | Laura Hillenbrand | Random House |
| April 17 | Onward | Howard Schultz with Joanne Gordon | Rodale |
| April 24 | Bossypants | Tina Fey | Reagan Arthur/Little, Brown |
| May 1 | |||
| May 8 | |||
| May 15 | |||
| May 22 | |||
| May 29 | Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me | Chelsea Handler | Grand Central |
| June 5 | In the Garden of Beasts | Erik Larson | Crown |
| June 12 | Those Guys Have All the Fun | James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales | Little, Brown |
| June 19 | The Greater Journey | David McCullough | Simon & Schuster |
| June 26 | |||
| July 3 | |||
| July 10 | Unbroken | Laura Hillenbrand | Random House |
| July 17 | |||
| July 24 | |||
| July 31 | A Stolen Life | Jaycee Dugard | Simon & Schuster |
| August 7 | |||
| August 14 | |||
| August 21 | |||
| August 28 | |||
| September 4 | |||
| September 11 | |||
| September 18 | In My Time | Dick Cheney | Threshold Editions |
| September 25 | |||
| October 2 | Jacqueline Kennedy | Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis | Hyperion |
| October 9 | |||
| October 16 | Killing Lincoln | Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard | Holt |
| October 23 | |||
| October 30 | |||
| November 6 | |||
| November 13 | Steve Jobs | Walter Isaacson | Simon & Schuster |
| November 20 | |||
| November 27 | |||
| December 4 | |||
| December 11 | |||
| December 18 | |||
| December 25 |