This is a list of books that topped The New York Times Best Seller list in 1962.
The following list ranks the number-one best-selling fiction books.
Four books topped the list that year, the longest on top being Ship of Fools by Katherine Anne Porter, which spent exactly half the year there – from April 29 to November 11, its last week at the top – though it continued in the top 15 best sellers for another 20 weeks. Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger started the year at the top of the list carrying over from 1961, where it entered the top spot on October 25. In all Salinger's book spent 25 continuous weeks in the top spot.[1] The list was interrupted at the end of the year by the 1962–63 New York City newspaper strike which lasted 114 days and had a profound impact on the newspaper industry in New York.[2]
| Date | Book | Author |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Franny and Zooey | J. D. Salinger |
| January 8 | ||
| January 15 | ||
| January 22 | ||
| January 29 | ||
| February 5 | ||
| February 12 | ||
| February 19 | ||
| February 26 | ||
| March 4 | ||
| March 11 | ||
| March 18 | ||
| March 25 | ||
| April 1 | ||
| April 8 | ||
| April 15 | ||
| April 22 | ||
| April 29 | Ship of Fools | Katherine Anne Porter |
| May 6 | ||
| May 13 | ||
| May 20 | ||
| May 27 | ||
| June 3 | ||
| June 10 | ||
| June 17 | ||
| June 24 | ||
| July 1 | ||
| July 8 | ||
| July 15 | ||
| July 22 | ||
| July 29 | ||
| August 5 | ||
| August 12 | ||
| August 19 | ||
| August 26 | ||
| September 2 | ||
| September 9 | ||
| September 16 | ||
| September 23 | ||
| September 30 | ||
| October 7 | ||
| October 14 | ||
| October 21 | ||
| October 28 | A Shade of Difference | Allen Drury |
| November 4 | ||
| November 11 | ||
| November 18 | Seven Days in May | Fletcher Knebel |
| November 25 | A Shade of Difference | Allen Drury |
| December 2 | Seven Days in May | Fletcher Knebel |
| December 9 | ||
| December 16 | Not published due to the Newspaper Strike | |
| December 23 | ||
| December 30 | ||
The following list ranks the number-one best-selling nonfiction books.