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 A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini with 13 weeks at the top. The author James Patterson was at the top for five different books.
| Date | Book | Author |
|---|---|---|
| January 7 | For One More Day | Mitch Albom |
| January 14 | ||
| January 21 | ||
| January 28 | Plum Lovin' | Janet Evanovich |
| February 4 | ||
| February 11 | ||
| February 18 | ||
| February 25 | Step on a Crack | James Patterson |
| March 4 | ||
| March 11 | Innocent in Death | J. D. Robb |
| March 18 | Shopaholic and Baby | Sophie Kinsella |
| March 25 | Nineteen Minutes | Jodi Picoult |
| April 1 | ||
| April 8 | ||
| April 15 | ||
| April 22 | I Heard That Song Before | Mary Higgins Clark |
| April 29 | ||
| May 6 | The Children of Húrin | J. R. R. Tolkien |
| May 13 | Simple Genius | David Baldacci |
| May 20 | ||
| May 27 | The 6th Target | James Patterson and Maxine Paetro |
| June 3 | ||
| June 10 | A Thousand Splendid Suns | Khaled Hosseini |
| June 17 | ||
| June 24 | ||
| July 1 | ||
| July 8 | Lean Mean Thirteen | Janet Evanovich |
| July 15 | A Thousand Splendid Suns | Khaled Hosseini |
| July 22 | The Quickie | James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge |
| July 29 | ||
| August 5 | A Thousand Splendid Suns | Khaled Hosseini |
| August 12 | ||
| August 19 | ||
| August 26 | ||
| September 2 | ||
| September 9 | ||
| September 16 | ||
| September 23 | ||
| September 30 | You've Been Warned | James Patterson and Howard Roughan |
| October 7 | ||
| October 14 | Playing for Pizza | John Grisham |
| October 21 | ||
| October 28 | World Without End | Ken Follett |
| November 4 | Playing for Pizza | John Grisham |
| November 11 | Book of the Dead | Patricia Cornwell |
| November 18 | Protect and Defended | Vince Flynn |
| November 25 | Stone Cold | David Baldacci |
| December 2 | Double Cross | James Patterson |
| December 9 | ||
| December 16 | ||
| December 23 | "T" Is for Trespass | Sue Grafton |
| December 30 |
The following list ranks the number-one best selling nonfiction books, in the hardcover nonfiction category.[2]
| Date | Book | Author |
|---|---|---|
| January 7 | The Audacity of Hope | Barack Obama |
| January 14 | ||
| January 21 | ||
| January 28 | ||
| February 4 | ||
| February 11 | ||
| February 18 | ||
| February 25 | ||
| March 4 | ||
| March 11 | ||
| March 18 | In an Instant | Lee and Bob Woodruff |
| March 25 | ||
| April 1 | ||
| April 8 | ||
| April 15 | A Long Way Gone | Ishmael Beah |
| April 22 | ||
| April 29 | Einstein | Walter Isaacson |
| May 6 | ||
| May 13 | ||
| May 20 | At the Center of the Storm | George Tenet |
| May 27 | Einstein | Walter Isaacson |
| June 3 | God Is Not Great | Christopher Hitchens |
| June 10 | The Assault on Reason | Al Gore |
| June 17 | ||
| June 24 | The Reagan Diaries | Ronald Reagan |
| July 1 | ||
| July 8 | The Diana Chronicles | Tina Brown |
| July 15 | ||
| July 22 | Lone Survivor | Marcus Luttrell with Patrick Robinson |
| July 29 | ||
| August 5 | Quiet Strength | Tony Dungy with Nathan Whitaker |
| August 12 | Lone Survivor | Marcus Luttrell with Patrick Robinson |
| August 19 | It's All About Him | Denise Jackson with Ellen Vaughn |
| August 26 | You Can Run But You Can't Hide | Duane Chapman with Laura Morton |
| September 2 | ||
| September 9 | Quiet Strength | Tony Dungy with Nathan Whitaker |
| September 16 | Wonderful Tonight | Pattie Boyd with Penny Junor |
| September 23 | Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World | Bill Clinton |
| September 30 | Power to the People | Laura Ingraham |
| October 7 | The Age of Turbulence | Alan Greenspan |
| October 14 | ||
| October 21 | My Grandfather's Son | Clarence Thomas |
| October 28 | I Am America (And So Can You!) | Stephen Colbert |
| November 4 | ||
| November 11 | ||
| November 18 | ||
| November 25 | ||
| December 2 | ||
| December 9 | An Inconvenient Book | Glenn Beck and Kevin Balfe |
| December 16 | I Am America (And So Can You!) | Stephen Colbert |
| December 23 | ||
| December 30 |