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 combined print and e-books category.[1]
The most popular book of the year was Fifty Shades of Grey, by E. L. James with 28 weeks at the top.
| Date | Book | Author |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 11/22/63 | Stephen King |
| January 8 | ||
| January 15 | 77 Shadow Street | Dean Koontz |
| January 22 | Private: #1 Suspect | James Patterson and Maxine Paetro |
| January 29 | Believing the Lie | Elizabeth George |
| February 5 | Private: #1 Suspect | James Patterson and Maxine Paetro |
| February 12 | Taken | Robert Crais |
| February 19 | Home Front | Kristin Hannah |
| February 26 | Kill Shot | Vince Flynn |
| March 4 | Private Games | James Patterson |
| March 11 | Celebrity in Death | J. D. Robb |
| March 18 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| March 25 | ||
| April 1 | ||
| April 8 | ||
| April 15 | ||
| April 22 | ||
| April 29 | ||
| 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 | A Wanted Man | Lee Child |
| October 7 | Winter of the World | Ken Follett |
| October 14 | The Casual Vacancy | J. K. Rowling |
| October 21 | Reflected in You | Sylvia Day |
| October 28 | ||
| November 4 | The Bone Bed | Patricia Cornwell |
| November 11 | The Racketeer | John Grisham |
| November 18 | ||
| November 25 | The Perfect Hope | Nora Roberts |
| December 2 | The Last Man | Vince Flynn |
| December 9 | Notorious Nineteen | Janet Evanovich |
| December 16 | The Black Box | Michael Connelly |
| December 23 | Threat Vector | Tom Clancy |
| December 30 | Gone Girl | Gillian Flynn |
The following list ranks the number-one best selling nonfiction books, in the combined print and e-books category.[2] The most frequent weekly best seller of the year was Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard with 9 weeks at the top of the list.
| Date | Book | Author | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Steve Jobs | Walter Isaacson | Simon & Schuster |
| January 8 | |||
| January 15 | Heaven Is for Real | Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent | Thomas Nelson |
| January 22 | |||
| January 29 | |||
| February 5 | Ameritopia | Mark R. Levin | Threshold Editions |
| February 12 | Heaven Is for Real | Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent | Thomas Nelson |
| February 19 | |||
| February 26 | Once Upon a Secret | Mimi Alford | Random House Publishing |
| March 4 | The Vow | Kim and Krickitt Carpenter with Dana Wilkerson | B&H Publishing Group |
| March 11 | |||
| March 18 | |||
| March 25 | |||
| April 1 | Heaven Is for Real | Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent | Thomas Nelson |
| April 8 | Imagine | Jonah Lehrer | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |
| April 15 | The Big Miss | Hank Haney | Crown Publishing |
| April 22 | Drift | Rachel Maddow | Crown Publishing |
| April 29 | A Night to Remember | Walter Lord | Open Road Integrated Media |
| May 6 | Let's Pretend This Never Happened | Jenny Lawson | Penguin Group |
| May 13 | Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake | Anna Quindlen | Random House Publishing |
| May 20 | The Passage of Power | Robert A. Caro | Knopf Doubleday Publishing |
| May 27 | |||
| June 3 | Amateur | Edward Klein | Regnery Publishing |
| June 10 | |||
| June 17 | |||
| June 24 | |||
| July 1 | |||
| July 8 | |||
| July 15 | Becoming Sister Wives | Kody, Meri, Janelle, Christine and Robyn Brown | Simon & Schuster |
| July 22 | Wild | Cheryl Strayed | Knopf |
| July 29 | |||
| August 5 | |||
| August 12 | |||
| August 19 | |||
| August 26 | |||
| September 2 | Unbroken | Laura Hillenbrand | Random House Publishing |
| September 9 | Paterno | Joe Posnanski | Simon & Schuster |
| September 16 | The Glass Castle | Jeannette Walls | Simon & Schuster |
| September 23 | No Easy Day | Mark Owen with Kevin Maurer | Penguin Group |
| September 30 | |||
| October 7 | |||
| October 14 | |||
| October 21 | Killing Kennedy | Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard | Henry Holt & Company |
| October 28 | |||
| November 4 | |||
| November 11 | Proof of Heaven | Eben Alexander | Simon & Schuster |
| November 18 | Killing Kennedy | Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard | Henry Holt & Company |
| November 25 | |||
| December 2 | |||
| December 9 | |||
| December 16 | |||
| December 23 | Proof of Heaven | Eben Alexander | Simon & Schuster |
| December 30 | Killing Kennedy | Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard | Henry Holt & Company |