Since 1931, the country's best-selling books have appeared on an authoritative weekly list in the New York Times, a list that has transformed into a resource for readers and booksellers alike. Read on to discover both past and present best sellers—you just might find your next book club pick!
Publication year 1988
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Identity: Mental Health
Tags Psychology, Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy, Philosophy, Psychology, Biography, Self Help
Many Lives, Many Masters: The True Story of a Prominent Psychiatrist, His Young Patient, and the Past-Life Therapy That Changed Both Their Lives is a new-age, self-help memoir written by American psychiatrist Dr. Brian L. Weiss. Originally published on July 15, 1988, by Touchstone, the book covers a portion of Weiss’s career in which he conducts therapy sessions with Catherine, a patient with symptoms of fear and anxiety. After putting Catherine under trance with hypnotic... Read Many Lives, Many Masters Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Race, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags History: U.S., Race / Racism
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature, Life/Time: The Future, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Self Discovery
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Romance, Arts / Culture, Futurism, Fantasy
Matched is a science fiction novel for young adults by best-selling author Ally Condie. Published in 2010, it is the first novel in the Matched trilogy. It was followed by Crossed in 2011 and Reached in 2012. Matched was a critical and commercial success—as were the other two books in the trilogy. It was a New York Times bestseller and named one of the best children’s books of the year by Publisher’s Weekly. The Young... Read Matched Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Psychology, Self Help, Psychology, Biography, Mental Illness
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed (2019) is a nonfiction book by American writer and psychotherapist, Lori Gottlieb. A combination of memoir and popular science, it brings together Gottlieb’s personal life experience and her therapeutic work to illuminate the role therapy can play in everyone’s lives. The work has become a New York Times bestseller and Time magazine Must-Read Book of the Year. It was shortlisted for... Read Maybe You Should Talk to Someone Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Self Help
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Mental Health
Tags Romance, New Adult, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Crime / Legal, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Grief / Death, African American Literature, American Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Biography
Publication year 1992
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Self Help, Psychology, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Philosophy, Philosophy, Psychology, Romance
Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus (1992) is a self-help and personal development book by American author John Gray. The book is designed to help couples improve their relationships by accepting how different men and women are. Although the book was initially met with critical acclaim, it has lost popularity due to critiques about sexist content and the book’s worldview. Although this is Gray’s best-known work, Gray has published many similar books concerned... Read Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Society: Immigration, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Military / War, Italian Literature, History: World
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Romance, Southern Literature
Message in a Bottle (1998) is the second novel by Nicholas Sparks, the follow-up to his incredibly popular romance, The Notebook. It was inspired by Sparks’s father’s experience after the sudden and unexpected death of Sparks’s mother. They’d been married for 27 years when an accident on a horse led her to develop a cerebral hemorrhage. It was a fluke, a random accident, just like the one that claims Catherine’s life and that of her... Read Message In A Bottle Summary
Publication year 2011
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Society: Education, Self Discovery, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness
Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Bullying
Publication year 2020
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Daughters & Sons
Tags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Relationships, Gender / Feminism, American Literature, Korean Literature, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Asian Literature, Biography
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Gender
Tags Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Travel Literature, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, British Literature, History: World
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Self Discovery
Tags Realistic Fiction, Animals, Children's Literature
... Read Moo Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Identity: Mental Health
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Mr. Mercedes (2014) is American author Stephen King’s first hard-boiled detective story. King is one of the most prolific writers of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, best known for his iconic horror novels like It (1986), Carrie (1974), Pet Sematary (1983), and The Shining (1977). However, King’s work crosses over into many different genres, including supernatural, suspense thriller, mystery, science fiction, and fantasy. He writes novels, short stories, and nonfiction, and his work... Read Mr. Mercedes Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Historical Fiction, Humor
Publication year 2021
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Immigration
Tags Inspirational, Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Biography