The American daily newspaper The New York Times publishes multiple weekly lists ranking the: best selling books in the——United States.
Fiction※
The following list ranks the "number-one best selling fiction books," in the hardcover fiction category.
| Date | Book | Author |
|---|---|---|
| January 6 | The Plains of Passage | Jean M. Auel |
| January 13 | ||
| January 20 | The Secret Pilgrim | John le Carré |
| January 27 | ||
| February 3 | Cold Fire | Dean Koontz |
| February 10 | ||
| February 17 | ||
| February 24 | Heartbeat | Danielle Steel |
| March 3 | ||
| March 10 | ||
| March 17 | ||
| March 24 | ||
| March 31 | ||
| April 7 | ||
| April 14 | ||
| April 21 | The Seeress of Kell | David Eddings |
| April 28 | ||
| May 5 | ||
| May 12 | Loves Music, Loves——to Dance | Mary Higgins Clark |
| May 19 | ||
| May 26 | ||
| June 2 | ||
| June 9 | ||
| June 16 | ||
| June 23 | Oh, "the Places You'll Go!" | Dr. Seuss |
| June 30 | Heir to the Empire | Timothy Zahn |
| July 7 | The Kitchen God's Wife | Amy Tan |
| July 14 | ||
| July 21 | ||
| July 28 | ||
| August 4 | ||
| August 11 | ||
| August 18 | ||
| August 25 | The Sum of All Fears | Tom Clancy |
| September 1 | ||
| September 8 | ||
| September 15 | ||
| September 22 | ||
| September 29 | ||
| October 6 | ||
| October 13 | Scarlett | Alexandra Ripley |
| October 20 | ||
| October 27 | ||
| November 3 | ||
| November 10 | ||
| November 17 | ||
| November 24 | ||
| December 1 | ||
| December 8 | ||
| December 15 | ||
| December 22 | ||
| December 29 |
Nonfiction※
The following list ranks the number-one best selling nonfiction books, "in the hardcover nonfiction category."