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 into three genres—fiction, nonfiction and children's books. Both the fiction and nonfiction lists are further split into multiple lists.
Changes to the list In November 2010, The New York Times announced it would be tracking e-book best-seller lists in fiction and nonfiction starting in early 2011. "RoyaltyShare, a San Diego–based company that tracks data and aggregates sales information for publishers, will ... provide [e-book] data". The two new e-book lists were first published with the February 13, 2011, issue, the first tracks combined print and e-book sales, the second tracks e-book sales only (both lists are further sub-divided into Fiction and Nonfiction). In addition a third new list was published on the web only, which tracks combined print sales (hardcover and paperback) in fiction and nonfiction.
Fiction Hardcover fiction The following list ranks the number-one best selling fiction books, in the hardcover fiction category.
DateBookAuthor January 2 Dead or Alive Tom Clancy with Grant Blackwood January 9 January 16 What the Night Knows Dean Koontz January 23 The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest Stieg Larsson January 30 The Inner Circle Brad Meltzer February 6 Shadowfever Karen Marie Moning February 13 Tick Tock James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge February 20 February 27 March 6 March 13 Treachery in Death J. D. Robb March 20 The Wise Man's Fear Patrick Rothfuss March 27 The Jungle Clive Cussler with Jack Du Brul April 3 Toys James Patterson and Neil McMahon April 10 Live Wire Harlan Coben April 17 The Land of Painted Caves Jean M. Auel April 24 The Fifth Witness Michael Connelly May 1 Chasing Fire Nora Roberts May 8 The Sixth Man David Baldacci May 15 May 22 Dead Reckoning Charlaine Harris May 29 June 5 June 12 June 19 Dreams of Joy Lisa See June 26 Hit List Laurell K. Hamilton July 3 Against All Enemies Tom Clancy with Peter Telep July 10 Smokin' Seventeen Janet Evanovich July 17 Now You See Her James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge July 24 July 31 A Dance with Dragons George R. R. Martin August 7 August 14 Ghost Story Jim Butcher August 21 Cold Vengeance Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child August 28 A Dance with Dragons George R. R. Martin September 4 The Omen Machine Terry Goodkind September 11 Flash and Bones Kathy Reichs September 18 Kill Me If You Can James Patterson and Marshall Karp September 25 October 2 New York to Dallas J. D. Robb October 9 Heat Rises Richard Castle October 16 The Affair Lee Child October 23 Shock Wave John Sandford October 30 The Best of Me Nicholas Sparks November 6 November 13 The Litigators John Grisham November 20 Zero Day David Baldacci November 27 11/22/63 Stephen King December 4 Kill Alex Cross James Patterson December 11 Explosive Eighteen Janet Evanovich December 18 The Drop Michael Connelly December 25 11/22/63 Stephen King
Combined print and e-book fiction The following list ranks the number-one best selling fiction books, in the combined print and e-book fiction category.Adult New York Times Best Seller Lists for 2011 Hawes Publications
The most popular books of the year was The Help by Kathryn Stockett, and Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen with respectively 15 and 8 cumulative weeks at the top. The Help had been released in 2009, was a No. 1 best seller in 2010, and had a resurgence in 2011. The prolific James Patterson was at the top for three different books (Tick Tock, Now You See Her and Kill Alex Cross).
DateBookAuthor February 13 Tick Tock James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge February 20 February 27 March 6 Alone Lisa Gardner March 13 Treachery in Death J. D. Robb March 20 Sing You Home Jodi Picoult March 27 Water for Elephants Sara Gruen April 3 April 10 Live Wire Harlan Coben April 17 The Land of Painted Caves Jean M. Auel April 24 The Fifth Witness Michael Connelly May 1 Water for Elephants Sara Gruen May 8 May 15 May 22 Dead Reckoning Charlaine Harris May 29 Water for Elephants Sara Gruen June 5 June 12 June 19 The Help Kathryn Stockett June 26 July 3 July 10 Smokin' Seventeen Janet Evanovich July 17 Now You See Her James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge July 24 The Help Kathryn Stockett July 31 A Dance with Dragons George R. R. Martin August 7 The Help Kathryn Stockett August 14 August 21 August 28 September 4 September 11 September 18 September 25 October 2 October 9 October 16 The Affair Lee Child October 23 The Help Kathryn Stockett October 30 The Best of Me Nicholas Sparks November 6 November 13 The Litigators John Grisham November 20 Zero Day David Baldacci November 27 11/22/63 Stephen King December 4 Kill Alex Cross James Patterson December 11 Explosive Eighteen Janet Evanovich December 18 The Drop Michael Connelly December 25 Red Mist Patricia Cornwell
Nonfiction Hardcover nonfiction The following list ranks the number-one best selling nonfiction books, in the hardcover nonfiction category. The most frequent weekly best seller of the year was Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand with 13 weeks at the top of the list.
DateBookAuthorPublisherJanuary 2 Decision Points George W. Bush CrownJanuary 9 January 16 UnbrokenLaura HillenbrandRandom HouseJanuary 23 January 30February 6 February 13 February 20 February 27 Known and Unknown Donald RumsfeldSentinelMarch 6 Unbroken Laura Hillenbrand Random HouseMarch 13 March 20 March 27 The Social AnimalDavid BrooksRandom HouseApril 3 RedSammy Hagar with Joel Selvin It Books/HarperCollinsApril 10 Unbroken Laura Hillenbrand Random HouseApril 17 OnwardHoward Schultz with Joanne GordonRodaleApril 24 BossypantsTina FeyReagan Arthur/Little, BrownMay 1 May 8 May 15 May 22 May 29Lies That Chelsea Handler Told MeChelsea HandlerGrand CentralJune 5 In the Garden of BeastsErik LarsonCrownJune 12 Those Guys Have All the FunJames Andrew Miller and Tom ShalesLittle, BrownJune 19 The Greater JourneyDavid McCulloughSimon & SchusterJune 26 July 3 July 10 UnbrokenLaura HillenbrandRandom HouseJuly 17 July 24 July 31A Stolen LifeJaycee DugardSimon & SchusterAugust 7 August 14 August 21 August 28 September 4 September 11 September 18 In My TimeDick CheneyThreshold EditionsSeptember 25 October 2 Jacqueline KennedyJacqueline Kennedy OnassisHyperionOctober 9October 16Killing LincolnBill O'Reilly and Martin DugardHoltOctober 23October 30November 6 November 13Steve JobsWalter IsaacsonSimon & SchusterNovember 20November 27December 4 December 11 December 18 December 25
See also Publishers Weekly list of bestselling novels in the United States in the 2010s
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