New York Times Best Sellers

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!

Duma Key

by Stephen King

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Memory, Revenge, Disability, Language, Race, Death, Environment, Place, Daughters & Sons, Fathers, Teamwork, Social Class, Art, Beauty, Good & Evil, Power & Greed

Tags Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Psychological Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

Duma Key by Stephen King is a novel in the literary-horror genre, praised for its eerie, spooky atmosphere and suspenseful build-up. Published in 2008, Duma Key is the first novel by King to be set in Florida. The book follows Edgar Freemantle as he moves from Minnesota to the island of Duma (one of the Florida Keys, or small islands) after a life-changing accident. Tormented by phantom-limb pain from his amputation and unable to remember... Read Duma Key Summary

Dune

by Frank Herbert

Publication year 1965

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Religion & Spirituality, Environment, Politics & Government, Space

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Classic Fiction

Dune is a 1965 science fiction novel by American author Frank Herbert. As the first in a series of novels, Dune introduces Paul Atreides and his gradual emergence as a unifying, powerful figure in a galaxy filled with political intrigue and the threat of religious war. Now considered one of the foremost examples of American science fiction, Dune won numerous prestigious awards and has been adapted several times in films and television series, most recently... Read Dune Summary

Either/Or

by Elif Batuman

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Literature, Language, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age

Tags Coming of Age, Love & Sexuality, Women`s Studies, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read Either/Or Summary

Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ

by Daniel Goleman

Publication year 1995

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Mental Health, Science & Technology, Education

Tags Self-Improvement, Psychology, Leadership, Science & Nature, Business & Economics, Relationships, Psychology

In Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, Daniel Goleman discusses how The Components of Emotional Intelligence, like self-awareness, empathy, and social skills, shape an individual’s life. He explores key themes, such as The Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Personal and Professional Success, The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Traditional IQ, and Emotional Intelligence Affecting Mental Health and Interpersonal Relationships. This guide refers to the 1995 Bantam Books hardcover edition. Content Warning: The... Read Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ Summary

Empire of Pain

by Patrick Radden Keefe

Publication year 2021

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Social Class, Siblings, Art, Trust & Doubt, Economics, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Health, Politics & Government, US History, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Business & Economics, Crime & Law, Finance, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Science & Nature, World History, Biography

... Read Empire of Pain Summary

Eragon

by Christopher Paolini

Publication year 2002

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Self Discovery, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction, Children`s Literature

Eragon (2003), an epic fantasy novel in the style of Lord of the Rings, is the first book in the four-part Inheritance Cycle by author Christopher Paolini. Paolini wrote the first draft of Eragon at age 15. After spending an additional year revising and polishing the work, he showed it to his parents, who agreed to self-publish the novel in 2001. Afterward, Paolini actively promoted the book by traveling to 135 schools and libraries around... Read Eragon Summary

Essentialism

by Greg McKeown

Publication year 2011

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Economics, Science & Technology, Self Discovery

Tags Business & Economics, Self-Improvement, Psychology, Leadership, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

... Read Essentialism Summary

Eternal

by Lisa Scottoline

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Hate & Anger, Family, Friendship, War, Race, Loyalty & Betrayal, Fear, Food, Literature

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, World War II, Military & War, Italian Literature, World History

... Read Eternal Summary

Everything Is Illuminated

by Jonathan Safran Foer

Publication year 2002

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Memory

Tags Life-Inspired Fiction, Historical Fiction, Holocaust, Jewish Literature, World War II, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Magical Realism

Everything is Illuminated, Jonathan Safran Foer’s first book, was originally published by Houghton Mifflin in 2002. A portion of the book had been published previously in The New Yorker. The novel won several awards, including the National Jewish Book Award, the Guardian First Book Award, and the Young Lions Fiction Award. The book received rave reviews but also received some criticism for its fictional portrayal of historical events. In response to this criticism, Safran Foer... Read Everything Is Illuminated Summary

Exodus

by Leon Uris

Publication year 1958

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Nation, Perseverance, Race, Immigration, War

Tags Historical Fiction, Jewish Literature, Military & War, World War II, World History, Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

Exodus (1958) is a historical novel by the Jewish American author Leon Uris. The novel follows the multigenerational story of a Jewish family in Palestine, giving the sweep of Jewish history from the First Aliyah in the 1880s to the modern state of Israel’s establishment in 1948. It focuses its greatest attention on the years from 1946 to 1948, following a group of Jewish agents and refugees as they first attempt to transport immigrants to... Read Exodus Summary

Extreme Ownership

by Jocko Willink, Leif Babin

Publication year 2015

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Teamwork, Safety & Danger, Perseverance, Conflict

Tags Military & War, Business & Economics, Self-Improvement, Iraq War, Leadership, Psychology, Psychology

In the 2015 military and business book Extreme Ownership: How US Navy SEALs Lead and Win, two of the most highly decorated US Navy SEALs of the Iraq War describe the lessons of leadership learned during combat and how those lessons apply to companies and organizations. Authors Jocko Willink and Leif Babin explain that the single most important element of a team is its leader and that the team succeeds in its mission only if... Read Extreme Ownership Summary