The Bestselling Books of the Week, According to NYT, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Amazon
What are the most popular books of the moment? Unfortunately, there’s no easy answer to this simple question. Unlike box office rankings, book do not have one definitive list of the most successful new releases. Instead, there are a bunch of lists, all using their own formulas, editorial oversight, and data points. Amazon especially is protective of its information, and considering how much of the book market they control, that makes it impossible for anyone to get a bird’s-eye view of the bestsellers at any time.
That’s where this combined bestseller list comes in. Every week, I compile the bestsellers on four of the most popular lists: the New York Times, both Combined Print & E-Book Fiction and Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction lists; Amazon Charts, both Fiction and Nonfiction; USA Today; and Publishers Weekly. I note the titles on multiple lists in the hopes that it will give us a broad overview of the bestselling books of the moment.
November and December are generally slower months in publishing, because most publishers would prefer to have some lead time to generate buzz before the holiday shopping season. So, it shouldn’t be surprising that the authors putting out new books right now are very established authors, especially in long-running series, including Diary of a Wimpy Kid #17, Kay Scarpetta #26, and Jack Reacher #27. I’ve bolded the books that are appearing on this list for the first time.
Unfortunately, this continues to be an overwhelmingly (entirely?) white author list. For a new release that deserves more reach, I recommend The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson.
Books on All Four Bestseller Lists:
It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover (NYT #1, USA Today #1, Publishers Weekly #1, Amazon #1)
No Plan B by Lee Child and Andrew Child (NYT #2, USA Today #3, Publishers Weekly #6, Amazon #4)
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover (NYT #3, USA Today #5, Publishers Weekly #4, Amazon #5)
The Boys from Biloxi by John Grisham (NYT #4, USA Today #7, Publishers Weekly #5, Amazon #3)
Verity by Colleen Hoover (NYT #5, USA Today #10, Publishers Weekly #7, Amazon #6)
Books On Three Bestseller Lists:
Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin (NYT #6, USA Today #8, Amazon #2)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Diper Överlöde by Jeff Kinney (USA Today #2, Publishers Weekly #2, Amazon #7)
Go-To Dinners: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten (USA Today #4, Publishers Weekly #3, Amazon #3)
Books On Two Bestseller Lists:
Livid by Patricia Cornwell (NYT #7, USA Today #9)
The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy (NYT #8, Publishers Weekly #8)
Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover (NYT #9, Publishers Weekly #9)
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (NYT #2, Amazon #5)
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk (NYT #5, Amazon #9)
Go beyond the bestseller lists with made-for-you book recommendations from TBR, our book recommendation service!
Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books.
