Ever wonder what was the best selling book the year you were born? Ever wonder what novel your parents might have seen in bookstores? (Is that just us?) Well, we have all of you curious readers covered. This is a list of the best selling books of each year from 1920 to 2016.
The 1920s
1920: The Man of the Forest by Zane Grey
One of the first millionaire authors, Zane Grey wrote The Man of the Forest and a number of popular westerns after a career in dentistry and a failed stint as a professional baseball player. The novel follows a cowboy who overhears two villains’ plan to kidnap a rancher’s niece and leaves his life in the wild to save her. 1920 also saw the publication of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s debut novel, This Side of Paradise.
1921: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis
The first American to win the Nobel Prize for literature, Sinclair Lewis was known for his satire of American capitalism, consumerism, and politics in novels like Main Street and the prescient It Can’t Happen Here, published in 1936. Main Street follows a woman’s struggle to bring progress to a small town in the face of rigid conservatism.
1922: If Winter Comes by A. S. M. Hutchinson
Telling the story of an unhappy marriage, divorce, and suicide, If Winter Comes had a large cultural impact and was considered well ahead of its time. 1922 also saw the publication of James Joyce’s Ulysses, a sprawling tale of a single day in the life of character Leopold Bloom, which is considered by many to be one of the greatest novels of all time.
1923: Black Oxen by Gertrude Atherton
Black Oxen was a massive bestseller about a tragic romance between a young playwright and a beautiful woman who, it’s later revealed, is a 58-year-old extending her youthful looks through medical procedures. It was adapted into a popular silent film that year.
1924: So Big by Edna Ferber
So Big, a novel following an ambitious Dutch widow and her son in Illinois, won Edna Ferber a Pulitzer in 1925.
1925: Soundings by A. Hamilton Gibbs
Soundings is a romance about a young English woman whose progressive father sends her to France to spend a year traveling and learning about herself. Perhaps the most notable novel to come out of 1925 is F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, one of the most famous American novels of all time, which has appeared ubiquitously on high school reading lists and has multiple film adaptations.
1926: The Private Life of Helen of Troy by John Erskine
The Private Life of Helen of Troy follows a somewhat progressive and feminist Helen after she returns from defeated Troy and resumes her life in Greece. It was adapted into a 1927 silent film that was nominated for Best Title Writing in the first Academy Awards. Other notable novels from 1926 include The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway and The Weary Blues by Langston Hughes.
1927: Elmer Gantry by Sinclair Lewis
Elmer Gantry is Nobel Prize winner Sinclair Lewis’s second novel on this list. It satirizes religious fundamentalism and evangelism, following a promiscuous, hard-drinking preacher.
1928: The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder
The Bridge of San Luis Rey won Thornton Wilder one of his three Pulitzer Prizes. It tells the stories of several unrelated individuals who die when an Incan rope bridge collapses in Peru.
1929: All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
Perhaps the most recognizable top bestseller of the 1920s to contemporary readers, All Quiet on the Western Front (originally published in German as Im Westen nichts Neues) follows the harrowing experiences of German soldiers during and after World War I. Other famous novels from 1929 include The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner and A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway.
The 1930s
1930: Cimarron by Edna Ferber
Named after the colloquial moniker for an area of land that American settlers colonized in the Midwest, Cimarron is an epic about a husband and wife who settle in Cimarron, start a newspaper, and build a fortune.
1931: The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
The bestselling book in both 1931 and 1932 and a Pulitzer Prize–winning novel, The Good Earth follows the rise and tribulations of a Chinese landowner named Wang Lung as he and his family endure famine and poverty before rising to prosperity.
1932: The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
While The Good Earth remained at the top of the bestseller list, 1932 also saw the publication of the now-classic Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.
1933: Anthony Adverse by Hervey Allen
The historical fiction novel Anthony Adverse follows the life of the titular Anthony as he works in Europe, Africa, and the United States during the early 19th century. Its long page count and explicitly sexual passages proved influential to future American novel writing. It stayed on top of the bestsellers list for 1933 and 1934.
1934: Anthony Adverse by Hervey Allen
A two-year bestseller, historical fiction novel Anthony Adverse follows the life of the titular Anthony as he works in Europe, Africa, and the United States during the early 19th century. Its long page count and explicitly sexual passages proved influential to future American novel writing.
1935: Green Light by Lloyd C. Douglas
Green Light is an inspirational novel that follows a disgraced surgeon who took the fall for a medical error to save another’s career. It was adapted into a successful 1937 film starring Errol Flynn.
1936: Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Gone with the Wind was published in 1936 and became one of the most successful American novels of all time, topping the bestsellers list for two years straight. It follows Scarlett O’Hara, the daughter of a wealthy plantation owner, as her life in the antebellum South is upended by the Civil War.
1937: Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
While Gone with the Wind continued to dominate the bestseller list, 1937 also saw the publication of Zora Neale Hurston’s now-classic Their Eyes Were Watching God.
1938: The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
The Yearling tells the story of a boy in Central Florida who convinces his family to let him adopt a fawn, then faces the challenges of living for sustenance and trying to find his own way in the world. It won a Pulitzer Prize in 1939 and went on to be adapted in film, musicals, and cartoons.
1939: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Along with Gone with the Wind, The Grapes of Wrath is perhaps the most recognizable top bestseller of the 1930s to contemporary readers. It tells the story of an Oklahoma family, caught in the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression, who join thousands of others on a long trek to California, where they hope they’ll be prosperous. It won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award.
The 1940s
1940: How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn
How Green Was My Valley is narrated by Huw Morgan, an academically talented member of a Welsh mining family, who chronicles his life in South Wales during the Victorian era. It won the National Book Award in 1940.
1941: The Keys of the Kingdom by A.J. Cronin
Set across six decades, The Keys of the Kingdom follows a Scottish Catholic priest’s attempt to establish a mission in China despite facing various hardships. It spawned a 1944 movie adaptation starring Gregory Peck, best known for playing Atticus Finch in the To Kill a Mockingbird film. 1941 also saw the publication of the beloved children’s book Curious George.
1942: The Song of Bernadette by Franz Werfel
This novel tells the story of the real-life figure Saint Bernadette Soubirous, who reported multiple visions of the Virgin Mary and was said to have discovered a holy grotto with healing properties. The grotto remains a major site of Catholic pilgrimage today. 1942 also saw the publication of The Stranger by Albert Camus and The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner.
1943: The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas
Written by a former minister, The Robe follows a Roman tribune, Marcellus Gallio, and his slave, Demetrius. Stationed in Palestine, Marcellus participates in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, but is filled with guilt over his belief that Jesus is innocent, and eventually becomes a devoted Christian himself.
1944: Strange Fruit by Lillian Smith
Named after the anti-lynching song made famous by Billie Holiday, Smith’s novel explores the then-taboo topic of interracial romance. The cities of Boston and Detroit both banned the work, and the United States Postal Service briefly refused to ship it, until President Franklin D. Roosevelt stepped in after a request from his wife, Eleanor.
1945: Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor
This historical romance novel follows the orphan Amber St. Clare, who, through various marriages and affairs, manages to rise through the ranks of 17th-century English society. Despite its huge sales numbers, the novel’s explicit content prompted bans from 14 states. 1945 also saw the publication of George Orwell’s classic novella Animal Farm.
1946: The King’s General by Daphne du Maurier
Du Maurier’s book is set during the English Civil War, shown through the eyes of Honor Harris, separated by tragic circumstances from her love, Richard Grenvile. The novel follows the course of their lives and the impact of the war on their families and loved ones.
1947: The Miracle of the Bells by Russell Janney
This novel centers on Bill Dunnigan, a successful press agent, who has brought the body of legendary actress Olga Treskovna to a small mining town for burial. Told in part through flashback, Janney unpacks the love story between Dunnigan and Treskovna and how things fell apart.
1948: The Big Fisherman by Lloyd C. Douglas
A prequel to 1943’s The Robe (which appears on this list in 1943 and 1953), The Big Fisherman follows Simon Peter, later known as Saint Peter. Initially doubtful of Jesus Christ’s divinity, he slowly becomes convinced over the course of the novel.
1949: The Egyptian by Mika Waltari
Originally published in Finnish in 1945, The Egyptian is a sprawling novel set in ancient Egypt under the rule of Pharaoh Akhenaten. Adapted into a movie in 1954, it remains the only Finnish novel with a Hollywood adaptation.
The 1950s
1950: The Cardinal by Henry Morton Robinson
Robinson’s story focuses on Stephen Fermoyle, a working-class American who rises to the rank of cardinal in the Catholic Church. The novel was adapted into a film in 1963, which was nominated for six Academy Awards.
1951: From Here to Eternity by James Jones
This war novel follows a group of US infantrymen stationed in Hawaii months before the attack on Pearl Harbor. A National Book Award winner, it has spawned a film, two television adaptations, and a musical.
1952: The Silver Chalice by Thomas B. Costain
This historical fiction novel follows a silversmith named Basil tasked with creating a silver chalice to hold the Holy Grail. Two years later, a film adaptation was released starring Paul Newman as Basil in his first studio role.
1953: The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas
Ten years after first topping the Publishers Weekly list, The Robe once again took the crown. Written by a former minister, The Robe follows a Roman tribune, Marcellus Gallio, and his slave, Demetrius. Stationed in Palestine, Marcellus participates in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, but is filled with guilt over his belief that Jesus is innocent, and eventually becomes a devoted Christian himself.
1954: Not as a Stranger by Morton Thompson
Focused on a brilliant young doctor whose only concern is practicing excellent medicine, Thompson’s novel explores the importance of humanity and well-roundedness in the medical field. It spawned a film adaptation the following year. 1954 also saw the publication of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring.
1955: Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Wouk
Set in the 1930s, the book follows the titular Marjorie and her dreams of becoming an actress. Scholar and cultural commentator Arnold Beichman called the novel “the first Jewish novel that was popular and successful, not merely to a Jewish audience but to a general one.” 1955 also saw the publication of James Baldwin’s Notes of a Native Son and Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita.
1956: Don’t Go Near the Water by William Brinkley
Set in 1945, this parodic novel examines the US Navy and its public relations arm during World War II. Author William Brinkley drew on his own experiences in public relations for the Navy to produce this comedic work.
1957: By Love Possessed by James Gould Cozzens
Following 49 hours in the life of attorney Arthur Winner Jr., Cozzen’s novel won the William Dean Howells Medal in 1960, celebrating the best novel written in the past five years. However, Cozzens’s pessimistic view of the human condition and accusations of bigotry cast a shadow of controversy over the novel, culminating in a blistering review in the magazine Commentary that became almost as well-known as the novel itself.
1958: Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
Set between the Russian Revolution and World War II, Doctor Zhivago is best remembered for its criticisms of the Soviet Union, which resulted in the USSR censoring its publication. However, it was smuggled into Milan and published in 1957, and it soon became famous across the world.
1959: Exodus by Leon Uris
Tracing the passage of the immigration ship Exodus, which brought Jewish immigrants from France to British-controlled Palestine, Exodus has been hailed for creating sympathy for the State of Israel, which had then been newly created. However, some critics have taken issue with the book’s portrayal of Arabs and Palestinians.
The 1960s
1960: Advise and Consent by Allen Drury
Drury’s political novel follows a senator’s nomination to the position of Secretary of State — which is derailed when evidence emerges that ties the senator to communism. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, the novel spent 102 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. It would later go out of print for almost 15 years before being reprinted in 2014. 1960 also saw the publication of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, another bestseller from this year, which has been hailed as one of the greatest American novels and was voted America’s best-loved novel by PBS.
1961: The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone
Irving Stone’s The Agony and the Ecstasy chronicles the life of the famous Michelangelo. Stone sourced his information from nearly 500 of Michelangelo’s personal letters, translated from Italian. 1961 also saw the publication of Robert Heinlen’s Stranger in a Strange Land
1962: Ship of Fools by Katherine Anne Porter
Following a group of multicultural sailors as they journey from Mexico to a pre–World War II Europe rife with racism, extremism, and injustice, Ship of Fools eloquently tackles the innate human desire for connection, hope, and salvation, even in the darkest of times. The film rights to this instant bestseller were sold for 500,000 in 1962, equivalent to a whopping $4 million today.
1963: The Shoes of the Fisherman by Morris West
The Shoes of the Fisherman tells the story of a papal election and examines Vatican politics. The main characters were inspired by a controversial French theologian and two Ukrainian bishops whom the Soviet Union sent to gulags. Coincidentally, the book was published on June 3, 1963, the same day that Pope John XXIII died.
1964: The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carré
Though a sequel to le Carré’s two other novels featuring infamous British agent Alec Leamas, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is this author’s most recognizable title; with action that keeps you on the edge of your seat, the novel dissects the dichotomies between the reality of Western espionage and the values of Western democracy. This classic was voted one of the All-Time 100 Novels by Time critics.
1965: The Source by James A. Michener
Written in a most unique fashion, The Source tells the tale of the Jewish Family of Ur, all the way from the Stone Age to the advent of monotheism — though the story isn’t relayed in chronological order. Each chapter centers around an artifact found by archaeologists. 1965 also saw the publication of Malcom X and Alex Haley’s The Autobiography of Malcolm X.
1966: Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann
In looking to escape the monotony of her small New England hometown, Anne Wells uproots herself to New York City, where she quickly falls into an entertaining and promiscuous cast of characters. Valley of the Dolls is one of bestselling works of all time — no small feat for a debut. 1966 also saw the publication of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood.
1967: The Arrangement by Elia Kazan
The Arrangement follows Evan Arness, whose life is seemingly perfect — until his affair with a younger woman threatens to destroy the happy marriage and high-powered job that define him.
1968: Airport by Arthur Hailey
A snowstorm that wreaks havoc on an airport serves as the symbolic undoing of general manager Mel Bakersfield’s life, and also offers insights into the little-known complexities of running a commercial airport. Though this novel was popular among readers, critical reception was poor.
1969: Portnoy’s Complaint by Philip Roth
The novel that launched Philip Roth to international fame, Portnoy’s Complaint is the monologue of the young, sexually frustrated Alexander Portnoy to his psychologist. Critics and readers praised and criticized it for its depictions of sex, masturbation, and lust, as well as its crass sense of humor. 1969 also saw the publication of Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five and Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
The 1970s
1970: Love Story by Erich Segal
Love Story is, well, a love story. It follows two college students who turn to their relationship as a means to understand and accept the challenges that face them. This novel actually started as a screenplay and would have stayed that way had Paramount Pictures not urged Segal to translate it into a novel.
1971: Wheels by Arthur Hailey
Read closely and you may be able to suss out the corporations that inspired Hailey’s fictional account that tackles timely issues of the nascent decade, including tense race relations and the secret dark dealings of big business. Runner-up The Exorcist, one of the most recognizable horror novels of all time, almost knocked Wheels off its perch at the number one spot.
1972: Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
Jonathan Livingston Seagull first started as a collection of short stories published 10 years prior in Flying magazine. Bach’s tale of a seagull learning how to fly is one of the bestselling novellas of all time.
1973: Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
Though it took two years for Jonathan Livingston Seagull to hit the top spot, once it was there, it was hard to knock off. Bach’s novella spent 37 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list as readers found themselves strongly identifying with this simple yet profound story of self-acceptance.
1974: Centennial by James A. Michener
Michener’s historical novel travels across the Colorado countryside from prehistoric times to the date of its publication. Though the novel’s namesake town was not initially real, it became so in 2001, though it is located far from where Michener fictionally set it.
1975: Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow
Ragtime weaves the interconnected tale of an unnamed family living in New York City, an African American ragtime musician, and an Eastern European immigrant family. Though seemingly unrelated, their juxtaposed stories serve to highlight the class differences, prejudices, and minority hardships that plagued the decade, earning this novel a spot on Time All-Time 100 Novels list.
1976: Trinity by Leon Uris
Trinity follows four Irish families from differing religious sects as their lives become intertwined throughout the years. Together they face everything from the Great Famine to the birth of Sinn Féin.
1977: The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien and Christopher Tolkien
Like a Bible of Middle Earth, The Silmarillion tells the stories of Ilúvatar’s creation of Middle Earth creation of Middle Earth, its violent First Age, its violent Second Age (A Game of Thrones fans would be shocked), and some tales from the (yup, violent) Third Age. The Silmarillion was originally drafted to be the sequel to The Hobbit but was rejected by Tolkien’s publisher. However, his son Christopher edited and published the tales himself.
1978: Chesapeake by James A. Michener
In similar fashion to this Pulitzer Prize–winning author’s previous bestsellers, Chesapeake spans centuries, chronicling the stories of families living in and around the Chesapeake Bay from the early 1500s to the 1970s. The novel’s chapters are called “Voyages,” and each deals with the specific problem plaguing the families during that period.
1979: The Matarese Circle by Robert Ludlum
The seemingly unrelated deaths of a prominent American politician and a Russian nuclear physicist are sinisterly tied together by the rival assassins responsible, who are forced to team up to fight an international terrorist group. The most notable bestseller from this year may be Sophie’s Choice, which won the National Book Award in 1980.
The 1980s
1980: The Covenant by James A. Michener
Michener is no stranger to the bestseller list, and this novel delivers what he does best — a deep dive into the effects of politics, race, and colonialism across generations. This time Michener sets his novel in South Africa and follows the lives of several distinct tribes over the course of hundreds of years as they fight to maintain their homeland.
1981: Noble House by James Clavell
Clavell’s tome — over 1,000 pages — chronicles the life of Ian Dunross, who’s left in a precarious financial position that forces him into contact with everyone from an American millionaire to a Taiwanese nationalist. In fact, there are somewhere between 30 and 40 characters in Noble House, and there were originally more before Clavell’s publisher cut down the novel by nearly 30 percent.
1982: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial by William Kotzwinkle
Published in 1981, it took only one year for the novelization of Steven Spielberg’s beloved film to rise to bestseller status. The film, which tells the story of an American family who finds an alien in their shed, was named one of the greatest films of all time by People.
1983: Return of the Jedi by James Kahn
Usually movies are based on books, but here it’s the other way around. Return of the Jedi is based on the script from the popular Star Wars movie of the same name, though it has a few notable differences that fans will recognize.
1984: The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub
King and Straub joined forces to tell the epic tale of Jack Sawyer, who sets out to find a talisman that he believes will cure his mother’s cancer. But in classic King fashion, Sawyer’s journey takes him into a parallel universe where he finds his “Twinner,” parallel people who are capable of flipping between the two realities.
1985: The Mammoth Hunters by Jean M. Auel
The Mammoth Hunters is Auel’s third novel in her Earth’s Children series. The series’ second book, The Valley of Horses, hit bestsellers lists in 1982. The six-book series is set 30,000 years in the past, and follows a set of protagonists as they fight to survive against the elements.
1986: It by Stephen King
The evil namesake of It is able to take on many forms, but prefers to embody Pennywise the Clown in order to lure its preferred victim — children. In this, his 22nd novel, King adeptly undertakes the effects of childhood memories and traumas that linger into adulthood, making this far more than a horror novel.
1987: The Tommyknockers by Stephen King
King nabs the top spot for the second year in a row, this time for The Tommyknockers, a blended science fiction and horror novel about a Maine town that’s taken over by aliens. King dominated the bestsellers list that year, appearing two other times for Misery, which grossed greater sales and acclaim than The Tommyknockers, and The Eyes of the Dragon.
1988: The Cardinal of the Kremlin by Tom Clancy
Fans of espionage and high action will love Clancy’s continuation of The Hunt for Red October. Famed spy Jack Ryan is embroiled in the fight to free his agency’s premier operative, codenamed CARDINAL, who is being traced by the KGB.
1989: Clear and Present Danger by Tom Clancy
Clancy claims the first spot for the second year in a row with his sequel to The Cardinal of the Kremlin. Readers rejoin Jack Ryan, now Deputy Director of Intelligence. When Jack’s new position leaves him in the dark about the rising danger of the Colombian drug cartel, he’s forced to take the fight into his own hands.
The 1990s
1990: The Plains of Passage by Jean M. Auel
Auel’s Earth’s Children series topped the bestseller list again with its fourth installment, The Plains of Passage. The historical saga continues, this time with feminist undertones as Auel tackles women’s role in the evolution of society.
1991: Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley
Alexandra Ripley writes the sequel to Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind. Picking up where Mitchell’s novel ended, Scarlett follows Miss O’Hara’s attempts to win back her estranged husband, Rhett.
1992: Dolores Claiborne by Stephen King
Dolores Claiborne is the narrator of this eponymous novel about a widow who is suspected of murdering her wealthy employer. King writes without chapters or page breaks in this novel, making the story a continued stream of consciousness.
1993: The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller
This famed novella tells the heatrending love story between a married woman and a National Geographic photographer she meets when he visits her county to photograph the covered bridges. Waller’s novel graced the big screen two years later, in 1995, and the famed adaptation starred Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep.
1994: The Chamber by John Grisham
The Chamber was Grisham’s fifth novel, but his first to hit number one on the bestseller list. A legal thriller, The Chamber tells the story of Sam Cayhall, who is sentenced to death for murder. When his case is assigned to a team of anti–death penalty lawyers, Sam opens up to them and shares his surprisingly moving and tragic story.
1995: The Rainmaker by John Grisham
When law school graduate Rudy Baylor finds himself jobless after years of hard work, he puts ethics aside and attempts to make a name for himself, ultimately uncovering a ruthless scheme in the process. Interestingly, this is one of Grisham’s only novels told fully in the present tense.
1996: The Runaway Jury by John Grisham
Another bestselling legal thriller, The Runaway Jury is about the case of Celeste Wood versus tobacco company Pynex. When the lawyers receive a tip that the jury is corrupt, they set off to uncover the labyrinthine scheme to sway the jury from within as they try to determine who’s to gain from this manipulation.
1997: The Partner by John Grisham
Grisham’s eighth novel continues his streak of successful legal thrillers, but this one takes a more interior look at the main character. Patrick Lanigan flees to South America after embezzling money from his law firm, but is eventually caught. The Partner follows his journey home as he considers the ripple effect of his actions.
1998: The Street Lawyer by John Grisham
A homeless man known only as “Mister” takes nine lawyers hostage as an act of revenge for his eviction. One of the victims is Michael Brock, who, even after the death of Mister, investigates the case further after learning potentially dangerous information from his captor.
1999: The Testament by John Grisham
It’s safe to say that Grisham dominated the decade, holding over half of the number one spots, and The Testament continues the trend. Hours before billionaire Troy Phelan dies by suicide, he changes his will. He cuts out his entire family and gives the entirety of his fortune to his illegitimate daughter, whom his lawyer and close friend Josh Stafford must track down in the days following Phelan’s death.
The 2000s
2000: The Brethren by John Grisham
The Brethren focuses on three former judges in a minimum security prison who embark on a scam and blackmail operation targeting wealthy, closeted gay men. But when they draw in a hawkish congressman who happens to be the CIA’s favored presidential candidate, the stakes quickly become higher than they’d anticipated. Note that the year 2000 also saw the release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, but Publishers Weekly’s methodology does not include the Harry Potter series in their rankings.
2001: Desecration by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
Desecration is the ninth book in LaHaye and Jenkins’s Left Behind series, which deals with the biblical end-time. After the Rapture suddenly raises many Christians to heaven, those left on Earth must deal with the fallout — even as, unbeknownst to them, the Antichrist moves among them.
2002: The Summons by John Grisham
When Ray Atlee goes to his father’s home to discuss the older man’s will and estate, he’s shocked to find his father dead — and $3 million in the house that can’t be accounted for. But it soon becomes clear that Ray isn’t the only one who knows about the money — and someone is following him.
2003: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
When a curator at the Louvre is found dead, Harvard professor Robert Langdon finds himself on the run from the law, drawn into a mysterious quest filled with secret societies and ruthless killers. His adventure could upend not only his own life, but the fate of Christianity itself. Note that 2003 also saw the release of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, but Publishers Weekly’s methodology does not include the Harry Potter series in their rankings.
2004: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Readers couldn’t get enough of The Da Vinci Code, which topped Publishers Weekly’s list two years in a row. The second highest–selling book in 2004 was The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom, perhaps best known for his work Tuesdays with Morrie. Albom’s novel tracks a man named Eddie who is killed and goes to heaven, where he meets five people who had a great impact on his life.
2005: The Broker by John Grisham
Lobbyist Joel Backman finds himself imprisoned after a deal involving a secret hacked spy satellite goes wrong. But when the CIA arranges his release to determine which country is behind the satellite, Backman is thrust into even greater danger. 2005 also saw the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, but Publishers Weekly’s methodology does not include the Harry Potter series in their rankings.
2006: For One More Day by Mitch Albom
Mitch Albom delivers another heartfelt novel, which made a home for itself on top of the New York Times bestseller list for weeks. In the same vein as his previous books, For One More Day explores the topic of mortality through a day one mother spends with her estranged son.
2007: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Mariam has suffered from the stigma of being an illegitimate child her whole life and endures constant abuse from her husband. Laila has lived a privileged life, but when she’s forced into an arranged marriage with Mariam’s husband, these two women’s lives change drastically. A Thousand Splendid Suns was recently lauded by the BBC as one of the 100 most inspiring novels.
2008: The Appeal by John Grisham
Grisham took a three-year hiatus between The Broker and The Appeal, the longest break he’d taken from writing since publishing his first novel nearly two decades prior. The Appeal tells the thrilling story of a billionaire stockholder who is determined to save his company’s reputation after a lawsuit sullies their name and drains their finances.
2009: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Similar to his previous novels, the themes and storyline of Brown’s The Lost Symbol revolve around Freemasonry and Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, who was featured in both The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. The Lost Symbol became the fastest-selling adult novel when it sold over one million copies on its first day of release.
The 2010s
2010: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest is the third novel in Larsson’s popular Millennium series; however, the previous two novels did not top the Publishers Weekly list. Larsson never saw the publication of his series, as he died suddenly of a heart attack in 2004, a year before The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was published.
2011: The Litigators by John Grisham
Yet another number one bestseller from John Grisham, The Litigators follows a burnt-out young lawyer who leaves his corporate law firm. He later joins a small boutique firm that’s just barely squeaking by, where he finds himself working on a high-stakes case against the corporate law firm he used to work for.
2012: Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James
Originally self-published in 2011, the massive bestseller Fifty Shades of Grey was republished for a mass audience in 2012, and it quickly broke book sales records. The novel follows college senior Anastasia Steele, who interviews billionaire Christian Grey, a high-powered businessman who initiates a sexual (and controversial) relationship.
2013: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck by Jeff Kinney
The eighth book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck shot to the top of the bestsellers list in 2013. Hard Luck follows protagonist Greg, who has to make new friends, and comes to rely on a Magic 8-Ball to guide his decisions.
2014: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
The Fault in Our Stars tells the heartbreaking story of Hazel Lancaster and Augustus Waters, two teenagers living with cancer who begin a relationship after meeting in a support group. The novel was adapted into a 2014 film that, like the novel, won positive reviews and commercial success.
2015: Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
Go Set a Watchman was Harper Lee’s first novel since the classic To Kill a Mockingbird, helping it become one of the most highly anticipated and bestselling novels of 2015. The controversial novel follows an adult Scout, the young protagonist of To Kill a Mockingbird, as she confronts the racism in her community.
2016: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
We’d be impressed if anyone born in 2016 has read The Girl on the Train! This psychological thriller kicks off when a woman riding a train witnesses something shocking between a couple she observes from afar each day. It was adapted into a 2016 film starring Emily Blunt.
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário