The American daily newspaper The New York Times publishes multiple weekly lists ranking the best selling books in the United States.
The following list ranks the number-one best selling fiction books, in the hardcover fiction category. [1]
| Date | Book | Author |
|---|---|---|
| January 4 | It | Stephen King |
| January 11 | ||
| January 18 | Red Storm Rising | Tom Clancy |
| January 25 | ||
| February 1 | The Eyes of the Dragon | Stephen King |
| February 8 | Windmills of the Gods | Sidney Sheldon |
| February 15 | ||
| February 22 | ||
| March 1 | ||
| March 8 | ||
| March 15 | ||
| March 22 | ||
| March 29 | Fine Things | Danielle Steel |
| April 5 | ||
| April 12 | ||
| April 19 | ||
| April 26 | ||
| May 3 | ||
| May 10 | ||
| May 17 | ||
| May 24 | ||
| May 31 | The Haunted Mesa | Louis L'Amour |
| June 7 | Misery | Stephen King |
| June 14 | ||
| June 21 | ||
| June 28 | ||
| July 5 | ||
| July 12 | ||
| July 19 | ||
| July 26 | Presumed Innocent | Scott Turow |
| August 2 | Patriot Games | Tom Clancy |
| August 9 | ||
| August 16 | ||
| August 23 | ||
| August 30 | ||
| September 6 | Presumed Innocent | Scott Turow |
| September 13 | ||
| September 20 | ||
| September 27 | ||
| October 4 | ||
| October 11 | ||
| October 18 | ||
| October 25 | Kaleidoscope | Danielle Steel |
| November 1 | ||
| November 8 | ||
| November 15 | ||
| November 22 | ||
| November 29 | The Tommyknockers | Stephen King |
| December 6 | ||
| December 13 | ||
| December 20 | ||
| December 27 |
The following list ranks the number-one best selling nonfiction books, in the hardcover nonfiction category. [2]
| Date | Book | Author |
|---|---|---|
| January 4 | Fatherhood | Bill Cosby |
| January 11 | ||
| January 18 | ||
| January 25 | ||
| February 1 | A Season on the Brink | John Feinstein |
| February 8 | ||
| February 15 | ||
| February 22 | ||
| March 1 | ||
| March 8 | ||
| March 15 | ||
| March 22 | ||
| March 29 | ||
| April 5 | ||
| April 12 | ||
| April 19 | ||
| April 26 | ||
| May 3 | ||
| May 10 | Communion | Whitley Strieber |
| May 17 | Love, Medicine & Miracles | Bernie S. Siegel |
| May 24 | Communion | Whitley Strieber |
| May 31 | ||
| June 7 | The Closing of the American Mind | Allan Bloom |
| June 14 | ||
| June 21 | ||
| June 28 | ||
| July 5 | ||
| July 12 | ||
| July 19 | ||
| July 26 | ||
| August 2 | ||
| August 9 | ||
| August 16 | Spycatcher | Peter Wright |
| August 23 | ||
| August 30 | ||
| September 6 | ||
| September 13 | ||
| September 20 | ||
| September 27 | ||
| October 4 | ||
| October 11 | ||
| October 18 | Veil | Bob Woodward |
| October 25 | ||
| November 1 | ||
| November 8 | ||
| November 15 | The Great Depression of 1990 | Ravi Batra |
| November 22 | ||
| November 29 | Free to Be... a Family | edited by Marlo Thomas with Christopher Cerf and Letty Cottin Pogrebin |
| December 6 | Time Flies | Bill Cosby |
| December 13 | ||
| December 20 | ||
| December 27 |