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Every #1 Book on the New York Times Fiction List of the 20th Century

In 1931, The New York Times began taking count of every sold book in New York City stores and published the list of the best selling books. The list grew to include other major American cities, until 1942 when the national list was published. The exact method of compiling the records is a trade secret.
There is a wide range of novels, from classics you may have read in your high school English classes to obscure pulp fiction stories.
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The Ten Commandments (Warwick Deeping)
The Ten Commandments
1
Warwick Deeping
Maid in Waiting (John Galsworthy)
Maid in Waiting
2
John Galsworthy
The Harbourmaster (William McFee)
The Harbourmaster
3
William McFee
Mr. and Mrs. Pennington (Francis Brett Young)
Mr. and Mrs. Pennington
4
Francis Brett Young
The End of Desire (Robert Herrick)
The End of Desire
5
Robert Herrick
Mary's Neck (Booth Tarkington)
Mary's Neck
6
Booth Tarkington
Magnolia Street (Louis Golding)
Magnolia Street
7
Louis Golding
Bright Skin (Julia Peterkin)
Bright Skin
8
Julia Peterkin
A Modern Hero (Louis Bromfield)
A Modern Hero
9
Louis Bromfield
The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
The Good Earth
10
Pearl S. Buck
District Nurse (Faith Baldwin)
District Nurse
11
Faith Baldwin
The Fountain (Charles Morgan)
The Fountain
12
Charles Morgan
Faraway (J.B. Priestley)
Faraway
13
J.B. Priestley
Lark Ascending (Mazo De La Roche)
Lark Ascending
14
Mazo De La Roche
A New York Tempest (Manuel Komroff)
A New York Tempest
15
Manuel Komroff
The Sheltered Life (Ellen Glasgow)
The Sheltered Life
16
Ellen Glasgow
Sons (Pearl S. Buck)
Sons
17
Pearl S. Buck
Invitation to the Waltz (Rosamond Lehmann)
Invitation to the Waltz
18
Rosamond Lehmann
Flowering Wilderness (John Galsworthy)
Flowering Wilderness
19
John Galsworthy
The Last Adam (James G. Cozzens)
The Last Adam
20
James G. Cozzens
Ann Vickers (Sinclair Lewis)
Ann Vickers
21
Sinclair Lewis
The Werewolf of Paris (Guy Endore)
The Werewolf of Paris
22
Guy Endore
Rain in the Doorway (Thorne Smith)
Rain in the Doorway
23
Thorne Smith
As the Earth Turns (Gladys Hasty Carroll)
As the Earth Turns
24
Gladys Hasty Carroll
The Store (T.S. Stribling)
The Store
25
T.S. Stribling
Little Man, What Now? (Hans Fallada)
Little Man, What Now?
26
Hans Fallada
Anthony Adverse (Hervey Allen)
Anthony Adverse
27
Hervey Allen
The Thin Man (Dashiell Hammett)
The Thin Man
28
Dashiell Hammett
Work of Art (Sinclair Lewis)
Work of Art
29
Sinclair Lewis
The Oppermanns (Lion Feuchtwanger)
The Oppermanns
30
Lion Feuchtwanger
Seven Gothic Tales (Isak Dinesen)
Seven Gothic Tales
31
Isak Dinesen
Tender Is the Night (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
Tender Is the Night
32
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Lamb in His Bosom (By Caroline Miller)
Lamb in His Bosom
33
By Caroline Miller
Five Silver Daughters (Louis Golding)
Five Silver Daughters
34
Louis Golding
I, Claudius (Robert Graves)
I, Claudius
35
Robert Graves
So Red the Rose (Stark Young)
So Red the Rose
36
Stark Young
Lost Horizon (James Hilton)
Lost Horizon
37
James Hilton
The Forty Days of Musa Dagh (Franz Werfel)
The Forty Days of Musa Dagh
38
Franz Werfel
Heaven's My Destination (Thornton Wilder)
Heaven's My Destination
39
Thornton Wilder
Come and Get It (Edna Ferber)
Come and Get It
40
Edna Ferber
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