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The Most Popular Book of Each Year Since 1920

By Taylor Hurles, Eliza Siegel: "Book popularity year by year can offer a fascinating insight into what topics occupied the minds of Americans over the last century. Many stories that captivated the country explore such topics as race, class, and the changing cultural roles of different people. While some books reflect the biases of their time, providing a window into outdated mindsets, other narratives pushed back on the cultural limitations of the era, providing a place where the hypothetical or even futuristic can become tangible. Running the gamut from political memoir to fantasy, Stacker used data from Publisher's Weekly to compile a list of the most popular books in America each year since 1920. From John Steinbeck classics to modern memoirs, browse the list below for a look into what was popular the year you were born—you might even find your next favorite."
(YES, The Robe is listed twice. 4 books were most popular in 2 years each.)
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from msn.com · made by CindyH
avg. score: 13 of 100 (13%)
required scores: 1, 5, 9, 12, 18 
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1
The Man of the Forest (Grey, Zane)
The Man of the Forest (Grey, Zane)
2
The Brimming Cup (Dorothy Canfield Fisher)
The Brimming Cup (Dorothy Canfield Fisher)
3
If Winter Comes (A.S.M. Hutchison)
If Winter Comes (A.S.M. Hutchison)
4
Black Oxen (Gertrude Atherton)
Black Oxen (Gertrude Atherton)
5
So Big (Edna Ferber)
So Big (Edna Ferber)
6
Soundings (A Hamilton Gibbs)
Soundings (A Hamilton Gibbs)
7
The Private Life of Helen of Troy (John Erskine)
The Private Life of Helen of Troy (John Erskine)
8
Elmer Gantry (Sinclair Lewis)
Elmer Gantry (Sinclair Lewis)
9
The Bridge of San Luis Rey (Thornton Wilder)
The Bridge of San Luis Rey (Thornton Wilder)
10
All Quiet on the Western Front
All Quiet on the Western Front
11
Cimarron
Cimarron
12
The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
13
Anthony Adverse (Hervey Allen)
Anthony Adverse (Hervey Allen)
14
Green Light (Lloyd Douglas)
Green Light (Lloyd Douglas)
15
Gone With the Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
Gone With the Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
16
The Yearling (Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings)
The Yearling (Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings)
17
The Grapes of Wrath
The Grapes of Wrath
18
How Green Was My Valley (Richard Llewellyn)
How Green Was My Valley (Richard Llewellyn)
19
The Keys of the Kingdom (A.J. Cronin)
The Keys of the Kingdom (A.J. Cronin)
20
The Song of Bernadette (Franz Werfel)
The Song of Bernadette (Franz Werfel)
21
The Robe (Lloyd Douglas)
The Robe (Lloyd Douglas)
22
Strange Fruit (Lillian E. Smith)
Strange Fruit (Lillian E. Smith)
23
Forever Amber
Forever Amber
24
The King's General (Daphne Du Maurier)
The King's General (Daphne Du Maurier)
25
The Miracle of the Bells (Russell Janney)
The Miracle of the Bells (Russell Janney)
26
The Big Fisherman
The Big Fisherman
27
The Egyptian (Mika Waltari)
The Egyptian (Mika Waltari)
28
The Cardinal (Henry Morton Robinson)
The Cardinal (Henry Morton Robinson)
29
From Here to Eternity
From Here to Eternity
30
The Silver Chalice (Thomas B. Costain)
The Silver Chalice (Thomas B. Costain)
31
The Robe (Lloyd C. Douglas)
The Robe (Lloyd C. Douglas)
32
Not as a Stranger (Morton Thompson)
Not as a Stranger (Morton Thompson)
33
Marjorie Morningstar (Herman Wouk)
Marjorie Morningstar (Herman Wouk)
34
Don't Go Near the Water (William Brinkley)
Don't Go Near the Water (William Brinkley)
35
By Love Possessed (James Gould Cozzens)
By Love Possessed (James Gould Cozzens)
36
Doctor Zhivago (Boris Pasternak)
Doctor Zhivago (Boris Pasternak)
37
Exodus
Exodus
38
Advise and Consent
Advise and Consent
39
The Agony and the Ecstasy (Stone, Irving)
The Agony and the Ecstasy (Stone, Irving)
40
Ship of Fools (Katherine Anne Porter)
Ship of Fools (Katherine Anne Porter)
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