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The Most Popular Book of Each Year Since 1920 - Page 2

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 While some books reflect the biases of their time, providing a window into outdated mindsets, other narratives pushed back on the cultural limitations of the era, providing a place where the hypothetical or even futuristic can become tangible.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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Page 2 of 3
41
The Shoes of the Fisherman (Morris West)
The Shoes of the Fisherman
Morris West
42
The Spy Who Came in From the Cold (John Le Carré)
The Spy Who Came in From the Cold
John Le Carré
43
The Source (James A. Michener)
The Source
James A. Michener
44
Valley of the Dolls (Jacqueline Susann)
Valley of the Dolls
Jacqueline Susann
45
The Outsiders (S. E. Hinton)
The Outsiders
S. E. Hinton
46
Airport (Arthur Hailey)
Airport
Arthur Hailey
47
Portnoy's Complaint (Philip Roth)
Portnoy's Complaint
Philip Roth
48
Love Story (Erich Segal (1970))
Love Story
Erich Segal (1970)
49
Wheels (Arthur Hailey)
Wheels
Arthur Hailey
50
Jonathan Livingston Seagull (Richard Bach)
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Richard Bach
51
Centennial (James A. Michener)
Centennial
James A. Michener
52
Ragtime (E.L. Doctorow)
Ragtime
E.L. Doctorow
53
Trinity (Leon Uris)
Trinity
Leon Uris
54
The Silmarillion (J.R.R. Tolkien)
The Silmarillion
J.R.R. Tolkien
55
Chesapeake (James Michener)
Chesapeake
James Michener
56
The Matarese Circle (Robert Ludlum)
The Matarese Circle
Robert Ludlum
57
The Covenant
The Covenant
58
Noble House
Noble House
59
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and His Adventure on Earth
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and His Adventure on Earth
60
Return of the Jedi (James Kahn)
Return of the Jedi
James Kahn
61
The Talisman (Stephen King & Peter Straub)
The Talisman
Stephen King & Peter Straub
62
The Mammoth Hunters
The Mammoth Hunters
63
It (Stephen King)
It
Stephen King
64
The Tommyknockers (Stephen King)
The Tommyknockers
Stephen King
65
The Cardinal of the Kremlin (Clancy)
The Cardinal of the Kremlin
Clancy
66
Clear and Present Danger (Tom Clancy)
Clear and Present Danger
Tom Clancy
67
The Plains of Passage
The Plains of Passage
68
Scarlett (Alexandra Ripley)
Scarlett
Alexandra Ripley
69
Dolores Claiborne (Stephen King)
Dolores Claiborne
Stephen King
70
The Bridges of Madison County (Robert James Waller)
The Bridges of Madison County
Robert James Waller
71
The Chamber (John Grisham)
The Chamber
John Grisham
72
The Rainmaker (John Grisham)
The Rainmaker
John Grisham
73
The Runaway Jury (John Grisham)
The Runaway Jury
John Grisham
74
The Partner (John Grisham)
The Partner
John Grisham
75
The Street Lawyer
The Street Lawyer
76
The Testament (John Grisham)
The Testament
John Grisham
77
The Brethren
The Brethren
78
Desecration (Tim Lahaye & Jerry B. Jenkins)
Desecration
Tim Lahaye & Jerry B. Jenkins
79
The Summons (John Grisham)
The Summons
John Grisham
80
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (J.K. Rowling)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
J.K. Rowling
Page 2 of 3
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