NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLERS
Rankings reflect sales for the week ending Oct. 17.
FICTION
1. A TIME FOR MERCY, by John Grisham. (Doubleday) The third book in the “Jake Brigance” series. A 16-year-old is accused of killing a deputy in Clanton, Mississippi, in 1990. (WEEKS ON LIST: 1)
2. THE RETURN, by Nicholas Sparks. (Grand Central) A doctor serving in the Navy in Afghanistan goes back to North Carolina where two women change his life. (3)
3. THE SEARCHER, by Tana French. (Viking) After a divorce, a former Chicago police officer resettles in an Irish village where a boy goes missing. (2)
4. THE EVENING AND THE MORNING, by Ken Follett. (Viking) In a prequel to “The Pillars of the Earth,” a boatbuilder, a Norman noblewoman and a monk live in England under attack by the Welsh and the Vikings. (5)
5. TROUBLES IN PARADISE, by Elin Hilderbrand. (Little, Brown) The final installment of the trilogy that includes “Winter in Paradise” and “What Happens in Paradise.” (2)
6. THE BOOK OF TWO WAYS, by Jodi Picoult. (Ballantine) After surviving a plane crash, a death doula travels to Egypt to reconnect with an old flame who is an archaeologist. (4)
7. THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE, by V.E. Schwab. (Tor/Forge) A Faustian bargain comes with a curse that affects the adventure Addie LaRue has across centuries. (2)
8. RETURN TO VIRGIN RIVER, by Robyn Carr. (MIRA) The 21st book in the “Virgin River” series. Strangers help an author during the holidays. (1)
9. JINGLE ALL THE WAY, by Debbie Macomber. (Ballantine) A December cruise in the Amazon fosters a potential change in priorities for a career-focused real estate executive. (1)
10. INVISIBLE GIRL, by Lisa Jewell. (Atria) An ex-school teacher accused of sexual misconduct lives near a family led by a child psychologist whose former patient goes missing. (1)
11. LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND, by Rumaan Alam. (Ecco) A family vacation in an isolated part of Long Island is thrown into confusion when the home’s owners return claiming New York City is having a blackout. (2)
12. THE VANISHING HALF, by Brit Bennett. (Riverhead) The lives of twin sisters who run away from a Southern Black community at age 16 diverge as one returns and the other takes on a different racial identity but their fates intertwine. (20)
13. ANXIOUS PEOPLE, by Fredrik Backman. (Atria) A failed bank robber holds a group of strangers hostage at an apartment open house. (6)
14. THE COAST-TO-COAST MURDERS, by James Patterson and J.D. Barker. (Little, Brown) A detective and an FBI agent are baffled by a cross-country killing spree. (4)
15. WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING, by Delia Owens. (Putnam) In a quiet town on the North Carolina coast in 1969, a young woman who survived alone in the marsh becomes a murder suspect. (109)
NONFICTION
1. CASTE, by Isabel Wilkerson. (Random House) The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist examines aspects of caste systems across civilizations and reveals a rigid hierarchy in America today. (11)
2. IS THIS ANYTHING? by Jerry Seinfeld. (Simon & Schuster) The comedian shares material he collected in an accordion folder over the last 45 years. (2)
3. UNTAMED, by Glennon Doyle. (Dial) The activist and public speaker describes her journey of listening to her inner voice. (32)
4. KILLING CRAZY HORSE, by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard. (Holt) The ninth book in the conservative commentator’s “Killing” series focuses on conflicts with Native Americans. (6)
5. BLACKOUT, by Candace Owens. (Threshold Editions) The conservative commentator makes her case that Black Americans should part ways with the Democratic Party. (5)
6. RAGE, by Bob Woodward. (Simon & Schuster) Based on 17 on-the-record interviews with President Donald Trump and other reporting, the Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist details the president’s perspective on multiple crises. (5)
7. AMERICAN CRISIS, by Andrew Cuomo. (Crown) The New York governor gives his perspective on the COVID-19 crisis and prescribes ways to deal with future disasters. (1) 8. TEN LESSONS FOR A POST-PANDEMIC WORLD, by Fareed Zakaria. (Norton) The CNN host posits what might happen on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic. (2)
9. HUMANS, by Brandon Stanton. (St. Martin’s) Photos and stories of people from over 40 countries collected by the creator of “Humans of New York.” (2)
10. WHITE FRAGILITY, by Robin DiAngelo. (Beacon Press) Historical and cultural analyses on what causes defensive moves by white people and how this inhibits cross-racial dialogue. (30)
11. ONE VOTE AWAY, by Ted Cruz. (Regnery) The Republican senator from Texas gives his views on what might happen if liberals gain a simple majority on the Supreme Court. (3)
12. HOW TO BE AN ANTIRACIST, by Ibram X. Kendi. (One World) A primer for creating a more just and equitable society through identifying and opposing racism. (24)
13. THE MEANING OF MARIAH CAREY, by Mariah Carey with Michaela Angela Davis. (Andy Cohen/Holt) The career highlights, public life and private struggles of the singer and songwriter. (3)
14. DISLOYAL, by Michael Cohen. (Skyhorse) An account of President Donald Trump’s business empire, political campaign and presidential administration by his former personal attorney. (5)
15. TRUMPTY DUMPTY WANTED A CROWN, by John Lithgow. (Chronicle Prism) A second illustrated collection of poems chronicling and satirizing current events. (2)