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New York Times Best Seller lists

The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is updated online every Wednesday evening. Below are best seller lists for hardcover fiction and non-fiction. For more lists, visit our New York Times Children’s Best Sellers page or The New York Times’s Best Sellers page.

Hardcover Fiction

August 16, 2009

1

The Girl Who Played with Fireby Stieg Larsson
In the second volume of the Millennium trilogy, the Swedish hacker Lisbeth Salander becomes a murder suspect.

2

The Defectorby Daniel Silva
When a Russian defector who once saved his life disappears, Gabriel Allon, an art restorer and occasional spy for the Israeli secret service, attempts to rescue him.

3

Best Friends Foreverby Jennifer Weiner
Childhood friends, estranged in high school, reunite years later when the popular one needs the mousy one’s help.

4

The Helpby Kathryn Stockett
Three women — a white socialite and two black maids — work on a tell-all book about black domestic servants in 1960s Mississippi.

5

Swimsuitby James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
The former cop Ben Hawkins, now a reporter, investigates the disappearance of a supermodel.

6

Twenties Girlby Sophie Kinsella
A young woman is haunted by the spirit of her great-aunt, who wants her to find a missing necklace.

7

Hot Pursuitby Suzanne Brockmann
Alyssa Locke, the team leader of the security agency Troubleshooters, Inc., is captured by a serial killer.

8

Black Hillsby Nora Roberts
A South Dakota wildlife biologist and an ex-cop, childhood sweethearts, reunite to pursue a serial killer.

9

Finger Lickin’ Fifteenby Janet Evanovich
The bounty hunter Stephanie Plum tracks a celebrity chef’s killer.

10

Fire and Iceby J. A. Jance
The Seattle investigator J.  P. Beaumont finds that his pursuit of a murderer leads him into the territory of Joanna Brady, an Arizona sheriff.

11

Dead and Goneby Charlaine Harris
Sookie Stackhouse searches for the killer of a werepanther.

12

The Hostby Stephenie Meyer
In this first adult novel by the author of the Twilight series for teenagers, aliens have taken control of the minds and bodies of most humans, but one woman won’t surrender; originally published in 2008.

13

The Devil’s Punchbowlby Greg Iles
The mayor of Natchez, Miss., pursues a killer who opposes his attempt to clean up riverboat gambling.

14

Shanghai Girlsby Lisa See
Two Chinese sisters in the 1930s are sold as wives to men from California.

15

Rain Godsby James Lee Burke
A Texas sheriff investigates a mass murder of illegal aliens and tries to find the young Iraq war veteran who may have been involved — before the F.B.I. can.

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Hardcover Nonfiction

August 16, 2009

1

Culture of Corruptionby Michelle Malkin
President Obama and his team as tax cheats, petty crooks, influence peddlers and Wall Street cronies.

2

Liberty and Tyrannyby Mark R. Levin
A conservative manifesto from a talk-show host and president of Landmark Legal Foundation.

3

Outliersby Malcolm Gladwell
Unexpected factors that explain why some people succeed, such as upbringing, timing and 10,000 hours of deliberate practice.

4

Catastropheby Dick Morris and Eileen McGann
Stopping President Obama before he transforms America into a socialist state.

5

Unmaskedby Ian Halperin
Michael Jackson’s final years.

6

The End of Overeatingby David A. Kessler
How eating sugar, fat and salt affects our minds and bodies and encourages overindulgence.

7

The Wilderness Warriorby Douglas Brinkley
Theodore Roosevelt's crusade for conservation. Originally published in 2009.

8

The Accidental Billionairesby Ben Mezrich
How two Harvard undergraduates created Facebook.

9

A Colossal Failure of Common Senseby Lawrence G. McDonald and Patrick Robinson
The inside story of the collapse of Lehman Brothers, from a former vice president of the firm.

10

A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanityby Bill O’Reilly
The Fox News commentator on his upbringing and career.

11

Michael Jacksonby J. Randy Taraborrelli
An updated version of a 1991 biography now covers Jackson’s last years and his death.

12

Bobby and Jackieby C. David Heymann
The connection between Bobby and Jackie Kennedy.

13

Mommywoodby Tori Spelling with Hilary Liftin
Humorous stories about Hollywood motherhood, from the author of “Stori Telling” and star of “Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood.”

14

Horse Soldiersby Doug Stanton
Special Forces soldiers fought the Taliban on horseback shortly after 9/11. The basis of the movie "12 Strong."

15

Born to Runby Christopher McDougall
Secrets of distance running from a Mexican Indian tribe.