# List of The New York Times number-one books of 2016

The American daily newspaper The New York Times publishes multiple weekly lists ranking the best-selling books in the United States. The lists are split in three genres—fiction, nonfiction and children's books. Both the fiction and nonfiction lists are further split into multiple lists.

## Fiction

The following list ranks the number-one best-selling fiction books, in the combined print and e-books category. The most frequent weekly best seller of the year was The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins with 10 weeks at the top of the list, followed by Me Before You by Jojo Moyes with 7 weeks.
| Date | Book | Author |
| January 3 | Rogue Lawyer | John Grisham |
| January 10 | Rogue Lawyer | John Grisham |
| January 17 | The Girl on the Train | Paula Hawkins |
| January 24 | The Girl on the Train | Paula Hawkins |
| January 31 | Scandalous Behavior | Stuart Woods |
| February 7 | Blue | Danielle Steel |
| February 14 | NYPD Red 4 | James Patterson and Marshall Karp |
| February 21 | Brotherhood In Death | J. D. Robb |
| February 28 | Morning Star | Pierce Brown |
| March 6 | Cometh the Hour | Jeffrey Archer |
| March 13 | Me Before You | Jojo Moyes |
| March 20 | The Gangster | Clive Cussler and Justin Scott |
| March 27 | Fire Touched | Patricia Briggs |
| April 3 | Private Paris | James Patterson and Mark Sullivan |
| April 10 | Fool Me Once | Harlan Coben |
| April 17 | Fool Me Once | Harlan Coben |
| April 24 | One with You | Sylvia Day |
| May 1 | The Obsession | Nora Roberts |
| May 8 | The Last Mile | David Baldacci |
| May 15 | Extreme Prey | John Sandford |
| May 22 | 15th Affair | James Patterson and Maxine Paetro |
| May 29 | Me Before You | Jojo Moyes |
| June 5 | Me Before You | Jojo Moyes |
| June 12 | Me Before You | Jojo Moyes |
| June 19 | Me Before You | Jojo Moyes |
| June 26 | End of Watch | Stephen King |
| July 3 | Bay of Sighs | Nora Roberts |
| July 10 | Me Before You | Jojo Moyes |
| July 17 | The Games | James Patterson and Mark Sullivan |
| July 24 | Me Before You | Jojo Moyes |
| July 31 | The Black Widow | Daniel Silva |
| August 7 | The Girl on the Train | Paula Hawkins |
| August 14 | Truly Madly Guilty | Liane Moriarty |
| August 21 | Bullseye | James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge |
| August 28 | Insidious | Catherine Coulter |
| September 4 | The Girl on the Train | Paula Hawkins |
| September 11 | The Girl on the Train | Paula Hawkins |
| September 18 | A Great Reckoning | Louise Penny |
| September 25 | Apprentice in Death | J. D. Robb |
| October 2 | The Girl on the Train | Paula Hawkins |
| October 9 | The Girl on the Train | Paula Hawkins |
| October 16 | The Girl on the Train | Paula Hawkins |
| October 23 | The Girl on the Train | Paula Hawkins |
| October 30 | The Girl on the Train | Paula Hawkins |
| November 6 | Escape Clause | John Sandford |
| November 13 | The Whistler | John Grisham |
| November 20 | The Wrong Side of Goodbye | Michael Connelly |
| November 27 | Night School | Lee Child |
| December 4 | Turbo Twenty-Three | Janet Evanovich |
| December 11 | Cross the Line | James Patterson |
| December 18 | The Whistler | John Grisham |
| December 25 | Island of Glass | Nora Roberts |

## Nonfiction

The following list ranks the number-one best-selling nonfiction books, in the combined print and e-books category. The most frequent weekly best seller of the year was When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi with 13 weeks at the top of the list, followed by Killing the Rising Sun with nine weeks.
| Date | Book | Author | Publisher |
| January 3 | Killing Reagan | Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard | Holt |
| January 10 | Killing Reagan | Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard | Holt |
| January 17 | Not My Father's Son: A Memoir | Alan Cumming | Dey Street |
| January 24 | Between the World and Me | Ta-Nehisi Coates | Spiegel & Grau |
| January 31 | When Breath Becomes Air | Paul Kalanithi | Random House |
| February 7 | When Breath Becomes Air | Paul Kalanithi | Random House |
| February 14 | When Breath Becomes Air | Paul Kalanithi | Random House |
| February 21 | When Breath Becomes Air | Paul Kalanithi | Random House |
| February 28 | When Breath Becomes Air | Paul Kalanithi | Random House |
| March 6 | When Breath Becomes Air | Paul Kalanithi | Random House |
| March 13 | When Breath Becomes Air | Paul Kalanithi | Random House |
| March 20 | When Breath Becomes Air | Paul Kalanithi | Random House |
| March 27 | When Breath Becomes Air | Paul Kalanithi | Random House |
| April 3 | When Breath Becomes Air | Paul Kalanithi | Random House |
| April 10 | When Breath Becomes Air | Paul Kalanithi | Random House |
| April 17 | When Breath Becomes Air | Paul Kalanithi | Random House |
| April 24 | The Rainbow Comes and Goes | Anderson Cooper and Gloria Vanderbilt | Harper |
| May 1 | Hamilton: The Revolution | Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter | Grand Central Publishing |
| May 8 | The Rainbow Comes and Goes | Anderson Cooper and Gloria Vanderbilt | Harper |
| May 15 | The Rainbow Comes and Goes | Anderson Cooper and Gloria Vanderbilt | Harper |
| May 22 | The Rainbow Comes and Goes | Anderson Cooper and Gloria Vanderbilt | Harper |
| May 29 | Hamilton: The Revolution | Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter | Grand Central Publishing |
| June 5 | The Gene: An Intimate History | Siddhartha Mukherjee | Charles Scribner's Sons |
| June 12 | When Breath Becomes Air | Paul Kalanithi | Random House |
| June 19 | Bill O'Relly's Legends and Lies: The Patriots | David Fisher | Holt |
| June 26 | Bill O'Relly's Legends and Lies: The Patriots | David Fisher | Holt |
| July 3 | Bill O'Relly's Legends and Lies: The Patriots | David Fisher | Holt |
| July 10 | Alexander Hamilton | Ron Chernow | Penguin |
| July 17 | Crisis of Character | Gary J. Byrne with Grant M. Schmidt | Center Street |
| July 24 | Crisis of Character | Gary J. Byrne with Grant M. Schmidt | Center Street |
| July 31 | Crisis of Character | Gary J. Byrne with Grant M. Schmidt | Center Street |
| August 7 | It Gets Worse: A Collection of Essays | Shane Dawson | Keywords Press/Atria |
| August 14 | Crisis of Character | Gary J. Byrne with Grant M. Schmidt | Center Street |
| August 21 | Hillary's America | Dinesh D'Souza | Regnery |
| August 28 | Hillbilly Elegy | J. D. Vance | HarperCollins |
| September 4 | The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo | Amy Schumer | Gallery Books |
| September 11 | The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo | Amy Schumer | Gallery Books |
| September 18 | The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo | Amy Schumer | Gallery Books |
| September 25 | Love Warrior | Glennon Doyle Melton | Flatiron Books |
| October 2 | Killing the Rising Sun | Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard | Holt |
| October 9 | Killing the Rising Sun | Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard | Holt |
| October 16 | Born to Run | Bruce Springsteen | Simon & Schuster |
| October 23 | Killing the Rising Sun | Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard | Holt |
| October 30 | Killing the Rising Sun | Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard | Holt |
| November 6 | The Magnolia Story | Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines with Mark Dagostino | W Publishing/Thomas Nelson |
| November 13 | Killing the Rising Sun | Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard | Holt |
| November 20 | Killing the Rising Sun | Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard | Holt |
| November 27 | Killing the Rising Sun | Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard | Holt |
| December 4 | Settle for More | Megyn Kelly | Harper/HarperCollins |
| December 11 | Killing the Rising Sun | Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard | Holt |
| December 18 | The Magnolia Story | Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines with Mark Dagostino | W Publishing/Thomas Nelson |
| December 25 | Killing the Rising Sun | Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard | Holt |