# List of The New York Times number-one books of 2012

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 popular book of the year was Fifty Shades of Grey, by E. L. James with 28 weeks at the top.
| Date | Book | Author |
| January 1 | 11/22/63 | Stephen King |
| January 8 | 11/22/63 | Stephen King |
| January 15 | 77 Shadow Street | Dean Koontz |
| January 22 | Private: #1 Suspect | James Patterson and Maxine Paetro |
| January 29 | Believing the Lie | Elizabeth George |
| February 5 | Private: #1 Suspect | James Patterson and Maxine Paetro |
| February 12 | Taken | Robert Crais |
| February 19 | Home Front | Kristin Hannah |
| February 26 | Kill Shot | Vince Flynn |
| March 4 | Private Games | James Patterson |
| March 11 | Celebrity in Death | J. D. Robb |
| March 18 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| March 25 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| April 1 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| April 8 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| April 15 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| April 22 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| April 29 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| May 6 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| May 13 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| May 20 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| May 27 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| June 3 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| June 10 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| June 17 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| June 24 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| July 1 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| July 8 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| July 15 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| July 22 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| July 29 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| August 5 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| August 12 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| August 19 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| August 26 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| September 2 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| September 9 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| September 16 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| September 23 | Fifty Shades of Grey | E. L. James |
| September 30 | A Wanted Man | Lee Child |
| October 7 | Winter of the World | Ken Follett |
| October 14 | The Casual Vacancy | J. K. Rowling |
| October 21 | Reflected in You | Sylvia Day |
| October 28 | Reflected in You | Sylvia Day |
| November 4 | The Bone Bed | Patricia Cornwell |
| November 11 | The Racketeer | John Grisham |
| November 18 | The Racketeer | John Grisham |
| November 25 | The Perfect Hope | Nora Roberts |
| December 2 | The Last Man | Vince Flynn |
| December 9 | Notorious Nineteen | Janet Evanovich |
| December 16 | The Black Box | Michael Connelly |
| December 23 | Threat Vector | Tom Clancy |
| December 30 | Gone Girl | Gillian Flynn |

## 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 Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard with 9 weeks at the top of the list.
| Date | Book | Author | Publisher |
| January 1 | Steve Jobs | Walter Isaacson | Simon & Schuster |
| January 8 | Steve Jobs | Walter Isaacson | Simon & Schuster |
| January 15 | Heaven Is for Real | Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent | Thomas Nelson |
| January 22 | Heaven Is for Real | Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent | Thomas Nelson |
| January 29 | Heaven Is for Real | Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent | Thomas Nelson |
| February 5 | Ameritopia | Mark R. Levin | Threshold Editions |
| February 12 | Heaven Is for Real | Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent | Thomas Nelson |
| February 19 | Heaven Is for Real | Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent | Thomas Nelson |
| February 26 | Once Upon a Secret | Mimi Alford | Random House Publishing |
| March 4 | The Vow | Kim and Krickitt Carpenter with Dana Wilkerson | B&H Publishing Group |
| March 11 | The Vow | Kim and Krickitt Carpenter with Dana Wilkerson | B&H Publishing Group |
| March 18 | The Vow | Kim and Krickitt Carpenter with Dana Wilkerson | B&H Publishing Group |
| March 25 | The Vow | Kim and Krickitt Carpenter with Dana Wilkerson | B&H Publishing Group |
| April 1 | Heaven Is for Real | Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent | Thomas Nelson |
| April 8 | Imagine | Jonah Lehrer | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |
| April 15 | The Big Miss | Hank Haney | Crown Publishing |
| April 22 | Drift | Rachel Maddow | Crown Publishing |
| April 29 | A Night to Remember | Walter Lord | Open Road Integrated Media |
| May 6 | Let's Pretend This Never Happened | Jenny Lawson | Penguin Group |
| May 13 | Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake | Anna Quindlen | Random House Publishing |
| May 20 | The Passage of Power | Robert A. Caro | Knopf Doubleday Publishing |
| May 27 | The Passage of Power | Robert A. Caro | Knopf Doubleday Publishing |
| June 3 | Amateur | Edward Klein | Regnery Publishing |
| June 10 | Amateur | Edward Klein | Regnery Publishing |
| June 17 | Amateur | Edward Klein | Regnery Publishing |
| June 24 | Amateur | Edward Klein | Regnery Publishing |
| July 1 | Amateur | Edward Klein | Regnery Publishing |
| July 8 | Amateur | Edward Klein | Regnery Publishing |
| July 15 | Becoming Sister Wives | Kody, Meri, Janelle, Christine and Robyn Brown | Simon & Schuster |
| July 22 | Wild | Cheryl Strayed | Knopf |
| July 29 | Wild | Cheryl Strayed | Knopf |
| August 5 | Wild | Cheryl Strayed | Knopf |
| August 12 | Wild | Cheryl Strayed | Knopf |
| August 19 | Wild | Cheryl Strayed | Knopf |
| August 26 | Wild | Cheryl Strayed | Knopf |
| September 2 | Unbroken | Laura Hillenbrand | Random House Publishing |
| September 9 | Paterno | Joe Posnanski | Simon & Schuster |
| September 16 | The Glass Castle | Jeannette Walls | Simon & Schuster |
| September 23 | No Easy Day | Mark Owen with Kevin Maurer | Penguin Group |
| September 30 | No Easy Day | Mark Owen with Kevin Maurer | Penguin Group |
| October 7 | No Easy Day | Mark Owen with Kevin Maurer | Penguin Group |
| October 14 | No Easy Day | Mark Owen with Kevin Maurer | Penguin Group |
| October 21 | Killing Kennedy | Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard | Henry Holt & Company |
| October 28 | Killing Kennedy | Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard | Henry Holt & Company |
| November 4 | Killing Kennedy | Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard | Henry Holt & Company |
| November 11 | Proof of Heaven | Eben Alexander | Simon & Schuster |
| November 18 | Killing Kennedy | Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard | Henry Holt & Company |
| November 25 | Killing Kennedy | Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard | Henry Holt & Company |
| December 2 | Killing Kennedy | Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard | Henry Holt & Company |
| December 9 | Killing Kennedy | Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard | Henry Holt & Company |
| December 16 | Killing Kennedy | Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard | Henry Holt & Company |
| December 23 | Proof of Heaven | Eben Alexander | Simon & Schuster |
| December 30 | Killing Kennedy | Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard | Henry Holt & Company |