# List of The New York Times number-one books of 1962

This is a list of books that topped The New York Times Best Seller list in 1962.

## Fiction

The following list ranks the number-one best-selling fiction books.
Four books topped the list that year, the longest on top being Ship of Fools by Katherine Anne Porter, which spent exactly half the year there – from April 29 to November 11, its last week at the top – though it continued in the top 15 best sellers for another 20 weeks. Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger started the year at the top of the list carrying over from 1961, where it entered the top spot on October 25. In all Salinger's book spent 25 continuous weeks in the top spot. The list was interrupted at the end of the year by the 1962–63 New York City newspaper strike which lasted 114 days and had a profound impact on the newspaper industry in New York.
| Date | Book | Author |
| January 1 | Franny and Zooey | J. D. Salinger |
| January 8 | Franny and Zooey | J. D. Salinger |
| January 15 | Franny and Zooey | J. D. Salinger |
| January 22 | Franny and Zooey | J. D. Salinger |
| January 29 | Franny and Zooey | J. D. Salinger |
| February 5 | Franny and Zooey | J. D. Salinger |
| February 12 | Franny and Zooey | J. D. Salinger |
| February 19 | Franny and Zooey | J. D. Salinger |
| February 26 | Franny and Zooey | J. D. Salinger |
| March 4 | Franny and Zooey | J. D. Salinger |
| March 11 | Franny and Zooey | J. D. Salinger |
| March 18 | Franny and Zooey | J. D. Salinger |
| March 25 | Franny and Zooey | J. D. Salinger |
| April 1 | Franny and Zooey | J. D. Salinger |
| April 8 | Franny and Zooey | J. D. Salinger |
| April 15 | Franny and Zooey | J. D. Salinger |
| April 22 | Franny and Zooey | J. D. Salinger |
| April 29 | Ship of Fools | Katherine Anne Porter |
| May 6 | Ship of Fools | Katherine Anne Porter |
| May 13 | Ship of Fools | Katherine Anne Porter |
| May 20 | Ship of Fools | Katherine Anne Porter |
| May 27 | Ship of Fools | Katherine Anne Porter |
| June 3 | Ship of Fools | Katherine Anne Porter |
| June 10 | Ship of Fools | Katherine Anne Porter |
| June 17 | Ship of Fools | Katherine Anne Porter |
| June 24 | Ship of Fools | Katherine Anne Porter |
| July 1 | Ship of Fools | Katherine Anne Porter |
| July 8 | Ship of Fools | Katherine Anne Porter |
| July 15 | Ship of Fools | Katherine Anne Porter |
| July 22 | Ship of Fools | Katherine Anne Porter |
| July 29 | Ship of Fools | Katherine Anne Porter |
| August 5 | Ship of Fools | Katherine Anne Porter |
| August 12 | Ship of Fools | Katherine Anne Porter |
| August 19 | Ship of Fools | Katherine Anne Porter |
| August 26 | Ship of Fools | Katherine Anne Porter |
| September 2 | Ship of Fools | Katherine Anne Porter |
| September 9 | Ship of Fools | Katherine Anne Porter |
| September 16 | Ship of Fools | Katherine Anne Porter |
| September 23 | Ship of Fools | Katherine Anne Porter |
| September 30 | Ship of Fools | Katherine Anne Porter |
| October 7 | Ship of Fools | Katherine Anne Porter |
| October 14 | Ship of Fools | Katherine Anne Porter |
| October 21 | Ship of Fools | Katherine Anne Porter |
| October 28 | A Shade of Difference | Allen Drury |
| November 4 | A Shade of Difference | Allen Drury |
| November 11 | A Shade of Difference | Allen Drury |
| November 18 | Seven Days in May | Fletcher Knebel |
| November 25 | A Shade of Difference | Allen Drury |
| December 2 | Seven Days in May | Fletcher Knebel |
| December 9 | Seven Days in May | Fletcher Knebel |
| December 16 | Not published due to the Newspaper Strike | Not published due to the Newspaper Strike |
| December 23 | Not published due to the Newspaper Strike | Not published due to the Newspaper Strike |
| December 30 | Not published due to the Newspaper Strike | Not published due to the Newspaper Strike |

## Nonfiction

The following list ranks the number-one best-selling nonfiction books.