# List of The New York Times number-one books of 1996

The American daily newspaper The New York Times publishes multiple weekly lists ranking the best selling books in the United States.

## Fiction

The following list ranks the number-one best selling fiction books, in the hardcover fiction category.
| Date | Book | Author |
| January 7 | The Christmas Box | Richard Paul Evans |
| January 14 | The Christmas Box | Richard Paul Evans |
| January 21 | The Horse Whisperer | Nicholas Evans |
| January 28 | Intensity | Dean Koontz |
| February 4 | Intensity | Dean Koontz |
| February 11 | Intensity | Dean Koontz |
| February 18 | Primary Colors | Anonymous Later revealed to be Joe Klein |
| February 25 | Primary Colors | Anonymous Later revealed to be Joe Klein |
| March 3 | Primary Colors | Anonymous Later revealed to be Joe Klein |
| March 10 | Primary Colors | Anonymous Later revealed to be Joe Klein |
| March 17 | Primary Colors | Anonymous Later revealed to be Joe Klein |
| March 24 | Primary Colors | Anonymous Later revealed to be Joe Klein |
| March 31 | Primary Colors | Anonymous Later revealed to be Joe Klein |
| April 7 | Primary Colors | Anonymous Later revealed to be Joe Klein |
| April 14 | Primary Colors | Anonymous Later revealed to be Joe Klein |
| April 21 | Moonlight Becomes You | Mary Higgins Clark |
| April 28 | Moonlight Becomes You | Mary Higgins Clark |
| May 5 | Moonlight Becomes You | Mary Higgins Clark |
| May 12 | Moonlight Becomes You | Mary Higgins Clark |
| May 19 | How Stella Got Her Groove Back | Terry McMillan |
| May 26 | How Stella Got Her Groove Back | Terry McMillan |
| June 2 | The Runaway Jury | John Grisham |
| June 9 | The Runaway Jury | John Grisham |
| June 16 | The Runaway Jury | John Grisham |
| June 23 | The Runaway Jury | John Grisham |
| June 30 | The Runaway Jury | John Grisham |
| July 7 | The Runaway Jury | John Grisham |
| July 14 | The Runaway Jury | John Grisham |
| July 21 | Cause of Death | Patricia Cornwell |
| July 28 | Cause of Death | Patricia Cornwell |
| August 4 | Cause of Death | Patricia Cornwell |
| August 11 | Cause of Death | Patricia Cornwell |
| August 18 | Cause of Death | Patricia Cornwell |
| August 25 | Servant of the Bones | Anne Rice |
| September 1 | Executive Orders | Tom Clancy |
| September 8 | Executive Orders | Tom Clancy |
| September 15 | Executive Orders | Tom Clancy |
| September 22 | Executive Orders | Tom Clancy |
| September 29 | Executive Orders | Tom Clancy |
| October 6 | The Deep End of the Ocean | Jacquelyn Mitchard |
| October 13 | Desperation | Stephen King |
| October 20 | Desperation | Stephen King |
| October 27 | The Deep End of the Ocean | Jacquelyn Mitchard |
| November 3 | The Deep End of the Ocean | Jacquelyn Mitchard |
| November 10 | The Deep End of the Ocean | Jacquelyn Mitchard |
| November 17 | The Deep End of the Ocean | Jacquelyn Mitchard |
| November 24 | The Deep End of the Ocean | Jacquelyn Mitchard |
| December 1 | Silent Honor | Danielle Steel |
| December 8 | Silent Honor | Danielle Steel |
| December 15 | Silent Honor | Danielle Steel |
| December 22 | Silent Honor | Danielle Steel |
| December 29 | Airframe | Michael Crichton |

## Nonfiction

The following list ranks the number-one best selling nonfiction books, in the hardcover nonfiction category.
| Date | Book | Author |
| January 7 | The Road Ahead | Bill Gates with Nathan Myhrvold and Peter Rinearson |
| January 14 | The Road Ahead | Bill Gates with Nathan Myhrvold and Peter Rinearson |
| January 21 | The Road Ahead | Bill Gates with Nathan Myhrvold and Peter Rinearson |
| January 28 | The Road Ahead | Bill Gates with Nathan Myhrvold and Peter Rinearson |
| February 4 | It Takes a Village | Hillary Rodham Clinton |
| February 11 | It Takes a Village | Hillary Rodham Clinton |
| February 18 | It Takes a Village | Hillary Rodham Clinton |
| February 25 | Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot | Al Franken |
| March 3 | Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot | Al Franken |
| March 10 | Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot | Al Franken |
| March 17 | Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot | Al Franken |
| March 24 | Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot | Al Franken |
| March 31 | Blood Sport | James B. Stewart |
| April 7 | In Contempt | Christopher A. Darden with Jess Walter |
| April 14 | In Contempt | Christopher A. Darden with Jess Walter |
| April 21 | In Contempt | Christopher A. Darden with Jess Walter |
| April 28 | In Contempt | Christopher A. Darden with Jess Walter |
| May 5 | In Contempt | Christopher A. Darden with Jess Walter |
| May 12 | In Contempt | Christopher A. Darden with Jess Walter |
| May 19 | Bad as I Wanna Be | Dennis Rodman with Tim Keown |
| May 26 | Bad as I Wanna Be | Dennis Rodman with Tim Keown |
| June 2 | Bad as I Wanna Be | Dennis Rodman with Tim Keown |
| June 9 | Bad as I Wanna Be | Dennis Rodman with Tim Keown |
| June 16 | Bad as I Wanna Be | Dennis Rodman with Tim Keown |
| June 23 | Bad as I Wanna Be | Dennis Rodman with Tim Keown |
| June 30 | Bad as I Wanna Be | Dennis Rodman with Tim Keown |
| July 7 | Bad as I Wanna Be | Dennis Rodman with Tim Keown |
| July 14 | Outrage | Vincent Bugliosi |
| July 21 | Outrage | Vincent Bugliosi |
| July 28 | The Dilbert Principle | Scott Adams |
| August 4 | Unlimited Access | Gary Aldrich |
| August 11 | Unlimited Access | Gary Aldrich |
| August 18 | Unlimited Access | Gary Aldrich |
| August 25 | The Dilbert Principle | Scott Adams |
| September 1 | The Dilbert Principle | Scott Adams |
| September 8 | Unlimited Access | Gary Aldrich |
| September 15 | The Dilbert Principle | Scott Adams |
| September 22 | The Dilbert Principle | Scott Adams |
| September 29 | The Dilbert Principle | Scott Adams |
| October 6 | The Dilbert Principle | Scott Adams |
| October 13 | The Dilbert Principle | Scott Adams |
| October 20 | The Dilbert Principle | Scott Adams |
| October 27 | The Dilbert Principle | Scott Adams |
| November 3 | The Dilbert Principle | Scott Adams |
| November 10 | American Tragedy | Lawrence Schiller and James Willwerth |
| November 17 | The Soul's Code | James Hillman |
| November 24 | My Sergei | Ekaterina Gordeeva with E. M. Swift |
| December 1 | The Soul's Code | James Hillman |
| December 8 | The Soul's Code | James Hillman |
| December 15 | Angela's Ashes | Frank McCourt |
| December 22 | My Sergei | Ekaterina Gordeeva with E. M. Swift |
| December 29 | A Reporter's Life | Walter Cronkite |