Below, you’ll find the 150 bestselling print books in the 2004–2021 period, as well as the top-selling authors over the same span as measured by NPD BookScan.
J.K. Rowling scored the two top-selling titles, with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows taking the top spot followed by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The bestselling adult title was Fifty Shades of Grey, the first volume in E.L. James’s megaselling Fifty Shades series, which was #3 overall on the list.
Despite writing the two most popular print books since 2004, Rowling only finished in third place among bestselling authors. Based on total copies sold, the prolific James Patterson took the top-selling author crown of the past 17 years, followed by another one who was very busy during his lifetime: Dr. Seuss. Jeff Kinney and Nora Roberts rounded out the top five bestselling authors.
Top-Selling Titles, 2004–2021
1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
J.K. Rowling (2007) Scholastic
2 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
J.K. Rowling (2005)
Scholastic
3 Fifty Shades of Grey
E.L. James (2012)
Vintage
4 Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
Dr. Seuss (1990)
Random House
5 Twilight
Stephenie Meyer (2006)
Little, Brown
6 Strengthsfinder 2.0
(2007)
Gallup Press
7 Goodnight Moon
Margaret Wise Brown, illus. by Clement Hurd (1991)
HarperFestival
8 The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins (2010)
Scholastic Press
9 The Shack
William P. Young (2008)
Windblown Media
10 The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Eric Carle (1994)
Philomel
11 Breaking Dawn
Stephenie Meyer (2008)
Little, Brown
12 Green Eggs and Ham
Dr. Seuss (1960)
Random House
13 New Moon
Stephenie Meyer (2008)
Little, Brown
14 Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? 50th Anniversary Edition
Bill Martin Jr., illus. by Eric Carle (1996)
Holt
15 Becoming
Michelle Obama (2018)
Crown
16 Eclipse
Stephenie Meyer (2007)
Little, Brown
17 Eat Pray Love: 10th Anniversary Edition
Elizabeth Gilbert (2007)
Riverhead
18 Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence
Sarah Young (2004)
Thomas Nelson
19 The Secret
Rhonda Byrne (2006)
Atria
20 Love You Forever
Robert Munsch (1995)
Firefly
21 The Kite Runner
Khaled Hosseini (2004)
Riverhead
22 To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee (1988)
Grand Central
23 One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish
Dr. Seuss (1960)
Random House
24 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
J.K. Rowling (2016)
Scholastic
25 Fifty Shades Darker
E.L. James (2012)
Vintage
26 Catching Fire (Hunger Games #2)
Suzanne Collins (2009)
Scholastic Press
27 The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald (2004)
Scribner
28 The Da Vinci Code
Dan Brown (2003)
Doubleday
29 Mockingjay (Hunger Games #3)
Suzanne Collins (2010)
Scholastic Press
30 The Four Agreements
Don Miguel Ruiz (1997)
Amber-Allen
31 Night
Elie Wiesel (2006)
Hill and Wang
32 Fifty Shades Freed
E.L. James (2012)
Vintage
33 Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Jeff Kinney (2007)
Amulet
34 1984
George Orwell (1950)
Signet
35 The Cat in the Hat
Dr. Seuss (1957)
Random House
36 The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1)
Rick Riordan (2006)
Disney—Hyperion
37 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
J.K. Rowling (1999)
Scholastic
38 Dr. Seuss’s ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book!
Dr. Seuss (1996)
Random House
39 Wonder
R.J. Palacio (2012)
Knopf
40 A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose
Eckhart Tolle (2008)
Penguin Life
41 The Last Lecture
Randy Pausch (2008)
Hyperion
42 The Last Straw (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #3)
Jeff Kinney (2009)
Amulet
43 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Stieg Larsson (2009)
Black Lizard
44 Rodrick Rules (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #2)
Jeff Kinney (2008)
Amulet
45 The Glass Castle
Jeannette Walls (2006)
Scribner
46 Lord of the Flies
William Golding (2003)
Perigee
47 Dog Days (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #4)
Jeff Kinney (2009)
Amulet
48 First 100 Words
Roger Priddy (2011)
Priddy Books
49 The Going to Bed Book
Sandra Boynton (1982)
Little Simon/Boynton Bookworks
50 Where the Wild Things Are
Maurice Sendak (1963)
HarperCollins
51 Where the Crawdads Sing
Delia Owens (2018)
Putnam
52 The Ugly Truth (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #5)
Jeff Kinney (2010)
Amulet
53 The Book Thief
Markus Zusak (2007)
Knopf
54 Heaven Is for Real
Todd Burpo (2010)
Thomas Nelson
55 Angels & Demons
Dan Brown (2001)
Pocket Star
56 Cabin Fever (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #6)
Jeff Kinney (2011)
Amulet
57 Elf on the Shelf (blue-eyed boy)
Carol V. Aebersold (2020) CCA & B
58 The Giving Tree
Shel Silverstein (1964)
HarperCollins
59 The Purpose Driven Life
Rick Warren (2002)
Zondervan
60 The Lost Symbol
Dan Brown (2009)
Doubleday
61 Hard Luck (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #8)
Jeff Kinney (2013)
Amulet
62 You Are a Badass
Jen Sincero (2013)
Running Press
63 Three Cups of Tea
Greg Mortenson (2007)
Penguin Books
64 The Secret Life of Bees
Sue Monk Kidd (2003)
Penguin Books
65 The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts
Gary Chapman (2015)
Northfield
66 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Mark Haddon (2004)
Vintage
67 Water for Elephants
Sara Gruen (2007)
Algonquin
68 The Catcher in the Rye
J.D. Salinger (1951)
Little, Brown
69 The Devil in the White City
Erik Larson (2004)
Vintage
70 Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?
Dr. Seuss (1996)
Random House
71 Dinosaurs Before Dark (Magic Tree House #1)
Mary Pope Osborne, illus. by Sal Murdocca (1992)
Random House
72 School Zone Big Preschool Workbook
School Zone (2019)
School Zone
73 A Promised Land
Barack Obama (2020)
Crown
74 The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
Kim Edwards (2006)
Penguin Books
75 Are You My Mother?
P.D. Eastman (1960)
Random House
76 Of Mice and Men
John Steinbeck (1993) Penguin Books
77 Moo, Baa, La La La!
Sandra Boynton (1982)
Little Simon/Boynton Bookworks
78 Animal Farm: 75th Anniversary Edition
George Orwell (2004)
Signet
79 A Million Little Pieces
James Frey (2005)
Anchor
80 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
J.K. Rowling (2004)
Scholastic Paperbacks
81 The Third Wheel (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #7)
Jeff Kinney (2012)
Amulet
82 Giraffes Can’t Dance
Giles Andreae, illus. by Guy Parker-Rees (2012)
Cartwheel
83 To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee (2005)
Harper Perennial
84 Good to Great
Jim Collins (2001)
Harper Business
85 The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
Eckhart Tolle (2004)
New World Library
86 Milk and Honey
Rupi Kaur (2015)
Andrews McMeel
87 The Tales of Beedle the Bard
J.K. Rowling (2008)
Scholastic
88 The Long Haul (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #9)
Jeff Kinney (2014)
Amulet
89 The Alchemist
Paulo Coelho (2006)
HarperOne
90 The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
Marie Kondo (2014)
Ten Speed
91 The South Beach Diet
Arthur Agatston (2003)
Rodale
92 The Five People You Meet in Heaven
Mitch Albom (2003)
Hyperion
93 How to Win Friends and Influence People
Dale Carnegie (1998)
Gallery
94 Fahrenheit 451
Ray Bradbury (2012)
Simon & Schuster
95 Divergent
Veronica Roth (2012)
HarperCollins/Tegen
96 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
J.K. Rowling (2000)
Scholastic Paperbacks
97 A Wrinkle in Time
Madeleine L’Engle (2007)
Square Fish
98 The Tipping Point
Malcolm Gladwell (2002)
Back Bay
99 The Fault in Our Stars
John Green (2014)
Dutton
100 The Time Traveler’s Wife
Audrey Niffenegger (2004)
Harvest
101 What to Expect When You’re Expecting
Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel (2008)
Workman
102 Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, illus. by Lois Ehlert (2012)
Little Simon
103 Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book (revised and expanded edition)
Jeff Kinney (2011)
Amulet
104 Old School (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #10)
Jeff Kinney (2015)
Amulet
105 The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
Patrick M. Lencioni (2002)
Jossey-Bass
106 Guess How Much I Love You
Sam McBratney, illus. by Anita Jeram (1995)
Candlewick
107 The Alchemist
Paulo Coelho (2014)
HarperOne
108 The Help
Kathryn Stockett (2011)
Berkley
109 How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Dr. Seuss (1957)
Random House
110 On the Night You Were Born
Nancy Tillman (2010)
Feiwel and Friends
111 The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #2)
Rick Riordan (2007)
Disney-Hyperion
112 The Help
Kathryn Stockett (2009)
Putnam
113 The Outsiders
S.E. Hinton (1967)
Viking
114 The Art of Racing in the Rain
Garth Stein (2018)
Harper
115 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
J.K. Rowling (2002)
Scholastic Paperbacks
116 Magnolia Table: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering
Joanna Gaines (2018)
Morrow
117 Tuesdays with Morrie
Mitch Albom (2002)
Crown
118 Go, Dog. Go!
P.D. Eastman (1961)
Random House
119 Looking for Alaska
John Green (2007)
Dutton
120 Baby Touch and Feel: Animals
(2008)
DK
121 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
J.K. Rowling (2001)
Scholastic Paperbacks
122 Dr. Seuss’s ABC
Dr. Seuss (1960)
Random House
123 Where the Sidewalk Ends
Shel Silverstein (1974)
HarperCollins
124 Girl, Wash Your Face
Rachel Hollis (2018)
Thomas Nelson
125 The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
Mark Manson (2016)
Harper
126 Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption
Laura Hillenbrand (2010)
Random House
127 The Wonky Donkey
Craig Smith, illus. by Katz Cowley (2010)
Scholastic Paperbacks
128 Who Moved My Cheese?
Spencer Johnson (1998)
Putnam
129 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
J.K. Rowling (2006)
Scholastic Paperbacks
130 The Girl Who Played with Fire
Stieg Larsson (2010)
Black Lizard
131 Are You My Mother?
P.D. Eastman (1960)
Random House
132 Barnyard Dance!
Sandra Boynton (1993)
Workman
133 Hatchet
Gary Paulsen (2007)
Simon & Schuster
134 The Giver
Lois Lowry (2002)
Laurel Leaf
135 Paper Towns
John Green (2009)
Dutton
136 Pat the Bunny
Dorothy Kunhardt (1940)
Golden Books
137 The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
Charlie Mackesy (2019)
HarperOne
138 My Sister’s Keeper
Jodi Picoult (2005)
Washington Square
139 Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
Ransom Riggs (2013)
Quirk
140 Where’s Spot?
Eric Hill (2003)
Warne
141 The Road
Cormac McCarthy (2007)
Vintage
142 Marley & Me
John Grogan (2005)
Morrow
143 Insurgent
Veronica Roth (2012)
HarperCollins/Tegen
144 Life of Pi
Yann Martel (2003)
Mariner
145 The Giver
Lois Lowry (1993)
Clarion
146 I Love You Through and Through
Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak, illus. by Caroline Jayne Church (2005)
Cartwheel
147 The Day the Crayons Quit
Drew Daywalt, illus. by Oliver Jeffers (2013)
Philomel
148 Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
Carol S. Dweck (2007)
Ballantine
149 Allegiant
Veronica Roth (2013)
HarperCollins/Tegen
150 New Moon
Stephenie Meyer (2006)
Little, Brown
