List of The New York Times number-one books of 1940

This is a list of books that topped The New York Times best-seller list in 1940. When the list began in 1931 through 1941 it only reflected sales in the New York City area.[1]

Fiction

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

The two most popular books that year were How Green Was My Valley, by Richard Llewellyn, which held on top of the list for 13 weeks, and Stars on the Sea by F. Van Wyck Mason, which was on top of the list for 10 weeks.[2]

Date Book Author
January 1 The Nazarene Sholem Asch
January 8
January 15
January 22
January 29
February 5 Kitty Foyle Christopher Morley
February 12 The Nazarene Sholem Asch
February 19 Kitty Foyle Christopher Morley
February 26
March 4 How Green Was My Valley Richard Llewellyn
March 11
March 18 Native Son Richard Wright
March 25 How Green Was My Valley Richard Llewellyn
April 1
April 8
April 15
April 22
April 29
May 6
May 13
May 20
May 27
June 3
June 10 Stars on the Sea F. Van Wyck Mason
June 17
June 24
July 1
July 8
July 15
July 22
July 29
August 5
August 12
August 19 Mrs. Miniver Jan Struther
August 26
September 2
September 9 The Beloved Returns Thomas Mann
September 16
September 23 Mrs. Miniver Jan Struther
September 30 You Can't Go Home Again Thomas Wolfe
October 7
October 14 Mrs. Miniver Jan Struther
October 21
October 28 For Whom the Bell Tolls Ernest Hemingway
November 4
November 11
November 18
November 25
December 2 Oliver Wiswell Kenneth Roberts
December 9
December 16
December 23
December 30

Nonfiction

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

See also

References

  1. ^ Miller, Laura J. (2000). "The Best-Seller List as Marketing Tool and Historical Fiction". In Ezra Greenspan (ed.). Book History. Vol. Three. Penn State University Press. pp. 286–304. ISBN 0271020504.
  2. ^ Adult New York Times Best Seller Lists for 1940 Retrieved March 14, 2018