This is a list of books that topped The New York Times best-seller list in 1931.
This was the first year that the list was published, though it was not yet a national list. Throughout the 1930s the list reflected sales in the New York City area.
Fiction
The following list ranks the number-one best-selling fiction books.
| Date | Book | Author |
|---|---|---|
| October 12 | The Ten Commandments | Warwick Deeping |
| October 19 | No List Published | |
| October 26 | ||
| November 2 | ||
| November 9 | ||
| November 16 | Maid in Waiting | John Galsworthy |
| November 23 | No List Published | |
| November 30 | Maid in Waiting | John Galsworthy |
| December 7 | ||
| December 14 | ||
| December 21 | ||
| December 28 | ||
Nonfiction
The following list ranks the number-one best-selling nonfiction books.
| Date | Book | Author |
|---|---|---|
| October 12 | Ellen Terry and Bernard Shaw: A Correspondence | Ellen Terry and Bernard Shaw |
| October 19 | No List Published | |
| October 26 | ||
| November 2 | ||
| November 9 | ||
| November 16 | Ellen Terry and Bernard Shaw: A Correspondence | Ellen Terry and Bernard Shaw |
| November 23 | No List Published | |
| November 30 | Washington Merry-Go-Round | Anonymous. (Drew Pearson and Robert S. Allen .) |
| December 7 | Bernard Shaw | Frank Harris |
| December 14 | The Epic of America | James Truslow Adams |
| December 21 | Mourning Becomes Electra | Eugene O'Neill |
| December 28 | The Epic of America | James Truslow Adams |
See also
References
- 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.
- Adult New York Times Best Seller Lists for 1931
- Adult New York Times Best Seller Lists for 1931
| List of The New York Times number-one books | |
|---|---|
| 1931–1950 | |
| 1951–1970 | |
| 1971–1990 | |
| 1991–2010 | |
| 2011–present | |