33 books that made it to #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list this year (so far)

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  • The New York Times Bestseller List shows the bestselling fiction and nonfiction books of the week.
  • On top of new releases, old favorites continue to make the list, sometimes years after publication.
  • We've collected some of the best fiction and nonfiction books that held the #1 spot in 2022 so far.

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There are so many ways to discover a great book, but the New York Times Best Sellers list has compiled the most popular fiction, nonfiction, and children's books from vendors across the country for almost a century and has become a measure of success for writers everywhere. 

Titles that reach the coveted #1 spot are usually highly anticipated releases from beloved authors, sequels to which readers have been counting down, or juicy celebrity memoirs. But with the rise of influencer recommendations on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, books published years prior still make appearances again and again, like "It Ends With Us" , which was published in 2016 but has been a #1 New York Times Bestseller for nine weeks so far in 2022. 

The full list is posted weekly on the New York Times website , but we collected some of the best new fiction and nonfiction books to hold the #1 spot so far in 2022. 

33 books that ended up as #1 bestsellers on the New York Times Best Sellers list in 2022 so far:

Fiction and poetry, "dream town" by david baldacci.

new york times new books list

"Dream Town" by David Baldacci, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $14.50

"Dream Town" is the third book in David Baldacci's "Archer" series but can be read as a standalone. As private investigator and World War II veteran Archer plans to celebrate the New Year with a friend, Eleanor Lamb, a screenwriter, feels her life is in danger and hires him to investigate. When a body is found in Eleanor's home and she suddenly disappears, Archer winds through the glamor of 1950s Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Hollywood in a suspenseful and exciting series of events to find Eleanor and the murderer in this noir crime thriller. 

"Book Lovers" by Emily Henry

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"Book Lovers" by Emily Henry, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $11.58

Nora Stephens is a literary agent who is ready to become the heroine of her own story when her sister, Libby, invites her on a trip away from the city to the little town of Sunshine Falls, North Carolina. Though Nora is expecting a month of romance novel-like meet-cutes and bookshop days, she continually runs into Charlie Lastra, a book editor from the city with whom she has a deep-seated rivalry. "Book Lovers" is one of our favorite romance reads of the summer — check out our full review here . 

"House of Sky and Breath" by Sarah J. Maas

new york times new books list

"House of Sky and Breath" by Sarah J. Maas, available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $17.74

The highly anticipated sequel to Sarah J. Maas' "House of Earth and Blood" hit shelves in February 2022 and quickly rose to the top of the bestseller list. Readers follow Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar on their search for normalcy after saving Crescent City, but as oppression grows around them, the duo knows they must continue to fight for what's right in this incredible fantasy novel with a deeply satisfying conclusion.

"In the Blood" by Jack Carr

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"In the Blood" by Jack Carr, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $14.49

As former Navy SEAL James Reece watches the news from his Montana home, he sees a name he recognizes from his time in Iraq listed as a victim of a missile attack on a passenger aircraft in Burkina Faso, Africa. With ties to the intelligence services in two nations, James is sure her death is no accident and enlists old and new friends on his mission to track down her killer, unaware of the dangers that may await him. 

"Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens

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"Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens, available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $9.98

Readers still can't get enough of this 2018 Reese's Book Club pick as it continues to outshine new releases for the top spot on the New York Times Best Seller list, four years after its original publication. In this historical fiction read, Kya Clark is known as the "Marsh Girl," who learns and lives from the land until a popular boy is found dead and her community immediately suspects her as the murderer.

"Nightwork" by Nora Roberts

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"Nightwork" by Nora Roberts, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $14.99

"Nightwork" blends romance and suspense as Harry Booth leaves Chicago, continuing his work as a subtle thief-for-hire after his mother's death. Though his work requires him to remain unattached, he finds his resolve softening as he grows nearer to Miranda Emerson until his past catches up to him and casts a dark shadow over his life once more. 

"It Ends with Us" by Colleen Hoover

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"It Ends with Us" by Colleen Hoover, available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $11.17

This 2016 Colleen Hoover novel continues to reach the #1 spot on the New York Times Best Seller list due to its huge popularity on BookTok . "It Ends with Us" is a fast-paced contemporary romance novel about Lily, who dives heart-first into a relationship with the almost-too-good-to-be-true neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid. When a past love and life resurface, her relationship with Ryle becomes threatened. 

"Sparring Partners" by John Grisham

new york times new books list

"Sparring Partners" by John Grisham, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $14.47

Josh Grisham is a bestselling author of legal thrillers like "A Time to Kill" and "The Pelican Brief." His new collection, "Sparring Partners," consists of three novellas, one starring his beloved character Jake Brigance, another featuring a death row inmate three hours before execution, and the final story following two feuding brothers who inherited a law firm when their father went to prison. You can find more of John Grisham's best books here .

"Call Us What We Carry" by Amanda Gorman

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"Call Us What We Carry" by Amanda Gorman, available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $13.80

2021 Inaugural Poet Amanda Gorman's latest collection, "Call Us What We Carry," was the first read to top the New York Times Bestseller List in 2022, praised by readers for Gorman's insightful and profound views. These poems include brilliant reflections upon history, society, and the human experience including painful memories of the COVID-19 pandemic and hopeful dedications to the future. 

"Run, Rose, Run" by Dolly Parton and James Patterson

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"Run, Rose, Run" by Dolly Parton and James Patterson, available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $18.00 

Written by a beloved music legend and the bestselling author of all time, "Run Rose Run" is an entertaining and suspenseful James Patterson mystery about a young woman running both from her past and towards a promising future in the music industry. As AnnieLee Keys lands in Nashville, she still finds herself constantly looking over her shoulder as her past and secrets lurk ever nearer. 

"The Paris Apartment" by Lucy Foley

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"The Paris Apartment" by Lucy Foley, available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $25.98

When Jes moves into her half-brother's Parisian apartment in search of a fresh start, she's not only surprised by his apparent wealth but his sudden disappearance. As she begins to dig into his situation in an effort to find him, Jes's worry grows and her brother's peculiar and unfriendly neighbors each emerge as suspects. 

"Abandoned in Death" by J.D. Robb

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"Abandoned in Death" by J.D. Robb, available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $17.34

J.D. Robb is the pseudonym under which Nora Roberts publishes her "in Death" series, with "Abandoned in Death" as the 54th installment. In this latest mystery novel, detective Eve Dallas begins to investigate the peculiar homicide of a woman found neatly arranged on a New York City playground bench, with a fatal wound hidden beneath a ribbon on her neck and an ominous note reading "Bad Mommy." As Eve investigates a clearly troubled killer, other similar disappearances emerge and intensify the urgency of the case. 

"The Hotel Nantucket" by Elin Hilderbrand

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"The Hotel Nantucket" by Elin Hilderbrand, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $16.99

When billionaire Xavier Darling purchases The Hotel Nantucket, he renovates and revitalizes the abandoned lodge that was once popular until a 1922 fire killed a young girl. As the hotel's new general manager, Lizbet, pulls together a passionate staff, they fight against the hotel's bad reputation, the lingering ghost, and each other to change fate and find a brighter future. 

"The Match" by Harlan Coben

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"The Match" by Harlan Coben, available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $18.37

This action-packed sequel to "The Boy from the Woods" follows Wilde as he discovers the identity of his father through a DNA genealogy website and a second match that pulls him into a secret community of online doxxers. As the story unfolds through murder, scandal, and gripping suspense, it seems a serial killer is targeting the online community — and Wilde might be poised as the next target.

"Hook, Line, and Sinker" by Tessa Bailey

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"Hook, Line, and Sinker" by Tessa Bailey, available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $12.38

"Hook, Line, and Sinker" is a swoon-worthy contemporary romance about Fox Thornton, a notorious charmer, and Hannah Bellinger, who's in town for work, staying in Fox's spare bedroom, and completely immune to his charming ways. Though Hannah initially has her eye on a coworker, she can't seem to resist slowly falling for Fox as they spend more and more time together as he tries to prove he's not interested in another temporary fling.

"The Investigator" by John Sandford

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"The Investigator" by John Sandford, available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $18.64

Letty Davenport is bored at her desk job when her boss, Senator Colles, offers her an investigative role with the Department of Homeland Security to uncover a series of reported crude oil thefts, possibly part of something much larger and more sinister. As Letty and her partner head to Texas, they soon find a far deadlier and more dangerous situation than they could have imagined.

"The Judge's List" by John Grisham

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"The Judge's List" by John Grisham, available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $13.94

"The Judge's List" is John Grisham's sequel to his 2016 thriller, "The Whistler,"  and continues Lacy Stoltz's story three years later as she uncovers a startling case — that of a Florida judge turned serial killer. As the judge stays one step ahead of the law and continues to hunt down those who have wronged him, Lacy must end his murderous crusade before she becomes the next name on his list. 

"Finding Me" by Viola Davis

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"Finding Me" by Viola Davis, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $18.53

This honest and unforgettable memoir is Viola Davis' reflection upon her journey to self-love by facing herself and her past. From poverty and bullying to systemic racism in Hollywood, Davis recounts the challenges she faced during childhood, her rise into stardom, and those she continues to face today.  

"The Office BFFs" by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey

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"The Office BFFs" by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $18.18

"The Office" characters Pam Beesley and Angela Martin have little in common, but the actresses that brought them to life bonded from the first days on set. "The Office BFFs" is a dual memoir of Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey's experiences as they made memories with the cast, walked their first red carpet, became moms, and created a lifelong friendship that continues to this day. 

"Happy-Go-Lucky" by David Sedaris

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"Happy-Go-Lucky" by David Sedaris, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $17.79

"Happy-Go-Lucky" is a collection of funny personal essays about how David Sedaris' life changed during the COVID-19 lockdown and continues to change as the world adjusts to a new normal. In these essays, Sedaris captures the humor and irony of these experiences and the ultimate desire for connection that drives our society. 

"The Body Keeps the Score" by Bessel van der Kolk

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"The Body Keeps the Score" by Bessel van der Kolk, available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $11.40

Written by a trauma expert with over 30 years of experience working with trauma survivors, "The Body Keeps the Score" is a psychology book about how traumatic stress "rewires" our brains. As an alternative to drugs or talk therapy, Dr. van der Kolk asserts how we can reactivate many trauma-affected areas of our brains through innovative treatments and therapies. 

"Tanqueray" by Stephanie Johnson and Brandon Stanton

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"Tanqueray" by Stephanie Johnson and Brandon Stanton, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $17.49

In 2019, Stephanie Johnson was featured in a "Humans of New York" story, capturing the attention of millions of readers as they learned of her rise from a brutal childhood to becoming one of the best-known burlesque dancers in New York City known as Tanqueray. Written alongside Brandon Stanton, the author of "Humans of New York," "Tanqueray" tells Stephanie Johnson's full story, including all the challenges and triumphs that led to her success and fame. 

"Bittersweet" by Susan Cain

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"Bittersweet" by Susan Cain, available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $18.48

Bittersweetness is often thought of as a moment or feeling where something good and bad intersect, but in this psychology read, Susan Cain demonstrates how embracing a "bittersweet" state of mind can help us connect to ourselves and each other. Already known for her heartfelt and enlightening writing style in her other bestseller, "Quiet,"  this nonfiction book uses bittersweetness to teach readers about our relationships with creativity, compassion, leadership, longing, and love. 

"The Storyteller" by Dave Grohl

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"The Storyteller" by Dave Grohl, available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $17.99

Dave Grohl has become internationally renowned as the drummer for Nirvana and the Foo Fighters and in this memoir, he details the incredible musical and personal experiences that made him the man he is today. Grohl's personality naturally shines through his writing and is further brought to life in his audiobook narration.

"The 1619 Project," edited by Nikole Hannah-Jones, Caitlin Roper, Ilena Silverman, and Jake Silverstein

new york times new books list

"The 1619 Project," edited by Nikole Hannah-Jones, Caitlin Roper, Ilena Silverman, and Jake Silverstein, available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $22.80

In 1619, a cargo ship of 20-30 enslaved people from Africa arrived on the shores of Virginia, igniting a system of brutal slavery and racism that would span centuries. Originally published in The New York Times as a collection of 18 essays and 36 poems and works of fiction, "The 1619 Project" demonstrates how this often-buried history radiates through contemporary American society and offers a new origin story for the United States.

"Unthinkable" by Jamie Raskin

new york times new books list

"Unthinkable" by Jamie Raskin, available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $18.59

"Unthinkable" is a new memoir by Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin whose life permanently changed at the beginning of 2021 as he mourned his son's sudden and tragic passing, lived through the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, and led the impeachment efforts against President Trump for inciting violence. This read recounts these painful events by intertwining personal and professional narratives into a single vivid memoir.

"James Patterson" by James Patterson

new york times new books list

"James Patterson" by James Patterson, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $14.50

James Patterson is one of the world's most successful writers and his memoir is a collection of interesting and remarkable stories from his life. Written with a comfortable and casual tone, Patterson explains how he developed a love of reading as an adult, met famous musicians and actors before he made a name of his own, and even wrote the famous "Toys 'R Us" jingle while working in advertising. You can find some of James Patterson's best books here .

"Enough Already" by Valerie Bertinelli

new york times new books list

"Enough Already" by Valerie Bertinelli, available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $16.29

Valerie Bertinelli is an award-winning actress whose new memoir uses personal and relatable stories to offer readers advice on how to achieve a healthier and happier outlook on life. Bertinelli shares her struggles with harsh personal criticism and the journey on which she embarked to transcend our need for perfectionism and reach, instead, for joy. 

"From Strength to Strength" by Arthur C. Brooks

new york times new books list

"From Strength to Strength" by Arthur C. Brooks, available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $16.99

This self-help read identifies how many people, including the author himself, struggle to find purpose and success as they age, often feeling as though they may be "declining" as a sense of professional or social irrelevance emerges with age. In "From Strength to Strength," Arthur C. Brooks demonstrates how readers can refocus their priorities and habits in order to make their older years equally full of happiness, purpose, and success.

"One Damn Thing After Another" by William P. Barr

new york times new books list

"One Damn Thing After Another" by William P. Barr, available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $21.91

William P. Barr was the attorney general during two different presidential administrations — President George H.W. Bush and President Donald Trump. This memoir traverses the most memorable and affecting events Barr faced in his years as attorney general while comparing the vast similarities and differences between the Bush and Trump presidential legacies. 

"Freezing Order" by Bill Browder

new york times new books list

"Freezing Order" by Bill Browder, available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $18.80

After Bill Browder's lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, was beaten to death in a Moscow jail, Browder set out to uncover why Magnitsky was killed and bring the killers to justice. In his investigation, Browder followed a trail beyond a tax refund scheme, through Russian government involvement, and to the corruption that runs far deeper than he could have imagined. 

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  • The New York Times® Best Sellers

For the week of February 18, 2024

Hardcover Fiction best sellers

The Women: A Novel

Popular in Books

  • Award Winners
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Combined Print & E-Book Fiction best sellers

The Teacher

Trade Paperback Fiction best sellers

Twisted Love (Twisted, 1)

Hardcover Nonfiction best sellers

Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America

Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction best sellers

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI

Paperback Nonfiction best sellers

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous best sellers

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

Young Adult Hardcover best sellers

Divine Rivals: A Novel (Letters of Enchantment, 1)

Children's Middle Grade Hardcover best sellers

Heroes: A Novel of Pearl Harbor

Children's picture books

Little Blue Truck's Valentine

Children's Series best sellers

The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3)

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new york times new books list

  • New York Times Best Sellers

Audio Fiction

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First Lie Wins Audiobook By Ashley Elston cover art

First Lie Wins

  • By: Ashley Elston
  • Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
  • Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
  • Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 5,082
  • Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 4,963
  • Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 4,961

Evie Porter has everything a nice, Southern girl could want: a perfect, doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence and a garden, a fancy group of friends. The only catch: Evie Porter doesn’t exist....

  • 5 out of 5 stars

What’s The lie?

  • By Luke Schafer on 01-13-24

1. First Lie Wins

  • Release date: 01-02-24
  • Language: English
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars 5,082 ratings

Add to Cart failed.

Add to wish list failed., remove from wishlist failed., adding to library failed, follow podcast failed, unfollow podcast failed.

Regular price: $20.25 or 1 credit

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House of Flame and Shadow Audiobook By Sarah J. Maas cover art

House of Flame and Shadow

  • Crescent City, Book 3
  • By: Sarah J. Maas
  • Narrated by: Elizabeth Evans
  • Length: 29 hrs and 42 mins
  • Overall 5 out of 5 stars 5,458
  • Performance 5 out of 5 stars 5,383
  • Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 5,383

Bryce Quinlan never expected to see a world other than Midgard, but now that she has, all she wants is to get back. Everything she loves is in Midgard: her family, her friends, her mate. Stranded in a strange new world, she's going to need all her wits about her to get home again....

Amazing story

  • By 📚Erin 📚 on 02-08-24

2. House of Flame and Shadow

  • Series: Crescent City , Book 3
  • Release date: 01-30-24
  • 5 out of 5 stars 5,458 ratings

Regular price: $49.95 or 1 credit

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Fourth Wing Audiobook By Rebecca Yarros cover art

Fourth Wing

  • Empyrean, Book 1
  • By: Rebecca Yarros
  • Narrated by: Rebecca Soler, Teddy Hamilton
  • Length: 20 hrs and 43 mins
  • Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 24,963
  • Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 23,374
  • Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 23,378

Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Yarros....

  • 3 out of 5 stars

Erotica with Dragons

  • By Trev on 05-13-23

3. Fourth Wing

  • Narrated by: Rebecca Soler , Teddy Hamilton
  • Series: Empyrean , Book 1
  • Release date: 05-02-23
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars 24,963 ratings

Regular price: $25.79 or 1 credit

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Iron Flame Audiobook By Rebecca Yarros cover art

  • Empyrean, Book 2
  • Length: 28 hrs and 16 mins
  • Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 13,980
  • Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 13,318
  • Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 13,317

Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College―Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky....

  • 2 out of 5 stars

I wish I could throw this book off a cliff.

  • By Rebekah L Johnson on 11-10-23

4. Iron Flame

  • Series: Empyrean , Book 2
  • Release date: 11-07-23
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars 13,980 ratings

Regular price: $30.09 or 1 credit

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The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store Audiobook By James McBride cover art

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store

  • By: James McBride
  • Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman
  • Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins
  • Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 4,031
  • Performance 5 out of 5 stars 3,794
  • Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,793

In 1972, when workers in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, were digging the foundations for a new development, the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton at the bottom of a well....

Multiple Stories Obfuscate Narrative

  • By Stephnsea on 08-12-23

5. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store

  • Release date: 08-08-23
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars 4,031 ratings

Regular price: $22.50 or 1 credit

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Tom Lake Audiobook By Ann Patchett cover art

  • By: Ann Patchett
  • Narrated by: Meryl Streep
  • Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
  • Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 9,482
  • Performance 5 out of 5 stars 8,871
  • Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 8,858

In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family's orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake....

  • 1 out of 5 stars

So incredibly boring

  • By Rhonda Morrison on 08-05-23

6. Tom Lake

  • Release date: 08-01-23
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars 9,482 ratings

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None of This Is True Audiobook By Lisa Jewell cover art

None of This Is True

  • By: Lisa Jewell
  • Narrated by: Kristin Atherton, Ayesha Antoine, Louise Brealey, and others
  • Length: 10 hrs and 20 mins
  • Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 6,492
  • Performance 5 out of 5 stars 5,970
  • Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 5,962

Lisa Jewell returns with a scintillating new psychological thriller about a woman who finds herself the subject of her own popular true crime podcast....

Victim shaming a teen girl?

  • By Lisa & Travis on 08-11-23

7. None of This Is True

  • Narrated by: Kristin Atherton , Ayesha Antoine , Louise Brealey , Alix Dunmore , Elliot Fitzpatrick , Lisa Jewell , Thomas Judd , Dominic Thorburn , Nicola Walker , Jenny Walser
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars 6,492 ratings

Regular price: $18.74 or 1 credit

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House of Earth and Blood Audiobook By Sarah J. Maas cover art

House of Earth and Blood

  • Crescent City, Book 1
  • Length: 27 hrs and 50 mins
  • Overall 5 out of 5 stars 27,398
  • Performance 5 out of 5 stars 24,669
  • Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 24,586

The bestselling author invites listeners into a new fantasy world with a half-human, half-Fae heroine seeking revenge.

What a disappointment

  • By Hollie Morales on 03-09-20

8. House of Earth and Blood

  • Series: Crescent City , Book 1
  • Release date: 03-03-20
  • 5 out of 5 stars 27,398 ratings

Regular price: $42.99 or 1 credit

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Remarkably Bright Creatures Audiobook By Shelby Van Pelt cover art

Remarkably Bright Creatures

  • By: Shelby Van Pelt
  • Narrated by: Marin Ireland, Michael Urie
  • Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
  • Overall 5 out of 5 stars 34,737
  • Performance 5 out of 5 stars 31,504
  • Story 5 out of 5 stars 31,428

After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up....

Hidden gem, incredible narration!

  • By Christine T on 05-17-22

9. Remarkably Bright Creatures

  • Narrated by: Marin Ireland , Michael Urie
  • Release date: 05-03-22
  • 5 out of 5 stars 34,737 ratings

Regular price: $22.49 or 1 credit

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Lessons in Chemistry Audiobook By Bonnie Garmus cover art

Lessons in Chemistry

  • By: Bonnie Garmus
  • Narrated by: Miranda Raison, Bonnie Garmus, Pandora Sykes
  • Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
  • Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 31,303
  • Performance 5 out of 5 stars 27,576
  • Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 27,502

Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one....

Making my 3 adult daughters read this

  • By Teresa H. on 04-07-22

10. Lessons in Chemistry

  • Narrated by: Miranda Raison , Bonnie Garmus , Pandora Sykes
  • Release date: 04-05-22
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars 31,303 ratings

Regular price: $18.82 or 1 credit

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House of Sky and Breath Audiobook By Sarah J. Maas cover art

House of Sky and Breath

  • Crescent City, Book 2
  • Length: 27 hrs and 42 mins
  • Overall 5 out of 5 stars 18,984
  • Performance 5 out of 5 stars 17,094
  • Story 5 out of 5 stars 17,026

In this second installment in the Crescent City series, Bryce and Hunt are pulled into a battle between the rebels and the Asteri.

20 hr prologue to 7 hr book and 1 hr not-finale

  • By 🔥 Phx17 🔥 on 02-20-22

11. House of Sky and Breath

  • Series: Crescent City , Book 2
  • Release date: 02-15-22
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In the new crime thriller from #1 New York Times -bestselling J.D. Robb, a small and easily concealed weapon wreaks havoc, and the killer is just a face in the crowd....

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Who’s Tried to Buy Their Way Onto the New York Times Best Seller List?

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Jeffrey Davies

Jeffrey Davies is a professional introvert and writer with imposter syndrome whose work spans the worlds of pop culture, books, music, feminism, and mental health. In addition to Book Riot, his writing has appeared on HuffPost, Collider, PopMatters, Spectrum Culture, and other places. Find him on his website and follow him on Twitter @teeveejeff and Instagram @jeffreyreads . He is also the co-host of a Gilmore Girls podcast, Coffee With a Shot of Cynicism .

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According to the NYT themselves, “The weekly book lists are determined by sales numbers.” And that’s pretty much all they have to say about that, at least on the record. They say it takes into account sales numbers from all kinds of retail storefronts, be they big box stores, online retailers, or independent bookstores. But ever since the NYT Best Seller List made its debut in 1931, there’s been rumblings in the literary world of certain authors attempting to hack the system and “buy” their way onto the list.

According to an Esquire report from last year, the NYT has long denied using resources like ReaderLink or BookScan to accumulate sales numbers, since they aggregate data. They also only typically look at sales numbers from Amazon and other giant chains like Walmart or Target. Using resources like these would take away from the contribution of individual sales accrued at independent bookstores or specialty stores, and are therefore easy to manipulate.

“To my knowledge, The New York Times tracks sales of books, and the sales are what is ‘supposed to’ decide where those books sit on the list. However, the truth is, it’s much more editorialized,” stated a literary publicist quoted in the Esquire report . “There is quite a bit taken into consideration — i.e., are the book sales mostly bulk buys? Are they mostly indie bookstore sales? Are they mostly Amazon sales? Even which list the book would be considered for has a huge effect.”

In 1995, The New York Times Best Seller List introduced the dagger symbol, which indicates a book that has been bought in bulk and whose sales might not accurately represent its standing as a bestseller. This came after Michael Treacy and Fred Wierserma were accused of having spent a quarter of a million dollars that year on copies of their own book, The Discipline of Market Leaders .

Buying or hacking your way onto The New York Times Best Seller List is something afforded to the rich and privileged, specifically those with significant amounts of white privilege. Indeed, one need not look far for numerous lists of right-wing American politicians who have attempted to tip the commercial sales in their favor more than once after they’d published a book. The same can be said for reality television stars who have been accused of buying their way onto bestseller lists: they are almost always white and come from money.

It’s only natural that some authors, looking more to prioritize profit over the value of their so-called art, would try to hack the system. Here are some noted instances of people trying to buy their own way onto The New York Times Best Seller List.

Authors Who Have Tried to Hack The New York Times Best Seller List

Art of the Deal cover

Trump: The Art of the Deal by Donald J. Trump

What? The twice-impeached disgraced former President of the United States once tried to influence the sales of his 1987 memoir and business advice book, The Art of the Deal ? I’m shocked. According to Trumped! , the 1991 tell-all by former Trump employee Jack O’Donnell, The Art of the Deal only became a bestseller because of the author’s organization buying tens of thousands of copies themselves. In his book, O’Donnell recalls buying 1,000 copies of the book at the gift shop in the Plaza Hotel, only to be told by a fellow employee that it wasn’t nearly enough. He needed to order 4,000 copies.

Real Marriage cover

Real Marriage: The Truth About Sex, Friendship & Life Together by Mark & Grace Driscoll

This book is just one of many that’s hacked its way onto the NYT Best Seller List by way of a marketing or consulting firm hired to guarantee its spot there. Mark Driscoll, a megachurch pastor, spent US$210,000 to get Real Marriage to the number one spot on the list in 2012. It wasn’t until 2014 when how it got there was revealed; Driscoll wrote an open letter to the public apologizing for his actions, claiming he would no longer refer to himself as a New York Times best-selling author and would set out to rectify the situation. But it was too late for some in the evangelical community, who wrote him off for good.

Next Level Basic cover

Next Level Basic: The Definitive Basic Bitch Handbook by Stassi Schroeder

Known for her appearances on the reality television series Vanderpump Rules , Stassi Schroeder published her first book Next Level Basic in 2019, followed by her second Off with My Head in 2022. Both appeared on The New York Times Best Seller List…but with a dagger symbol next to them, indicating that the sales of the book that had been recorded had benefited from bulk purchases. This should not come as a huge surprise for either title, given that it’s pretty on brand for a self-proclaimed “basic bitch” to manipulate her own sales. Plus her second book is supposedly a manual for what to do when you’ve been “cancelled,” as Schroeder was fired from Vanderpump Rules after displays of racist behavior towards another cast member. And no one wanted to buy that book? Another shocker!

Valley of the Dolls cover

Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann

While this novel would become something of a cult classic in its ensuing decades, its initial success in commercial sales despite predominantly poor reviews of Valley of the Dolls could have something to do with its author. Jacqueline Susann, an actress turned novelist, would have stopped at nothing to ensure the success of her new career in books. Therefore, it’s been widely reported throughout the rest of the 20th century that the new author had a knack for buttering up booksellers who were known to report sales data to the NYT at the time, as well as buying large amounts of her own book with her own money.

Book cover of A Time for Truth

A Time for Truth by Ted Cruz

Hmm, interesting title for a book whose bestseller status was less than truthful. In 2015, The New York Times ran into trouble when they distinctly left Ted Cruz’s A Time for Truth off their Best Seller List, despite it having sold nearly 12,000 copies in its first week. The Times claimed that they have certain standards for their famous Best Seller List, and Cruz’s book did not meet those standards. When probed further, the newspaper admitted that it was left off the list because of the large amounts of bulk purchases that had been attributed to A Time for Truth . Then it came out that Cruz had given over $120,000 to his own publisher, likely to buy copies of his own book. He then tried to sell them on his own website for $85 each. No thank you, Ted!

No Apology cover

No Apology by Mitt Romney

Oh look, another Republican politician trying to screw the system in his favor! I am, once again, shocked! At least Mitt Romney tried to get creative with buying his way onto the Best Seller List: instead of buying up copies of his own book, he bartered for sales. While on his 2015 book tour for No Apology , he asked for the money corporations would have paid him to speak to be spent on copies of his book. A little less dishonest than buying copies of your own book verbatim, perhaps, but still no less immoral. The Times agreed, using the dagger symbol next to No Apology on the Best Seller List, to denote bulk sales.

I Libertine cover

I, Libertine by Frederick R. Ewing

In 1956, long before The New York Times was forced to intervene in sales manipulation, a DJ by the name of Jean Shepherd hatched a plan to prove that the NYT Best Seller List was bogus. He had a late-night radio show on WOR in New York, where he baptized his listeners as “night people” who were different from the “day people” folk. “Day people” were phonies and squares who were victims of society’s complacency, I guess. The idea for the hoax that would become I, Libertine began after Shepherd visited a bookstore and when he couldn’t find the title he was looking for, the clerk informed him that it might not exist, since it’s not on any list he’s ever seen. That’s when Shepherd really became convinced that New York, and the world at large, ran on lists.

“The people who believe in these lists are asleep,” he told his listeners. “Anyone sitting up at three in the morning secretly has doubts. What do you say tomorrow morning each one of us walk into a bookstore and ask for a book that we know does not exist?” So I, Libertine was born, written by retired Royal Navy Commander Frederick R. Ewing. Booksellers were so confused by the floods of requests for a book that could not be found. A writer at The Washington Post eventually figured out it was a hoax, and called Shepherd for comment. He conceded to the ruse and exposed the entire story for the newspaper on August 1, 1956.

But it didn’t end there: after all hell broke loose with The Washington Post expose, Shepherd was informed that Ballantine Books was scrambling to get the paperback rights to I, Libertine . Huh? Turns out the hoax had become so popular that Shepherd, sci-fi author Theodore Sturgeon, and the Ballantine publisher put their heads together to produce an actual book called I, Libertine published under the name Frederick R. Ewing. And guess what? It made the NYT Best Seller List.

Naked Came the Stranger cover

Naked Came the Stranger by Penelope Ashe

Following the popularity of Jacqueline Susann’s Valley of the Dolls in 1966, Newsday editor Mike McGrady decided to try his hand at what he believed was the novel’s formula for success. He decided to try to trick The New York Times Best Seller List by producing a novel with “ironic commentary” that spoke to the public’s appetite for Susann “and her ilk.” He sought out to create a committee that would write this future bestseller. “As one of Newsday ’s truly outstanding literary talents, you are hereby officially invited to become the co-author of a best-selling novel,” he wrote to his colleagues. “There will be an unremitting emphasis on sex. Also, true excellence in writing will be quickly blue-penciled into oblivion.” Twenty-four writers signed on to the project, and it was published as Naked Came the Stranger under the name Penelope Ashe in 1969. It sold 200,000 copies before the hoax came out, and that only increased the book’s popularity: it stayed on the NYT Best Seller List for another 13 weeks after that. Unlike I, Libertine , Naked Came the Stranger is a real book, just one that was commissioned under less than organic circumstances.

Have you heard of other stories of authors buying their way onto The New York Times Best Seller Lists?

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Trump is ordered to pay $355 million in fraud case, barred from doing business in New York

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A New York judge ordered Donald Trump and his companies on Friday to pay more than $355 million in penalties, finding they engaged in a years-long scheme to dupe banks and others with financial statements that inflated his wealth.

Trump won’t have to pay out the money now as an appeals process will have to play out, but the verdict still is a stunning setback for the former president.

If he is ultimately forced to pay, the size of the penalty on top of earlier judgments would dramatically diminish his financial resources. And the ruling undermines the image of a successful businessman that the Republican has carefully tailored to power his unlikely rise from a reality television star to a onetime — and perhaps future — president.

Judge Arthur Engoron concluded that Trump and his company were “likely to continue their fraudulent ways” without the financial penalties and other controls he imposed. Engoron said that Trump and his co-defendants had “failed to accept responsibility” and that experts who testified on his behalf had “simply denied reality.”

“This is a venial sin, not a mortal sin,” Engoron wrote in a searing 92-page opinion. “They did not rob a bank at gunpoint. Donald Trump is not Bernard Madoff. Yet, [the] defendants are incapable of admitting the error of their ways.”

He said that their “complete lack of contrition and remorse borders on pathological” and that “the frauds found here leap off the page and shock the conscience.”

The judge has also barred Trump, who first built his reputation as a real estate titan, from serving as an officer or director of any New York corporation for three years or from getting a loan from banks registered in his native state.

His eldest sons, Trump Organization Executive Vice Presidents Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, were ordered to pay $4 million each and were barred from being officers of New York companies for two years. Former company Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg was ordered to pay $1 million.

Trump called the verdict a “Complete and Total sham.” He wrote on his Truth Social platform that New York Atty. Gen. Letitia James, a Democrat, had “been obsessed with ’Getting Trump’ for years.”

Engoron’s decision was “an illegal, unAmerican judgment against me, my family, and my tremendous business,” he added.

The financial penalty against Trump and his co-defendants of $364 million total — which James’ office said would grow to $450 million with interest — will allow the Trump Organization to remain in business. The judge backed away from an earlier ruling that would have dissolved the former president’s companies. But if upheld, the verdict will force a shakeup at the top of the company.

In a statement, James said that “justice has been served,” and called the ruling “a tremendous victory for this state, this nation, and for everyone who believes that we all must play by the same rules — even former presidents.”

“Now, Donald Trump is finally facing accountability for his lying, cheating, and staggering fraud,” she said. “Because no matter how big, rich, or powerful you think you are, no one is above the law.”

A person walks past the glass windows of Trump Tower

Trump’s lawyers vowed to appeal. Attorney Alina Habba posted on social media that the verdict amounted to “manifest injustice” and “the culmination of a multi-year, politically fueled witch hunt.”

Fellow Trump lawyer Christopher Kise called the outcome “a draconian and unconstitutional fine and a corporate ‘death penalty’” for Trump, his family and his business.

The judge issued his decision after a 2½-month trial that saw the Republican presidential front-runner bristling under oath and claiming that he was the victim of a rigged legal system.

The stiff penalty was a victory for James, who had sued Trump over what she said was not just harmless bragging but years of deceptive practices as he built the multinational collection of skyscrapers, golf courses and other properties that catapulted him to fame and the White House.

James sued Trump in 2022 under a state law that authorizes her to investigate persistent fraud in business dealings.

The lawsuit accused Trump and his co-defendants of routinely puffing up his financial statements to create the illusion that his properties were more valuable than they really were. Lawyers for the state said Trump exaggerated his wealth by as much as $3.6 billion one year.

By making himself seem richer, Trump qualified for better loan terms, saved on interest and was able to complete projects he might otherwise not have finished, state lawyers said.

Even before the trial began, Engoron ruled that James had already proved Trump’s financial statements were fraudulent. The judge ordered some of Trump’s companies removed from his control and dissolved, but an appeals court put that decision on hold.

In his earlier ruling, the judge found that, among other tactics, Trump’s financial statements had wrongly claimed that his Trump Tower penthouse was nearly three times its actual size and had overvalued his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., based on the idea that the property could be developed for residential use, even though he had surrendered rights to develop it for any uses but a club.

Trump, one of 40 witnesses to testify at the trial, said his financial statements actually understated his net worth and that banks did their own research and were happy with his business.

“There was no victim. There was no anything,” he testified in November.

During the trial, Trump called the judge “extremely hostile” and the attorney general “a political hack.” In a six-minute courtroom diatribe during closing arguments in January, Trump said, “I am an innocent man,” calling the case a “fraud on me.”

Trump and his lawyers have said that the outside accountants who helped prepare his financial statements should’ve flagged any discrepancies, and that the documents came with disclaimers that shielded him from liability. The defense also argued that some of the allegations were barred by the statute of limitations.

The suit is one of many legal challenges for Trump as he campaigns for a return to the White House. He has been indicted four times in the last year — accused in Georgia and Washington, D.C., of plotting to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden; in Florida of illegally keeping classified federal documents; and in New York of falsifying business records related to hush money paid to porn actor Stormy Daniels on his behalf.

On Thursday, a New York judge confirmed that Trump’s hush-money trial will start March 25; and a judge in Atlanta heard arguments on whether to remove Fulton County Dist. Atty. Fani Willis from his Georgia election interference case due to her personal relationship with a special prosecutor she’d hired for the case.

Those criminal accusations haven’t appeared to undermine Trump’s march toward the Republican presidential nomination, but civil litigation has threatened him financially.

On Jan. 26, a jury ordered him to pay $83.3 million to writer E. Jean Carroll for defaming her after he was found liable for sexually assaulting her in a Manhattan department store in the 1990s. That’s on top of the $5 million a jury awarded Carroll in a related trial last year.

In 2022, the Trump Organization was convicted of tax fraud and fined $1.6 million in an unrelated criminal case for helping executives dodge taxes on extravagant perks such as Manhattan apartments and luxury cars.

In the current case, James had asked the judge to impose a penalty of at least $370 million.

Engoron decided the case because state law doesn’t allow for juries for this type of lawsuit.

Because the case was civil, not criminal, it did not carry the potential of prison time.

James, who campaigned for office as a Trump critic and watchdog, started scrutinizing his business practices in March 2019 after his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen testified to Congress that Trump had exaggerated his wealth on financial statements provided to Deutsche Bank while trying to obtain financing to buy the NFL’s Buffalo Bills.

James’ office has previously sued Trump for misusing his charitable foundation to further his political and business interests. He was ordered to pay $2 million to an array of charities as a fine, and his charity, the Trump Foundation, was shut down.

Trump incorporated the Trump Organization in New York in 1981. He still owns it, but he put his assets into a revocable trust and gave up his positions as the company’s director, president and chairman when he became president, leaving management of the company to sons Eric and Donald Jr.

Trump did not return to an official leadership position upon leaving the White House in 2021, but his sons have testified that he was still involved in some decision-making.

Engoron had already appointed a monitor, retired federal judge Barbara Jones, to keep an eye on the company.

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FILE - In this courtroom sketch, Judge Arthur Engoron questions former President Donald Trump on the witness stand in New York Supreme Court, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023, in New York. Within days, Trump could potentially have his sprawling real estate business empire ordered “dissolved” for repeated misrepresentations on financial statements to lenders, adding him to a short list of scam marketers, con artists and others who have been hit with the ultimate punishment for violating New York’s powerful anti-fraud law. (Elizabeth Williams via AP, File)

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Joseph Lelyveld Dies: Former New York Times Executive Editor, Pulitzer Prize Winner Was 86

Joseph Lelyveld, who won the 1986 Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction for his book, Move Your Shadow: South Africa, Black and White, and was a former executive editor and foreign correspondent for The New York Times, died on Friday at his Manhattan home.

He was 86 and succumbed to complications of Parkinson's disease, according to Janny Scott, his partner of 19 years and a former Times reporter.

Lelyveld was reported from Washington, Congo, India, Hong Kong, Johannesburg and London during his long career.

He served as the Times executive editor from 1994 to 2001, arguably the most powerful post in American journalism. He oversaw a newspaper transitioning to the digital age, ushering in the New York Times website and the beginning of 24-hour news coverage.

Lelyveld retired a week before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. However, in June 2003, he returned to the top post in the wake of disclosures of journalistic fraud and plagiarism by a reporter, Jayson Blair. He served in the role for six weeks, Bill Keller, a columnist and former Times correspondent, was named the executive editor.

In a statement on Friday, former publisher Arthur Sulzberger, now chairman emeritus of The New York Times Company, said: "Everyone knows Joe as a giant in journalism, but first and foremost he was a thoughtful, compassionate man who cared deeply about his colleagues. He was not only a great executive editor who steered The Times through some challenging moments at the advent of the internet, but he also returned to help heal the newsroom at a very low point. He will be remembered by many for journalistic triumphs and his humanity. I will always remember him as my dear friend."

In addition to Janny Scott, Lelyveld is survived by two daughters from his marriage, Amy and Nita Lelyveld, and a granddaughter.

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Joseph Lelyveld Dies: Former New York Times Executive Editor, Pulitzer Prize Winner Was 86

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Some Authors Were Left Out of Awards Held in China. Leaked Emails Show Why.

When some books, including best sellers, were conspicuously absent from the science fiction Hugo Awards last year, writers and fans became suspicious.

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The author R.F. Kuang is shown in a dark coat, looking up and away from the camera, against a blurry backdrop.

By Alexandra Alter

The Hugo Awards, a major literary prize for science fiction, have been engulfed in controversy over revelations that some writers may have been excluded based on their perceived criticism of China or the Chinese government.

Suspicions in the science fiction community have been building for weeks that something was amiss with last year’s awards, which rotate to a different city each year, and in 2023 were hosted in Chengdu, China. Now, newly released emails show that the awards were likely manipulated because of political concerns.

Here’s what we know.

What are the Hugo Awards?

The awards , first established in 1953, are given annually at a gathering hosted by the World Science Fiction Convention. Writers are nominated and awarded prizes by members of the World Science Fiction Society, which includes science fiction fans. Each person can nominate five works for each category. Those entries are then tallied so that the six works with the most votes become finalists. Previous winners have included luminaries like Ursula K. Le Guin, William Gibson and Philip K. Dick.

Why were writers, and fans, upset?

In January, the Hugo Awards revealed which writers had been nominated for last year’s awards, and by how many people. The information made clear that multiple authors who had enough nominations to be finalists were shut out of the process; award administrators had marked them as not eligible , without specifying a reason. Among the excluded authors were two Western writers of Chinese descent: R.F. Kuang, who is Chinese American and who was widely expected to be recognized for her novel “Babel,” a historical fantasy set in mid-1800s Oxford, and Xiran Jay Zhao, a Chinese Canadian author whose novel “Iron Widow” is a sci-fi reimagining of China’s female emperor.

“I assume this was a matter of undesirability rather than ineligibility,” Kuang posted on Instagram in January. “Excluding ‘undesirable’ work is not only embarrassing for all involved parties, but renders the entire process and organization illegitimate.”

What did the leaked emails reveal?

The exclusion of popular authors of Chinese descent led to speculation that the awards’ administrators had weeded out those whose political views might prove controversial in China. Those suspicions were confirmed recently, when emails leaked by Diane Lacey, a member of last year’s Hugo administration team, were published in a report by Chris M. Barkley, a science fiction fan and journalist, and Jason Sanford, a journalist and science fiction writer.

The email correspondence published in the report showed that Dave McCarty, one of the Hugo administrators, had advised other members to vet the finalists and “highlight anything of a sensitive political nature” in China, including works that focused “on China, Taiwan, Tibet or other topics that may be an issue in China.” Such works, he added, might not be safe to put on the ballot.

“This really just cut to the core of the awards,” Sanford said. “For a genre that believes so deeply in free speech to willingly take part in doing research on political issues of awards finalists, knowing that it’s going to be used to eliminate some of those finalists, it’s outrageous.”

In an interview with The Times, Lacey confirmed that she had provided the emails, and said that she shared them publicly because she regretted her actions, and wanted to ensure that the Hugos would not be tainted again in the future. “I felt very guilty about what I did and wanted to be able to look myself in the mirror again,” she said.

What’s still murky?

It’s unclear if the awards’ administrators were acting under pressure or were pre-emptively seeking to avoid controversy. Lacey said that she was not aware of overt directives from Chinese officials, but added that McCarty had mentioned getting guidance from Chinese counterparts. In one of the released emails, McCarty told a colleague to be on the lookout for “mentions of Hong Kong, Taiwan, Tibet, negatives of China” from writers or in their works, and added that “I will try to get better guidance when I have a chance to dig into this deeper with the Chinese folks on the committee.” McCarty did not immediately respond to an email request for comment.

Questions also remain about whether Chinese writers were excluded as finalists for political reasons.

What has the fallout been — for Worldcon, and in the sci-fi literary world?

Last month, Worldcon announced that McCarty had resigned from his post and that he and two others had been censured “for actions of the Hugo Administration Committee of the Chengdu Worldcon.”

Esther MacCallum-Stewart, the chair of this year’s Worldcon, which will take place in Glasgow, issued an apology for last year’s debacle and said that steps would be taken “to ensure transparency and to attempt to redress the grievous loss of trust in the administration of the Awards.”

Writers who were excluded from last year’s award have expressed outrage.

“The Hugo Awards tried so hard to appease the Chinese government they circled back to being racist by preemptively disqualifying Chinese diaspora,” Xiran Jay Zhao wrote on X.

In an email, Kuang called the revelations “disappointing.”

John Scalzi, who was a finalist last year, said that the 2023 awards were “fraudulent,” and that he felt betrayed by the administrators.

“The Hugos, because they are a fan-given award, are the ones that are closest to the hearts of dyed-in-the-wool science fiction fans,” he said. “To have them compromised like this is a punch in the gut to a whole lot of people.”

Alexandra Alter writes about books, publishing and the literary world for The Times. More about Alexandra Alter

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