The American daily newspaper The New York Times publishes multiple weekly lists ranking the best-selling books in the United States.
Changes to the list Beginning on January 1, 1984, The New York Times Book Review introduced revised and expanded best seller lists to "clarify categories of book buying". The hardcover books list was previously divided into two lists: fiction (15 titles) and general (15 titles). The hardcover fiction list remained the same, but the hardcover general list was divided into two new lists: nonfiction (15 titles) and advice, how-to, and miscellaneous (5 titles). The nonfiction list would be reserved for "serious nonfiction" while the advice list would be dedicated to the self-improvement genre. This change to the list was made because advice best sellers were sometimes crowding the general nonfiction list. The inaugural number one bestseller of the advice list, The Body Principal by Victoria Principal, had been number 10 and number 12 on the general nonfiction lists for the two preceding weeks.
The paperback books list previously consisted of two categories: mass market and trade. Both categories were eliminated because the editors believed the distinction was "less important to the general reader than to the industry". Mass market and trade were replaced by three new categories: fiction (15 titles), nonfiction (5 titles) and advice, how-to and miscellaneous (10 titles). The miscellaneous category would accommodate cartoon books, joke books and other titles that were not listed before, including "road atlases, tax preparation guides and computer handbooks".
Fiction The following list ranks the number-one best-selling fiction books, in the hardcover fiction category.Adult New York Times Best Seller Lists for 1984
DateBookAuthor January 1 Poland James Michener January 8 January 15 Pet Sematary Stephen King January 22 January 29 Who Killed the Robins Family? Thomas Chastain February 5 Pet Sematary Stephen King February 12 February 19 February 26 March 4 March 11 The Aquitaine Progression Robert Ludlum March 18 March 25 April 1 April 8 April 15 April 22 April 29 May 6 May 13 May 20 May 27 June 3 Full Circle Danielle Steel June 10 June 17 June 24 July 1 The Aquitaine Progression Robert Ludlum July 8 "...And Ladies of the Club" Helen Hooven Santmyer July 15 July 22 July 29 August 5 August 12 August 19 August 26 First Among Equals Jeffrey Archer September 2 September 9 September 16 The Fourth Protocol Frederick Forsyth September 23 September 30 October 7 October 14 October 21 October 28 The Talisman Stephen King and Peter Straub November 4 November 11 November 18 November 25 December 2 December 9 December 16 December 23 December 30
Nonfiction The following list ranks the number-one best-selling nonfiction books, in the hardcover nonfiction category.
DateBookAuthorJanuary 1 Motherhood: The Second Oldest Profession Erma BombeckJanuary 8 January 15 January 22 In Search of Excellence Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman Jr.January 29 February 5 February 12 February 19 February 26 Mayor Edward I. Koch with William RauchMarch 4 Motherhood: The Second Oldest Profession Erma BombeckMarch 11 Mayor Edward I. Koch with William RauchMarch 18 March 25 April 1 April 8 April 15 April 22 April 29 Motherhood: The Second Oldest ProfessionErma BombeckMay 6 May 13 May 20 May 27 June 3 June 10 June 17 First Lady from Plains Rosalynn CarterJune 24 Wired Bob WoodwardJuly 1 July 8 July 15 July 22 The Kennedys: An American DramaPeter Collier and David HorowitzJuly 29 August 5 August 12 August 19 August 26 September 2 September 9 Loving Each Other Leo BuscagliaSeptember 16 September 23 September 30 October 7 October 14 October 21 October 28 November 4 Iacocca: An Autobiography Lee Iacocca with William NovakNovember 11 November 18 November 25 December 2 December 9 December 16 December 23 December 30
See also Publishers Weekly list of bestselling novels in the United States in the 1980s
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