TheBestseller
Observatory

Best Sellers

Hardcover Fiction

Week of March 18, 1962

FictionNonfiction
WeekMonth
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4
1
THE FOX IN THE ATTIC
Richard Hughes
Cover of THE FOX IN THE ATTIC

THE FOX IN THE ATTIC

by Richard Hughes · Harper and Brothers

4 wks on list

Takes rich young Augustine to Bavaria on the eve of Hitler's ill-fated 1923 Munich putsch and ends with the departure into a convent of Augustine's romantic first love, the blind Mitzi.

5
1
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
Harper Lee
Cover of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

by Harper Lee · J.B. Lippincott Company

85 wks on list

Look for The Land of Sweet Forever, a posthumous collection of newly discovered short stories and previously published essays and magazine pieces by Harper Lee, coming October 21, 2025.Voted America's Best-Loved Novel in PBS's The Great American ReadHarper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork of honor and injustice in the deep South—and the heroism of one man in the face of blind and violent hatredOne of the most cherished stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than forty million copies worldwide, served as the basis for an enormously popular motion picture, and was voted one of the best novels of the twentieth century by librarians across the country. A gripping, heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable tale of coming-of-age in a South poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl, as her father—a crusading local lawyer—risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime.

6
3
THE BULL FROM THE SEA
Mary Renault
Cover of THE BULL FROM THE SEA

THE BULL FROM THE SEA

by Mary Renault · Pantheon

3 wks on list

The Bull from the Sea reconstructs the legend of Theseus, the valiant youth who slew the Minotaur, became king, and brought prosperity to Attica. Chief among his heroic exploits is the seduction of Hippolyta, the Queen of the Amazons, who irrevocably brings about both his greatest joy and his tragic destiny. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

8
2
THE IVY TREE
Mary Stewart
Cover of THE IVY TREE

THE IVY TREE

by Mary Stewart · William Morrow and Company

10 wks on list

A trick of coloring ... Her walk ... The way she smiled. If Mary Grey looked so much like the missing heiress, why should she not be an heiress? To the lonely young woman living in a dreary furnished room, faced with an uncertain future, the impersonation offered intriguing possibilities. And so plain Mary Grey became the glamorous Annabel Winslow. But she did not live happily ever after. In fact, she almost did not live at all. Because someone wanted Annabel missing ... permanently.

9
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CHAIRMAN OF THE BORED
Edward Streeter
Cover of CHAIRMAN OF THE BORED

CHAIRMAN OF THE BORED

by Edward Streeter · Harper and Brothers

24 wks on list

The reactions of a busy top executive who is forced into retirement through a company policy he himself, as a younger man, had devised for other people.

10
LITTLE ME
Patrick Dennis
Cover of LITTLE ME
12
NEW
DEVIL WATER
Anya Seton
Cover of DEVIL WATER

DEVIL WATER

by Anya Seton · Houghton Mifflin

1 wks on list

A wonderfully captivating historical romance from the author of the bestselling classic Katherine. 'To read Seton is to enter into another time with such conviction that it seems as real as the present' (Philippa Gregory) Set during the Jacobite Risings of 1715 and 1745, this is the story of Charles Radcliffe, a brave and devoted follower of the exiled Stuart royal family, and of Jenny, his beloved daughter from a secret marriage. As Charles strives to regain the English throne for his deposed king, Jenny struggles to leave the conflicts of the Old World behind in her search for freedom and happiness in the American colonies. From rural Northumbria to the bustle of 18th century London and colonial Virginia, Seton brings history to life to create a fiercely beautiful novel of loyalty, passion, courage and tragedy. ANYA SETON (1904 -1990) was the author of 10 bestselling historical novels: Dragonwyk, My Theodosia, The Turquoise, The Hearth & Eagle, Foxfire, Katherine, Avalon, The Winthrop Woman, Devil Water and Green Darkness

14
1
THE CARPETBAGGERS
Harold Robbins
Cover of THE CARPETBAGGERS

THE CARPETBAGGERS

by Harold Robbins · Trident Press

38 wks on list

A sizzling tale of ambition, lust, and power in the glittering world of old Hollywood Jonas Cord coveted his father's fame, fortune, and even his young, beautiful wife. When his father died, Jonas swore to possess them all. But Rina Marlow was the celebrated screen goddess no man could master. Her sensuality inflamed and enthralled millions, but her personal life was no Hollywood fantasy. She consumed her lovers on the fiery rack of her burning desires. Rina and Jonas took Hollywood and America by storm, brawling and lusting as they carved out an empire blazoned in headlines and enemies' blood. But money, power, revenge and renown were not enough for these two. The higher they soared, the darker and deadlier their fiery passions grew. Carpetbaggers is a legendary masterpiece of historical fiction that boldly explores sex, power and the early days of Hollywood. This provocative classic offers a graphic depiction of the film industry and the scorching desires that drove it. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Historical bestseller data sourced from the New York Times Book Review, archived by Hawes Publications.