TheBestseller
Observatory

Best Sellers

Hardcover Fiction

Week of March 31, 1985

FictionNonfiction
WeekMonth
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2
1
IF TOMORROW COMES
Sidney Sheldon
Cover of IF TOMORROW COMES
3
THINNER
Richard Bachman
Cover of THINNER

THINNER

by Richard Bachman · New American Library

5 wks on list

For use in schools and libraries only. After an old gypsy woman is killed by his car, lawyer Billy Halleck is stricken with a flesh-wasting malady and must undertake a nightmarish journey to confront the forces of death.

4
1
INSIDE, OUTSIDE
Herman Wouk
Cover of INSIDE, OUTSIDE

INSIDE, OUTSIDE

by Herman Wouk · Little, Brown

2 wks on list

A "truly enjoyable" journey through one man's Jewish American experience by the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Marjorie Morningstar (Newsday). Herman Wouk's classic novel moves on from the grand themes which have won him international acclaim - war, the fate of nations, and the indomitable spirit of man - to the quest for identity, in the clash between the Inside of faith and family and the Outside of the glittery American dream. Inside, Outside sweeps through more than sixty years, from the pre-war, pre-atomic innocence of the twenties and thirties to the turbulent immediate past. Scenes of rollicking family humour and show-business comedy alternate with sudden tragedy, the spectacle of a falling President and the explosion of war. A bittersweet first love, relived after forty years, and a tense secret wartime mission between Washington and Jerusalem call forth the author's renowned storytelling gift. An intense, personal book about intimate things, Inside, Outside is a merry, poignant, sometimes ribald picture of the American Jewish experience, by a master at the peak of his powers. "Extremely funny." - The Wall Street Journal "A social comedy of Jewish-American life reaching from New York to Jerusalem and spanning much of the 20th century" - Publishers Weekly "Wouk reaffirms his position as one of the nation's eminent storytellers." - Newsday "Wouk`s most significant work since The Caine Mutiny." - Chicago Tribune "Generously stuffed with zestfully old-fashioned humor and sentiment." - Kirkus Reviews

5
4
PROOF
Dick Francis
Cover of PROOF

PROOF

by Dick Francis · Putnam

2 wks on list

Incomparable New York Times bestselling author Dick Francis offers a compelling tale of fine living, fast horses, and shattering suspense... Wine merchant Tony Beach has expertly catered his latest society soiree, but the fun’s over when a team of hit men crash the party...literally. The event leaves Tony with a bitter aftertaste of suspicion—and sets off a mystery that’s an intoxicating blend of deception, intrigue, and murder.

7
3
THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER
Tom Clancy
Cover of THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER

THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER

by Tom Clancy · Naval Institute Press

2 wks on list

Both the Americans and the Soviets commence an intense naval search when a trusted and skilled Soviet naval officer defects--using the USSR's most valuable nuclear submarine as his escape vehicle

8
MEXICO SET
Len Deighton
Cover of MEXICO SET

MEXICO SET

by Len Deighton · Knopf

5 wks on list
10
1
MINDBEND
Robin Cook
Cover of MINDBEND

MINDBEND

by Robin Cook · Putnam

3 wks on list

Because his wife is pregnant, Adam must take a job with a pharmaceutical company and give up his dream of being a doctor. It is Robin Cook's suspense and spellbinding terror at his best.

11
5
SEE YOU LATER ALLIGATOR
William F. Buckley Jr
Cover of SEE YOU LATER ALLIGATOR

SEE YOU LATER ALLIGATOR

by William F. Buckley Jr · Doubleday

6 wks on list

The year is 1961, the setting Havana. CIA super-secret agent Blackford Oakes is sent there on a mission only to find himself in the eye of an international political hurricane.

13
HOTEL DU LAC
Anita Brookner
Cover of HOTEL DU LAC

HOTEL DU LAC

by Anita Brookner · Pantheon

3 wks on list

Into the rarefied atmosphere of the Hotel du Lac timidly walks Edith Hope, romantic novelist and holder of modest dreams. Edith has refused to sacrifice her ideals and remains stubbornly single, until she meets Mr Neville.

14
NEW
SO LONG, AND THANKS FOR ALL THE FISH
Douglas Adams
Cover of SO LONG, AND THANKS FOR ALL THE FISH

SO LONG, AND THANKS FOR ALL THE FISH

by Douglas Adams · Harmony

15 wks on list

There is a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. It's not an easy thing to do and Arthur Dent thinks he's the only human who's been able to master this nifty little trick - until he meets Fenchurch, the girl of his dreams. Fenchruch knows how the world could be made a good and happy place. Unfortunately she's forgotten. Convinced that the secret lies within God's Final Message to His Creation, they go in search of it. And, in a dramatic break with tradition, actually find it. . .

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