What was the bestselling book last year, from city to city? Nielsen BookScan provided us with the sales rankings of the most popular titles in 2011—see how New York readers differ from Houston’s. No surprise that Walter Isaacson's Steve Jobs biography topped the nonfiction list in almost every city, and The Help even took the top two spots for fiction. But there were some interesting differences: note that Bill O'Reilly's book didn't make it on the list in San Francisco, and Todd Burpo's Heaven Is For Real overtook Isaacson in Dallas, Detroit and Houston.
A note on the data and methodology: These are 10 of the largest metro areas in the U.S. All of the sales rankings for adult fiction and nonfiction were provided by Nielsen BookScan, which gathers point-of-sale book data from more than 13,000 locations across the U.S. Their data provider list includes all major booksellers, Internet retailers, and food and other non-traditional bookselling stores.
Nonfiction
1. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
2. Heaven Is For Real by Todd Burpo
3. Bossypants by Tina Fey
4. The Official SAT Study Guide by The College Board
5. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
6. Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
7. Go the F**ck to Sleep by Adam Mansbach and Richard Cortés
8. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
9. Just Kids by Patti Smith
10. In The Garden Of Beasts by Erik Larson
Fiction
1. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
2. The Help (Movie Tie-in) by Kathryn Stockett
3. Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen
4. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
5. A Visit From The Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
6. Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese
7. Room by Emma Donoghue
8. 11/22/1963 by Stephen King
9. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson
10. A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin
Mark Lennihan / AP Photo
Nonfiction
1. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
2. Heaven Is For Real by Todd Burpo
3. Bossypants by Tina Fey
4. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
5. Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
6. A Stolen Life: A Memoir by Jaycee Dugard
7. StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath
8. The Official SAT Study Guide by The College Board
9. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
10. Inside Of A Dog: What Dogs See by Alexandra Horowitz
Fiction
1. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
2. The Help (Movie Tie-in) by Kathryn Stockett
3. Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen
4. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
5. The Confession by John Grisham
6. The Litigators by John Grisham
7. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson
8. Song of Ice and Fire, Books 1-4 by George R.R. Martin
9. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
10. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson
Nick Ut / AP Photo
Nonfiction
1. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
2. Heaven Is For Real by Todd Burpo
3. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
4. In The Garden Of Beasts by Erik Larson
5. Bossypants by Tina Fey
6. Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
7. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
8. StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath
9. The Devil In The White City by Erik Larson
10. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
Fiction
1. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
2. The Help (Movie Tie-in) by Kathryn Stockett
3. Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen
4. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
5. Room by Emma Donoghue
6. 11/22/1963 by Stephen King
7. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson
8. Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese
9. The Litigators by John Grisham
10. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (Mass Market Paperback) by Stieg Larsson
Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP Photo
Nonfiction
1. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson by Walter Isaacson
2. Heaven Is For Real by Todd Burpo
3. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
4. Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
5. Bossypants by Tina Fey
6. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
7. The Official SAT Study Guide by The College Board
8. The 17 Day Diet by Mike Moreno
9. A Stolen Life: A Memoir by Jaycee Dugard
10. Go The F**k To Sleep by Adam Mansbach and Richard Cortés
Fiction
1. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
2. The Help (Movie Tie-in) by Kathryn Stockett
3. Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen
4. 11/22/1963 by Stephen King
5. Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese
6. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
7. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson
8. The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks
9. The Litigators by John Grisham
10. Room by Emma Donoghue
Matt Rourke / AP Photo
Nonfiction
1. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
2. A Stolen Life: A Memoir by Jaycee Dugard
3. Heaven Is For Real by Todd Burpo
4. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
5. Bossypants by Tina Fey
6. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
7. StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath
8. Inside Of A Dog: What Dogs See by Alexandra Horowitz
9. Go The F**k To Sleep by Adam Mansbach and Richard Cortés
10. The Official SAT Study Guide by The College Board
Fiction
1. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
2. The Help (Movie Tie-in) by Kathryn Stockett
3. Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese
4. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
5. Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen
6. A Visit From The Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
7. A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin
8. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson
9. The Confession by John Grisham
10. Song of Ice and Fire, Books 1-4 by George R.R. Martin
Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP Photo
Nonfiction
1. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
2. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
3. Heaven Is For Real by Todd Burpo
4. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
5. Bossypants by Tina Fey
6. Hitman: The Untold Story Of Johnny Martorano by Howie Carr
7. Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
8. The Greater Journey by David McCullough
9. In The Garden Of Beasts by Erik Larson
10. The Official SAT Study Guide by The College Board
Fiction
1. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
2. The Help (Movie Tie-in) by Kathryn Stockett
3. Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese
4. 11/22/63 by Steven King
5. Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen
6. Room by Emma Donoghue
7. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
8. A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin
9. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson
10. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Karen Testa / AP Photo
Nonfiction
1. Heaven Is For Real by Todd Burpo
2. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
3. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
4. StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath
5. Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
6. Jesus Calling by Sarah Young
7. Decision Points by George W. Bush
8. The Official SAT Study Guide by The College Board
9. Bossypants by Tina Fey
10. A Stolen Life: A Memoir by Jaycee Dugard
Fiction
1. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
2. The Help (Movie Tie-in) by Kathryn Stockett
3. The Litigators by John Grisham
4. Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen
5. 11/22/63 by Steven King
6. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
7. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
8. A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin
9. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson
10. Smokin’ Seventeen by Janet Evanovich
Brandon Wade / AP Photo
Nonfiction
1. Heaven Is For Real by Todd Burpo
2. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
3. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
4. Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
5. The 17 Day Diet by Mike Moreno
6. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
7. Three And Out by John U. Bacon
8. Bossypants / by Tina Fey
9. Guinness World Records by Craig Glenday
10. A Stolen Life: A Memoir by Jaycee Dugard
Fiction
1. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
2. The Help (Movie Tie-in) by Kathryn Stockett
3. The Litigators by John Grisham
4. Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen
5. 11/22/63 by Steven King
6. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
7. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
8. A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin
9. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson
10. Smokin’ Seventeen by Janet Evanovich
Carlos Osorio / AP Photo
Nonfiction
1. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
2. Heaven Is For Real by Todd Burpo
3. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
4. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
5. Bossypants by Tina Fey
6. StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath
7. Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
8. In The Garden Of Beasts by Erik Larson
9. The Official SAT Study Guide by The College Board
10. The Greater Journey by David McCullough
Fiction
1. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
2. The Help (Movie Tie-in) by Kathryn Stockett
3. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
4. Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen
5. A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin
6. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
7. The Litigators by John Grisham
8. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson
9. Song of Ice and Fire, Books 1-4 by George R.R. Martin
10. 11/22/1963 by Stephen King
Bruce Bennett / Getty Images
Nonfiction
1. Heaven Is For Real by Todd Burpo
2. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
3. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
4. Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
5. One Month To Live by Kerry Shook
6. What To Expect When You're Expecting by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel
7. StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath
8. Jesus Calling by Sarah Young
9. A Stolen Life: A Memoir by Jaycee Dugard
10. Bossypants by Tina Fey
Fiction
1. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
2. The Help (Movie Tie-in) by Kathryn Stockett
3. The Litigators by John Grisham
4. Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen
5. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
6. The Confession by John Grisham
7. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
8. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson
9. A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin
10. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Paul Sancya / AP Photo
