New York Times
Hardcover Fiction Bestsellers
May 3, 2026

1. Hope Rises
by David Baldacci

The second book in the Walter Nash series. Using an alias and some lethal skills, Nash works to bring down a global criminal operation.
2. The Correspondent
by Virginia Evans

Letters from someone she used to know push Sybil Van Antwerp toward revisiting her past and finding a way to forgive.
3. Yesteryear
by Caro Claire Burke

Natalie Heller Mills, a privileged tradwife social media influencer, wakes up to find she is living in the comparatively difficult reality of 1855.
4. Rites of the Starling
by Devney Perry

The second book in the Shield of Sparrows series. Secrets uncovered may stop the devastation of a cursed realm.
5. Starside
by Alex Aster

Aris traverses a realm of magic and immortals, where she faces dangers as she seeks to avenge her family’s death.
6. The Auction
by Sadie Kincaid

A billionaire who wears a mask brings home a young woman who was sold at an auction as a penance for her parents’ alleged crimes.
7. The Faith of Beasts
by James S.A. Corey

The second book in the Captive’s War series. The ruthless reign of the Carryx empire is challenged.
8. Judge Stone
by Viola Davis and James Patterson

Judge Mary Stone oversees an ethically complex case in her courtroom in Union Springs, Ala.
9. Go Gentle
by Maria Semple

Adora Hazzard, a contented divorcée, meets a handsome stranger and becomes engulfed by desire and intrigue.
10. The Night We Met
by Abby Jimenez

Larissa makes a choice after a concert to ride home with Chris’s best friend, which may cause life-changing results.
11. Revenge Prey
by John Sandford

The 36th book in the Prey series. Davenport and White must protect a Russian intelligence officer and his family who are in hiding.
12. Carl's Doomsday Scenario
by Matt Dinniman

The second book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. Carl and Donut confront an ancient spell and heightened dangers.
13. The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook
by Matt Dinniman

The third book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. Carl and Donut are up against a subway system filled with monsters.
14. My Husband's Wife
by Alice Feeney

In an old house in a seaside town, things may not be what they appear to be.
15. Cherry Baby
by Rainbow Rowell

As her marriage to a webcomic creator who's gone Hollywood deteriorates, Cherry bumps into someone from her past.
©2026 All rights reserved by New York Times Syndication Sales Corp. This material may not be published, broadcast or redistributed in any manner.
 
A version of this list appears in the May 3, 2026 issue of The New York Times Book Review. Rankings reflect sales for the week ending April 18, 2026.
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