The New York Times Fiction Best Sellers of 1942
# The New York Times Fiction Best Sellers of 1942

This is a list of adult fiction books that topped The New York Times Fiction Best Seller list in 1942.

Though the bestseller list first began in 1931, it only became a national survey on August 9, 1942; previously the list only reflected sales from the New York metropolitan area.

The two most popular books that year were The Song of Bernadette, by Franz Werfel, which made the list for fifteen weeks; and The Robe, by Lloyd Douglas, which would dominate the list for the final six weeks of 1942 and most of 1943.

| Date | Book | Author |
| - | - | - |
| January 4 | The Keys of the Kingdom | A. J. Cronin |
| January 11 | Windswept | Mary Ellen Chase |
| January 18 | Windswept | Mary Ellen Chase |
| January 25 | Windswept | Mary Ellen Chase |
| February 1 | Windswept | Mary Ellen Chase |
| February 8 | Dragon Seed | Pearl S. Buck |
| February 15 | Frenchman's Creek | Daphne du Maurier |
| February 22 | Dragon Seed | Pearl S. Buck |
| March 1 | Dragon Seed | Pearl S. Buck |
| March 8 | Dragon Seed | Pearl S. Buck |
| March 15 | Dragon Seed | Pearl S. Buck |
| March 22 | The Moon Is Down | John Steinbeck |
| March 29 | The Moon Is Down | John Steinbeck |
| April 5 | The Moon Is Down | John Steinbeck |
| April 12 | The Moon Is Down | John Steinbeck |
| April 19 | The Moon Is Down | John Steinbeck |
| April 26 | The Moon Is Down | John Steinbeck |
| May 3 | The Moon Is Down | John Steinbeck |
| May 10 | The Moon Is Down | John Steinbeck |
| May 17 | The Moon Is Down | John Steinbeck |
| May 24 | The Moon Is Down | John Steinbeck |
| May 31 | The Moon Is Down | John Steinbeck |
| June 7 | The Moon Is Down | John Steinbeck |
| June 14 | And Now Tomorrow | Rachel Field |
| June 21 | And Now Tomorrow | Rachel Field |
| June 28 | And Now Tomorrow | Rachel Field |
| July 5 | And Now Tomorrow | Rachel Field |
| July 12 | And Now Tomorrow | Rachel Field |
| July 19 | The Song of Bernadette | Franz Werfel |
| July 26 | The Song of Bernadette | Franz Werfel |
| August 2 | And Now Tomorrow | Rachel Field |
| August 9 | And Now Tomorrow | Rachel Field |
| August 16 | The Song of Bernadette | Franz Werfel |
| August 23 | The Song of Bernadette | Franz Werfel |
| August 30 | The Song of Bernadette | Franz Werfel |
| September 6 | Drivin' Woman | Elizabeth Chevalier |
| September 13 | The Song of Bernadette | Franz Werfel |
| September 20 | The Song of Bernadette | Franz Werfel |
| September 27 | The Song of Bernadette | Franz Werfel |
| October 4 | The Song of Bernadette | Franz Werfel |
| October 11 | The Song of Bernadette | Franz Werfel |
| October 18 | The Song of Bernadette | Franz Werfel |
| October 25 | The Song of Bernadette | Franz Werfel |
| November 1 | The Song of Bernadette | Franz Werfel |
| November 8 | The Song of Bernadette | Franz Werfel |
| November 15 | The Song of Bernadette | Franz Werfel |
| November 22 | The Robe | Lloyd Douglas |
| November 29 | The Robe | Lloyd Douglas |
| December 6 | The Robe | Lloyd Douglas |
| December 13 | The Robe | Lloyd Douglas |
| December 20 | The Robe | Lloyd Douglas |
| December 27 | The Robe | Lloyd Douglas |
