21 Best Selling Books of All Time (2024)

When it comes to declaring the best book you have ever read, everyone has their personal favorite. However, the chronology becomes much simpler when considering the best-selling books of all time. 

Depending on the number of people who read a book says a lot about its writing, characters, and story. However, it is challenging to determine how many exact copies were sold of a particular book, as there is no official record of any books. 

While no fixed number one can tell of any books, after much research and reading, we have handpicked the best-selling books that have sold hundreds of millions of copies worldwide! However, note that the number does not include e-book sales. 

So without wasting any time, let us quickly dive into the article!

Top Best Selling Books of All Time

While the entire list is full of elite books, here are our top favorite books that ace every parameter of an excellent book, like writing, story, character development, etc. 

Book	Rating	Genre	Number of sold copies
Don Quixote	4.9/5	Psychological fiction	500 million
A Tale of Two Cities	4.7/5	Historical fiction	200 million
The Lord of The Rings	4.6/5	Fantasy fiction	150 million
The Da Vinci Code	4.6/5	Mystery thriller	80 million
Think and Grow Rich	4.5/5	Self-help	70 million
The Alchemist	3.9/5	Drama and fantasy fiction	65 million
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone	4.5/5	Fantasy fiction	107 million

Coming to the most awaited part of this article, let us see the list of 21 best-selling books of all time below. You must ensure that you stick to the theme till the end because the more you explore, the better it gets!

1. Harry Potter Deathly Hallows

Genre	Rating	Number of sold copies
Fantasy fiction	4.3/5	50 million

The seventh and last edition of the Harry Potter series was elapsed in 2007. Just in the initial phase after publishing the book, it sold 44 million copies, and the number kept increasing. This was even before the hardcover of the book was released. 

The thing that mainly triggered such enormous sales was a wave of excitement yet sadness among fans as the book was the last of the series. However, it tuner out to be tremendously profitable for the publishers and the author J.K Rowling. 

2. Lolita

Genre	Rating	Number of sold copies
Tragicomedy	4/5	50 million

Lolita is the work of a Russian novelist named Vladimir Nabokov. Publishes in 1955, the erotic literature novel was soon banned due to its controversial subject matter after its release. The story follows a life of a middle-aged man who grows an obsession with a 12-year-old American girl who he names Lolita, deriving from Lola. 

Even though this piece of literature raised so many questions and controversies, it has still made its mark in the best-selling books of all time, as some magazines included it in the list of 100 best novels ever published. 

3. Ben-Hur: A Tale of Christ

Genre	Rating	Number of sold copies
Biblical tale	4.7/5	50 million

Ben-Hur: A Tale of Christ is a biblical tale by Lew Wallace. The religious-theme novel indirectly describes the life and era of Jesus Christ. Judah Ben Hur is the protagonist used to observe several aspects of Jesus Christ’s life and the tragedies that come along his way. 

Published in 1880, this noble gained popularity mainly because of its religious theme and the accuracy with which it described history. Even though the spiritual novel genre has taken a back seat in modern times, many readers still prefer reading this masterpiece. 

4. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Genre	Rating	Number of sold copies
Fantasy fiction	4.7/5	55 million

The third novel, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is about Harry Potter and his friends experiencing exciting adventures involving werewolves and time traveling in the wizard school known as Hogwarts. 

Moreover, it also narrates some essential characters of the story, including Harry Potter’s parents, James and Lily, who sacrificed their lives to protect Potter. 

5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Genre	Rating	Number of sold copies
Fantasy fiction	4.6/5	55 million

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth volume of the Noble series, deal with Voldemort’s increasing power and the wizard society’s resistance towards it. No matter which book of the Harry Potter series was published, after the release of its first-ever edition, it was a hit among fantasy lovers, which made J.K Rowling one of the highest-selling authors worldwide. 

6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 

Genre	Rating	Number of sold copies
Fantasy fiction	4.8/5	55 million

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the fourth volume in the Harry Potter series that focuses on the Tri-Wizard tournament. This tournament is a friendly competition between the students of Hogwarts and Wizardy, the two rival wizard schools. 

The center of attraction in this book is the initial confrontation between Harry Potter and Voldemort. The fictional story lie f this series makes it so popular among readers, making it one of the best-selling books of all time.  

7. The Catcher in the Rye

Genre	Rating	Number of sold copies
Young adult fiction	3.8/5	60 million

J.D Salinger writes the Catcher in the Rye. A fun fact about this novel is Salinger originally intended it for adults. However, it became sensational among adolescents and young adults. 

This was because the story revolves around two unusual days of a 16-year-old boy detained from his prep school. The book was published in serial form, and soon after its release sold millions of copies and became a must-have among teenagers. 

8. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: 

Genre	Rating	Number of sold copies
Fantasy fiction	4.8/5	60 million

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the second book in the novel series by J.K Rowling, revealing the suspense and mystery lying in Hogwarts, a wizard school. Moreover, the book also holds significance to fans as the prime villain of the Noble series Voldemort was introduced in this volume. 

You must wonder why different volumes of the novel series have such distinctions in sales, but it is difficult to predict the exact reason behind such numbers. However, the novel has always been on every list of the best-selling books of all time. 

9. The Alchemist:

Genre	Rating	Number of sold copies
Drama and fantasy fiction	3.9/5	65 million

The Alchemist has been one of the best-selling books of all time since it was published. The masterpiece, written by Paulo Coelho, is one of the most loved books of the author that revolves around an old folk tale about a young shepherd trying to find his belonging and destiny in the desert. 

Originally this novel was written in Portuguese and later translated into English after gaining popularity. Over the years, people showed immense interest in the book, and soon, it entered the movies. 

10. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Genre	Rating	Number of sold copies
Fantasy fiction	4.6/5	65 million

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the sixth novel series book. For your information, all seven books of the Harry Potter collection are included in the list of the best-selling books of all time. 

This book focuses on the story of Voldemort, the primary villain of the array, and covers the revolting death scene, which was a bolt from the blue for several fans. An interesting fact about this particular novel is that it was one of the quickest-selling books after its release. 

11. Think and Grow Rich

Genre	Rating	Number of sold copies
Self-help	4.5/5	70 million

Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill, is a unique noble that inspires people to achieve success by laying out philosophical theories. This book is so popular because Napoleon resonated with the struggles faced by an ordinary man in the financial and personal aspects of his life and shed light on how to overcome them. 

Napoleon Hill is also considered the father of the self-help movement in America because of his knowledge and research n wealthy and successful people. He studied the lives of rich people closely to form a formula for the commoner to become successful in his life. 

The novel has aced the self-help genre and remains one of the best choices for people to better themselves. 

12. The Da Vinci Code

Genre	Rating	Number of sold copies
Mystery thriller	4.6/5	80 million

When we talk about the best-selling books of all time, the list might be dominated by the fiction genre. However, mysterious novels like The Da Vinci Code are capable of making their mark on the list and maintaining their position among the top books. 

This mystery novel forms an interesting conspiracy theory about the hidden secrets of the Catholic church. But what grabbed readers’ attention more to this book was when the Catholic church publicly condemned the novel and the famous Tom Hanks movie based on it. 

13. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Genre	Rating	Number of sold copies
Fantasy fiction	4.6/5	85 million

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is a religion-based novel by C.S Lewis. The novel was published in 1950 and was intended as a children’s book. The book revolves around a classic magical doorway story that lies between the real world and a fantasy world. 

The young readers would travel to the magical land of Narnia, which had anthropomorphized animals, fictitious people, and a pious lion. You can also find several listed stories in this book combined into the Narnia series that also made their way into blockbuster movies.  

14. The Little Prince

Genre	Rating	Number of sold copies
Children’s Literature	4.3/5	80 million

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery is one of the most well-known books among children. The story is about a little boy living in a tiny asteroid. Initially, when it was published, it gained tremendous popularity in France and later spread to other parts of the world. 

While you might think it is just a story for the kid’s literature, it is inspired by several monuments in the world and even out of it. Some astronomers named an asteroid upon the price that lives in the book. 

15. Dream of the Red Chamber

Genre	Rating	Number of sold copies
Fiction and family saga	4.3/5	100 million

Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin chronicles the events of the rising and fall of a family in the era of the Qing Dynasty. The Chinese historical novel was published in 1791 and became an essential contribution to Chinese literature and is studied with great interest as a part of world literature even today. 

The fascination with this book has grown more and more throughout the year as new and revised theories are introduced about it. Due to its ideologies, it rekindles interest in literature lovers, and the book sale numbers have maintained a high through the years. 

16. And Then There Were Gone

Genre	Rating	Number of sold copies
Mystery	4.3/5	100 million

Written by Agatha Christie, popularly known as the British mystery legend, And Then There Were Gone is one of the most chilling and mysterious novels. Many suspense lovers suggest the book as a must-read if you are a fan of thriller and crime stories. 

The famous British mystery and several other novels also made Christie the world’s best-selling author in the Guinness Book of World Records, with a special sale of 1 billion books worldwide. After the prestigious title, And Then There Were Gone was one of the best-selling books. 

17. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Genre	Rating	Number of sold copies
Fantasy fiction	4.5/5	107 million

The first edition of the famous Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling is one of the best-selling books of all time. The fictional novel is about a bunch of young wizards living in a modern magical land covered with fantasies. 

The novel was published in 1997and soon became a blockbuster among kidneys and young teenagers. It created a buzz worldwide and, till today, has been one of the top-selling books among the young generation. 

18. The Lord of the Rings

Genre	Rating	Number of sold copies
Fantasy fiction	4.6/5	150 million

The Lord of The Rings by J.R.R Tolkien is the ultimate fantasy novel. This book by John created a benchmark for the modern fantasy genre and was made into an award-winning movie series. 

Fiction novels have been prominently favored worldwide. As fantasy plays a significant role in a human being’s life, stories, movie, and series are a way to channel the desires of a man. Since its release, this book has sold millions of copies and remains a go-to for fantasy lovers. 

19. A Tale of Two Cities

Genre	Rating	Number of sold copies
Mystery thriller	4.7/5	200 million

A Tale of Two Cities is an excellent historical novel by Charles Dickens. The book was published in 1859 and has profoundly impacted the world since its release. 

The novel deals with the early class struggle before the French revolution and later reveals the ugly truth behind the progressive world. While the book shows how the planet accelerates toward the establishment, it also shows the tragedy that the commoner faced. 

Since its release, this epic novel has undergone several editions from different publishers. While the exact number of copies can only be estimated, it has broken several records. 

19. Xinhua Zidian

Genre	Rating	Number of sold copies
Chinese dictionary	4.5/5	400 million

Xinhua Zidian is a Chinese language dictionary. Publishes in 1953, Xinhua Zidian became a staple for all the Chinese school-going kids and is one of the most preferred books to learn the Chinese dialect. 

Since its launch, this Chinese dictionary has remained a go-to for all Chinese learners and is a pretty popular book in the world’s second-largest economy. Due to its pocket-friendly size and affordable pricing, Xinhua Ziidan is the most popular Chinese dictionary in the world. 

20. Don Quixote

Genre	Rating	Number of sold copies
Psychological fiction	4.9/5	500 million

We saved the best of the last! At the end of our list is the best-selling book of all time, Don Quixote. Written by Miguel de Cervantes, the novel is an absolute piece of art depicting a man’s infatuation with tales of knights and how the obsession grows to the extent that he decides he wants to be one of them. 

Don Quixote is a historical novel that was initially released in two parts. The fictional story deals with multiple genres, ironically describing the psychological aspect of the human mind. This book has been popular among readers for ages and has shown the highest sales. 

Bonus Read: If you are exploring your options, you can read out a handpicked list of the best books on creativity!

Wrapping Up!

While this was a fun article to write, you must have had some surprising moments seeing some novels that made it to the list of best-selling books of all time. 

We hope this article was helpful enough to know the best-selling books of all time. Over to you, did you find any of your favorite novels in the above list? Let us know in the comments section below!

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