What are readers buying right now? Each week, we’re taking a look at the top of the New York Times Combined Print & E-Book Fiction best sellers list, with a little context on what’s moving, what’s new, and which books have managed to stick around.
The list dated September 20, 2026 has three new arrivals in the top 10, several books with impressive runs, and one title we’ve already spent quite a bit of time with here at The Next Chapter.
A quick note about the date
The date attached to a best sellers list can be confusing. The list is released before the date printed on it, so the September 20 list is already available even though September 20 has not arrived yet. New lists are released weekly, typically on Wednesdays, and the rankings reflect sales reported from an earlier tracking period rather than books purchased that same day.
That means this is best thought of as a weekly snapshot of what readers have been buying, not a real time sales chart.
The top 10 fiction best sellers for September 20, 2026
1. The Knave and the Moon by Rachel Gillig
New this week. Rachel Gillig enters the list at number one with the second book in the Stonewater Kingdom series. The fantasy follows a knave struggling with his memory who may be able to help Sybil remove Benji from power.
The Knave and the Moon
Rachel Gillig
2. Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
40 weeks on the list. One of the most persistent books in this week’s top 10 follows a man who travels to a small Southern town, purchases pencil drawings of its residents, and exchanges them for their stories.
Theo of Golden
Allen Levi
3. The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett
18 weeks on the list. Set during the Depression, Kathryn Stockett’s novel follows several women searching for ways to improve their circumstances as life becomes increasingly difficult.
The Calamity Club
Kathryn Stockett
4. Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
35 weeks on the list. Carl and Princess Donut continue their remarkably long stay among the best sellers, climbing to number four this week. After an alien takeover transforms Earth, Carl and his ex girlfriend’s prize winning cat enter a deadly dungeon where survival has become entertainment for an intergalactic audience.
Dungeon Crawler Carl
Matt Dinniman
We’ve already gone much deeper into this one, including why the absurd premise works and why the audiobook has developed such a devoted following. Read our full Dungeon Crawler Carl review →
5. Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
22 weeks on the list. A privileged tradwife social media influencer wakes up in 1855 and discovers that the life she romanticized online is considerably more difficult when she actually has to live it.
Yesteryear
Caro Claire Burke
6. Big Little Truths by Liane Moriarty
2 weeks on the list. The sequel to Big Little Lies returns to familiar territory as the arrival of a stranger at a school threatens to bring long hidden truths to the surface.
Big Little Truths
Liane Moriarty
7. Whistler by Ann Patchett
14 weeks on the list. Decades after their time together, a woman reconnects with her stepfather and the two look back at the paths their lives have taken.
Whistler
Ann Patchett
8. The Most Dangerous Games by MrBeast and James Patterson
New this week. MrBeast and James Patterson team up for a story about mysteriously summoned competitors facing difficult terrain and increasingly dangerous challenges.
The Most Dangerous Games
MrBeast and James Patterson
9. The Disappearers by Marlon James
New this week. Set in 1988 Jamaica, the novel follows a group of eight gay men after they are attacked and one of them is killed, exploring the different ways the survivors respond.
The Disappearers
Marlon James
10. Brain Damage by Freida McFadden
3 weeks on the list. A dermatologist who survives a bullet through her skull must piece together her memories while trying to determine whether someone close to her poses a threat.
Brain Damage
Freida McFadden
What stands out this week
The mix at the top is interesting. Three books are brand new to the top 10, including a number one debut, while Theo of Golden has now spent 40 weeks on the list and Dungeon Crawler Carl has reached 35. That gives this week’s rankings a little of everything: major new releases, established literary names, thrillers, fantasy, and books that readers simply have not stopped buying.
We’re particularly happy to see Dungeon Crawler Carl moving up. It’s exactly the kind of strange, wildly entertaining book that reminds us why best seller lists can be useful when they lead readers toward something they might never have picked up otherwise.
How the rankings work
The New York Times maintains multiple best seller categories rather than one universal book ranking. This article follows the Combined Print & E-Book Fiction list, which combines eligible print and digital fiction sales.
The rankings are compiled from book sales reported by a range of vendors across the United States. Because the reporting and publication process takes time, there is a delay between the sales activity being measured, the list being released, and the future date displayed on the list itself. We’ll use the official list date in these weekly posts so each edition is easy to follow over time.
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Best seller rankings referenced in this article are from the New York Times Combined Print & E-Book Fiction list dated September 20, 2026. Rankings and weeks on list can change with each weekly edition.
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