The New York Times Fiction Best Sellers of 1961
This is a list of adult fiction books that topped The New York Times Fiction Best Seller list in 1961.
The most popular titles of the year were Hawaii by James Michener, The Agony and the Ecstasy, by Irving Stone and Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger with respectively 12, 27 and 10 weeks at the top. Hawaii had previously dominated the 1960 list, and Franney and Zooey continued into 1962 at the top of the list for a total run of 26 weeks.
The only other book to top the list in 1961 was The Last of the Just by André Schwarz-Bart. That book, a multi-generational saga translated from the French, spent 18 weeks slowly rising to the top, and spent 4 weeks there before being toppled by The Agony and the Ecstasy. It continued among the top 15 best sellers for another 20 weeks.
| Date | Book | Author |
| January 2 | Hawaii | James Michener |
| January 9 | Hawaii | James Michener |
| January 16 | Hawaii | James Michener |
| January 23 | Hawaii | James Michener |
| January 30 | Hawaii | James Michener |
| February 6 | Hawaii | James Michener |
| February 13 | Hawaii | James Michener |
| February 20 | Hawaii | James Michener |
| February 27 | Hawaii | James Michener |
| March 5 | Hawaii | James Michener |
| March 12 | Hawaii | James Michener |
| March 19 | Hawaii | James Michener |
| March 26 | The Last of the Just | André Schwarz-Bart |
| April 2 | The Last of the Just | André Schwarz-Bart |
| April 9 | The Last of the Just | André Schwarz-Bart |
| April 16 | The Last of the Just | André Schwarz-Bart |
| April 23 | The Agony and the Ecstasy | Irving Stone |
| April 30 | The Agony and the Ecstasy | Irving Stone |
| May 7 | The Agony and the Ecstasy | Irving Stone |
| May 14 | The Agony and the Ecstasy | Irving Stone |
| May 21 | The Agony and the Ecstasy | Irving Stone |
| May 28 | The Agony and the Ecstasy | Irving Stone |
| June 4 | The Agony and the Ecstasy | Irving Stone |
| June 11 | The Agony and the Ecstasy | Irving Stone |
| June 18 | The Agony and the Ecstasy | Irving Stone |
| June 25 | The Agony and the Ecstasy | Irving Stone |
| July 2 | The Agony and the Ecstasy | Irving Stone |
| July 9 | The Agony and the Ecstasy | Irving Stone |
| July 16 | The Agony and the Ecstasy | Irving Stone |
| July 23 | The Agony and the Ecstasy | Irving Stone |
| July 30 | The Agony and the Ecstasy | Irving Stone |
| August 6 | The Agony and the Ecstasy | Irving Stone |
| August 13 | The Agony and the Ecstasy | Irving Stone |
| August 20 | The Agony and the Ecstasy | Irving Stone |
| August 27 | The Agony and the Ecstasy | Irving Stone |
| September 3 | The Agony and the Ecstasy | Irving Stone |
| September 10 | The Agony and the Ecstasy | Irving Stone |
| September 17 | The Agony and the Ecstasy | Irving Stone |
| September 24 | The Agony and the Ecstasy | Irving Stone |
| October 1 | The Agony and the Ecstasy | Irving Stone |
| October 8 | The Agony and the Ecstasy | Irving Stone |
| October 15 | The Agony and the Ecstasy | Irving Stone |
| October 22 | The Agony and the Ecstasy | Irving Stone |
| October 29 | Franny and Zooey | J.D. Salinger |
| November 5 | Franny and Zooey | J.D. Salinger |
| November 12 | Franny and Zooey | J.D. Salinger |
| November 19 | Franny and Zooey | J.D. Salinger |
| November 26 | Franny and Zooey | J.D. Salinger |
| December 3 | Franny and Zooey | J.D. Salinger |
| December 10 | Franny and Zooey | J.D. Salinger |
| December 17 | Franny and Zooey | J.D. Salinger |
| December 24 | Franny and Zooey | J.D. Salinger |
| December 31 | Franny and Zooey | J.D. Salinger |