This page includes 10 best-selling books of all-time. The most sold books of all time you’ll find here are ranked by the number of copies sold, not my personal ratings. Therefore, you can find the sales data on this page. But before we dive in, I think it’s important to note that, as of 1995, the Bible holds the title of the best-selling book of all time, with an estimated 5 billion copies sold and distributed, according to Guinness World Records. [1] Other religious texts, like the Qur’an, The Bhagavad Gita, and the Book of Mormon, have also seen impressive sales, with estimates of 800 million, 200 million, and 192 million copies respectively. [2] Because of this, I’ve chosen to exclude them from this current list, so we can focus on other remarkable books.
Top 10 best-selling books of all-time
Here are the most sold books of all time. I’ll update this section from time to time, to make sure it’s updated.
1. Don Quixote (500 million copies sold)
by Miguel de Cervantes
The story of an aging man who, inspired by chivalric tales, sets out on a series of misguided adventures, believing himself to be a knight-errant while accompanied by his loyal squire, Sancho panza.
Book | E-book | Audiobook
2. A Tale of Two cities (>200 million copies sold)
by Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens’ novel follows the story of Charles Darnay, a French aristocrat who renounces his family’s title, and Sydney Carton, a disillusioned English lawyer, as their lives become entangled during the French Revolution, ultimately leading to Carton’s selfless sacrifice to save Darnay from the guillotine.
Book | E-book | Audiobook
3. The Little Prince (200 million copies sold)
by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
This is a young prince’s journey through different worlds teaches an aviator—and readers—that the most important things in life are often invisible, understood only with the heart, not the eyes.
Book | E-book | Audiobook
4. The Alchemist (150 million copies sold)
by Paulo Coelho
A young shepherd named Santiago embarks on a journey across the desert to discover his personal legend, learning that the true treasure lies in following his dreams and listening to his heart.
Book | E-book | Audiobook
5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (120 million copies sold)
by J.K. Rowling
An orphaned boy named Harry discovers on his eleventh birthday that he is a wizard, and as he enters the magical world of Hogwarts, he uncovers secrets about his past and faces challenges that lead him to protect a powerful magical stone from falling into the wrong hands.
Book | E-book | Audiobook
6. And Then There Were None (100 million copies sold)
by Agatha Christie
Ten strangers are invited to a remote island, where they are systematically accused of past crimes and then mysteriously murdered, leading to a tense and chilling game of survival as they try to figure out who the killer is before it’s too late.
Book | E-book | Audiobook
7. Dream of the Red Chamber (100 million copies sold)
by Cao Xueqin
This story follows the rise and fall of the Jia family, focusing on the complicated relationships and emotional struggles of its young heir, Jia Baoyu, as he navigates love, duty, and the inevitable decline of his once-prosperous household.
Book | E-book | Audiobook
8. The Hobbit (100 million copies sold)
by J.R.R. Tolkien
Bilbo Baggins, an unassuming hobbit, is swept into an adventure with a group of dwarves and the wizard Gandalf to reclaim a stolen treasure from the fearsome dragon Smaug, discovering along the way courage and resourcefulness he never knew he had.
Book | E-book | Audiobook
9. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (100 million copies sold)
by Lewis Carroll
A curious girl named Alice tumbles down a rabbit hole into a strange, nonsensical world, where she encounters eccentric characters and experiences a series of bewildering adventures that challenge her understanding of reality.
Book | E-book | Audiobook
10. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (85 million copies sold)
by C.S. Lewis
Four siblings step through a wardrobe into the magical land of Narnia, where they join forces with Aslan the lion to fight the White Witch and free the land from her eternal winter.
Book | E-book | Audiobook
Browse the full list of best-selling books of all-time via Wikipedia.
What are the top 10 best-selling books right now
According to Circana.com, here are the top 10 selling books of 2024, in addition to the best-selling books of all-time.
1. The Women
by Kristin Hannah
Summary coming soon.
Book | E-book | Audiobook
2. The Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder
by Kristin Hannah
The story follows the adventures of Dog Man as he faces a new villain, the Scarlet Shedder, while trying to balance his duties as a police officer with his loyalty to his friends.
Book | E-book | Audiobook
3. A Court of Thorns and Roses
by Sarah J. Maas
Summary coming soon.
Book | E-book | Audiobook
4. The Housemaid
by Freida Mcfadden
Summary coming soon.
Book | E-book | Audiobook
5. Atomic Habits
by James Clear
The ultimate handbook for building better habits to achieve your personal goals.
Book | E-book | Audiobook
6. It ends with us
by Colleen Hoover
Summary coming soon.
Book | E-book | Audiobook
7. Iron Flame
by Rebecca Yarros
Summary coming soon.
Book | E-book | Audiobook
8. A court of mist and fury
by Sarah J. Maas
Summary coming soon.
Book | E-book | Audiobook
9. Fourth Wing
by Rebecca Yarros
Summary coming soon.
Book | E-book | Audiobook
10. Hot Mess
by Jeff Kinney
Summary coming soon.
Book | E-book | Audiobook
Best books
Here are the best books to read, based on my personal taste—excluding the best-selling books of all-time and the most sold books of 2024. Browse them all.
The best books by subcategory:
The best books by theme:
Or, browse all book recommendations.
Last note
Lastly, these are the best-selling books of all-time and the most popular titles in the world right now. More than sales, what matters to me more is how whole generations grew up with the Harry Potter series. For myself, I can still remember being read Alice in Wonderland just before bed. How wonderful and special it is how these top selling books of all time have touched the lives of millions the way they did, shaped culture, and sparked important conversations. Like I shared in the introduction, my personal book recommendations didn’t make it to this list. Browse through my bookshelf to see what books I’ve recommended.
Books, Tiny Bits,
and Big Ideas.
My Bookshelf
A full list of the books I’ve recommended.
Reading Lists
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