List of The New York Times number-one books of 1938

This is a list of books that topped The New York Times best-seller list in 1938. When the list began in 1931 through 1941 it only reflected sales in the New York City area.

Fiction
The following list ranks the number-one best-selling fiction books.

The two most popular books that year were The Citadel, by A. J. Cronin, which held on top of the list for 16 weeks, and The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, which was on top of the list for 12 weeks.

Nonfiction
The following list ranks the number-one best-selling nonfiction books.