This is a list of adult fiction books that topped The New York Times Fiction Best Seller list in 2011. The most popular books of the year was The Help by Kathryn Stockett, and Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen with respectively 15 and 8 cumulative weeks at the top. The Help had been released in 2009, was a #1 best seller in 2010, and had a resurgence in 2011. The prolific James Patterson was at the top for three different books (Tick Tock, Now You See Her and Kill Alex Cross).