Nicholas Sparks
in order.
The king of the tearjerker love story — and the novels behind The Notebook, Dear John, and more
Over 100 million copies worldwide
Copies sold
Romance / Contemporary Fiction
Genre
Nicholas Sparks is one of the best-selling novelists of his generation, with more than 100 million copies of his books in print and translations in over fifty languages. Born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1965, he was working in pharmaceutical sales when his third manuscript, The Notebook, sold to Warner Books for a reported one-million-dollar advance in 1995. The slim, heart-wrenching love story became a phenomenon, and Sparks has published roughly a novel a year ever since.
His formula is instantly recognizable and endlessly effective: ordinary people in small-town North Carolina coastal settings, a love that arrives unexpectedly, and an emotional gut-punch that has made 'Nicholas Sparks ending' shorthand for bringing the tissues. Yet within that framework he ranges widely — wartime romance (Dear John), second-chance love (The Best of Me), suspense (Safe Haven, The Guardian), and family drama (Two by Two).
Hollywood adores him: eleven of his novels have been adapted into feature films, including The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, Dear John, and The Last Song, which together have grossed well over three-quarters of a billion dollars worldwide. Because nearly every book is a standalone, readers can dive in anywhere — though a few hidden connections reward reading in publication order.
Where to start
Nearly all of Nicholas Sparks's novels are standalones, so the best starting point is simply his most iconic: The Notebook (1996), followed by A Walk to Remember and Dear John if you want the essential tearjerkers, or Safe Haven and The Guardian if you prefer romance with a thread of suspense. If you want to read everything, go in publication order from The Notebook to his latest — it lets you watch his style evolve and catches the few real connections: The Wedding (2003) is a direct sequel to The Notebook centered on Noah's son-in-law, and At First Sight (2005) continues the story begun in True Believer (2005), so read those pairs in order.
Standalone books by Sparks 24 BOOKS · BY YEAR
In publication order — read these in any order you like.
01
The Notebook 1996
The debut phenomenon: Noah and Allie's summer romance endures separation, war, and ultimately Alzheimer's, in a story framed by an old man reading to his wife.
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02
Message in a Bottle 1998
A journalist finds a grief-stricken love letter washed ashore and tracks down the widowed sailor who wrote it.
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03
A Walk to Remember 1999
A cynical teenager falls for the minister's quiet daughter, who carries a secret that will change his life forever.
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04
The Rescue 2000
A volunteer fireman helps a single mother and her son after a crash, confronting his own fear of commitment.
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05
A Bend in the Road 2001
A widowed deputy sheriff falls for his son's teacher while still seeking the hit-and-run driver who killed his wife.
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06
Nights in Rodanthe 2002
Two wounded middle-aged strangers find unexpected love during a stormy weekend at a North Carolina inn.
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07
The Guardian 2003
A young widow, the Great Dane her late husband left her, and a suitor whose charm hides something dangerous — Sparks's first thriller.
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08
The Wedding 2003
The sequel to The Notebook: Noah and Allie's son-in-law Wilson fights to rekindle his own fading marriage.
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09
True Believer 2005
A skeptical New York journalist investigating ghost lights in a small Southern town falls for the local librarian.
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10
At First Sight 2005
The continuation of True Believer follows Jeremy and Lexie into engagement, parenthood, and a devastating turn.
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11
Dear John 2006
A soldier and a college student fall in love over one spring break, then watch war and time test their letters and their promise.
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12
The Choice 2007
Neighbors Travis and Gabby fall in love, and years later Travis faces the hardest decision a husband can make.
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13
The Lucky One 2008
A Marine walks across the country to find the woman in a photograph he believes kept him alive in Iraq.
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14
The Last Song 2009
A rebellious teenager spends a summer with her estranged father, rediscovering music, first love, and forgiveness.
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15
Safe Haven 2010
A mysterious young woman starts over in a small coastal town while the violent past she fled closes in.
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16
The Best of Me 2011
High school sweethearts from opposite sides of the tracks reunite at a funeral twenty-five years after their breakup.
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17
The Longest Ride 2013
Two love stories intertwine: an elderly widower trapped in a car crash and a young couple — a bull rider and an art student.
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18
See Me 2015
A romance between a hard-edged man rebuilding his life and an ambitious lawyer turns into a race against a stalker's threats.
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19
Two by Two 2016
A single father rebuilding his life discovers the depth of a parent's love — and a second chance he never saw coming.
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20
Every Breath 2018
A chance meeting at Sunset Beach sparks a decades-spanning love between a North Carolina woman and a Zimbabwean safari guide.
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21
The Return 2020
A wounded Navy doctor inherits his grandfather's cabin and beehives, and untangles two mysteries — one of them romantic.
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22
The Wish 2021
A famous photographer facing a terminal diagnosis looks back on the teenage winter, and the first love, that shaped her life.
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23
Dreamland 2022
An aspiring musician's whirlwind Florida romance runs parallel to a mother's desperate flight with her son.
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24
Counting Miracles 2024
An Army veteran searching for the father he never knew finds love and belonging in a small North Carolina town.
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The movies READ IT BEFORE YOU WATCH IT
Message in a Bottle 1999
Based on: Message in a Bottle (1998)
The first Sparks film, starring Kevin Costner, Robin Wright, and Paul Newman.
A Walk to Remember 2002
Based on: A Walk to Remember (1999)
Mandy Moore and Shane West in the beloved teen tearjerker.
The Notebook 2004
Based on: The Notebook (1996)
Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams in the definitive Sparks movie — and one of the most quoted romances of the 2000s.
Nights in Rodanthe 2008
Based on: Nights in Rodanthe (2002)
Richard Gere and Diane Lane reunite for a stormy seaside romance.
Dear John 2010
Based on: Dear John (2006)
Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried; it famously knocked Avatar from the top of the box office.
The Last Song 2010
Based on: The Last Song (2009)
Written with Miley Cyrus in mind; she and co-star Liam Hemsworth met on set.
The Lucky One 2012
Based on: The Lucky One (2008)
Zac Efron stars as the Marine searching for the woman in the photograph.
Safe Haven 2013
Based on: Safe Haven (2010)
Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel in the romantic thriller, directed by Lasse Hallstrom.
The Best of Me 2014
Based on: The Best of Me (2011)
James Marsden and Michelle Monaghan as reunited high school sweethearts.
The Longest Ride 2015
Based on: The Longest Ride (2013)
Scott Eastwood and Britt Robertson, with Alan Alda as the elderly widower.
The Choice 2016
Based on: The Choice (2007)
Benjamin Walker and Teresa Palmer in the most recent Sparks film adaptation to date.
Frequently asked questions
What order should I read Nicholas Sparks books in?
Almost every Sparks novel is a standalone, so you can start anywhere — The Notebook is the classic entry point. If you're reading them all, go in publication order from The Notebook (1996) to Counting Miracles (2024). Just remember two pairs: read The Notebook before The Wedding, and True Believer before At First Sight.
How many Nicholas Sparks books have been made into movies?
Eleven of his novels have become feature films, from Message in a Bottle (1999) through The Choice (2016). The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, Dear John, Safe Haven, and The Last Song are the best known, and together the adaptations have grossed hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide.
Is The Wedding a sequel to The Notebook?
Yes. The Wedding (2003) follows Wilson Lewis, who is married to Noah and Allie's daughter Jane, as he tries to save his own marriage. An elderly Noah appears throughout the book, so it's much richer if you've read The Notebook first.
What is Nicholas Sparks's best book?
The Notebook is his most famous and the usual answer, but fans frequently champion A Walk to Remember for its emotional punch, The Wish as his best recent work, and Safe Haven or The Guardian for readers who like suspense with their romance. If you only read one, make it The Notebook.