BESTSELLERS

*--* SO. CAL. RATING Fiction LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST

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*--* 1 The Broker by John Grisham (Doubleday: $27.95) A 8 2 high-roller attorney is pardoned to lead the CIA to a powerful satellite surveillance system and the shadowy agents who want to buy it.

2 The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (Doubleday: $24.95) A 1 96 Louvre curator’s killing leads to clues hidden in Leonardo’s paintings and a secret society with something to hide.

3 The Plot Against America by Philip Roth (Houghton 4 17 Mifflin: $26) Charles Lindbergh becomes president in 1940, setting the country on a course of isolationism and nationwide pogroms.

4 The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom 3 69 (Hyperion: $19.95) An amusement park maintenance man faces his life, death and afterlife in this three-part parable.

5 Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (Farrar, Straus & Giroux: 10 2 $23) An aging minister facing death explains his life and religious beliefs in a letter to his young son.

6 State of Fear by Michael Crichton (HarperCollins: $27.95) 2 6 A globe-trotting thriller involving nefarious environmentalists and manufactured threats of global warming.

7 The Da Vinci Code Special Illustrated Edition by Dan 6 11 Brown (Doubleday: $35) The blockbuster thriller, complete with images of the artwork, symbols and sights in the text.

8 I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe (Farrar, Straus & 15 11 Giroux: $28.95) A North Carolina ingenue tries to fit in with an elite university’s beautiful-people-in-training.

9 Runaway by Alice Munro (Knopf: $25) A collection of 12 11 stories examining the surprises, betrayals and limits of love among couples, friends, parents and children.

10 Chainfire by Terry Goodkind (Tor Books: $29.95) In book 7 2 nine of the “Sword of Truth” series, a battle-injured Richard awakens to find his beloved Kahlan missing.

11 Run the Risk by Scott Frost (Putnam: $19.95) A Los -- 1 Angeles homicide detective investigates a disturbing series of crimes, including one that hits too close to home.

12 Night Fall by Nelson DeMille (Warner Books: $26.95) Two 5 8 federal agents try to find a videotape to prove that the crash of a jet off Long Island was not caused by mechanical failure.

13 How We Are Hungry by Dave Eggers (McSweeney’s: $22) -- 5 Stories, some comic and some haunting, on mortality and the troubled times in which we live.

14 By Order of the President by W.E.B. Griffin (Putnam: 11 2 $26.95) A Homeland Security agent trails two men who lease a jet, then slit the pilot’s throat after taking off from Angola.

15 The Cat Who Went Bananas by Lilian Jackson Braun (Putnam: -- 1 $23.95) Feline sleuths Koko and Yum Yum poke their noses around the killing and mayhem of Moose County.

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*--* SO. CAL. RATING Nonfiction LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST

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*--* 1 Blink by Malcolm Gladwell (Little, Brown: $25.95) -- 1 Gladwell explores why decisions are so often made in an instant and whether we can trust first instincts.

2 Collapse by Jared Diamond (Viking: $29.95) Diamond 1 3 examines why great societies such as the Anasazi and the Maya collapsed and what modern society can do to prevent future die-offs.

3 The Grand Slam by Mark Frost (Hyperion: $30) How golfing -- 1 legend Bobby Jones trounced the competition in 1930 to win the Grand Slam and then shocked his fans by exiting the public stage.

4 He’s Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt and Liz 3 18 Tuccillo (Simon Spotlight Entertainment: $19.95) The no-excuses guide to help women understand guys and get on with their lives.

5 French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano (Knopf: 8 2 $22) The CEO of the French wine conglomerate Clicquot Inc. reveals the French secret of eating for pleasure without the bulge.

6 America (The Book): A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy 4 18 Inaction by Jon Stewart et al. (Warner: $24.95) Comedy writers poke fun at U.S. politics and our institutions of democracy.

7 Start Late, Finish Rich by David Bach (Broadway: $25) The 9 2 author of “Automatic Millionaire” offers a plan for how to “spend less, save more, and make more,” even if you started late.

8 Witness: For the Prosecution of Scott Peterson by Amber 2 2 Frey (Regan Books: $25.95) Frey tells of discovering Peterson’s web of lies and of seeking justice for his dead wife and unborn child.

9 Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen (Warner Faith: $19.99) 6 11 Seven steps to improving your life by using faith to develop self-esteem, help let go of the past and fulfill your potential.

10 The Last Season by Phil Jackson (Penguin: $24.95) The 10 13 former Laker coach recounts last year’s turbulent season, in which egos ruled the court and a star-studded team stumbled.

11 Chronicles, Volume One by Bob Dylan (Simon & Schuster: 7 16 $24) The songwriter reflects on the influences that helped shape him and his struggle to rediscover his creativity.

12 The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren (Zondervan: 14 95 $19.99) How the “God-ordained” principles of worship, community, discipleship, ministry and evangelism bring fulfillment.

13 How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must) by Ann Coulter -- 11 (Crown Forum: $26.95) The conservative pundit explains why she thinks liberals have it all wrong.

14 The Power of Intention by Wayne W. Dyer (Hay House: -- 22 $24.95) How to spark creativity and get the life you want by drawing on a field of energy that exists all around us.

15 The Long Goodbye by Patti Davis (Alfred A. Knopf: $20) -- 1 Ronald Reagan’s youngest daughter recounts her father’s slow slipping away due to Alzheimer’s and its toll on her family.

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