ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Los Angeles Times bestsellers

Fiction Weeks on list1.The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown: $26.99) A luckless attorney defends a studio executive accused of offing his wife and her lover.3 2.A Most Wanted Man by John le Carré (Scribner: $28) Turkish Muslims in Germany take in a homeless man who turns out to be a terrorist. 3 3.The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski (Ecco: $25.95) A mute dog breeder is banished by his uncle à la "Hamlet." 16 4.Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown: $22.99) The final book in the Twilight saga finds Bella choosing immortality.135.Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown: $19.99) Bella must choose between her lover and a friend, between life and death. 166.Extreme Measures by Vince Flynn (Atria: $27.95) CIA operative Mitch Rapp attempts to foil a terrorist plot on American soil while in Afghanistan.17.The Gate House by Nelson DeMille (Grand Central: $27.99) A man and his ex-wife attempt to reconcile years after her affair with a mob boss.18.A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire (William Morrow: $26.95) In the third part of the "Wicked Years," it's the Cowardly Lion's turn to shine29.Brisingr by Christopher Paolini (Knopf: $27.50) Eragon, along with his dragon Saphira, must unite the rebel forces to defeat King Galbatorix.6 10.The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks (Grand Central: $24.99) A former Marine searches for an unknown woman in a photograph.4 11.The Given Day by Dennis Lehane (William Morrow: $27.95) Two Boston families struggle with political and social unrest after WWI. 312.The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (Dial Press: $22) A writer corresponds with islanders after German occupation. 13 13.The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (Knopf: $24.95) A journalist explores the cold-case disappearance of a Swedish teen heiress.6 14.The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (Harper: $23.95) A dog's-eye view of love, loyalty and sacrifice. 15 15.The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory (Touchstone: $25.95) A historical tale of the years in captivity of Mary, Queen of Scots.6Nonfiction 1.The Snowball by Alice Schroeder (Bantam: $35) The life and times of investor Warren Buffett, the "Oracle of Omaha."4 2.Dewey by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter (Grand Central: $19.99) The impact a cat named Dewey Readmore Books had on an Iowa library and its patrons.5 3.The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow (Random House: $21.95) A professor's terminal cancer inspires a call to seize life's moments. 28 4.Hot, Flat, and Crowded by Thomas L. Friedman (Farrar, Straus & Giroux: $27.95) Solutions to overpopulation and the global-warming crisis.85.Goodnight Bush by Erich Origen and Gan Golan (Little, Brown: $14.99) A parody of the children's classic "Goodnight Moon." 156.A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity by Bill O'Reilly (Broadway: $26) The Fox News commentator explores his childhood and the impact it had on his life.57.Here's the Story by Maureen McCormick (William Morrow: $25.95) "The Brady Bunch" star shares her memoirs.28.My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor (Penguin: $24.95) A brain scientist shares her journey of recovery and insight from loss of brain function.79.Don't Mind If I Do by George Hamilton (Touchstone: $26) The man with the perennial tan reflects on his Hollywood life.1 10.The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss (Crown: $19.95) Living life on your own terms. 1311.Being Catholic Now by Kerry Kennedy (Crown: $24.95) A reexamination of faith told through the voices of 37 American Catholics.112.Just Who Will You Be? by Maria Shriver (Hyperion: $14.95) Ask who, not what, you want to be. 1313.Pieces of My Heart by Robert J. Wagner and Scott Eyman (HarperEntertainment: $25.95) A memoir of the actor's five decades in show business.514.The War Within by Bob Woodward (Simon & Schuster: $32) The dangers of unwarranted secrecy during the Iraq war.415.When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris (Little, Brown: $25.99) Musings on life and smoking. 20