Los Angeles Times bestsellers for Nov. 15, 2009
| Fiction | Weeks on list | |
| 1. | The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (Doubleday: $25.99) Harvard professor Robert Langdon uses his symbology skills to find a missing Freemason in Washington, D.C. | 8 |
| 2. | Nine Dragons by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown : $27.99) An LAPD detective travels to Hong Kong to solve the murder of a Chinese immigrant. | 4 |
| 3. | The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Putnam: $24.95) The lives of a maid, a cook and a college graduate become intertwined while changing a Mississippi town. | 23 |
| 4. | Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving (Random House: $28) A father and son on the run in 1950s Northeast logging communities. | 1 |
| 5. | The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (Tor: $29.99) Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn, attempts to unite kingdoms and alliances in preparation for the Last Battle. | 2 |
| 6. | Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney (Amulet: $13.95) Greg desires to spend summer vacation indoors despite his mother’s wishes for outdoor family fun. | 4 |
| 7. | True Blue by David Baldacci (Grand Central: $27.99) After being framed for a crime, a cop must break a case to prove worthy of the badge again. | 1 |
| 8. | Blood’s a Rover by James Ellroy (Knopf : $28.95) A bank heist sets off an escapade through ‘60s L.A. with run-ins with the mob, the FBI and Howard Hughes. | 6 |
| 9. | The Humbling by Philip Roth (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt: $22) A washed-up stage actor is rejuvenated when he begins an erotic affair with a younger woman. | 2 |
| 10. | Pursuit of Honor by Vince Flynn (Atria: $27.99) Two counterterrorism operatives deal with the fallout from a deadly terrorist attack. | 4 |
| 11. | Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (Henry Holt: $27) The rise of Henry VIII’s advisor Thomas Cromwell. | 1 |
| 12. | Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Roderick Rules by Jeff Kinney (Amulet : $12.95) Greg navigates middle school while trying to keep his brother from revealing a secret. | 1 |
| 13. | The Book of Genesis Illustrated by R. Crumb (W.W. Norton: $24.95) Graphic depictions from all 50 chapters of the first book of the Bible. | 3 |
| 14. | Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney (Amulet: $12.95) Greg’s dad enlists him in sports to toughen him up. | 30 |
| 15. | Chronic City by Jonathan Lethem (Doubleday: $27.95) New Yorkers try to find meaning in their superficial lives | 2 |
| Nonfiction | ||
| 1. | What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell (Little, Brown: $27.99) A collection of the author’s writings of everyday and extraordinary people. | 2 |
| 2. | SuperFreakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (William Morrow: $29.99) More funny, informative facts and questions to ponder. | 3 |
| 3. | Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell (Little, Brown: $27.99) An exploration of the background of high achievers. | 49 |
| 4. | Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom (Hyperion: $23.99) Albom’s observations of a rabbi and a pastor on an eight-year journey of faith. | 6 |
| 5. | Manhood for Amateurs by Michael Chabon (Harper: $26.99) A collection of autobiographical essays reflecting on what it means to be a man and father. | 4 |
| 6. | Zeitoun by Dave Eggers (McSweeney’s: $24) The disappearance of a Syrian American father and good Samaritan in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. | 13 |
| 7. | The Book of Basketball by Bill Simmons (ESPN: $30) An encyclopedia of all you need to know about the NBA. | 2 |
| 8. | L.A. Noir by John Buntin (Harmony: $26) Gangster Mickey Cohen and LAPD Chief William Parker battle for control in midcentury Los Angeles. | 8 |
| 9. | Save the Deli by David Sax (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt : $24) The history behind and search for the best delis across America. | 1 |
| 10. | Knockout by Suzanne Somers (Crown: $25.99) Interviews with innovative cancer doctors. | 2 |
| 11. | Too Big to Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin (Viking: $32.95) A behind-the-scenes account of the players behind America’s financial crisis. | 2 |
| 12. | Just Who Will You Be? by Maria Shriver (Hyperion: $14.95) Ask who, not what, you want to be. | 13 |
| 13. | Arguing With Idiots by Glenn Beck (Threshold Editions: $29.99) Secrets for winning arguments with small-minded people. | 5 |
| 14. | Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer (Doubleday: $27.95) A chronicle of Pat Tillman, the NFL star turned Army Ranger whose death in Afghanistan stunned the power structure. | 7 |
| 15. | A Bright and Guilty Place by Richard Rayner (Doubleday: $25) The sagas of an ambitious young lawyer, a prime suspect in a mob murder and a police photographer paint a picture of early 20th century Los Angeles. | 11 |
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