HARDBACKS

Los Angeles Times Bestsellers

July 27, 2008

Fiction Weeks on list
1.Chasing Darkness by Robert Crais (Simon & Schuster: $25.95) When a man cleared of a murder charge is found dead, Elvis Cole is called to account.2
2.Swan Peak by James Lee Burke (Simon & Schuster: $25.95) Private eye Dave Robicheaux tries to solve the killings of two Montana college students.1
3.The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski (Ecco: $25.95) A mute dog breeder is banished by his uncle in this twist on "Hamlet." 2
4.The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie (Random House: $26) A traveler arrives at the Mughal emperor's court with a beguiling tale.7
5.The Host by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown: $25.99) Alien invaders take over the minds of humans.10
6.Tribute by Nora Roberts (Putnam: $26.95) A former child actress tries to discover whether her movie-star grandmother's death was suicide or murder.1
7.The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz (Riverhead: $24.95) A sci-fi-loving nerd and his immigrant family are haunted by the past.25
8.Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri (Knopf: $25) Stories of immigrants struggling with U.S. culture. 15
9.The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (Harper: $23.95) A dog's-eye view of love, loyalty and sacrifice.8
10.Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger (Simon & Schuster: $25.95) Girlfriends make a vow to radically updo their lives.6
11.Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich (St. Martin's Press: $27.95) Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum faces a stalker, a kidnapper and an old robbery.4
12.City of Thieves by David Benioff (Viking: $24.95) Two youths in Leningrad will be spared death if they can find a dozen eggs for a German officer.2
13.Netherland by Joseph O'Neill (Pantheon: $23.95) An equities analyst's life is upended after Sept. 11, when his wife and son flee New York for London.4
14.Brida by Paulo Coelho (Harper: $24.95) An aspiring young Irish magician embarks on a quest for knowledge of the spiritual world.1
15.America America by Ethan Canin (Random House: $27) A powerful upstate New York family wields power and ambition in the Nixon era.2
Nonfiction
1.When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris (Little, Brown: $25.99) Musings on life and smoking. 7
2.The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow (Hyperion: $21.95) A professor with terminal cancer urges us to seize life's moments. 14
3.The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder by Vincent Bugliosi (Vanguard: $26.95) A case for trying the president in the deaths of U.S. troops in Iraq. 5
4.The Secret by Rhonda Byrne (Beyond Words: $23.95) Life's secrets, distilled from oral tradition, literature, religion and philosophy. 81
5.Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler (Simon Spotlight: $24.95) The talk-show host skewers dating, family and work.11
6.Fleeced by Dick Morris and Eileen McGann (Harper: $26.95) How the average American is being sold out. 3
7.Ladies of the Night by Gene Simmons (Phoenix Books: $39.95) The Kiss lead singer traces the history of prostitution and argues for making it legal.1
8.Books by Larry McMurtry (Simon & Schuster: $24) The award-winning author recounts his life as a buyer, seller and lover of books. 1
9.What Happened by Scott McClellan (PublicAffairs: $27.95) The former Bush press secretary says the administration deceived the public about Iraq.7
10.sTORI Telling by Tori Spelling (Simon Spotlight: $24.95) The "90210" star tells all. 5
11.Why Is God Laughing? by Deepak Chopra (Harmony: $21.95) How to find joy through laughter.2
12.The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston with Mario Spezi (Grand Central: $25.99) On the trail of a killer who preyed on lovers in the Italian countryside.5
13.The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss (Crown: $19.95) How to reduce your workload, outsource the routine, train your boss and other tips.8
14.My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor (Viking: $24.95) A brain scientist describes her massive stroke and the steps she took to a full recovery.5
15. The Soloist by Steve Lopez (Putnam: $25.95) The Times columnist befriends a homeless musician. 12
Rankings are based on a Times poll of Southland bookstores.




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