Los Angeles Times Bestsellers

November 11, 2001

FICTION

Southern California Rating

1 THE CORRECTIONS by Jonathan Franzen (Farrar, Straus & Giroux: $26) The saga of a dysfunctional Midwestern family living at the end of the 20th century. Last Week: 2 Weeks on List: 9

2 BLOOD AND GOLD by Anne Rice (Alfred A. Knopf: $26.95) The autobiography of Marius, the mentor of Lestat, and his moral struggles during his 2,000 years as a vampire. 1Last Week: 0 Weeks on List: 2

3 SUNDAY’S SILENCE by Gina B. Nahai (Harcourt: $24) The son of an Appalachian preacher encounters an intriguing Kurdish woman when he returns home to investigate his father’s death. Last Week: -- Weeks on List: 1

4 ISLE OF DOGS by Patricia Cornwell (Putnam: $26.95) Kay Scarpetta’s nowhere to be found in this departure for Cornwell--a dark comedy centering on a Chesapeake Bay island. Last Week: 4 Weeks on List: 3

5 PORTRAIT IN SEPIA by Isabel Allende (HarperCollins: $26) A young Chilean woman finds that photography helps reveal the mysteries and shadings of her family’s past. Last Week: -- Weeks on List: 1

6 A BEND IN THE ROAD by Nicholas Sparks (Warner: $23.95) A widower’s romance with a small-town schoolteacher is threatened by the unsettling mystery surrounding his wife’s death. Last Week: 11 Weeks on List: 6

7 MIDNIGHT BAYOU by Nora Roberts (Putnam: $25.95) A modern ghost story about a Boston lawyer who, in renovating a mansion outside New Orleans, uncovers a 100-year-old mystery. Last Week: 8 Weeks on List: 2

8 BLACK HOUSE by Stephen King and Peter Straub (Random House: $28.95) King and Straub return with the horrific story of parallel worlds first told in their 1984 collaboration, “The Talisman.” Last Week: 14 Weeks on List: 6

9 THE KISS by Danielle Steel (Delacorte: $26.95) A stolen moment between two friends stuck in unhappy marriages unleashes a series of life-changing events. Last Week: -- Weeks on List: 1

10 SEPARATION OF POWER by Vince Flynn (Pocket Books: $25) Crack CIA operative Mitch Rapp takes on corruption in the halls of Washington’s power brokers. Last Week: -- Weeks on List: 1

11 THE MITFORD SNOWMEN by Jan Karon (Viking: $10.95) The eccentric denizens of Mitford gather on Main Street to share some old-fashioned Christmas cheer. Last Week: -- Weeks on List: 1

12 FALLING ANGELS by Tracy Chevalier (Dutton: $24.95) Friendship between two girls of different social classes blooms in 19th century London and endures through several crises. Last Week: 7 Weeks on List: 2

13 DUNE: HOUSE CORRINO by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (Spectra: $17.95) The final installment in the “Dune” prequel series boasts a power-hungry emperor. Last Week: -- Weeks on List: 1

14 BALZAC AND THE LITTLE CHINESE SEAMSTRESS by Dai Sijie (Alfred A. Knopf: $18) Two Chinese youths use classic Western literature to free their minds in the face of communist reeducation. Last Week: -- Weeks on List: 1

15 NARCISSUS IN CHAINS by Laurell K. Hamilton (Berkley: $22.95) Vampire hunter Anita Blake enlists the help of the men in her life as she battles a new stream of foes. Last Week: -- Weeks on List: 1

NONFICTION

Southern California Rating

1 GERMS by Judith Miller, Stephen Engelberg and William Broad (Simon & Schuster: $27) How biological warfare became a real threat despite a long history of bans and treaties. Last Week: 4 Weeks on List: 4

2 THE NO-SPIN ZONE by Bill O’Reilly (Broadway: $24.95) The Fox News commentator presents interviews with famous figures in his tough, no-holds-barred style. Last Week: 5 Weeks on List: 2

3 JOHN ADAMS by David McCullough (Simon & Schuster: $35) The story of our second president, a man Thomas Jefferson called “the colossus of independence.” Last Week: 3 Weeks on List: 24

4 BEST-LOVED POEMS OF JACQUELINE KENNEDY ONASSIS Edited by Caroline Kennedy (Hyperion: $21.95) A selection of Jackie’s favorite verse, and some of her own, introduced by her daughter. Last Week: -- Weeks on List: 1

5 JACK by Jack Welch with John A. Byrne (Warner: $29.95) The life and times of a respected chief executive, from a Massachusetts childhood to his successful reinvention of General Electric. Last Week: 8 Weeks on List: 7

6 HOW I PLAY GOLF by Tiger Woods (Warner: $34.95) The links master explains his game in words and pictures, offering tips on the best ways to get from the tee to the cup. Last Week: 7 Weeks on List: 3

7 WHO MOVED MY CHEESE? by Spencer Johnson (Putnam: $19.95) The co-author of “The One Minute Manager” uses the parable of mice in a maze to show people how to manage change. Last Week: 15 Weeks on List: 85

8 ISLAM by Karen Armstrong (The Modern Library: $19.95) A short history by the renowned scholar focuses on Islam’s political aspect as it grew from a desert tribe’s belief into a world religion. Last Week: 13 Weeks on List: 2

9 HUGHES by Richard Hack (New Millennium: $28) Private memos, diaries and declassified FBI papers throw light onto the ambitions and manias of billionaire Howard Hughes. Last Week: 12 Weeks on List: 5

10 WAR IN A TIME OF PEACE by David Halberstam (Scribner: $28) Halberstam looks at how the lessons of Vietnam have influenced U.S. policy since the Cold War’s end. Last Week: 10 Weeks on List: 6

11 Q by Quincy Jones (Doubleday: $26) Autobiography of the musician-arranger, from his teen years with Lionel Hampton to 1980s success with Michael Jackson and beyond. Last Week: 6 Weeks on List: 2

12 WILL THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN? by Studs Terkel (The New Press: $26) Terkel coaxes moving stories about death and dying from a host of figures, from doctors to writers and musicians. Last Week: 2 Weeks on List: 2

13 THE FINAL DAYS by Barbara Olson (Regnery: $27.95) The Clintons’ last actions in the White House, from pardons to executive orders, with cutting commentary from the late Olson. Last Week: -- Weeks on List: 1

14 CROSSING OVER by John Edward (Jodere Group: $23.95) A memoir of the psychic’s upbringing and first hints of his abilities and his struggles with fame after starting a hit TV program. Last Week: -- Weeks on List: 4

15 THE PRAYER OF JABEZ by Bruce H. Wilkinson (Multnomah: $9.99) Words of wisdom centered around a little-known biblical figure’s 32-word plea. Last Week: -- Weeks on List: 1