Los Angeles Times Bestsellers

*--* Southern California Rating FICTION

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*--* 1 EMPIRE FALLS by Richard Russo (Vintage: $14.95) A warmhearted novel about working-class lives in Maine 2 POSSESSION by A.S. Byatt (Vintage: $14) Two literary sleuths find their lives entwined with two Victorian poets 3 THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER AND CLAY by Michael Chabon (Picador: $15) Cousins in the comics biz 4 HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE by J.K. Rowling (Scholastic: $8.99) Lord Voldemort pursues Harry 5 BEL CANTO by Ann Patchett (HarperPaperbacks: $13.95) A terrorist standoff in a South American town mirrors opera 6 GOOD IN BED by Jennifer Weiner (Washington Square Press: $13) A tell-all column helps a woman change her life 7 ASK THE DUST by John Fante (Black Sparrow Press: $15) Struggling young writer Arturo Bandini takes on 1930s L.A 8 CHOKE by Chuck Palahniuk (Anchor: $13) A con man “with issues” seeks attention in the most unexpected places 9 SUZANNE’S DIARY FOR NICHOLAS by James Patterson (Warner: $12.95) A love story from the scribe of suspense 10 DIVINE SECRETS OF THE YA-YA SISTERHOOD by Rebecca Wells (HarperPerennial: $14) Sisterhood in the South

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*--* Southern California Rating NONFICTION

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*--* 1 SEABISCUIT by Laura Hillenbrand (Ballantine: $15) How a thoroughbred horse went from also-ran to sports icon 2 DR. ATKINS’ NEW DIET REVOLUTION by Robert C. Atkins (Avon: $7.99) How a low-carb diet helps shed pounds 3 FAST FOOD NATION by Eric Schlosser (HarperCollins: $13.95) The unappetizing practices of the junk-food industry 4 RICH DAD, POOR DAD by Robert T. Kiyosaki with Sharon L. Lechter (Techpress: $15.95) Adventures in fiscal parenting 5 THE KID STAYS IN THE PICTURE by Robert Evans (New Millennium: $17.95) A producer’s rise, fall and rise again 6 THE WRINKLE CURE by Nicholas Perricone (Warner: $13.95) Using antioxidants to keep the skin looking young 7 THE FOUR AGREEMENTS by Don Miguel Ruiz (Amber-Allen: $12.95) Life lessons based on ancient Toltec wisdom 8 NICKEL & DIMED by Barbara Ehrenreich (Henry Holt: $13) A writer works in low-wage America to see how the poor live 9 IT’S NOT ABOUT THE BIKE by Lance Armstrong with Sally Jenkins (Berkley: $13) A cyclist’s race against cancer 10 WORD FREAK by Stefan Fatsis (Penguin: $14) A gaze into the highly charged world of competitive Scrabble players

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