BESTSELLERS

*--* SO. CAL. RATING Fiction LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST

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*--* 1 The King of Torts by John Grisham (Doubleday: $27.95) The 5 2 case of a young man charged in a street killing turns out to be tied to a conspiracy involving a pharmaceutical giant

2 The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (Little, Brown: $21.95) 1 34 A murdered girl tells the story of her grieving family still learning to cope, the killer and the detective who hunts him

3 Pattern Recognition by William Gibson (Putnam: $25.95) A -- 1 market research consultant is on the trail of whoever’s behind some guerrilla computer clips roaming the Internet

4 Life of Pi by Yann Martel (Harcourt: $25) After a ship 2 13 disaster, a lone Indian boy shares a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger during a harrowing and hallucinatory trip

5 Sons of Fortune by Jeffrey Archer (St. Martin’s: $27.95) 7 5 Separated twins grow up in very different circumstances and run against each other in the race for Connecticut governor

6 The Cat Who Brought Down the House by Lilian Jackson -- 1 Braun (Putnam: $23.95) A glamorous retiree returns to Moose County and puts on a show in the old opera house

7 Prey by Michael Crichton (HarperCollins: $26.95) A foray 11 12 into the chilling world of nanotechnology as a programmer tries to stop a destructive swarm of tiny machines

8 You Shall Know Our Velocity by Dave Eggers (McSweeney’s: 8 18 $22) Two friends take an around-the-world trip, handing out money to strangers

9 Writing Los Angeles edited by David L. Ulin (Library of -- 7 America: $40) An anthology about the City of Angels as seen through the eyes of writers over the decades

10 I Don’t Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson (Alfred 14 18 A. Knopf: $23) A darkly humorous tale of a woman juggling her high-powered career and family life

11 Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan (Tor Books: 6 6 $29.95) The monumental “Wheel of Time” story continues, as armies on distant worlds rattle their swords

12 Three Junes by Julia Glass (Pantheon: $25) In the 13 3 aftermath of the matriarch’s death, a Scottish family comes together on three vital summers to mark how family members have changed

13 Final Justice by W.E.B. Griffin (Putnam: $26.95) A police 4 2 detective takes on homicide cases involving high-fliers of Philadelphia society as well as the city’s working stiffs

14 Atonement by Ian McEwan (Nan A. Talese/Doubleday: $26) A 10 37 haunting novel of guilt and redemption that follows several lives through the chaos of England in World War II

15 I Should Be Extremely Happy in Your Company by Brian Hall 15 2 (Viking: $25.95) A character portrait of the explorers on the famed Lewis and Clark expedition

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*--* SO. CAL. RATING Nonfiction LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST

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*--* 1 What Should I Do With My Life? by Po Bronson (Random 4 3 House: $24.95) A look at 50 professionals, some successful, some not, and their thoughts on pursuing dreams through their careers

2 Atkins for Life by Robert C. Atkins (St. Martin’s: 1 3 $24.95) The physician continues his mission against low-fat diets, arguing that carbohydrates are the true culprits in weight gain

3 Kingdom of Fear by Hunter S. Thompson (Simon & Schuster: 6 4 $25) An unorthodox memoir from the gonzo journalist, who opines on matters personal and political

4 Pigs at the Trough by Arianna Huffington (Crown: $22) 2 3 Pundit/columnist Huffington takes aim at the effect of corporate and political greed on the nation

5 The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle (New World Library: 8 27 $21.95) How to improve relationships and encourage happiness and contentment by living in the present

6 Stupid White Men and Other Sorry Excuses for the State 3 49 of the Nation by Michael Moore (ReganBooks: $24.95) Lampooning the Bush administration and more

7 The Conversations by Michael Ondaatje (Alfred A. Knopf: -- 7 $35) Insights into the invisible art of film editing with Walter Murch, who worked on “The Godfather” and “The English Patient.”

8 The Savage Nation by Michael Savage (WND Books: $24.99) 9 5 The confrontational radio show host is on a mission to save the nation from itself, railing against feminism and the lack of school prayer

9 The Mailroom by David Rensin (Ballantine: $24.95) Top -- 1 Hollywood agents talk about the rocky road they’ve encountered on their way through the industry ranks

10 Good to Great by Jim Collins (HarperCollins: $27.50) How 11 24 a great product, a healthy corporate culture and a disciplined work force can propel a company to success

11 A New Kind of Science by Stephen Wolfram (Wolfram Media: -- 4 $44.95) The universe and other complex systems explained through simple computer experiments

12 Sandy Koufax by Jane Leavy (HarperCollins: $23.95) A -- 17 look at the career of the Dodger pitcher, arguably the game’s greatest southpaw, and the social mores he confronted

13 Vivir Para Contarla by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Alfred A. 14 4 Knopf: $25) The first installment of the laureate’s memoir (“Living to Tell the Tale”), in Spanish, describes his early life in Colombia

14 Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson (Putnam: $19.95) 13 145 The co-author of “The One-Minute Manager” uses the parable of mice in a maze to discuss managing change

15 Looking for Spinoza by Antonio Damasio (Harcourt: $28) A -- 1 look at the nature of emotions and feelings from the perspective of neuroscience and philosophy

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