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 1 4 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) 2 36 A murdered girl tells the story of her grieving family still learning to cope, the killer and the detective who hunts him

3 The Last Detective by Robert Crais (Doubleday: $24.95) 13 2 P.I. Elvis Cole faces his toughest case when kidnappers, seeking revenge for Cole’s actions in Vietnam, snatch his girlfriend’s son

4 Life of Pi by Yann Martel (Harcourt: $25) After a ship 3 15 disaster, a lone Indian boy shares a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger during a harrowing and hallucinatory trip

5 Prey by Michael Crichton (HarperCollins: $26.95) A foray 10 14 into the chilling world of nanotechnology as a programmer tries to stop a destructive swarm of tiny machines

6 Someone to Watch Over Me by Judith McNaught (Atria Books: -- 1 $25) A leading Broadway actress investigates her wealthy husband’s mysterious disappearance

7 Derailed by James Siegel (Warner: $23.95) The life of a -- 1 married Manhattan ad exec falls off-track when he gets involved with a woman he meets on a train

8 Flashback by Nevada Barr (Putnam: $24.95) A park ranger -- 1 stumbles upon a mystery involving the Lincoln assassination in her new posting in the Florida Keys

9 I Don’t Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson (Alfred -- 19 A. Knopf: $23) A darkly humorous tale of a woman juggling her high-powered career and family life

10 Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan (Tor Books: 6 8 $29.95) The monumental “Wheel of Time” story continues, as armies on distant worlds rattle their swords

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

12 The Cat Who Brought Down the House by Lilian Jackson 7 3 Braun (Putnam: $23.95) A glamorous retiree returns to Moose County and puts on a show in the old opera house

13 Atonement by Ian McEwan (Nan A. Talese/Doubleday: $26) A -- 38 haunting novel of guilt and redemption that follows several lives through the chaos of England in World War II

14 Final Justice by W.E.B. Griffin (Putnam: $26.95) A police 8 4 detective takes on homicide cases involving high fliers of Philadelphia society as well as the city’s working stiffs

15 Three Junes by Julia Glass (Pantheon: $25) In the 14 5 aftermath of the matriarch’s death, a Scottish family comes together on three vital summers to mark how family members have changed

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

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*--* 1 Stupid White Men and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of 7 51 the Nation by Michael Moore (ReganBooks: $24.95) Lampooning the Bush administration and more

2 The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle (New World Library: 3 29 $21.95) How to improve relationships and encourage happiness and contentment by living in the present

3 Atkins for Life by Robert C. Atkins (St. Martin’s: 2 5 $24.95) The physician continues his mission against low-fat diets, arguing that carbohydrates are the true culprits in weight gain

4 The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (Crown: 4 2 $25.95) A chronicle of how a serial killer, posing as a charming doctor, haunted the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair

5 What Should I Do With My Life? by Po Bronson (Random 1 5 House: $24.95) A look at 50 professionals, some successful, some not, and their thoughts on pursuing dreams through their careers

6 The Gift of Jazzy by Cindy Adams (St. Martin’s: $19.95) -- 1 The New York gossip columnist tells how a Yorkshire terrier has helped her cope with life after her husband’s death

7 The Mailroom by David Rensin (Ballantine: $24.95) 10 3 Hollywood agents past and present describe what it’s like to start at the bottom in a talent agency and dream of the top

8 The Savage Nation by Michael Savage (WND Books: $24.99) 6 7 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 What Liberal Media? By Eric Alterman (Basic Books: $25) -- 1 Alterman argues that the media is not slanted toward the left. (Reviewed by Leonard Boasberg, Page 12)

10 Pigs at the Trough by Arianna Huffington (Crown: $22) 5 5 Pundit-columnist Huffington takes aim at the effect of corporate and political greed on the nation

11 Vivir Para Contarla by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Alfred A. 9 6 Knopf: $25) The first installment of the laureate’s memoir (“Living to Tell the Tale”), in Spanish, describes his early life in Colombia

12 High Trust Selling by Todd Duncan (Thomas Nelson: $22.99) -- 1 The aptitudes, abilities and communication skills that can make a salesperson successful

13 Cad by Rick Marin (Hyperion: $23.95) Newly back on the -- 1 dating scene after an early failed marriage, the rakish Marin falls in and out of love as he tries to navigate the relationship business

14 Kingdom of Fear by Hunter S. Thompson (Simon & Schuster: 12 6 $25) An unorthodox memoir from the gonzo journalist, who opines on matters personal and political

15 The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren (Zondervan: -- 1 $19.99) How the principles of worship, community, discipleship, ministry and evangelism lead to a fulfilled life

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