Bestsellers

*--* SO. CAL. RATING Fiction

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*--* 1 Life of Pi by Yann Martel (Harvest Books: $14) A boy shares a lifeboat with a tiger on a harrowing trip.

2 Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (Picador: $15) A Greek family embraces the American dream.

3 The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (Penguin: $14) A teenage girl is haunted by her mother’s death.

4 Angels & Demons by Dan Brown (Pocket Books: $7.99) A scholar uncovers a vendetta against the Catholic Church.

5 Mystic River by Dennis Lehane (HarperTorch: $7.99) A girl’s murder causes three friends to confront their pasts.

6 The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander M. Smith (Anchor: $11.95) Botswana’s private eye.

7 The Human Stain by Philip Roth (Vintage: $14.95) Sex and scandal surround an aging faculty dean.

8 Three Junes by Julia Glass (Anchor: $14) A Scottish family comes together over three summers.

9 Chasing the Dime by Michael Connelly (Warner: $7.99) A brilliant but lonely chemist tries to find a missing prostitute.

10 The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor (Penguin: $14) A young girl is driven from her rural Irish home.

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*--* SO. CAL. RATING Nonfiction

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*--* 1 Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand (Ballantine: $15.95) How an also-ran became America’s favorite racehorse.

2 Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution by Robert C. Atkins (Quill: $13.95) Shed pounds with a low-carb diet.

3 Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes (Broadway: $15) Restoring a cozy home in glorious Italy.

4 Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki with Sharon L. Lechter (Techpress: $15.95) Fiscal parenting.

5 Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz (Amber-Allen: $12.95) A code of conduct based on Toltec wisdom.

6 Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich (Free Press: $14) Six MIT students take Las Vegas for millions.

7 Excuse Me, Your Life Is Waiting by Lynn Grabhorn (Hampton Roads: $14.95) Being positive gets results.

8 Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs (Picador: $14) A boy goes to live with his mother’s psychiatrist.

9 A Child Called ‘It’ by Dave Pelzer (Health Communications: $9.95) A child survives a sadistic mother.

10 Self Matters by Phillip C. McGraw (Free Press: $14) Dr. Phil on how to create a life “from the inside out.”

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