BESTSELLERS

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

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*--* 1 The Plot Against America by Philip Roth (Houghton 1 7 Mifflin: $26) Charles Lindbergh becomes president in 1940, setting the country on a course of isolationism and nationwide pogroms.

2 Hour Game by David Baldacci (Warner: $26.95) Private eyes 2 2 try to uncover the identity of an egotistical and mocking murderer whose crimes mimic infamous serial killers of the past.

3 The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (Doubleday: $24.95) A 3 86 Louvre curator’s killing leads to clues hidden in Leonardo’s paintings and a secret society with something to hide.

4 Light on Snow by Anita Shreve (Little, Brown: $24.95) A 8 4 motherless girl rescues an infant in the snow and tries to make sense of a world in which a woman could leave her baby to die.

5 The Da Vinci Code Special Illustrated Edition by Dan -- 1 Brown (Doubleday: $35) The blockbuster thriller, complete with images of all the artwork, symbols and locales mentioned in the text.

6 Metro Girl by Janet Evanovich (HarperCollins: $26.95) -- 1 Tough-talking Alexandra Barnaby teams up with a NASCAR driver to help find her lost brother.

7 I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe (Farrar, Straus & -- 1 Giroux: $28.95) A North Carolina ingenue tries to fit in with the beautiful- people-in-training at an elite university.

8 Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke 6 11 (Bloomsbury: $27.95) A reclusive magician teams with a risk-taking younger man to delve into England’s magical past.

9 The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst (Bloomsbury: 9 2 $24.95) An Oxford student is caught up in the go-go 1980s London of Margaret Thatcher, where opulence, class envy and ruthlessness reign.

10 Double Shot by Diane Mott Davidson (William Morrow: 14 2 $24.95) Colorado caterer and part-time detective Goldy Schulz finds herself the prime suspect in the death of her ex-husband.

11 Echoes by Danielle Steele (Delacorte: $27) Three 10 2 generations of Wittgenstein women overcome suffering and loss against a backdrop of two world wars and Nazi terrors.

12 The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom 4 59 (Hyperion: $19.95) An amusement park maintenance man faces his life, death and afterlife in this three-part parable.

13 How We Are Hungry by Dave Eggers (McSweeney’s: $22) -- 1 Stories, some comic and some haunting, on mortality and the troubled times in which we live.

14 London Bridges by James Patterson (Little, Brown: $27.95) -- 1 Alex Cross battles villains old and new as terrorists threaten to destroy the world’s largest cities.

15 Runaway by Alice Munro (Knopf: $25) A collection of 12 2 stories examining the surprises, betrayals and limits of love among couples, friends, parents and children.

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

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*--* 1 The Last Season by Phil Jackson (Penguin: $24.95) The 1 3 Lakers’ former coach recounts last year’s turbulent season in which egos ruled the court and a star-studded team stumbled.

2 He’s Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt and Liz 3 8 Tuccillo (Simon Spotlight Entertainment: $19.95) The no-excuses guide to help women understand guys and get on with their lives.

3 America (The Book): A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy 2 8 Inaction by Jon Stewart et al. (Warner: $24.95) Comedy writers poke fun at U.S. politics and our institutions of democracy.

4 Chronicles, Volume One by Bob Dylan (Simon & Schuster: 4 6 $24) The songwriter reflects on the influences that helped shape him and his struggle to rediscover his creativity.

5 How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must) by Ann Coulter 6 5 (Crown Forum: $26.95) The pundit explains why she thinks liberals have it all wrong.

6 Hallelujah! The Welcome Table by Maya Angelou (Random -- 2 House: $29.95) Angelou’s most memorable meals and those she shared them with, along with favorite recipes.

7 A Paper Life by Tatum O’Neal (HarperEntertainment: 9 4 $24.95) The award-winning child actress details her battle with loneliness, abusive parents, drug addiction and damaging relationships.

8 When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops? by George Carlin 5 4 (Hyperion: $23.95) The veteran comedian takes on Diane Sawyer, big oil and mass marketing in a stinging social commentary.

9 Coast of Dreams by Kevin Starr (Alfred A. Knopf: $35) -- 3 Riots, recession, political upheaval and a trial of the century tarnish the golden promise of California from 1990 to 2003.

10 Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen (Warner Faith: $19.99) -- 1 Seven steps to improving your life by using faith to develop self-esteem and help let go of the past.

11 His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis 12 2 (Knopf: $26.95) A portrait of the most imposing of all the Founding Fathers, who held the young nation together through its rocky beginnings.

12 The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren (Zondervan: 7 88 $19.99) How the “God ordained” principles of worship, community, discipleship, ministry and evangelism bring fulfillment.

13 Scene of the Crime: Photographs From the LAPD Archive -- 1 (Harry N. Abrams: $35) The Black Dahlia and other images of mid-century mayhem, with essays by James Ellroy and others.

14 In the Shadow of No Towers by Art Spiegelman (Pantheon: -- 5 $19.95) In cartoon format, a chain-smoking Manhattan pessimist is convinced that the world ended with the Sept. 11 attacks.

15 Magical Thinking by Augusten Burroughs (St. Martin’s -- 4 Press: $23.95) Telemarketing revenge and the precision killing of a rodent populate these essays from the peculiar recesses of Burroughs’ mind.

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