BESTSELLERS

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

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*--* 1 The Broker by John Grisham (Doubleday: $27.95) A 1 3 high-roller attorney is pardoned to lead the CIA to a powerful satellite surveillance system and the shadowy agents who want to buy it.

2 The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (Doubleday: $24.95) A 2 97 Louvre curator’s killing leads to clues hidden in Leonardo’s paintings and a secret society with something to hide.

3 The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom 4 70 (Hyperion: $19.95) An amusement park maintenance man faces his life, death and afterlife in this three-part parable.

4 The Plot Against America by Philip Roth (Houghton 3 18 Mifflin: $26) Charles Lindbergh becomes president in 1940, setting the country on a course of isolationism and nationwide pogroms.

5 State of Fear by Michael Crichton (HarperCollins: $27.95) 6 7 A globe-trotting thriller involving nefarious environmentalists and manufactured threats of global warming.

6 Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami (Knopf: $25.95) A -- 1 Tokyo teen who calls himself Kafka runs away because of Oedipal fears, and an elderly man embarks on a metaphysical quest.

7 Yiddish With Dick and Jane by Ellis Weiner and Barbara -- 1 Davilman (Little, Brown: $14.95) All grown up, Dick and Jane make their way in a world of tsuris (troubles), complete with Yiddish glossary.

8 Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (Farrar, Straus & Giroux: 5 3 $23) An aging minister facing death explains his life and religious beliefs in a letter to his young son.

9 Runaway by Alice Munro (Knopf: $25) A collection of 9 12 stories examining the surprises, betrayals and limits of love among couples, friends, parents and children.

10 Magic Time: Ghostlands by Mark Scott Zicree and Robert -- 1 Charles Wilson (Eos: $25.95) Cal Griffin returns to find and defeat the magical forces that have overtaken the world.

11 Ask a Dead Man by Robert S. Levinson (Five Star: $25.95) -- 1 To avenge the death of her IRA leader husband, a woman agrees to smuggle guns and finds herself mired in a plot to assassinate a world leader.

12 Chainfire by Terry Goodkind (Tor Books: $29.95) In the 10 3 ninth book of the “Sword of Truth” series, a battle-injured Richard awakens to find his beloved Kahlan missing.

13 I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe (Farrar, Straus & 8 12 Giroux: $28.95) A North Carolina ingenue tries to fit in with an elite university’s beautiful-people-in-training.

14 By Order of the President by W.E.B. Griffin (Putnam: 14 3 $26.95) A Homeland Security agent trails two men who lease a jet, then slit the pilot’s throat after taking off from Angola.

15 Angels & Demons (Atria: $19.95) A scholar uncovers a -- 38 vendetta against the Roman Catholic Church by the Illuminati, a secret society dedicated to promoting science over faith since Galileo’s day.

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

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*--* 1 Blink by Malcolm Gladwell (Little, Brown: $25.95) 1 2 Gladwell explores why decisions are so often made in an instant and whether we can really trust those first instincts.

2 Collapse by Jared Diamond (Viking: $29.95) Diamond 2 4 examines why great societies such as the Anasazi and the Maya collapsed and what modern society can do to prevent future die-offs.

3 French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano (Knopf: 5 3 $22) The chief executive of the French wine conglomerate Clicquot Inc. reveals the French secret of eating for pleasure without the bulge.

4 The Grand Slam by Mark Frost (Hyperion: $30) How golfing 3 2 legend Bobby Jones trounced the competition in 1930 to win the Grand Slam and then shocked his fans by exiting the public stage.

5 He’s Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt and Liz 4 19 Tuccillo (Simon Spotlight Entertainment: $19.95) The no-excuses guide to help women understand guys and get on with their lives.

6 America (The Book): A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy 6 19 Inaction by Jon Stewart et al. (Warner: $24.95) Comedy writers poke fun at U.S. politics and our institutions of democracy.

7 Start Late, Finish Rich by David Bach (Broadway: $25) The 7 3 author of “Automatic Millionaire” offers a plan for how to “spend less, save more, and make more,” even if you started late.

8 Chronicles, Volume One by Bob Dylan (Simon & Schuster: 11 17 $24) The songwriter reflects on the influences that helped shape him and his struggle to rediscover his creativity.

9 The Last Season by Phil Jackson (Penguin: $24.95) The 10 14 former Laker coach recounts last year’s turbulent season, in which egos ruled the court and a star-studded team stumbled.

10 Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen (Warner Faith: $19.99) 9 12 Seven steps to improving your life by using faith to develop self-esteem, let go of the past and fulfill your potential.

11 Witness: For the Prosecution of Scott Peterson by Amber 8 3 Frey (Regan Books: $25.95) Frey tells of discovering Peterson’s web of lies and of seeking justice for his dead wife and unborn child.

12 Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss (Gotham: $17.50) A -- 32 British novelist and journalist offers her zero-tolerance approach to bad punctuation, drawn from her pioneering BBC series.

13 The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren (Zondervan: 12 96 $19.99) How the “God-ordained” principles of worship, community, discipleship, ministry and evangelism bring fulfillment.

14 The Eloquent President by Ronald C. White Jr. (Random -- 1 House: $26.95) Tracing Abraham Lincoln’s evolution as president through his speeches, including the towering Gettysburg Address.

15 Cleaning Up by Barry Minkow (Nelson Current: $25.99) The -- 1 young magnate whose corporation was exposed as a $300-million fraud tells of his transformation from FBI target to scam buster.

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