BESTSELLERS

*--* SO. CAL. RATING Fiction LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST 1 The Lincoln Lawyer by 1 3 Michael Connelly (Little, Brown: $26.95) An L.A. attorney hired to defend a rich woman’s son fears for his own safety after the murder of his private investigator.

2 Saving Fish From Drowning -- 1 by Amy Tan (Putnam: $26.95) A group of women embark on an ill-fated art tour to Burma, their story told by a friend who’s just been murdered.

3 On Beauty by Zadie Smith 2 6 (Penguin: $25.95) Identity crises, adultery, racial conflict and religious zealotry afflict two families whose lives are a 21st century parallel to E.M. Forster’s “Howards End.”

4 The March by E.L. Doctorow 3 5 (Random House: $25.95) On the trail as Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman makes his historic sweep of Georgia, routs Confederate troops and destroys the countryside.

5 Knife of Dreams by Robert 6 2 Jordan (Tor: $29.95) In Book 11 of the “Wheel of Time” series, war spreads to Tarmon Gai’don and an epic battle ensues between the Dragon Reborn and the Dark One.

6 Everyone Worth Knowing by 5 3 Lauren Weisberger (Simon & Schuster: $23.95) A young woman leaves an investment banking job for the cutthroat, celebrity-driven public relations industry.

7 Son of a Witch by Gregory 4 3 Maguire (ReganBooks: $26.95) An orphan armed with the wicked witch’s magic broom and black cape searches the Emerald City for a girl who may be his half-sister.

8 Consent to Kill by Vince 7 2 Flynn (Atria: $25.95) CIA agent Mitch Rapp learns that his White House correspondent wife is pregnant as he eludes assassins and battles a new intelligence director.

9 At First Sight by Nicholas -- 1 Sparks (Warner: $24.95) A journalist has concerns about his upcoming marriage to a small-town librarian, especially after some mysterious e-mails come his way.

10 Eldest (Inheritance, Book 10 9 2) by Christopher Paolini (Alfred A. Knopf: $21) Eragon hones his battle skills as his cousin finds himself the target of evil forces.

11 A Wedding in December by 8 2 Anita Shreve (Little, Brown: $25.95) The tragic death of a beloved classmate nearly three decades earlier casts a shadow over a reunion of prep school graduates.

12 Snow Flower and the Secret 13 14 Fan by Lisa See (Random House: $21.95) Two women in the cloistered society of 19th century China forge a close friendship that is threatened by misunderstanding.

13 The Ambler Warning by -- 1 Robert Ludlum (St. Martin’s: $25.95) A man struggles to discover why he’s being held in a remote psychiatric facility for patients who possess government secrets.

14 Harry Potter and the 11 15 Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (Arthur A. Levine / Scholastic: $29.99) A teenage Harry faces a new darkness in his latest adventures.

15 Lipstick Jungle by Candace 15 7 Bushnell (Hyperion: $24.95) Three high-powered New York women stop at nothing to make it big in business, even if it means leaving their men in the dust.

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*--* SO. CAL. RATING Nonfiction LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST 1 The Year of Magical 2 4 Thinking by Joan Didion (Knopf: $23.95) The acclaimed author and essayist explores the nature of grief and survival in the months after her writer-husband’s sudden death.

2 The City of Falling Angels 1 4 by John Berendt (Penguin: $25.95) A fire that guts an opera house is the mystery the author of “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” uses to explore Venice, Italy.

3 Healthy Aging by Andrew -- 1 Weil (Alfred A. Knopf: $27.95) A physician’s guide to welcoming the process of getting older through proper nutrition, exercise and meditation.

4 Freakonomics by Steven D. 5 27 Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (William Morrow: $25.95) An economist deconstructs statistics and uses numbers to help explain human behavior.

5 California: A History by 4 2 Kevin Starr (Modern Library: $24.95) The former state librarian shows the Golden State’s evolution from pre-Columbian times to the present.

6 The World Is Flat by 7 28 Thomas L. Friedman (Farrar, Straus & Giroux: $27.50) How technology and the forces of globalization are connecting -- and changing -- the world.

7 Natural Cures “They” Don’t 8 18 Want You to Know About by Kevin Trudeau (Alliance Publishing: $29.95) The infomercial mogul touts alternative therapies and supplements.

8 What Remains by Carole 3 5 Radziwill (Scribner: $25.95) A TV reporter’s story of love and death after marrying into the extended Kennedy clan and losing her husband to cancer.

9 A New Earth: Awakening to 12 2 Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart Tolle (Dutton: $24.95) The author of “The Power of Now” argues that our ego-driven society must become more loving.

10 It’s Called a Breakup 6 4 Because It’s Broken by Greg Behrendt and Amiira Ruotola-Behrendt (Broadway: $19.95) Survival tips from the co-author of “He’s Just Not That Into You.”

11 The Truth (With Jokes) by -- 1 Al Franken (Dutton: $25.95) The comedian rebuts claims and points out flip-flops made by the Bush administration and conservative pundits.

12 My FBI by Louis J. Freeh 11 2 (St. Martin’s: $25.95) The former FBI director recounts his career fighting the Mafia, investigating President Clinton and battling terrorism.

13 13 Ways of Looking at the -- 1 Novel by Jane Smiley (Alfred A. Knopf: $26.95) A noted author ponders the craft of novel writing by reading 100 examples.

14 Blink by Malcolm Gladwell -- 40 (Little, Brown: $25.95) An exploration of the workings of the human mind, perceptions and whether we can really trust our first instincts.

15 The Purpose-Driven Life by -- 119 Rick Warren (Zondervan: $19.99) A 40-day plan for devoting one’s life to the “God-ordained” principles of worship, community, ministry and evangelism.

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