BESTSELLERS

*--* SO. CAL. RATING Fiction LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST 1 Suite Francaise by Irene -- 1 Nemirovsky (Knopf: $25) A posthumous novel by a celebrated novelist killed at Auschwitz about the Jewish exodus from Paris to a German-occupied village.

2 Two Little Girls in Blue 2 2 by Mary Higgins Clark (Simon & Schuster: $25.95) Parents return from an evening out to discover their 3-year-old twins missing and an $8-million ransom demand.

3 Gone by Jonathan Kellerman 3 3 (Ballantine: $22.95) Psychologist Alex Delaware and an LAPD detective combine forces to solve the disappearance and death of an aspiring actress.

4 A Dirty Job by Christopher 1 4 Moore (William Morrow: $24.95) A San Francisco shopkeeper is tapped to collect souls from the newly departed in this dark comedy.

5 Dark Harbor by Stuart -- 1 Woods (Putnam: $25.95) A New York lawyer called to a Maine town because of the death of a cousin and his family doubts the local police theory of murder-suicide.

6 The March by E.L. Doctorow -- 15 (Random House: $25.95) On the trail with Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman as he sweeps Georgia, routs Confederate troops and destroys the countryside.

7 The Tenth Circle by Jodi 14 6 Picoult (Atria: $26) The seemingly bucolic life of a Maine family unravels as the past and present converge with haunting consequences.

8 Charmed Thirds by Megan -- 1 McCafferty (Crown: $21) Jessica Darling navigates the shoals of personal relationships, a summer internship and dorm life at Columbia University.

9 The Secret Supper by 11 4 Javier Sierra (Atria: $25.95) Murder, betrayal, an Old Master painting and Vatican politics mix in this mystery set in 15th century Milan.

10 Prisoner of Memory by -- 1 Denise Hamilton (Scribner: $24) An L.A. newspaper reporter stumbles on a dead body and is drawn into a mystery involving the Russian mob.

11 Adverbs by Daniel Handler -- 1 (Ecco: $23.95) The creator of the Lemony Snicket novels explores the nature of love in various forms -- gay, straight, platonic and dysfunctional.

12 The Good Life by Jay -- 4 McInerney (Knopf: $25) Two wealthy New York couples reexamine their lives, relationships and values in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

13 Oakdale Confidential by -- 1 Anonymous (Pocket Books: $19.95) The guest of honor at a hospital gala arrives dead of an apparent heart attack but three women suspect murder.

14 Intuition by Allegra -- 4 Goodman (Dial Press: $25) Researchers at a Boston cancer center doubt the findings of a fellow scientist in a hurry to publish his claim of shrinking tumors in lab mice.

15 Memories of My Melancholy -- 20 Whores by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Knopf: $20) A nonagenarian journalist who falls for a 14-year-old virgin prostitute reflects on his life and loves.

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*--* SO. CAL. RATING Nonfiction LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST 1 Marley & Me by John Grogan 1 22 (William Morrow: $21.95) A columnist recalls how Marley, an incorrigible Labrador retriever, flunked obedience school, terrorized a pet sitter and won over his family.

2 American Theocracy by 2 4 Kevin Phillips (Viking: $26.95) Phillips argues that an overzealous global reach, a rise in fundamentalist religion and high debt historically lead to downfall.

3 The Gospel of Judas edited 6 2 by Rodolphe Kasser et al. (National Geographic: $22) The lost gospel of Judas Iscariot suggests that he was doing Jesus’ bidding when he betrayed him.

4 My Life in France by Julia 4 2 Child with Alex Prud’homme (Knopf: $25.95) The late chef’s memoir of her formative years in France, studies at the Cordon Bleu and the best Parisian restaurants.

5 The Year of Magical 7 29 Thinking by Joan Didion (Knopf: $23.95) The author explores the nature of grief and survival in the months after her writer-husband’s sudden death.

6 Freakonomics by Steven D. -- 46 Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (William Morrow: $25.95) An economist deconstructs statistics and uses numbers to help explain human behavior.

7 The Omnivore’s Dilemma by -- 1 Michael Pollan (Penguin: $26.95) A revealing look at the food we eat, the agribusiness that produces it and the corn that is now in nearly everything edible.

8 Cobra II by Michael R. 5 5 Gordon and Bernard E. Trainor (Pantheon: $27.95) A military expert and the New York Times’ Pentagon reporter chronicle the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq.

9 Cesar’s Way by Cesar 10 2 Millan with Melissa Jo Peltier (Harmony: $24.95) The popular host of a TV show on dog training gives tips on understanding and correcting common canine behavior problems.

10 The Great Transformation -- 1 by Karen Armstrong (Knopf: $30) The foremost English-language historian of religion traces the evolution of the world’s religious traditions.

11 American Vertigo by -- 4 Bernard-Henri Levy (Random House: $24.95) Snapshots of U.S. poverty and affluence by a French author tracing 19th century writer Alexis de Tocqueville’s footsteps.

12 Don’t Make a Black Woman -- 1 Take Off Her Earrings by Tyler Perry (Riverhead: $23.95) The “Diary of a Mad Black Woman” author offers more advice from his alter ego, Madea.

13 Failed States by Noam 14 2 Chomsky (Metropolitan Books: $24) The leftist intellectual argues that the United States has abused its power in the world and threatened democracy at home.

14 Game of Shadows by Mark 3 4 Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams (Gotham: $26) The authors chronicle alleged steroid use among some of baseball’s brightest stars.

15 Manhunt by James L. 15 9 Swanson (William Morrow: $26.95) The search for President Lincoln’s killer, actor John Wilkes Booth, and how he eluded capture for 12 days.

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