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*--* SO. CAL. RATING Fiction LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST 1 Everyman by Philip Roth 1 5 (Houghton Mifflin: $24) A New Jersey ad man with a lifelong obsession about his imminent death reflects on what he’s missed.

2 The Hard Way by Lee Child -- 1 (Delacorte: $25) Former military policeman Jack Reacher helps an ex-Special Forces officer track down his kidnapped daughter and trophy wife.

3 Suite Francaise by Irene 5 5 Nemirovsky (Knopf: $25) A posthumous novel about the Jewish exodus from Paris to a German-occupied village, penned by a celebrated writer killed at Auschwitz.

4 Blue Shoes and Happiness 3 5 by Alexander McCall Smith (Pantheon: $21.95) At the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, Precious Ramotswe tries to slim down while solving dilemmas for her clients.

5 Digging to America by Anne 2 3 Tyler (Knopf: $24.95) A friendship, sparked at the Baltimore airport between two couples adopting Korean daughters, becomes an exploration of culture and family.

6 Dead Watch by John -- 1 Sandford (Putnam: $26.95) A White House political advisor investigates the murder of an ex-senator who vanished after denouncing a rival and leader of a volunteer militia.

7 Elements of Style by Wendy 8 3 Wasserstein (Alfred A. Knopf: $23.95) The late playwright’s first novel skewers Manhattan’s in-crowd and those who want to join it.

8 Beach Road by James 4 3 Patterson and Peter de Jonge (Little, Brown: $27.95) A former pro basketball player turned attorney tries to clear a high school star in the murder of three youths.

9 The Da Vinci Code by Dan 11 144 Brown (Doubleday: $24.95) A Louvre curator’s killing leads to clues hidden in Leonardo’s paintings and a secret society with something to hide.

10 Absurdistan by Gary 9 3 Shteyngart (Random House: $24.95) A melancholy Russian raised in America tries to get back into the country after attending his father’s funeral in St. Petersburg.

11 A Dirty Job by Christopher -- 7 Moore (William Morrow: $24.95) A San Francisco shopkeeper is tapped to collect souls from the newly departed in this dark comedy.

12 The Saddlemaker’s Wife by -- 2 Earlene Fowler (Berkley: $23.95) A widow inherits a share of a California cattle ranch and discovers that her late husband kept lots of secrets.

13 There Will Never Be -- 1 Another You by Carolyn See (Random House: $24.95) A UCLA dermatologist suspects biological terrorism or an experiment gone awry when cats turn up dead.

14 This Book Will Save Your -- 2 Life by A.M. Homes (Viking: $24.95) A rich day trader tries to reconnect with the humanity he has discarded along the way as a sinkhole devours his home.

15 Killer Instinct by Joseph -- 1 Finder (St. Martin’s: $24.95) A grateful electronics salesman recommends an ex-Special Forces soldier for a job; sales soon soar, then people begin dying.

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*--* SO. CAL. RATING Nonfiction LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST 1 Marley & Me by John Grogan 1 27 (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 Mayflower by Nathaniel 5 2 Philbrick (Viking: $29.95) The story of devout English Christians landing in the New World and the natives they meet as they found Plymouth Colony.

3 The World Is Flat by 8 57 Thomas L. Friedman (Farrar, Straus & Giroux: $30) How technology and globalization are changing the world, and what training is needed to compete.

4 The Year of Magical 3 33 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.

5 Cesar’s Way by Cesar 7 7 Millan with Melissa Jo Peltier (Harmony: $24.95) The popular TV show host gives tips on understanding and correcting common canine behavior problems.

6 Lies at the Altar by Robin 9 2 L. Smith (Hyperion: $24.95) How to make sure that the unspoken expectations before the wedding vows don’t derail the strengths of a marriage.

7 Laurel Canyon by Michael -- 1 Walker (Faber Faber: $25) A look at the Sixties rock bands and artists whose creativity flowered in Laurel Canyon, a sylvan enclave above Sunset Boulevard.

8 Burnt Toast by Teri 4 3 Hatcher (Hyperion: $24.95) On the heels of her latest hit TV show, “Desperate Housewives,” the actress and single mom reveals her struggles in life and work.

9 Possible Side Effects by 12 3 Augusten Burroughs (St. Martin’s Press: $23.95) The author of “Running With Scissors” offers his take on modern life in another collection of memoir-essays.

10 The Omnivore’s Dilemma by -- 4 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.

11 Crime Beat by Michael 11 2 Connelly (Little, Brown: $25.95) The mystery writer recounts cases he covered as a crime beat reporter in Florida and in Southern California, many of them for The Times.

12 Desperate Networks by Bill 13 3 Carter (Doubleday: $26.95) The New York Times reporter describes the topsy-turvy world of the major TV networks in the age of cable and the Internet.

13 Ava Gardner by Lee Server -- 1 (St. Martin’s: $29.95) A North Carolina farm girl becomes an MGM contract actress, a screen goddess and ex-wife to Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw and Frank Sinatra.

14 Freakonomics by Steven D. -- 50 Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (William Morrow: $25.95) An economist deconstructs statistics and uses numbers to help explain human behavior.

15 Myths, Lies, and Downright -- 1 Stupidity by John Stossel (Hyperion: $24.95) The ABC News reporter challenges government waste, regulatory fiascoes and touts the wisdom of the marketplace.

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Rankings are based on a Times poll of Southland bookstores.