BESTSELLERS

*--* SO. CAL. RATING Fiction LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST 1 Terrorist by John Updike -- 1 (Alfred A. Knopf: $24.95) An Irish-Egyptian-American teen living in a dying New Jersey town becomes enthralled with a local radical cleric.

2 The Hard Way by Lee Child 11 4 (Delacorte: $25) Former military policeman Jack Reacher helps an ex-Special Forces officer track down his kidnapped daughter and trophy wife.

3 The Husband by Dean Koontz 1 2 (Bantam: $27) A gardener has 60 hours to raise $2 million to free his wife and in the process finds himself dealing with killers and a child pornographer.

4 Everyman by Philip Roth 3 8 (Houghton Mifflin: $24) A self-centered New Jersey adman with a lifelong obsession that his death is imminent reflects on what he’s missed.

5 The Book of the Dead by 6 2 Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Warner: $25.95) A psychotic killer who has ground a museum’s gem exhibit to dust now interferes with an Egyptian tomb restoration.

6 Literacy and Longing in 5 3 L.A. by Jennifer Kaufman and Karen Mack (Delacorte: $22) A book-obsessed divorcee stalks her movie-mogul ex-husband until she meets a literature major.

7 The Foreign Correspondent 4 2 by Alan Furst (Random House: $24.95) A journalist in Paris finds himself drawn into the activities of the Italian resistance on the eve of World War II.

8 The Cold Moon by Jeffery 7 2 Deaver (Simon & Schuster: $26) Quadriplegic criminologist Lincoln Rhyme and his partner Amelia Sachs hunt for the Watchmaker, a sadistic serial killer.

9 Suite Francaise by Irene 12 7 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.

10 Beach Road by James 2 6 Patterson and Peter de Jonge (Little, Brown: $27.95) Three young men are shot to death on a billionaire’s basketball court, and suspicion falls on a star high school player.

11 Dead Watch by John 13 4 Sandford (Putnam: $26.95) A White House political advisor investigates the murder of an ex-senator who vanished after denouncing a rival, the leader of a volunteer militia.

12 Digging to America by Anne -- 5 Tyler (Knopf: $24.95) A friendship between two couples adopting Korean girls, becomes an exploration of culture and family. (See review, Page 7.)

13 At Risk by Patricia 9 3 Cornwell (Putnam: $21.95) A Massachusetts district attorney wants to use DNA technology in a new crime initiative to burnish her bid for governor, but violence throws her a curve.

14 The Last Assassin by Barry -- 1 Eisler (Putnam: $24.95) A killer for hire thinks about changing careers after he learns he has a son with a woman whose father he has slain.

15 The Saboteurs by W.E.B. -- 1 Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV (Putnam: $25.95) As the Allies prepare to invade Sicily and the Italian mainland, four Germans land stateside, intent on sabotage.

*--*

*--* SO. CAL. RATING Nonfiction LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST 1 Dispatches From the Edge 1 3 by Anderson Cooper (HarperCollins: $24.95) The telegenic son of heiress Gloria Vanderbilt recounts personal tragedies and covering wars and disasters for CNN.

2 Marley & Me by John Grogan 3 30 (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.

3 Godless by Ann Coulter -- 1 (Crown Forum: $27.95) The conservative commentator argues that liberalism has taken on many of the attributes of a religion and also argues against the certainty of evolution.

4 Cesar’s Way by Cesar 4 10 Millan with Melissa Jo Peltier (Harmony: $24.95) The TV show host gives tips on understanding and correcting common canine behavior problems.

5 Mayflower by Nathaniel 6 5 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.

6 Heat by Bill Buford 8 2 (Knopf: $25.95) The journalist chronicles his time as a “kitchen slave” to renowned chef Mario Batali and reveals the secrets of a three-star restaurant.

7 Wisdom of Our Fathers by 2 3 Tim Russert (Random House: $22.95) The “Meet the Press” host shares stories from sons and daughters who responded to his filial memoir, “Big Russ and Me.”

8 The World Is Flat by 13 60 Thomas L. Friedman (Farrar, Straus & Giroux: $30) How technology and globalization are changing the world and what training is needed to compete.

9 Freakonomics by Steven D. 10 53 Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (William Morrow: $25.95) An economist deconstructs statistics and uses numbers to help explain human behavior.

10 Eat, Pray, Love by 9 8 Elizabeth Gilbert (Viking: $24.95) After deciding that marriage and motherhood aren’t for her, the author embarks on a journey of self-discovery in Italy, India and Indonesia.

11 My Life in France by Julia 12 4 Child with Alex Prud’homme (Knopf: $25.95) The late chef’s memoir of her formative years in France, her studies at the Cordon Bleu and the best Parisian restaurants.

12 The Year of Magical 7 36 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.

13 The Nasty Bits by Anthony -- 2 Bourdain (Bloomsbury: $24.95) The chef tells of eel-scrounging in Hanoi, sharing freshly killed seal in the Arctic and other daring culinary adventures.

14 The Purpose-Driven Life by -- 121 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.

15 On the Couch by Lorraine -- 1 Bracco (Putnam: $25.95) The “Sopranos” star tells of her acting trials and triumphs and her tumultuous life off-screen, including her custody battle with Harvey Keitel.

*--*