BESTSELLERS

*--* SO. CAL. RATING Fiction LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST 1 The Two Minute Rule by 1 3 Robert Crais (Simon & Schuster: $24.95) A paroled bank robber tries to find out who killed his police officer son and why.

2 The Da Vinci Code by Dan 6 148 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.

3 In the Company of the 2 4 Courtesan by Sarah Dunant (Random House: $23.95) A cunning dwarf and a celebrated courtesan remake themselves in Venice after fleeing conflict in Rome in 1527.

4 Nightlife by Thomas Perry -- 1 (Random House: $24.95) A female serial killer with a penchant for changing identities plays cat-and-mouse with those on her trail.

5 The Tenth Circle by Jodi -- 1 Picoult (Atria: $26) The seemingly bucolic life of a Maine family unravels as the past and present converge with haunting consequences.

6 The Fallen by T. Jefferson 4 3 Parker (William Morrow: $24.95) San Diego homicide Det. Robbie Brownlaw tries to find a killer and uncover a corruption scandal.

7 The Templar Legacy by 7 2 Steve Berry (Ballantine: $24.95) Intrigue swirls around a medieval monastic order and its long-lost archive that purports to disprove central Christian dogma.

8 The 5th Horseman by James 3 4 Patterson and Maxine Paetro (Little, Brown: $27.95) A cop investigates the mysterious death of a young mother in a San Francisco emergency room.

9 False Impression by -- 1 Jeffrey Archer (St. Martin’s: $27.95) A young art expert investigates the forces behind the murder of an English aristocrat and the theft of her Van Gogh.

10 Veronica by Mary Gaitskill 8 8 (Pantheon: $23) A former fashion model who faces some of life’s ugly realities recalls a friendship with a woman who was an early casualty of AIDS.

11 The March by E.L. Doctorow 12 13 (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.

12 The Last Templar by 5 7 Raymond Khoury (Dutton: $24.95) Four horsemen dressed like the Knights Templar crash a Vatican artifacts exhibit at a New York museum and steal a code cracker.

13 Arthur & George by Julian 14 8 Barnes (Knopf: $24.95) Arthur Conan Doyle tries to clear an obscure country lawyer convicted in a racially tinged case of mutilating cattle and writing obscene letters.

14 The Brief History of the -- 1 Dead by Kevin Brockmeier (Pantheon: $22.95) The deceased victims of a worldwide virus are able to construct new lives by feeding off the memories of the few still living.

15 The House by Danielle -- 1 Steel (Delacorte Press: $27) A once-regal home perched atop a San Francisco hill beguiles a young female lawyer who inherits not only the dwelling but its legacy of mystery as well.

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*--* SO. CAL. RATING Nonfiction LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST 1 Marley & Me by John Grogan 1 17 (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 The Year of Magical 2 24 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.

3 Inspiration by Wayne W. 10 2 Dyer (Hay House: $24.95) Dyer argues that we should connect with our inner spirits for inspiration instead of seeking motivation from outside sources.

4 Freakonomics by Steven D. 4 42 Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (William Morrow: $25.95) An economist deconstructs statistics and uses numbers to help explain human behavior.

5 Manhunt by James L. 6 5 Swanson (William Morrow: $26.95) The search for President Lincoln’s killer, actor John Wilkes Booth, and how he eluded capture for 12 days.

6 Eat, Pray, Love by 5 2 Elizabeth Gilbert (Viking: $24.95) A newly single woman travels the globe and discovers much about herself as she tries to balance pleasure and discipline.

7 The World Is Flat by 3 48 Thomas L. Friedman (Farrar, Straus & Giroux: $27.50) How technology and the forces of globalization are connecting -- and changing -- the world.

8 You’re Wearing That? by 12 5 Deborah Tannen (Random House: $24.95) A linguist studies the conversations between mothers and daughters, the direct and indirect messages, intended or not.

9 The Automatic Millionaire -- 1 Homeowner by David Bach (Broadway: $19.95) How to save up enough to buy a first home or investment property and build wealth through real estate.

10 Blink by Malcolm Gladwell -- 47 (Little, Brown: $25.95) An exploration of the workings of the human mind, perceptions and whether we can really trust our first instincts.

11 PostSecret by Frank Warren 8 5 (ReganBooks: $24.95) A collection of extraordinary confessions written on postcards by ordinary people from all walks of life.

12 Jim Cramer’s Real Money: 9 6 Sane Investing in an Insane World by James J. Cramer (Simon & Schuster: $26) The TV host and co-founder of TheStreet.com explains the basics.

13 Team of Rivals by Doris -- 15 Kearns Goodwin (Simon & Schuster: $35) How country lawyer and one-term congressman Abraham Lincoln used his savvy to bring political rivals into his Cabinet.

14 Bad Childhood, Good Life 14 10 by Laura Schlessinger (HarperCollins: $24.95) How to move past an unhappy childhood, change negative behaviors and thrive.

15 The Purpose-Driven Life by -- 120 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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