BESTSELLERS

Rankings are based on a Times poll of Southland bookstores.

*--* SO. CAL. RATING Fiction LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST 1 House of Meetings by 7 2 Martin Amis (Alfred A. Knopf: $23) A former inmate of Stalin’s gulag recounts his horrific experiences and the love triangle that bloomed there.

2 You Suck: A Love Story by 1 2 Christopher Moore (William Morrow: $21.95) A couple of San Francisco vampires enjoy the nightlife as they evade a wacky crowd of pursuers.

3 Suite Francaise by Irene 6 37 Nemirovsky (Knopf: $25) Two novellas by a writer killed at Auschwitz about the exodus from Paris ahead of the Germans’ arrival and on life in a farming village under occupation.

4 For One More Day by Mitch 2 18 Albom (Hyperion: $21.95) An alcoholic tries suicide and encounters his mother’s ghost, who tells him about her life and sacrifices as a single parent.

5 The Boleyn Inheritance by 10 8 Philippa Gregory (Touchstone: $25.95) Anne Boleyn’s scheming sister-in-law continues her intrigues as lady-in-waiting to two more of Henry VIII’s wives.

6 Plum Lovin’ by Janet 4 3 Evanovich (St. Martin’s: $16.95) A New Jersey bail bond agent hooks up with a former heartthrob as she chases a relationship coach wanted for robbery.

7 Hollywood Station by 3 10 Joseph Wambaugh (Little, Brown: $24.99) Cops stationed in a Hollywood of meth tweakers and hustlers try to solve a jewelry heist and a security guard’s murder.

8 The Castle in the Forest -- 1 by Norman Mailer (Random House: $27.95) Imagining Adolf Hitler as a boy, a power-hungry child born of incest who is guided by a devil to relish evil and mass slaughter.

9 Him Her Him Again the End -- 1 of Him by Patricia Marx (Scribner: $24) A writer for a TV comedy show renews an affair with the Cambridge University student who jilted her and is now married.

10 MoonPies and Movie Stars -- 1 by Amy Wallen (Viking: $23.95) After a Texas widow sees her missing daughter on TV, she embarks with her grandkids in a Winnebago to find their mother in Hollywood.

11 What Is the What by Dave 9 7 Eggers (McSweeney’s: $26) A Sudanese refugee fights to survive and create a new life in America but finds safety and a sense of belonging elusive.

12 Exile by Richard North 14 3 Patterson (Henry Holt: $26) An attorney about to run for Congress defends a former lover, a Palestinian accused of conspiring to assassinate an Israeli leader.

13 Next by Michael Crichton -- 8 (HarperCollins: $27.95) A cancer survivor, his daughter and grandson are the targets of unscrupulous genetic researchers determined to harvest disease-fighting cells for profit.

14 Dust by Martha Grimes 11 2 (Viking: $25.95) Scotland Yard’s Richard Jury discovers that a wealthy bachelor’s murder in a seedy London hotel has its roots amid Britain’s World War II code breakers.

15 Find Me by Carol O’Connell -- 2 (Putnam: $24.95) A New York City detective trails a serial child killer through America’s heartland and along Route 66, butting heads with local authorities.

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*--* SO. CAL. RATING Nonfiction LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST 1 The Audacity of Hope by 1 15 Barack Obama (Crown: $25) The U.S. senator from Illinois argues that his Democratic Party and the GOP must forgo partisanship to reclaim the American dream.

2 I Feel Bad About My Neck 2 26 by Nora Ephron (Knopf: $19.95) The screenwriter ruminates on the effects of gravity and menopause, and reconciling herself to life among the post-bikini set.

3 Palestine: Peace Not 4 10 Apartheid by Jimmy Carter (Simon & Schuster: $27) The former president writes that Palestinians must recognize Israel, and Israel must honor its peace commitments.

4 The Secret by Rhonda Byrne 3 7 (Beyond Words: $23.95) The book promises the distillation of a life-transforming “secret” gathered from oral tradition, literature, religion and philosophy.

5 Catching the Big Fish by 9 4 David Lynch (Tarcher: $19.95) The filmmaker details how Transcendental Meditation has allowed him to dive within, “catch” ideas and develop his creativity.

6 The Proper Care and 5 4 Feeding of Marriage by Laura Schlessinger (HarperCollins: $25.95) How women should fulfill their role as homemaker, helpmate and sex partner.

7 Supreme Conflict by Jan -- 1 Crawford Greenburg (Penguin: $27.95) The ABC News reporter details the inner workings of the Supreme Court since Antonin Scalia’s appointment in 1986.

8 Prime Green by Robert 13 3 Stone (Ecco: $25.95) The author of “Dog Soldiers” recalls his life in the ‘60s with psychedelic guru Ken Kesey and his pals, hallucinogens and the culture wars.

9 American Fascists by Chris -- 1 Hedges (Free Press: $25) A look at the Christian right and its efforts to influence public opinion, control the national agenda and elect its candidates to public office.

10 The Intellectual -- 3 Devotional by David Kidder and Noah Oppenheim (Rodale: $22.50) How to complete your education and roam confidently through the cultured classes in 365 short lessons.

11 About Alice by Calvin 8 3 Trillin (Random House: $14.95) The writer expands his New Yorker magazine essay about his late wife to paint a revealing portrait of marriage, family and coping with loss.

12 Thomas Hardy by Claire -- 1 Tomalin (Penguin: $35) A new look at the life and works of the enigmatic poet and author of such classics as “Tess of the D’Urbervilles.”

13 What Got You Here Won’t -- 1 Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith with Mark Reiter (Hyperion: $23.95) The coach to CEOs details 20 self-destructive behaviors that can stall your career.

14 Jim Cramer’s Mad Money by 11 7 James J. Cramer with Cliff Mason (Simon & Schuster: $25) The basics of buying and selling stocks, assessing risk and creating a valuable portfolio.

15 On Becoming Fearless by -- 2 Arianna Huffington (Little, Brown: $21.99) Essays by influential women on overcoming fear, with commentary from the author and blogger.

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