BESTSELLERS

Rankings are based on a Times poll of Southland bookstores.

*--* SO. CAL. RATING Fiction LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST 1 The Watchman by Robert 10 2 Crais (Simon & Schuster: $25.95) A party-girl heiress in need of protection after seeing something she shouldn’t have comes under the watchful private eye of Joe Pike.

2 Ten Days in the Hills by 1 3 Jane Smiley (Knopf: $26) Hollywood denizens spend 10 days together talking about movies, making love and arguing about the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

3 Storm Runners by T. -- 1 Jefferson Parker (William Morrow: $25.95) Matt Stromsoe is hired to protect a TV personality from a stalker, but the trail leads back to a man who murdered his family.

4 Shopaholic & Baby by -- 1 Sophie Kinsella (Dial: $24) Shopaholic Becky, now pregnant, learns that her obstetrician is her dashing husband’s former flame, a woman who still carries a torch for him.

5 What Is the What by Dave 2 10 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.

6 Suite Francaise by Irene 7 41 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.

7 Step on a Crack by James 6 4 Patterson and Michael Ledwidge (Little, Brown: $27.99) Ruthless men storm St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City during the funeral of a former first lady.

8 High Profile by Robert B. 9 4 Parker (Putnam: $24.95) A conservative radio commentator is murdered and his pregnant mistress is later found dead in sleepy Paradise, Mass.

9 Innocent in Death by J.D. 3 2 Robb (Putnam: $25.95) Lt. Eve Dallas investigates the murder of a beloved teacher poisoned by a brown-bag lunch, and the prime suspect turns up dead.

10 The Echo Maker by Richard -- 2 Powers (Farrar, Straus & Giroux: $25) A Nebraska mechanic emerges from a coma unable to recognize his sister, who enlists a neurologist’s help.

11 For One More Day by Mitch 11 23 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.

12 Sisters by Danielle Steel 5 3 (Delacorte Press: $27) Connecticut sisters with divergent careers pull together when a car accident kills their mother and blinds their artist sibling.

13 House of Meetings by -- 6 Martin Amis (Knopf: $23) A former inmate of Stalin’s gulag recounts his horrific experiences and the love triangle that bloomed with the wife of his brother, a fellow prisoner.

14 The Double Bind by Chris 12 2 Bohjalian (Shaye Areheart: $25) The characters of “The Great Gatsby” come alive through the photographs of a homeless Vermont man.

15 The Alexandria Link by -- 3 Steve Berry (Ballantine: $25.95) Evildoers snatch the son of a rare-book seller, demanding as ransom the key to finding the remains of the lost library in Egypt.

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*--* SO. CAL. RATING Nonfiction LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST 1 The Secret by Rhonda Byrne 1 12 (Beyond Words: $23.95) The book promises the distillation of a life-transforming “secret” gathered from oral tradition, literature, religion and philosophy.

2 The Audacity of Hope by 2 20 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.

3 Bambi vs. Godzilla by 4 4 David Mamet (Pantheon: $22) The director-screenwriter explains how the film and television industry should work and details how greed and stupidity get in the way.

4 In an Instant by Lee and -- 1 Bob Woodruff (Random House: $25.95) ABC News co-anchor Bob Woodruff and his wife tell of his recovery from a roadside bomb that tore off part of his skull in Iraq.

5 The Intellectual 9 8 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.

6 Catching the Big Fish by 7 9 David Lynch (Tarcher: $19.95) The filmmaker details how Transcendental Meditation has allowed him to dive within, “catch” ideas and develop his creativity.

7 I Feel Bad About My Neck 3 32 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.

8 Women & Money by Suze -- 1 Orman (Spiegel & Grau: $24.95) A five-month plan to help women take control of their finances, fix their credit rating and save for retirement.

9 About Alice by Calvin 14 8 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.

10 Palestine: Peace Not 6 15 Apartheid by Jimmy Carter (Simon & Schuster: $27) The former president writes that Palestinians must recognize Israel, and Israel must honor its peace commitments.

11 The Innocent Man by John -- 16 Grisham (Doubleday: $28.95) A true crime tale about a former big league baseball player sent to death row for a murder he didn’t commit.

12 A Long Way Gone by Ishmael -- 2 Beah (Farrar, Straus & Giroux: $22) A boy soldier from Sierra Leone tells of civil war, participating in mass slaughter and starting over at a refugee camp.

13 Nemesis by Chalmers -- 1 Johnson (Metropolitan: $26) The scholar surveys U.S. actions at home and abroad, comparing the nation to the corrupt and dying Roman Empire.

14 The Proper Care and 12 9 Feeding of Marriage by Laura Schlessinger (HarperCollins: $25.95) How women should fulfill their role as homemaker, helpmate and sex partner.

15 The Jesus Family Tomb by -- 1 Simcha Jacobovici (HarperSanFrancisco: $27.95) An archeological detective story about a cache of bones unearthed at a Jerusalem construction site.

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