Los Angeles Times bestsellers (hardcover) for Feb. 14, 2010
| Fiction | weeks on list | |
| 1. | The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Putnam: $24.95) The lives of a maid, a cook and a college graduate become intertwined as they change a Mississippi town. | 36 |
| 2. | First Rule by Robert Crais (Putnam: $26.95) Joe Pike’s past catches up with him when an old friend’s entire family is killed. | 4 |
| 3. | The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson (Knopf: $25.95) A hacker implicated in two murders must revisit her past to prove her innocence. | 24 |
| 4. | The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova (Little, Brown: $26.99) The past and present converge in a mystery surrounding a tormented artist. | 3 |
| 5. | Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (Henry Holt: $27) The rise of Henry VIII’s advisor Thomas Cromwell. | 14 |
| 6. | The Book of Genesis Illustrated by R. Crumb (W.W. Norton & Co.: $24.95) Graphic depictions from all 50 chapters of the first book of the Bible. | 8 |
| 7. | Noah’s Compass by Anne Tyler (Knopf: $25.95) After being attacked, an unambitious, unemployed teacher loses his memory and embraces the exuberance of a younger woman. | 3 |
| 8. | Day Out of Days by Sam Shepard (Knopf: $25.95) A collection of short stories set in the American West. | 1 |
| 9. | When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead(Wendy Lamb Books: $15.99) A sixth-grader begins receiving mysterious notes accurately predicting the future. | 1 |
| 10. | Point Omega by Don DeLillo (Scribner: $24) A defense scholar retreats to the desert joined by his daughter and a filmmaker. | 1 |
| 11. | Impact by Douglas Preston (Forge Books: $25.99) A former CIA operative attributes inexplicable events from around the world to falling meteors and attempts to prevent another deadly crash. | 2 |
| 12. | The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan (Disney Hyperion: $17.99) Percy Jackson and his army of demigods battle to stop the Lord of Time. | 12 |
| 13. | The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks (Grand Central: $24.99) A brother and sister begrudgingly spend the summer with their estranged pianist father and discover the meaning of unconditional love. | 6 |
| 14. | The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (Doubleday: $25.99) Harvard professor Robert Langdon uses his symbology skills to find a missing Freemason in Washington, D.C. | 22 |
| 15. | Iron River by T. Jefferson Parker (Dutton: $26.95) ATF agents patrolling the flow of illegal guns into the U.S. brace for vengeance from the violent Gulf Cartel. | 4 |
| Nonfiction | ||
| 1. | Game Change by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin (Harper: $27.99) An insider’s explanation of how the drama of the U.S. presidential campaign of 2008 unfolded. | 4 |
| 2. | Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert (Viking: $26.95) After being forced to wed, the author tackles her fears of marriage by delving into the history and background of the institution. | 4 |
| 3. | Just Kids by Patti Smith (Ecco: $27) A memoir of the singer’s early days and relationship with artist Robert Mapplethorpe. | 2 |
| 4. | I Am Ozzy by Ozzy Osbourne and Chris Ayres (Grand Central : $26.99) The heavy metal singer reminisces on his death-defying life. | 2 |
| 5. | Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell (Little, Brown: $27.99) An exploration of the background of high achievers. | 59 |
| 6. | The Politician by Andrew Young (Thomas Dunne: $24.99) An insider’s account of presidential hopeful John Edwards and the scandal that brought him down. | 1 |
| 7. | Star by Peter Biskind (Simon & Schuster: $30) An intimate biography of Hollywood’s leading ladies’ man, Warren Beatty. | 4 |
| 8. | Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Ultimate Guide by Rick Riordan (Hyperion: $12.99) An illustrated, in-depth guide to all things about Percy Jackson and Greek mythology. | 1 |
| 9. | The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin (Harper: $25.99) A year spent trying to be happier by making small changes in various aspects of daily life. | 2 |
| 10. | Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom (Hyperion: $23.99) Albom’s observations of a rabbi and a pastor on an eight-year journey of faith. | 19 |
| 11. | So Long Insecurity by Beth Moore (Tyndale House : $24.99) An examination of female insecurities and how to overcome them. | 1 |
| 12. | Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath (Gallup Press: $22.95) An upgraded assessment on how to find your top talents. | 2 |
| 13. | Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man by Steve Harvey (Amistad: $23.99) The talk-show host lets women inside the mind-set of a man. | 38 |
| 14. | Freefall by Joseph E. Stiglitz (W. W. Norton: $27.95) A look at American disillusionment created by the global economic crisis and future implications. | 2 |
| 15. | Stones Into Schools by Greg Mortenson (Viking: $26.95) The author’s continued struggle to establish schools for girls in Afghanistan in this sequel to “Three Cups of Tea.” | 9 |
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