Los Angeles Times bestsellers for July 5, 2009

Fiction Weeks on list1.The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (Doubleday: $26.95) A novelist in 1920s Barcelona takes a dangerous writing assignment.1 2.The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown: $27.99) A recently downsized reporter investigates a serial killer who uses his computer job to find his victims.4 3.Shanghai Girls by Lisa See (Random House: $25) Two sisters from Shanghai encounter tragedy and heartbreak as they are sold into arranged marriages in 1930s Los Angeles.4 4.Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown: $19.99) Bella must choose between her lover and a friend, between life and death505.Relentless by Dean Koontz (Bantam: $27) A bestselling novelist encounters a sociopathic book critic, and dangerous consequences ensue.36.The Bourne Deception by Eric Van Lustbader (Grand Central: $27.99) Presumed dead, Jason Bourne takes on a new identity to track down his assassin.17.Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown: $22.99) The final book in the "Twilight" saga finds Bella choosing immortality. 478.A Short History of Women by Kate Walbert (Scribner: $24) Five generations of one family take on the 20th century.19.The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan (Disney Hyperion: $17.99) Percy Jackson and his army of demigods battle to stop the Lord of Time. 8 10.Knock Out by Catherine Coulter (Putnam: $26.95) An FBI agent tries to rescue a telepathic girl while tracking a bank robber on a killing spree.1 11.Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith (Pantheon: $23.95) In the latest installment of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Precious Ramotswe is in need of her own investigative skills. 8 12.My Father's Tears by John Updike (Knopf: $25.95) The author's 12th and last collection of short stories.2 13.Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney (Amulet: $12.95) Greg's dad enlists him in sports to toughen him up. 21 14.Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich (St. Martin's: $27.95) A witness enters a BBQ competition to uncover the killer of a contestant. 1 15.Road Dogs by Elmore Leonard (William Morrow: $26.99) An ex-bank robber is seduced by his former jail mate's girlfriend and his fortune.5Nonfiction 1.Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell (Little, Brown: $27.99) An exploration of the background of high achievers.30 2.Liberty and Tyranny by Mark R. Levin (Threshold Editions: $25) The talk-radio personality's call to revitalize the conservative vision in America. 13 3.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. 21 4.Excuses Begone by Wayne W. Dyer (Hay House: $24.95) Advice on achieving success and happiness by changing self-defeating habits.35.Losing Mum and Pup by Christopher Buckley (Twelve: $24.99) The son of William F. and Patricia Buckley tells of life with the high-powered couple and how he coped with their deaths.86.Crazy for the Storm by Norman Ollestad (Ecco: $25.99) The son of a daredevil tells of his life on the edge and how he survived a deadly plane crash.27.The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow (Hyperion: $21.95) A professor's terminal cancer inspires a call to seize life's moments.608.Horse Soldiers by Doug Stanton (Scribner: $28) A unit of Special Forces soldiers pursues the Taliban in Afghanistan after 9/11. 49.Catastrophe by Dick Morris and Eileen McGann (Harper: $26.99) A call to prevent President Obama from transforming America into a socialist state.1 10.Conversations With Frank Gehry by Barbara Isenberg (Knopf: $40) A portrait of the influential architect revealed through 20 years of conversations. 2 11.A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity by Bill O'Reilly (Broadway: $26) The Fox News commentator explores his childhood and its relevance to his later life. 15 12.Home Game by Michael Lewis (W.W. Norton : $23.95) A father's record of ordinary life occurrences with his three children.2 13.Renegade by Richard Wolffe (Crown: $26) A behind-the-scenes look at Barack Obama's life as a presidential candidate.2 14.The Secret by Rhonda Byrne (Beyond Words: $23.95) Life's secrets, distilled. 113 15.The Yankee Years by Joe Torre (Doubleday: $26.95) Behind the scenes of what it really took to keep the Yankees on top. 14