Los Angeles Times bestsellers for Dec. 6, 2009
| 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. | 26 |
| 2. | Under the Dome by Stephen King (Scribner: $35) A ragtag cast of characters fight to survive in their small Maine town inexplicably surrounded by an invisible force field. | 2 |
| 3. | 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. | 11 |
| 4. | The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver (Harper: $26.99) A writer’s escapades encompassing 1930s Mexican artist communities and Cold War America. | 3 |
| 5. | Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney (Amulet: $13.95) Greg desires to spend summer vacation indoors despite his mother’s wishes for outdoor family fun. | 7 |
| 6. | Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro (Knopf : $25.95) The short story master explores women and their relationships in ten new stories. | 1 |
| 7. | Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel ( Henry Holt: $27) The rise of Henry VIII’s advisor Thomas Cromwell. | 4 |
| 8. | I, Alex Cross by James Patterson (Little, Brown: $27.99) Detective Alex Cross infiltrates a secret society while tracking down the killer of a close relative. | 2 |
| 9. | Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown: $19.99) Bella must choose between her lover and a friend, between life and death. | 65 |
| 10. | Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving (Random House: $28) A father and son on the run in 1950s Northeast logging communities. | 3 |
| 11. | 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. | 15 |
| 12. | 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. | 31 |
| 13. | Ford County by John Grisham (Doubleday: $24) A collection of short stories set in the same locale as “A Time to Kill.” | 3 |
| 14. | The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (Tor: $29.99) Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn, attempts to unite kingdoms and alliances in preparation for the Last Battle. | 5 |
| 15. | The Wrecker by Clive Cussler (Putnam: $27.95) The hunt for a saboteur wrecking Western railroads in the early 1900s. | 1 |
| Nonfiction | ||
| 1. | Open by Andre Agassi (Knopf: $28.95) The tennis star’s memoir and personal odyssey of a lost childhood, drug use and comebacks. | 3 |
| 2. | What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell (Little, Brown: $27.99) A collection of the author’s writings of everyday and extraordinary people. | 5 |
| 3. | Going Rogue by Sarah Palin (HarperCollins: $28.99) A memoir of the 2008 vice presidential nominee and former Alaska governor. | 1 |
| 4. | Lit by Mary Karr (Harper: $25.99) The author’s descent into alcoholism and recovery. | 3 |
| 5. | SuperFreakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (William Morrow: $29.99) More funny, informative facts and questions to ponder. | 6 |
| 6. | Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer (Little, Brown: $25.99) An examination and behind-the-scenes look at factory farming. | 3 |
| 7. | 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. | 9 |
| 8. | Cornflakes With John Lennon by Robert Hilburn (Rodale: $24.99) The Times’ former music critic’s behind-the-scenes look at legendary rockers. | 1 |
| 9. | The Book of Basketball by Bill Simmons ( ESPN: $30) An encyclopedia of all you need to know about the NBA. | 5 |
| 10. | When Everything Changed by Gail Collins (Little, Brown: $27.99) A history of the women’s movement since 1960. | 1 |
| 11. | 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. | 16 |
| 12. | Arguing With Idiots by Glenn Beck (Threshold Editions: $29.99) Secrets for winning arguments with small-minded people. | 5 |
| 13. | It’s Your Time by Joel Osteen (Free Press: $25) Finding inspiration and faith during difficult times. | 13 |
| 14. | Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer (Doubleday: $27.95) A chronicle of Pat Tillman, the NFL star turned Army Ranger whose death in Afghanistan stunned the power structure. | 10 |
| 15. | Too Big to Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin (Viking: $32.95) A behind-the-scenes account of the players behind America’s financial crisis. | 5 |
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