BESTSELLERS

*--* SO. CAL. RATING Fiction LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST

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*--* 1 The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (Doubleday: $24.95) A 5 95 Louvre curator’s killing leads to clues hidden in Leonardo’s paintings and a secret society with something to hide.

2 State of Fear by Michael Crichton (HarperCollins: $27.95) 2 5 A globe-trotting thriller involving nefarious environmentalists and manufactured threats of global warming.

3 The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom 1 68 (Hyperion: $19.95) An amusement park maintenance man faces his life, death and afterlife in this three-part parable.

4 The Plot Against America by Philip Roth (Houghton 3 16 Mifflin: $26) Charles Lindbergh becomes president in 1940, setting the country on a course of isolationism and nationwide pogroms.

5 Night Fall by Nelson DeMille (Warner Books: $26.95) Two 4 7 federal agents try to find a videotape to prove that the crash of a jet off Long Island was not caused by mechanical failure.

6 The Da Vinci Code Special Illustrated Edition by Dan 8 10 Brown (Doubleday: $35) The blockbuster thriller, complete with images of the artwork, symbols and sights in the text.

7 Chainfire by Terry Goodkind (Tor Books: $29.95) In book -- 1 nine of the “Sword of Truth” series, a battle-injured Richard awakens to find his beloved Kahlan missing.

8 The Broker by John Grisham (Doubleday: $27.95) A -- 1 high-roller attorney is pardoned to lead the CIA to a powerful satellite surveillance system and the shadowy agents who want to buy it.

9 The Final Solution by Michael Chabon (Fourth Estate: -- 6 $16.95) An elderly man befriends a young mute refugee from the Nazis and his parrot, which spews mysterious strings of numbers.

10 Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (Farrar, Straus & Giroux: -- 1 $23) An aging minister facing death explains his life and religious beliefs in a letter to his young son.

11 By Order of the President by W.E.B. Griffin (Putnam: -- 1 $26.95) A Homeland Security agent trails two men who lease a jet, then slit the pilot’s throat after taking off from Angola.

12 Runaway by Alice Munro (Knopf: $25) A collection of -- 10 stories examining the surprises, betrayals and limits of love among couples, friends, parents and children.

13 Hot Target by Suzanne Brockmann (Ballantine: $19.95) A -- 1 Hollywood producer enlists former Navy SEALS to protect her from death threats by neo-Nazis who object to her latest project.

14 London Bridges by James Patterson (Little, Brown: $27.95) 15 8 Alex Cross battles villains old and new as terrorists threaten to destroy the world’s largest cities.

15 I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe (Farrar, Straus & 6 10 Giroux: $28.95) A North Carolina ingenue tries to fit in with an elite university’s beautiful-people-in-training.

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*--* SO. CAL. RATING Nonfiction LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST

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*--* 1 Collapse by Jared Diamond (Viking: $29.95) Diamond 2 2 examines why great societies such as the Anasazi and the Maya collapsed and what modern society can do to prevent future die-offs.

2 Witness: For the Prosecution of Scott Peterson by Amber -- 1 Frey (Regan Books: $25.95) Frey tells of discovering Peterson’s web of lies and of seeking justice for his dead wife and unborn child.

3 He’s Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt and Liz 1 17 Tuccillo (Simon Spotlight Entertainment: $19.95) The no-excuses guide to help women understand guys and get on with their lives.

4 America (The Book): A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy 3 17 Inaction by Jon Stewart et al. (Warner: $24.95) Comedy writers poke fun at U.S. politics and our institutions of democracy.

5 Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins 4 3 (Berrett-Koehler: $24.95) A consultant writes of pressuring poor countries to take huge loans and spend them on U.S. contractors.

6 Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen (Warner Faith: $19.99) 8 10 Seven steps to improving your life by using faith to develop self-esteem, help let go of the past and fulfill your potential.

7 Chronicles, Volume One by Bob Dylan (Simon & Schuster: 5 15 $24) The songwriter reflects on the influences that helped shape him and his struggle to rediscover his creativity.

8 French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano (Knopf: -- 1 $22) The CEO of the French wine conglomerate Clicquot Inc. reveals the French secret of eating for pleasure without the bulge.

9 Start Late, Finish Rich by David Bach (Broadway: $25) The -- 1 author of “Automatic Millionaire” offers a plan for how to “spend less, save more, and make more,” even if you started late.

10 The Last Season by Phil Jackson (Penguin: $24.95) The 9 12 former Laker coach recounts last year’s turbulent season, in which egos ruled the court and a star-studded team stumbled.

11 When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops? by George Carlin 14 12 (Hyperion: $23.95) The veteran comedian takes on Diane Sawyer, Big Oil and mass marketing in a stinging social commentary.

12 Will in the World by Stephen Greenblatt (W.W. Norton: 15 9 $26.95) How an uneducated lad from the English countryside became William Shakespeare, poet, playwright and a favorite of the queen.

13 His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis 10 7 (Knopf: $26.95) A portrait of the most imposing Founding Father, who held a young nation together through its rocky beginnings.

14 The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren (Zondervan: 10 94 $19.99) How the “God-ordained” principles of worship, community, discipleship, ministry and evangelism bring fulfillment.

15 The God of Driving by Amy Fine Collins (Simon & Schuster: -- 1 $24) Vanity Fair correspondent confronts her driving phobia with a year’s worth of lessons at the pedal of Attila the Turk.

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