BESTSELLERS

PAPERBACKS

1. The Gathering by Anne Enright ($14)

*--* Fiction weeks on list 1. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks (Viking: $25.95) 2 A rare-books expert traces the history of a priceless Jewish tome to 15th century Spain. 2. Blasphemy by Douglas Preston (Forge: $25.95) Scientists 1 at the world’s largest supercollider uncover secrets to the world’s future and past. 3. A Version of the Truth by Jennifer Kaufman and Karen 3 Mack (Delacorte: $24) A Topanga Canyon woman falls in love with her boss. 4. Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich (St. Martin’s: $17.95) 1 Stephanie Plum’s latest caper involves a big bag of money, plus-size modeling and a case of hives. 5. Diary of a Bad Year by J.M. Coetzee (Viking: $24.95) An 3 aging author falls for his typist -- whose boyfriend has designs on the author’s money. 6. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (Riverhead: 35 $25.95) Two Afghan women struggle to survive jihad, civil war and Taliban tyranny. 7. World Without End by Ken Follett (Dutton: $35) Children 13 jockey for power in 14th century England. 8. Hand of Evil by J.A. Jance (Touchstone: $25.95) An 1 elderly woman is threatened if she writes a memoir revealing a family secret. 9. Double Cross by James Patterson (Little, Brown: $27.99) 8 A flurry of murders shakes Washington, D.C. 10. The Senator’s Wife by Sue Miller (Alfred A. Knopf: 1 $24.95) A bride finds her life changed by the long-suffering wife of a powerful politician. *--*

*--* Nonfiction 1. In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan (Penguin: 2 $21.95) A clear-eyed examination of dietary sacred cows and a manifesto for healthful eating. 2. Born Standing Up by Steve Martin (Scribner: $25) The 8 comedian reflects on the evolution of his art. 3. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne (Beyond Words: $23.95) 55 Life’s secrets distilled from oral tradition, literature, religion and philosophy. 4. You: Staying Young by Michael F. Roizen and Mehmet C. 11 Oz (Free Press: $26) Doctors explain how the body ages and how to counter those effects. 5. The Long Embrace by Judith Freeman (Pantheon: $25.95) 5 The tale of Raymond Chandler and the beautiful, much older woman he married. 6. Become a Better You by Joel Osteen (Free Press: $25) 8 The Texas pastor offers advice on prayer, good habits and building better relationships. 7. The Letters of Noel Coward edited by Barry Day 4 (Knopf: $37.50) The stiletto wit and wisdom of the British playwright and bon vivant. 8. A Practical Guide to Racism by C.H. Dalton (Gotham: 1 $20) A tongue-in-cheek guide to the peoples of the world for those not easily offended. 9. The Daring Book for Girls by Andrea J. Buchanan and 11 Miriam Peskowitz (HarperCollins: $24.95) A girls’ handbook of skills and must-have knowledge. 10. The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn and Hal Iggulden 35 (HarperCollins: $24.95) Learn how to tie knots, find true north and other skills. *--*

Fiction

2. Atonement by Ian McEwan ($14.95)

3. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho ($13.95)

4. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini ($15)

5. No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy ($14)

Nonfiction

1. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert ($15)

2. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

($15)

3. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer ($13.95)

4. The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan ($16)

5. The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama ($14.95)

Rankings are based on a Times poll of Southland bookstores.