Bestsellers

*--* SO. CAL. RATING Fiction

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*--* 1 The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (Penguin: $14) A teenage girl is haunted by her mother’s death.

2 Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (Picador: $15) A Greek family embraces the American dream.

3 Angels & Demons by Dan Brown (Pocket Books: $7.99) A scholar uncovers a vendetta against the Catholic Church.

4 Life of Pi by Yann Martel (Harvest Books: $14) A boy shares a lifeboat with a tiger on a harrowing trip.

5 Mystic River by Dennis Lehane (HarperTorch: $7.99) A girl’s murder causes three friends to confront their pasts.

6 The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander M. Smith (Anchor: $11.95) Botswana’s private eye.

7 Three Junes by Julia Glass (Anchor: $14) A Scottish family comes together over three summers.

8 The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason (Vintage: $14) A British piano tuner’s adventures in 19th century Burma.

9 Deception Point by Dan Brown (Pocket Books: $7.99) A meteor may contain proof of extraterrestrial life.

10 The Runaway Jury by John Grisham (Island Books: $7.99) Trials of a jury hearing a landmark tobacco case.

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*--* SO. CAL. RATING Nonfiction

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*--* 1 Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes (Broadway: $15) Restoring a cozy home in glorious Italy.

2 Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution by Robert C. Atkins (Quill: $13.95) Shed pounds with a low-carb diet.

3 Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand (Ballantine: $15.95) How an also-ran became America’s favorite racehorse.

4 Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki with Sharon L. Lechter (Techpress: $15.95) Fiscal parenting.

5 Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs (Picador: $14) A boy goes to live with his mother’s psychiatrist.

6 The Best Democracy Money Can Buy by Greg Palast (Plume: $14) The case against globalization.

7 It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be by Paul Arden (Phaidon: $7.95) How to succeed.

8 Surviving Suburbia by Chris Erskine (Los Angeles Times: $17.95) A collection of his columns.

9 The War Against Parents by Sylvia Ann Hewlett and Cornel West (Mariner Books: $14) Strengthening families.

10 Before the Change by Ann Louise Gittleman (Harper San Francisco: $14) Dealing with perimenopause.

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