BESTSELLERS

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

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*--* 1 The Closers by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown: $26.95) 10 2 Det. Harry Bosch reunites with partner Kizmin Rider to solve a 17-year-old case after DNA evidence is found on the murder weapon.

2 The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd (Viking: $24.95) A 1 8 woman called home to cope with her troubled mother finds herself drawn to a Benedictine monk on an island off South Carolina.

3 Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk (Doubleday: $24.95) Several 3 3 writers eager for fame lock themselves in an abandoned theater for their own grotesque version of “Survivor.”

4 The Hot Kid by Elmore Leonard (William Morrow: $25.95) 5 2 In 1930s Oklahoma, a deputy marshal tracks bank robbers and investigates a son’s blackmail scheme against his oilman father.

5 4th of July by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro 7 3 (Little, Brown: $27.95) Facing a police brutality lawsuit, Lt. Lindsay Boxer retreats to Half Moon Bay, where she stumbles upon a killing spree.

6 The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (Doubleday: $24.95) A 11 114 Louvre curator’s killing leads to clues hidden in Leonardo’s paintings and a secret society with something to hide.

7 Bangkok Tattoo by John Burdett (Alfred A. Knopf: $24) A -- 1 Royal Thai police detective finds himself falling in love with the alluring prime suspect in the brutal murder of a CIA agent.

8 Saturday by Ian McEwan (Nan A. Talese / Doubleday: $26) 2 10 A day in the life of a neurosurgeon brings both quotidian and earth-shattering struggles in post-Sept. 11 London.

9 Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Woodring 12 8 Stover (Del Rey: $25.95) Yoda and fellow masters try to protect the Jedi Council amid civil war and the arrival of a dark new Sith lord.

10 The Hummingbird’s Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea -- 1 (Little, Brown: $24.95) A young woman awakens from a dream to find that she has come back from the dead with the power to heal.

11 In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall 9 5 Smith (Pantheon: $19.95) The newly married proprietor of Botswana’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency has a new crop of colorful cases.

12 Broken Prey by John Sandford (Putnam: $26.95) Minnesota 4 2 investigator Lucas Davenport sorts through false leads to find a psychopathic serial killer who taunts authorities.

13 Zorro by Isabel Allende (HarperCollins: $25.95) The back 6 3 story of how Diego de la Vega transforms himself into the dashing and legendary figure of colonial California.

14 True Believer by Nicholas Sparks (Warner: $24.95) A -- 5 science writer who exposes fraud is called to a North Carolina town to investigate mysterious lights in a local cemetery.

15 Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (Alfred A. Knopf: $24) 15 11 Inside the walls of a seemingly charming school in the English countryside is a place where destiny is anything but idyllic.

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

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*--* 1 Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner 3 5 (William Morrow: $25.95) An economist deconstructs statistics and uses numbers to help explain human behavior.

2 French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano (Knopf: 9 20 $22) The chief executive of the French wine conglomerate Clicquot Inc. reveals the French secret of eating for pleasure without the bulge.

3 On Bull... by Harry G. Frankfurt (Princeton University 11 10 Press: $9.95) A leading philosopher takes on society’s view of what sometimes seems to be the fine line between truth and lying.

4 You: The Owner’s Manual by Michael F. Roizen and Mehmet 2 3 C. Oz (HarperResource: $24.95) A wry and witty guide to the inner workings of the human body.

5 The World Is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman (Farrar, Straus 1 6 & Giroux: $27.50) How technology and the forces of globalization are connecting -- and changing -- the world.

6 Blink by Malcolm Gladwell (Little, Brown: $25.95) 4 19 Gladwell explores why decisions are so often made in an instant and whether we can really trust those first instincts.

7 He’s Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt and Liz 7 32 Tuccillo (Simon Spotlight Entertainment: $21.95) A no-excuses guide to help women understand guys and get on with their lives.

8 And One More Thing Before You Go ... by Maria Shriver 5 7 (Free Press: $13.95) Ten rules for teenagers and adults alike on how to find abundance and love by knowing what is important in life.

9 Baby Laughs by Jenny McCarthy (Dutton: $19.95) The -- 1 unvarnished truth about the trials and tribulations of the first year of parenthood, with a healthy dose of humor.

10 Being Perfect by Anna Quindlen (Random House: $12.95) -- 2 The author and longtime columnist shares her wisdom on how to avoid “the perfection trap” and live the life you desire.

11 My Life So Far by Jane Fonda (Random House: $26.95) The 6 7 actress, antiwar activist, fitness guru and feminist icon tells the story of her life, with a heavy emphasis on the men along the way.

12 The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren (Zondervan: 12 112 $19.99) How the “God-ordained” principles of worship, community, discipleship, ministry and evangelism bring fulfillment.

13 Oh the Glory of It All by Sean Wilsey (Penguin: $25.95) -- 1 A memoir of a young man who rebels against his privileged upbringing and self-absorbed parents.

14 Sinatra: The Life by Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan -- 1 (Alfred A. Knopf: $26.95) A comprehensive look at life onstage and off of the iconic entertainer.

15 The Good, the Bad, and Me by Eli Wallach (Harcourt: $25) -- 1 The actor recalls early days in the Actors Studio, his many teachers of the craft and his storied life on stage and screen.

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