BESTSELLERS

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

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*--* 1 I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe (Farrar, Straus & 7 2 Giroux: $28.95) A North Carolina ingenue tries to fit in with the beautiful-people-in-training at an elite university.

2 The Plot Against America by Philip Roth (Houghton 1 8 Mifflin: $26) Charles Lindbergh becomes president in 1940, setting the country on a course of isolationism and nationwide pogroms.

3 London Bridges by James Patterson (Little, Brown: $27.95) 14 2 Alex Cross battles villains old and new as terrorists threaten to destroy the world’s largest cities.

4 The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (Doubleday: $24.95) A 3 87 Louvre curator’s killing leads to clues hidden in Leonardo’s paintings and a secret society with something to hide.

5 Hour Game by David Baldacci (Warner: $26.95) Private eyes 2 3 try to uncover the identity of an egotistical and mocking murderer whose crimes mimic infamous serial killers of the past.

6 The Da Vinci Code Special Illustrated Edition by Dan 5 2 Brown (Doubleday: $35) The blockbuster thriller, complete with images of all the artwork, symbols and locales mentioned in the text.

7 The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst (Bloomsbury: 9 3 $24.95) An Oxford student is caught up in the go-go 1980s London of Margaret Thatcher, where opulence, class envy and ruthlessness reign.

8 The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom 12 60 (Hyperion: $19.95) An amusement park maintenance man faces his life, death and afterlife in this three-part parable.

9 Metro Girl by Janet Evanovich (HarperCollins: $26.95) 6 2 Tough-talking Alexandra Barnaby teams up with a NASCAR driver to help find her lost brother.

10 The Inner Circle by T.C. Boyle (Viking: $25.95) An -- 7 assistant to zoology professor Alfred Kinsey becomes immersed in an inner circle of researchers participating in sexual experiments.

11 The Prince of Beverly Hills by Stuart Woods (Putnam: -- 2 $25.95) A demoted police detective shuffled off to the studio beat stumbles upon a murder cover-up.

12 The Darling by Russell Banks (HarperCollins: $25.95) A -- 1 former Weather Underground member is enmeshed in the turmoil enveloping Liberia and warlord Charles Taylor.

13 Runaway by Alice Munro (Knopf: $25) A collection of 15 3 stories examining the surprises, betrayals and limits of love among couples, friends, parents and children.

14 The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason -- 21 (Dial: $24) Four Princeton roommates use clues from a 15th century manuscript to find a buried Roman treasure.

15 The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore (William Morrow: -- 1 $14.95) A 7-year-old who believes he’s witnessed Santa’s murder prays for a miracle to save Christmas in Sleepy Pine Cove, Calif.

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

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*--* 1 The Last Season by Phil Jackson (Penguin: $24.95) The 1 4 former Lakers coach recounts last year’s turbulent season in which egos ruled the court and a star-studded team stumbled.

2 He’s Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt and Liz 2 9 Tuccillo (Simon Spotlight Entertainment: $19.95) The no-excuses guide to help women understand guys and get on with their lives.

3 America (The Book): A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy 3 9 Inaction by Jon Stewart et al. (Warner: $24.95) Comedy writers poke fun at U.S. politics and our institutions of democracy.

4 The Perricone Promise by Nicholas Perricone (Warner: -- 1 $27.95) A physician advises how to look and feel younger in 28 days through diet, supplements and skin products.

5 Chronicles, Volume One by Bob Dylan (Simon & Schuster: 4 7 $24) The songwriter reflects on the influences that helped shape him and his struggle to rediscover his creativity.

6 His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis 11 3 (Knopf: $26.95) A portrait of the most imposing Founding Father, who held a young nation together through its rocky beginnings.

7 Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen (Warner Faith: $19.99) 10 2 Seven steps to improving your life by using faith to develop self-esteem and help let go of the past.

8 Trump: Think Like a Billionaire by Donald J. Trump with -- 2 Meredith McIver (Random House: $21.95) How to buy real estate and live a life of luxury, even if you’re still working on your first billion.

9 When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops? by George Carlin 8 5 (Hyperion: $23.95) The veteran comedian takes on Diane Sawyer, big oil and mass marketing in a stinging social commentary.

10 How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must) by Ann Coulter 5 6 (Crown Forum: $26.95) The conservative pundit explains why she thinks liberals have it all wrong.

11 Family First by Phil McGraw (Free Press: $26) A day-by-day -- 7 guide to raising cooperative, caring and competent children through effective parenting and putting family first.

12 Not So Prime Time: Chasing the Trivial on American -- 1 Television by Howard Rosenberg (Ivan R. Dee: $26) The Times’ former TV critic traces the industry’s pursuit of the mundane.

13 American Judaism by Jonathan D. Sarna (Yale University -- 1 Press: $35) A religious history of 350 years of Jews in America, beginning with the settling of New Amsterdam (New York).

14 Created in Darkness by Troubled Americans edited by Dave -- 4 Eggers et al. (Knopf: $16.95) A dose of humor compiled by the folks at the McSweeney’s literary empire.

15 A Man of My Words by Richard Lederer (St. Martin’s Press: -- 1 $24.95) Reflections on the delights of the English language, pronunciation, grammar and the writing life.

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