BESTSELLERS / PAPERBACKS

Rankings are based on a Times poll of Southland bookstores.

*--* SO. CAL. RATING Fiction 1 Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (Vintage: $14.95) The life and loves of a teahouse entertainer.

2 The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Riverhead: $14) A writer returns to Kabul to rescue the son of a childhood friend.

3 Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx (Scribner: $9.95) A pair of cowboys in love face a harsh world.

4 The Broker by John Grisham (Dell: $7.99) A jailed lawyer helps the CIA protect satellite technology.

5 Runaway by Alice Munro (Vintage: $14.95) Stories of the surprises, betrayals and limits of love.

6 The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (HarperSanFrancisco: $13) An Andalusian shepherd boy searches for treasure in Egypt.

7 Wicked by Gregory Maguire (ReganBooks: $15) The Wicked Witch of the West tells her side of the story.

8 The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Penguin: $15) A quest for the truth about a Spanish novelist.

9 Red Lily by Nora Roberts (Jove: $7.99) The ghost of a bride haunts a Memphis mansion.

10 The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory (Touchstone: $16) Two sisters vie for the love of Henry VIII.

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*--* SO. CAL. RATING Nonfiction 1 A Million Little Pieces by James Frey (Anchor: $14.95) A memoir of addiction, rehabilitation and 12-step treatment.

2 In Cold Blood by Truman Capote (Vintage: $14) The masterful writer’s account of a Kansas family’s brutal murder.

3 Why Do Men Have Nipples? by Mark Leyner and Billy Goldberg (Three Rivers Press: $12.95) What’s up, doc?

4 Chronicles by Bob Dylan (Simon & Schuster: $14) The songwriter reflects on his life and creativity.

5 1,000 Places to See Before You Die by Patricia Schultz (Workman: $18.95) Trotting the globe.

6 Su Doku for Dummies by Andrew Heron and Edmund James (Wiley: $9.99) Puzzle-solving hints and 240 puzzles.

7 Sudoku Easy by Will Shortz (St. Martin’s Griffin: $6.95) Vol. 1 of the popular puzzle book.

8 Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas (Random House: $12.95) An Iranian girl grows up in Newport Beach.

9 Walking L.A. by Erin Mahoney (Wilderness Press: $16.95) Three dozen walking tours exploring many corners of the city.

10 Bad Cat by Jim Edgar (Workman: $9.95) Meet 244 cats and kittens with attitude, all in living color.

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