BESTSELLERS

Rankings are based on a Times poll of Southland bookstores.

*--* SO. CAL. RATING Fiction LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST 1 The Watchman by Robert 1 5 Crais (Simon & Schuster: $25.95) A party-girl heiress comes under the watchful eye of former cop Joe Pike after she witnesses something she shouldn’t have.

2 What Is the What by Dave 3 13 Eggers (McSweeney’s: $26) A Sudanese refugee fights to survive and create a new life in America but finds safety and a sense of belonging elusive.

3 Ten Days in the Hills by 5 6 Jane Smiley (Knopf: $26) Hollywood denizens spend 10 days together talking about movies, making love and arguing about the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

4 Then We Came to the End by 15 2 Joshua Ferris (Little, Brown: $23.99) Copywriters and designers at a Chicago ad agency implode as they face layoffs when the go-go 1990s economy goes bust.

5 Nineteen Minutes by Jodi 2 3 Picoult (Atria: $26.95) A small New England town copes with the aftermath of a rampage in which a troubled teen kills 10 at the local high school.

6 Water for Elephants by -- 18 Sara Gruen (Algonquin: $23.95) A nursing-home patient recalls his life and loves as a penniless student who drops out of college to join the circus in the 1930s.

7 Heyday by Kurt Andersen 9 3 (Random House: $26.95) A 19th century Englishman makes his way to America, where he meets up with a trio of misfits and embarks on a cross-country odyssey.

8 Daddy’s Girl by Lisa 11 2 Scottoline (HarperCollins: $25.95) A naive law professor caught up in a prison riot is charged with murdering a guard she tried to save.

9 Whitethorn Woods by Maeve 4 3 Binchy (Knopf: $25.95) A town in the Irish countryside is caught up in a fracas over whether to build a highway to help manage the crowds that come to visit a local shrine.

10 Shopaholic & Baby by 7 4 Sophie Kinsella (Dial: $24) Shopaholic Becky, now pregnant, learns that her obstetrician is her dashing husband’s former flame, a woman who still carries a torch for him.

11 For a Few Demons More by -- 1 Kim Harrison (Eos: $21.5) Bounty hunter Rachel Morgan defends her special powers from demons, an elf and a vampire, aided by her pixie partner and a werewolf.

12 Storm Runners by T. 8 4 Jefferson Parker (William Morrow: $25.95) Matt Stromsoe is hired to protect a TV personality from a stalker, but the trail leads back to a man who murdered his family.

13 Scavenger by David Morrell 12 3 (Vanguard Press: $24.95) An ex-policeman goes on a high-tech scavenger hunt to uncover the secrets held in a century-old time capsule.

14 Boomsday by Christopher -- 1 Buckley (Twelve: $24.99) Spin doctor and blogger Cass Devine campaigns to kill Social Security so young taxpayers don’t have to pay for retiring baby boomers.

15 Burning Bright by Tracy -- 1 Chevalier (Dutton: $24.95) A chair maker comes to work for a circus impresario in 18th century London, where he and his family befriend painter and poet William Blake.

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*--* SO. CAL. RATING Nonfiction LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST 1 The Secret by Rhonda Byrne 1 15 (Beyond Words: $23.95) The book promises the distillation of a life-transforming “secret” gathered from oral tradition, literature, religion and philosophy.

2 Grace (Eventually): -- 1 Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott (Riverhead: $24.95) The author explores decency, love, forgiveness and finding grace in living.

3 Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali 4 4 (Free Press: $26) The Somali-born former member of the Dutch Parliament tells of her life and the death threats she received for criticizing how her Muslim faith treats women.

4 I Feel Bad About My Neck 3 35 by Nora Ephron (Knopf: $19.95) The screenwriter ruminates on the effects of gravity and menopause, and reconciling herself to life among the post-bikini set.

5 The Intellectual 7 11 Devotional by David Kidder and Noah Oppenheim (Rodale: $22.50) How to complete your education and roam confidently through the cultured classes in 365 short lessons.

6 Bambi vs. Godzilla by 11 7 David Mamet (Pantheon: $22) The director-screenwriter explains how the film and television industry should work and details how greed and stupidity get in the way.

7 A Long Way Gone by Ishmael 9 5 Beah (Farrar, Straus & Giroux: $22) A boy soldier from Sierra Leone tells of civil war, participating in mass slaughter and starting over at a refugee camp.

8 How Doctors Think by 8 2 Jerome Groopman (Houghton Mifflin: $26) A physician shows how doctors work with patients to find a diagnosis and resist economic pressures that detract from care.

9 Women & Money by Suze 2 4 Orman (Spiegel & Grau: $24.95) A five-month plan to help women take control of their finances, fix their credit rating and save for retirement.

10 In an Instant by Lee and 10 4 Bob Woodruff (Random House: $25.95) ABC News co-anchor Bob Woodruff and his wife tell of his recovery from a roadside bomb that tore off part of his skull in Iraq.

11 Reading Judas by Elaine -- 1 Pagels and Karin L. King (Viking: $24.95) The scholars show how the Gnostic Gospel of Judas emphasizes Jesus’ spiritual rather than physical resurrection.

12 The Audacity of Hope by 5 23 Barack Obama (Crown: $25) The U.S. senator from Illinois argues that his Democratic Party and the GOP must forgo partisanship to reclaim the American dream.

13 Dog Years: A Memoir by -- 1 Mark Doty (HarperCollins: $23.95) The poet writes of his beloved dogs, Arden and Beau, and how they helped him bear loss and find meaning in caring for them.

14 I Like You by Amy Sedaris -- 17 (Warner: $27.99) A guide to throwing the perfect party, with helpful cooking and hospitality hints as well as arch observations from the comic writer.

15 Blackwater by Jeremy -- 1 Scahill (Nation Books: $26.95) How a military contractor and security firm became a combat force providing security in Iraq for overextended U.S. troops.

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