BESTSELLERS

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

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*--* 1 The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (Doubleday: $24.95) A 1 52 Louvre curator’s killing leads to clues hidden in Leonardo’s paintings and a secret society with something to hide.

2 The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom 2 26 (Hyperion: $19.95) An amusement park maintenance man faces his life, death and afterlife in this three-part parable.

3 3rd Degree by James Patterson and Andrew Gross (Little, 4 3 Brown: $26.95) A quartet of women investigate a spate of violent incidents with the markings of political terror.

4 The Last Juror by John Grisham (Doubleday: $27.95) A 3 8 convicted killer on parole for a brutal rape and murder is bent on retribution as he returns to his small town.

5 Bad Business by Robert B. Parker (Penguin: $24.95) A 5 2 Boston private eye hired to investigate adultery is drawn into a world of corporate corruption and profiteering.

6 The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant (Random House: $21.95) 10 2 A love story amid the political, religious and artistic ferment in 14th century Florence as the Renaissance shapes Europe.

7 The Amateur Marriage by Anne Tyler (Knopf: 24.95) A -- 10 mismatched couple struggle over the course of 30 years to make their marriage bearable.

8 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark 14 20 Haddon (Doubleday: $22.95) Falsely accused, an autistic teen seeks the real murderer of a neighbor’s poodle.

9 The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood -- 1 (Bantam: $22.95) A man dealing with the ghosts of his past faces trials of love, loss and letting go.

10 A Death in Vienna by Daniel Silva (Putnam: $25.95) An art 11 4 restorer-spy probes the death of a Holocaust survivor who could have linked the next chancellor’s father to Nazi atrocities.

11 The Princes of Ireland by Edward Rutherfurd (Doubleday: 12 3 $27.95) A sweeping historical tale of the Emerald Isle featuring druids, chieftains, noblewomen and farmwives.

12 Angels & Demons by Dan Brown (Atria: $17.95) A Harvard 13 13 scholar uncovers a vendetta against the Catholic Church by a secret society known as the Illuminati.

13 Aloft by Chang-rae Lee (Riverhead: $24.95) A semiretired 7 2 pilot from Long Island considers his well-heeled life and his disengagement from the people he loves.

14 Vertical Coffin by Stephen J. Cannell (St. Martin’s: -- 1 $24.95) An LAPD sergeant tries to prevent a deadly law enforcement turf war after a string of officers are killed.

15 Little Children by Tom Perrotta (St. Martin’s: $24.95) A -- 1 group of thirtysomething parents confront their fears and weaknesses as they raise their suburban offspring.

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

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*--* 1 The Sexy Years by Suzanne Somers (Crown: $25) Somers 1 3 advocates the use of natural hormone replacement therapy to ease the symptoms of menopause.

2 The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands by Laura 2 12 Schlessinger (HarperCollins: $24.95) The talk show host tells how to manage the “very simple creature” that is man.

3 The Power of Intention by Wayne W. Dyer (Hay House: 4 3 $24.95) How to spark creativity by drawing upon a field of energy that exists all around us.

4 The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren (Zondervan: 3 54 $19.99) How the “God-ordained” principles of worship, community, discipleship, ministry and evangelism bring fulfillment.

5 Against All Enemies by Richard A. Clarke (Free Press: -- 1 $27) The former counterterrorism advisor questions the Bush administration’s response to threats before Sept. 11 and its focus on Iraq since.

6 The Fabric of the Cosmos by Brian Greene (Knopf: $28.95) -- 5 The nature of reality is explored through simple explanations of concepts such as string theory and inflationary cosmology.

7 Deliver Us From Evil by Sean Hannity (Regan Books: 10 5 $26.95) The author argues against appeasement and multilateralism and for a proactive stance in fighting our enemies.

8 Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them by Al Franken 6 30 (Dutton: $24.95) A heaping dose of subversive wit aimed at politicos and pundits on the right.

9 American Dynasty by Kevin Phillips (Viking: $25.95) An 7 11 account of the Bush family’s use of its Ivy League network, political maneuvering and vast wealth to win the White House.

10 Hollywood Animal by Joe Eszterhas (Knopf: $26.95) The -- 7 noted screenwriter takes on the beast that is the movie industry in telling the tale of his life’s journey.

11 Modern Glamour by Kelly Wearstler (Regan Books: $39.95) A -- 1 look at the work of Wearstler, the interior decorator responsible for some hip L.A. hotels and the digs of Ben Stiller, among other projects.

12 The Sorrows of Empire by Chalmers Johnson (Metropolitan: -- 7 $25) A view of the United States as an imperialist and militaristic nation bent on global domination.

13 The Happiest Toddler on the Block by Harvey Karp (Bantam: -- 1 $22.95) A pediatrician’s guide to navigating the challenges for parents of raising kids ages 1 to 4.

14 Hollywood, Interrupted by Andrew Breitbart and Mark Ebner -- 3 (Wiley & Sons: $27.95) Gossip writers dish on the politics, sexual proclivities and opinions of celebrities.

15 The Automatic Millionaire by David Bach (Broadway Books: -- 9 $19.95) A common-sense guide to financial planning through automatic contributions to retirement plans and investment vehicles.

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Rankings are based on a Times poll of Southland bookstores.