BESTSELLERS / PAPERBACKS

SO. CAL. RATING; Fiction

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

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

3; Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (Vintage: $14.95) The life and loves of a teahouse entertainer.

4; Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (Picador: $14) An ailing minister explains his life and beliefs to his young son.

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

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

7; Close Range by Annie Proulx (Scribner: $14) Stories of hardship and more in the Wyoming territory.

8; Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami (Vintage: $14.95) A Tokyo teen runs from his Oedipal fears.

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

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; Collapse by Jared Diamond (Penguin: $17) Why the Maya, the Anasazi and other societies died out.

3; Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins (Plume: $15) How the U.S. pressures poor countries.

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

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

6; The Power of Intention by Wayne W. Dyer (Hay House: $14.95) How to get the life you want.

7; Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki with Sharon L. Lechter (TechPress/Warner: $16.95) Fiscal parenting.

8; Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin (Harvest Books: $15) How autism explains animal behavior.

9; Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin (Running Press: $13.95) The vegan life.

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

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Rankings are based on a Times poll of Southland bookstores.