BESTSELLERS

Rankings are based on a Times poll of Southland bookstores.

*--* SO. CAL. RATING Fiction LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST 1 Echo Park by Michael 1 4 Connelly (Little, Brown: $26.99) LAPD Det. Harry Bosch wrestles with the idea that his oversight in an old murder case allowed a serial killer to continue his spree.

2 For One More Day by Mitch 4 5 Albom (Hyperion: $21.95) An alcoholic tries suicide and encounters his mother’s ghost, who tells him about her life and sacrifices as a single parent.

3 The Road by Cormac 6 5 McCarthy (Knopf: $24) A father’s fierce love for his son is his last link with humanity as they struggle to survive in a post-apocalyptic world of cannibalistic marauders.

4 Paint It Black by Janet 5 7 Fitch (Little, Brown: $24.99) An art model in the punk scene tries to make sense of her boyfriend’s death and his relationship with his narcissistic mother.

5 Hundred-Dollar Baby by -- 1 Robert B. Parker (Putnam: $24.95) Spenser steps in to help an old friend with a seedy past but discovers she’s not as innocent as she seems.

6 What Came Before He Shot 8 2 Her by Elizabeth George (HarperCollins: $26.95) How three brothers from a tough part of London crossed paths with Inspector Lynley’s late wife.

7 The End by Lemony Snicket 2 3 (HarperCollins: $12.99) The Baudelaire orphans and evil Count Olaf are swept onto a strange island in Book 13, the last in “A Series of Unfortunate Events.”

8 The Collectors by David 3 2 Baldacci (Warner: $26.99) Four eccentric crime-solvers train their sights on a renegade CIA assassin implicated in the murder of a rare-books expert and in selling U.S. secrets.

9 Thirteen Moons by Charles 7 4 Frazier (Random House: $26.95) A man recalls being adopted by a Cherokee elder, becoming a chief, fighting for the Confederacy and frittering away a fortune.

10 The Lay of the Land by -- 1 Richard Ford (Knopf: $26.95) A suburban real estate agent faces his mortality as well as marital and familial woes in the new millennium.

11 Suite Francaise by Irene 9 28 Nemirovsky (Knopf: $25) Two novellas by a writer killed at Auschwitz about the exodus from Paris ahead of the Germans’ arrival and on life in a farming village under occupation.

12 Lisey’s Story by Stephen 12 2 King (Scribner: $28) Clues left among her writer-husband’s papers set widow Lisey Landon on a trail to uncover his childhood secrets in rural Maine.

13 Farewell Summer by Ray -- 1 Bradbury (William Morrow: $24.95) The sequel to “Dandelion Wine” continues the escapades of a teen in a small Midwestern town.

14 The Light of Evening by -- 1 Edna O’Brien (Houghton Mifflin: $25) An elderly woman lying in a Dublin hospital bed recalls her stormy life as she awaits a visit from her estranged daughter.

15 Spirit Gate by Kate -- 1 Elliott (Tor: $25.95) A group of warriors tries to wrest the world of the Hundred from a vicious band of invaders and return it to the rule of the just and powerful Guardians.

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*--* SO. CAL. RATING Nonfiction LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST 1 The Audacity of Hope by 3 2 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.

2 State of Denial: Bush at 1 5 War, Part III by Bob Woodward (Simon & Schuster: $30) The inside story of a White House that dismisses bad news about the war in Iraq and how it is fueling terrorism.

3 I Feel Bad About My Neck 4 13 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.

4 The Innocent Man by John 2 4 Grisham (Doubleday: $28.95) A true-crime tale about a former big league baseball player sent to death row for a murder he didn’t commit.

5 Thunderstruck by Erik 15 2 Larson (Crown: $25.95) As Guglielmo Marconi and a rival spar over credit for wireless communication, the device leads to a killer’s capture.

6 I Like You by Amy Sedaris 11 3 (Warner: $27.99) A guide to throwing the perfect party, with helpful hospitality hints and arch observations from the comic writer.

7 The God Delusion by 13 3 Richard Dawkins (Houghton Mifflin: $27) The Oxford biologist criticizes religion for its rejection of scientific truth and threat of eternal damnation. (See review, p. 6)

8 The Life and Times of the 6 2 Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson (Broadway: $25) Recollections of an Iowa childhood, a sportswriting dad, a movie-loving mom and county fairs.

9 Through the Children’s -- 1 Gate by Adam Gopnik (Knopf: $25) Essays on parenting and life’s endless possibilities in New York City, from the author of “Paris to the Moon.”

10 Culture Warrior by Bill 8 5 O’Reilly (Broadway: $26) The Fox News TV host rails against “secular progressives,” billionaire Democrat George Soros, the ACLU and critics he dubs “smear merchants.”

11 Laurel Canyon by Michael -- 19 Walker (Faber & Faber: $25) A look at the ‘60s rock bands and artists whose creativity flowered in Laurel Canyon, then a sylvan enclave above Sunset Boulevard.

12 Why We Want You to Be Rich 7 3 by Donald J. Trump, Robert T. Kiyosaki et al. (Rich Press: $24.95) The real estate magnate and the financial guru explain why some people get rich and others don’t.

13 Letter to a Christian -- 5 Nation by Sam Harris (Knopf: $16.95) “The End of Faith” author chides religious dogmatists who rationalize violence. (See review, p. 6)

14 Life After Death by Deepak 9 2 Chopra (Harmony: $24) The New Age author explores the possibility of life beyond bodily existence through a classic Vedanta Hindu tale.

15 Ageless by Suzanne Somers 5 3 (Crown: $25) The actress touts anti-aging and plant-hormone therapies to detoxify the body, boost the immune system, treat menopause and stay healthy.

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