BESTSELLERS / PAPERBACKS

*--* SO. CAL. RATING Fiction

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*--* 1 The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (HarperSanFrancisco: $13) An Andalusian shepherd boy seeks treasure in Egypt.

2 Angels & Demons by Dan Brown (Pocket Books: $7.99) A scholar uncovers a vendetta against the Roman Catholic Church.

3 Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (Vintage: $12) An autistic teen seeks a killer.

4 Frankenstein: Prodigal Son by Dean Koontz and Kevin J. Anderson (Bantam: $7.99) The classic rethought.

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

6 The Known World by Edward P. Jones (Amistad: $13.95) Love and betrayal on a black slave owner’s plantation.

7 The Last Juror by John Grisham (Dell: $7.99) A killer on parole is bent on retribution as he returns to his small town.

8 Little Children by Tom Perrotta (St. Martin’s Griffin: $13.95) Anxiety-ridden parents raise their suburban offspring.

9 The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri (Mariner: $14) A Bengali couple and their son try to find their way in America.

10 The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory (Touchstone: $15) Two sisters vie for the love of Henry VIII.

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*--* SO. CAL. RATING Nonfiction

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*--* 1 Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi (Random House: $13.95) A professor keeps literature alive for her students.

2 1000 Places to See Before You Die by Patricia Schultz (Workman: $18.95) Trotting the globe.

3 The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell (Back Bay: $14.95) How fads, trends and ideas behave like viruses in a society.

4 Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama (Three Rivers: $13.95) The senator traces his mixed-raced heritage.

5 Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress by Susan Jane Gilman (Warner: $12.95) A ‘70s Manhattan childhood.

6 Don’t Think of an Elephant by George Lakoff (Chelsea Green: $10) A guide for political progressives.

7 Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki and Sharon L. Lechter (TechPress/Warner: $15.95) Fiscal parenting.

8 The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (Vintage: $14.95) How a serial killer haunted the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.

9 Supernanny by Jo Frost (Hyperion: $14.95) The no-nonsense television caregiver dispenses child-rearing advice.

10 The Official Razzie Movie Guide by John Wilson (Warner: $14.95) A tongue-in-cheek look at Hollywood’s worst.

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