Washington Area Bestsellers
Sunday, May 29, 2005; Page BW11
THE KITE RUNNER(Riverhead, $14). By Khaled Hosseini An Afghan immigrant returns to his Taliban-ruled country in the hope of atoning for a childhood betrayal. ANGELS & DEMONS(Pocket Star, $7.99) By Dan Brown.The Illuminati, a secret cabal, threatens the Vatican at the outset of a papal conclave. THE TAKING(Bantam, $7.99). By Dean R. Koontz A rural California town, doused with an eerie, radiant downpour, soon realizes it's part of an alien invasion. THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB(Plume, $14) By Karen Joy Fowler.Heady emotions and intimate secrets arise amid the club's discussion of the Austen canon. HIDDEN PREY(Berkley, $7.99). By John Sandford Detective Davenport, now a special agent, is assigned the case of a Russian found murdered on the docks. JUST ONE LOOK(Signet, $7.99). By Harlan Coben A housewife is stymied by her husband's disappearance and its odd connection to a tragedy from her past. THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES(Penguin, $14) By Sue Monk Kidd.Three women beekeepers offer an abused girl comfort and a safe haven. THE SHOP ON BLOSSOM STREET(Mira, $7.50) By Debbie Macomber.Friendships emerge, and lives are rejuvenated, thanks to the catharsis of a knitting class. A LOVING SCOUNDREL(Pocket Star, $7.99) By Johanna Lindsey.Lindsey revives her "Malory" series with this tale of Jeremy Malory, pirate-turned-gentleman. THE TIPPING POINT: HOW LITTLE THINGS CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE(Back Bay, $14.95) By Malcolm Gladwell.A look at fads and their origins. LEAP OF FAITH: MEMOIRS OF AN UNEXPECTED LIFE (Miramax, $13.95). By Queen Noor.Her journey from American youth (néeLisa Halaby) to Jordanian monarch. READING LOLITA IN TEHRAN(Random House, $13.95) By Azar Nafisi.A professor recalls her clandestine Western literature discussion groups for women students. THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY(Vintage, $14.95) By Erik Larson.Serial killer Henry Holmes preys on Chicago residents amid the bustle of the 1893 World's Fair. WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH KANSAS?: HOW CONSERVATIVES WON THE HEART OF AMERICA (Owl, $14). By Thomas Frank BAD CAT: 244 NOT-SO-PRETTY KITTIES AND CATS GONE BAD(Workman, $9.95). By Jim Edgar Candid photos of felines acting up and acting out. DREAMS FROM MY FATHER(Three Rivers, $13.95) By Barack Obama.A memoir of a challenging, often lonely youth by the freshman senator from Illinois. A SHORT HISTORY OF NEARLY EVERYTHING (Broadway, $15.95). By Bill Bryson.A quirky, popular guide to science's grandest achievements. GUNS, GERMS, AND STEEL(Norton, $16.95) By Jared Diamond.The impact of geography and the environment on the rise of civilization. ALEXANDER HAMILTON(Penguin, $18) By Ron Chernow.The remarkable life of the Founding Father who went from aide-de-camp to treasury secretary. THE CLOSERS(Little, Brown, $26.95) By Michael Connelly.After a mere two years retired, Harry Bosch rejoins the LAPD in its new cold case unit. 4TH OF JULY(Little, Brown, $27.95) By James Patterson & Maxine Paetro.A member of the Women's Murder Club is on trial for police brutality. BROKEN PREY(Putnam, $26.95). By John Sandford Gory slayings, reminiscent of those committed by three incarcerated killers, and a new iPod keep Davenport busy. THE MERMAID CHAIR(Viking, $24.95) By Sue Monk Kidd.Jessie's caregiver trip to her mother's side brings some surprising confidences to light. TRUE BELIEVER(Warner, $24.95). By Nicholas Sparks A science reporter, famed for his myth-debunking articles, investigates strange lights in a North Carolina cemetery. THE DA VINCI CODE(Doubleday, $24.95) By Dan Brown.Ciphers and riddles impede a symbologist's quest for the Holy Grail and a killer's identity. STAR WARS: REVENGE OF THE SITH(Del Rey, $25.95) By Matthew Stover.The novelization of George Lucas's recently released film of "Episode III." IN THE COMPANY OF CHEERFUL LADIES (Pantheon, $19.95). By Alexander McCall Smith Sixth installment of the "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency." COUNTDOWN(Bantam, $25). By Iris Johansen Jane Maguire's striking likeness to an ancient Roman actress haunts her once more in this fast-paced thriller. GENEVIEVE(Dutton, $24.95). By Eric Jerome Dickey Genevieve and her husband, both children of broken homes, wrestle with their difficult pasts. THE WORLD IS FLAT: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY(FSG, $27.50) By Thomas L. Friedman.Globalization's colossal impact. FREAKONOMICS: A ROGUE ECONOMIST EXPLORES THE HIDDEN SIDE OF EVERYTHING(Morrow, $25.95) By Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner ON BULLSHIT(Princeton Univ., $9.95) By Harry G. Frankfurt.A philosophical primer for detecting the phenomenon in our culture today. WINNING(HarperBusiness, $27.95). By Jack Welch with Suzy Welch.A top-to-bottom guidebook for business management by the former CEO of General Electric. BLINK: THE POWER OF THINKING WITHOUT THINKING (Little, Brown, $25.95). By Malcolm Gladwell The complex psychology behind our snap decisions. AND ONE MORE THING BEFORE YOU GO ... (Free Press, $13.95). By Maria Shriver.Advice for girls on the transition from high school to college. A LOTUS GROWS IN THE MUD(Putnam, $25.95) By Goldie Hawn.The actress reveals her private self while reflecting on her award-winning career. AMERICA (THE BOOK): A CITIZEN'S GUIDE TO DEMOCRACY INACTION(Warner, $24.95) By Jon Stewart & the Daily Show.Humor meets history. IS BILL COSBY RIGHT? (OR HAS THE BLACK MIDDLE CLASS LOST ITS MIND?)(Basic Civitas, $23) By Michael Eric Dyson.A cultural critic's rebuttal. COLLAPSE: HOW SOCIETIES CHOOSE TO FAIL OR SUCCEED(Norton, $29.95). By Jared Diamond The fatal consequences of ecological mismanagement.Paperback Fiction 1 33 2 71 3 4 4 3 5 THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME(Vintage, $12). By Mark Haddon.An autistic boy digs into a poodle's death, unearthing some family secrets. 51 6 4 7 4 8 26 9 3 10 3 Nonfiction/General 1 21 2 7 3 68 4 64 5 5 6 14 7 39 8 27 9 24 10 8 Hardcover Fiction 1 1 2 3 3 2 4 7 5 6 6 71 7 8 8 5 9 2 10 2 Nonfiction/General 1 7 2 6 3 8 4 7 5 19 6 6 7 3 8 28 9 2 10 15

