Washington Area Bestsellers
Sunday, August 28, 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. THE RULE OF FOUR(Dell, $7.99). By Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason.Four roommates at Princeton attempt to unlock the secrets of a 14th-century manuscript. WHITE HOT(Pocket, $9.95). By Sandra Brown Sayre Lynch is aghast when she learns of her brother's death--especially when all signs point to murder. TRACE(Berkley, $7.99). By Patricia Cornwell Kay Scarpetta returns to the medical examiner's office to help the new director sort out a young girl's death. THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES(Penguin, $14) By Sue Monk Kidd.Three women beekeepers offer an abused girl comfort and a safe haven. ANGELS & DEMONS(Pocket Star, $7.99) By Dan Brown.The Illuminati, a secret cabal, threatens the Vatican at the outset of a papal conclave. WICKED: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST(Regan, $15). By Gregory Maguire This riff on the "Oz" tales features a misunderstood witch. MEMORIAL DAY(Pocket Star, $9.95). By Vince Flynn The CIA's almost effortless thwarting of an al-Qaeda attack makes agent Mitch Rapp suspicious. LOST CITY(Berkley, $9.99). By Clive Cussler with Paul Kemprecos.A protein found in the ocean's depths, able to sustain life, is key to a plot of world domination. WHY DO MEN HAVE NIPPLES?(Three Rivers, $12.95) By Mark Leyner and Billy Goldberg.Audacious questions to ask your doctor after that third cocktail. 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. GUNS, GERMS, AND STEEL(Norton, $16.95) By Jared Diamond.The impact of geography and the environment on the course of civilization. DRESS YOUR FAMILY IN CORDUROY AND DENIM (Back Bay, $14.95). By David Sedaris.A collection of witty essays starring the humorist's family. THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY(Vintage, $14.95) By Erik Larson.Serial killer H.H. Holmes preys on Chicago residents amid the bustle of the 1893 World's Fair. THE GREAT INFLUENZA: THE EPIC STORY OF THE DEADLIEST PLAGUE IN HISTORY(Penguin, $16) By John M. Barry.The worldwide toll of the 1918 virus. ME TALK PRETTY ONE DAY(Back Bay, $14.95) By David Sedaris.Autobiographical essays told with an appreciation for life's ironies. READING LOLITA IN TEHRAN(Random House, $13.95) By Azar Nafisi.A professor recalls her clandestine Western literature discussion groups for women students. RUNNING WITH SCISSORS(Picador USA, $14) By Augusten Burroughs.A coming-of-age memoir chock-full of hilarious and downright disturbing moments. 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. LIFEGUARD(Little, Brown, $26.95). By James Patterson and Maxine Paetro.A Boston boy's promising life in Palm Beach goes to pot after a failed $60 million art heist. THE INTERRUPTION OF EVERYTHING(Viking, $25.95) By Terry McMillan.Marilyn Grimes's mid-life angst throws into question her marriage, love life and identity. CHILL FACTOR(Simon & Schuster, $25.95) By Sandra Brown.A blizzard strands Lily Burton in a cabin with a man who may be a serial killer. 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. THE HISTORIAN(Little, Brown, $25.95) By Elizabeth Kostova.Three generations of one family pursue the undead Dracula by means of a medieval book. THE UNDOMESTIC GODDESS(Dial, $23) By Sophie Kinsella.After a costly mistake, a star London attorney accepts a housekeeping position in the country. SWEETWATER CREEK(HarperCollins, $24.95) By Anne Rivers Siddons.A 12-year-old girl comes of age on her family's modest South Carolina farm. UNTIL I FIND YOU(Random House, $27.95) By John Irving.Celebrity actor Jack Burns confronts a harrowing past by tracking down his long-absent father. THE MERMAID CHAIR(Viking, $24.95) By Sue Monk Kidd.Jessie's visit to her ailing mother brings surprising confidences to light. MATCH ME IF YOU CAN(Morrow, $24.95) By Susan Elizabeth Phillips.Cupid-for-hire Annabelle Granger aims to help cocky sports agent Heath Champion. THE WORLD IS FLAT: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY(FSG, $27.50) By Thomas L. Friedman.Globalism's colossal impact. 1776(Simon & Schuster, $32). By David McCullough Military campaigns and personal narratives tell the story of the first full year of the American Revolution. FREAKONOMICS: A ROGUE ECONOMIST EXPLORES THE HIDDEN SIDE OF EVERYTHING(Morrow, $25.95) By Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner CONFESSIONS OF A VIDEO VIXEN(Amistad, $24.95) By Karrine Steffans.The hip-hop video actress exposes her painful past and the gritty side of a glittering industry. BLINK: THE POWER OF THINKING WITHOUT THINKING (Little, Brown, $25.95). By Malcolm Gladwell The complex psychology behind our snap decisions. NEW RULES: POLITE MUSINGS FROM A TIMID OBSERVER (Rodale, $24.95). By Bill Maher.The comedian's political-themed barbs, a staple of his cable show. 100 PEOPLE WHO ARE SCREWING UP AMERICA (AND AL FRANKEN IS #37)(HarperCollins, $25.95) By Bernard Goldberg.Targeting the "cultural elite." THE FAIRTAX BOOK: SAYING GOODBYE TO THE INCOME TAX AND THE IRS(Regan, $24.95) By Neal Boortz and Congressman John Linder ON BULLSHIT(Princeton Univ., $9.95) By Harry G. Frankfurt.A philosophical primer for detecting the phenomenon in our culture. FROM PIECES TO WEIGHT: ONCE UPON A TIME IN SOUTHSIDE QUEENS(MTV, $23). By 50 Cent The rap superstar's frank memoir of a violent past.Paperback Fiction 1 46 2 8 3 THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME(Vintage, $12.95). By Mark Haddon.An autistic boy digs into a poodle's death, unearthing some dark family secrets. 64 4 5 5 8 6 36 7 83 8 1 9 4 10 4 Nonfiction/General 1 2 2 34 3 37 4 12 5 77 6 2 7 28 8 81 9 16 10 21 Hardcover Fiction 1 6 2 5 3 1 4 84 5 10 6 5 7 2 8 6 9 20 10 2 Nonfiction/General 1 20 2 12 3 19 4 8 5 32 6 3 7 6 8 3 9 20 10 1
