Washington Area Bestsellers

	Paperback
	Fiction
1	STATE OF FEAR(Avon, $7.99). By Michael Crichton Eco-terrorists plot to create "natural disasters" in an effort to further their radical agenda.	1
2	WHITEOUT(Signet, $7.99). By Ken Follett The debt-ridden son of a pharmaceutical company's founder burgles the lab, with unforeseen consequences.	1
3	NIGHT FALL(Warner Vision, $7.99). By Nelson Demille Anti-terrorist expert John Corey is driven to reassess the 1996 crash of TWA Flight 800 off Long Island.	1
4	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.	56
5	LONDON BRIDGES(Warner Vision, $7.99) By James Patterson.Alex Cross's nemesis, the Wolf, aims to extort billions by threatening to annihilate entire cities.	5
6	NORTHERN LIGHTS(Jove, $9.99). By Nora Roberts The usual tranquility of Lunacy, Alaska, is ruffled when a resident, missing for 16 years, is discovered murdered.	5
7	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.	11
8	LIFE EXPECTANCY(Bantam, $7.99). By Dean Koontz Jimmy Took, buffeted by destiny, musters decency and strength to cope with five days of horror.	1
9	LIGHT ON SNOW(Back Bay, $14.95). By Anita Shreve The emotional repercussions of a father and daughter's discovery of an abandoned infant in the woods.	7
10	TWISTED(Ballantine, $7.99). By Jonathan Kellerman Hollywood homicide detective Petra Connor hunts a serial killer who strikes on the same date each year.	5
	Nonfiction/General
1	A MILLION LITTLE PIECES(Anchor, $14.95) By James Frey.A former screenwriter and drug dealer's chronicle of addiction and recovery.	6
2	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.	44
3	BAD CAT: 244 NOT-SO-PRETTY KITTIES AND CATS GONE BAD(Workman, $9.99). By Jim Edgar Candid photos of felines acting up and acting out.	29
4	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.	12
5	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.	87
6	IN COLD BLOOD(Vintage, $14). By Truman Capote Its melding of crime reportage and a novel's structure made this account of a 1959 Kansas murder an instant classic.	2
7	LEADERSHIP(Miramax, $15.95). By Rudolph W. Giuliani The former New York City mayor draws on his personal experiences to impart leadership lessons.	1
8	JARHEAD: A MARINE'S CHRONICLE OF THE GULF WAR AND OTHER BATTLES(Pocket, $7.99) By Anthony Swofford.A Marine sniper reminisces.	2
9	READING LOLITA IN TEHRAN(Random House, $13.95) By Azar Nafisi.A professor recalls her clandestine Western literature discussion groups for women students.	91
10	GUNS, GERMS, AND STEEL(Norton, $16.95) By Jared Diamond.The impact of geography and the environment on the course of civilization.	46
	Hardcover
	Fiction
1	PREDATOR(Putnam, $26.95). By Patricia Cornwell Forensic examiner Kay Scarpetta, now based in Florida, is stymied by a series of bizarre slayings and thorny clues.	1
2	THE CAMEL CLUB(Warner, $26.95). By David Baldacci A band of zealous conspiracy theorists stumbles across real intrigue after witnessing a murder on Roosevelt Island.	1
3	AT FIRST SIGHT(Warner, $24.95). By Nicholas Sparks Jeremy Marsh and Lexie Darnell, last seen in Sparks's "True Believer," are coping with the stress of engagement.	2
4	TOXIC BACHELORS(Delacorte, $27). By Danielle Steel Charles, Adam and Gray, confirmed bachelors thriving professionally at mid-life, meet their romantic matches.	1
5	KNIFE OF DREAMS: BOOK ELEVEN OF THE WHEEL OF TIME(Tor, $29.95). By Robert Jordan The penultimate volume of Jordan's fantasy epic.	3
6	THE SCORPION'S GATE(Putnam, $24.95) By Richard A. Clarke.In2010, the House of Saud is no more and a risky gamble for oil may precipitate world war.	1
7	THE AMBLER WARNING(St. Martin's, $25.95) By Robert Ludlum.Acovert U.S. operative, a 20-year vet, is detained in a government hospital for reasons unknown.	2
8	SAVING FISH FROM DROWNING(Putnam, $26.95) By Amy Tan.A Burmese vacation isscuttled when American travelers are seized by a mystical rebel tribe.	2
9	CONSENT TO KILL(Atria, $25.95). By Vince Flynn Mitch Rapp, CIA assassin, juggles multiple adversaries, a $20 million bounty on his head and his wife's pregnancy.	3
10	THE LINCOLN LAWYER(Little, Brown, $26.95) By Michael Connelly.A defense attorney, who works modestly out of a Lincoln Town Car, lands a wealthy client.	4
	Nonfiction/General
1	TEAM OF RIVALS: THE POLITICAL GENIUS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN(Simon & Schuster, $35) By Doris Kearns Goodwin.Presidential finesse.	1
2	HEALTHY AGING: A LIFELONG GUIDE TO YOUR PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING(Knopf, $27.95) By Andrew Weil.A new perspective for staying vibrant.	2
3	THE TRUTH: WITH JOKES(Dutton, $25.95) By Al Franken.The cheeky satirist's follow-up to "Lies" aims to debunk the conservative media spin.	1
4	THE WORLD IS FLAT: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY(FSG, $27.50) By Thomas L. Friedman.Globalism's colossal impact.	30
5	THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING(Knopf, $23.95) By Joan Didion.Reflecting on ayear of grief and mourning after her husband's death and her daughter's illness.	4
6	THE CITY OF FALLING ANGELS(Penguin Press, $25.95) By John Berendt.Venice, where the author moved in 1997, is affectionately portrayed here in all its glory and decay.	5
7	DRIVEN FROM WITHIN(Atria, $35). By Michael Jordan The gifted basketball star (six NBA championships) and sports icon reflects on the secrets to his phenomenal success.	1
8	FREAKONOMICS: A ROGUE ECONOMIST EXPLORES THE HIDDEN SIDE OF EVERYTHING(Morrow, $25.95) By Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner	29
9	MY FBI: BRINGING DOWN THE MAFIA, INVESTIGATING BILL CLINTON, AND FIGHTINGTHE WAR ON TERROR (St. Martin's, $25.95). By Louis J. Freeh	3
10	THE ASSASSINS' GATE: AMERICA IN IRAQ(FSG, $26) By George Packer.A controversial enterprise to change the Middle East devolves into a bloody guerrilla war.	1

Rankings reflect sales for the week ended October 30, 2005. The charts may not be reproduced without permission from Nielsen BookScan. Copyright ? 2005 by Nielsen BookScan. (Right-hand column of italicized numbers reflects weeks on this list, which premiered in Book World on Jan. 11, 2004. The advice/miscellaneous list below reflects sales from 09/26 to 10/30.)