Washington Area Bestsellers
Sunday, January 8, 2006; Page BW11
| Paperback | ||
| Fiction | ||
| 1 | MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA(Vintage, $14.95) By Arthur Golden.The celebrated geisha, Sayuri, tells of her rise to fame and fortune in 1930s imperial Japan. | 7 |
| 2 | THE BROKER(Dell, $7.99). By John Grisham The CIA finagles the release of an attorney from federal prison to gain access to a satellite surveillance system. | 5 |
| 3 | RED LILY(Jove, $7.99). By Nora Roberts The ghost of the Harper bride becomes malevolent when the current Harper scion finds a new paramour. | 4 |
| 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. | 64 |
| 5 | DOUBLE TAP(Jove, $7.99). By Steve Martini The expert slaying of a defense contractor's CEO casts suspicion on an Army vet turned security guard. | 1 |
| 6 | 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. | 19 |
| 7 | UNLEASH THE NIGHT(St. Martin's, $6.99) By Sherrilyn Kenyon.A contemporary romance featuring a werewolf and the spunky woman of privilege he desires. | 1 |
| 8 | PREP(Random House, $13.95). By Curtis Sittenfeld An Indiana teen enrolls at one of Boston's most exclusive private schools, heightening her already anxious state. | 3 |
| 9 | CAROLINA ISLE(Pocket, $9.95). By Jude Deveraux Two cousins who share an uncanny resemblance make the reckless decision to switch lives, with startling results. | 1 |
| 10 | BY ORDER OF THE PRESIDENT(Jove, $7.99) By W.E.B. Griffin.In the launch of a new series, a Delta Force major is tapped to investigate a plane's hijacking. | 1 |
| Nonfiction/General | ||
| 1 | A MILLION LITTLE PIECES(Anchor, $14.95) By James Frey.A former screenwriter and drug dealer chronicles his addiction and recovery. | 14 |
| 2 | COLLAPSE: HOW SOCIETIES CHOOSE TO FAIL OR SUCCEED(Penguin, $17). By Jared Diamond The fatal consequences of ecological mismanagement. | 1 |
| 3 | 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. | 20 |
| 4 | 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. | 52 |
| 5 | SEE NO EVIL: THE TRUE STORY OF A GROUND SOLDIER IN THE CIA'S WAR ON TERRORISM (Three Rivers, $14). By Robert Baer.A bungling agency. | 3 |
| 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. | 10 |
| 7 | 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. | 95 |
| 8 | GUNS, GERMS, AND STEEL(Norton, $16.95) By Jared Diamond.The impact of geography and the environment on the course of civilization. | 54 |
| 9 | CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN (Plume, $15). By John Perkins.Charges of financial malfeasance at the expense of developing nations. | 1 |
| 10 | HIS EXCELLENCY: GEORGE WASHINGTON (Vintage, $15). By Joseph J. Ellis.A biography of the statesman from British army soldier to U.S. president. | 7 |
| Hardcover | ||
| Fiction | ||
| 1 | MARY, MARY(Little, Brown, $27.95) By James Patterson.Hollywood's A-list stars look to Alex Cross to protect them from a vicious serial killer. | 6 |
| 2 | 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. | 92 |
| 3 | EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE(Ballantine, $25.95) By Judith McNaught.A romantic dalliance in the tropics ensnares a young woman in a high-profile murder inquiry. | 1 |
| 4 | S IS FOR SILENCE(Putnam, $26.95). By Sue Grafton P.I. Kinsey Millhone looks into the case of Violet Sullivan, an impetuous mother who vanished 34 years earlier. | 3 |
| 5 | TURNING ANGEL(Scribner, $25.95). By Greg Iles When he confesses to their secret affair, a respected small town doctor becomes suspect No. 1 in the murder of a teen. | 1 |
| 6 | ON THE RUN(Bantam, $26). By Iris Johansen A mother and daughter, both in CIA protective custody, are forced to flee when their location is discovered. | 1 |
| 7 | THE CAMEL CLUB(Warner, $26.95). By David Baldacci A band of zealous conspiracy theorists stumbles across intrigue after witnessing a murder on Roosevelt Island. | 9 |
| 8 | 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. | 9 |
| 9 | 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. | 9 |
| 10 | THE LIGHTHOUSE(Knopf, $25.95). By P.D. James Commander Dalgliesh is dispatched to Combe Island, an isolated retreat for the well-to-do, where murder is afoot. | 5 |
| Nonfiction/General | ||
| 1 | THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING(Knopf, $23.95) By Joan Didion.A memoir of mourning; winner of the 2005 National Book Award for nonfiction. | 12 |
| 2 | THE WORLD IS FLAT: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY(FSG, $27.50) By Thomas L. Friedman.Globalism's colossal impact. | 38 |
| 3 | TEAM OF RIVALS: THE POLITICAL GENIUS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN(Simon & Schuster, $35) By Doris Kearns Goodwin.Presidential finesse. | 9 |
| 4 | MARLEY & ME: LIFE AND LOVE WITH THE WORLD'S WORST DOG(Morrow, $21.95) By John Grogan.For the love of an unruly Labrador. | 3 |
| 5 | FREAKONOMICS: A ROGUE ECONOMIST EXPLORES THE HIDDEN SIDE OF EVERYTHING(Morrow, $25.95) By Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner | 37 |
| 6 | OUR ENDANGERED VALUES: AMERICA'S MORAL CRISIS(Simon & Schuster, $25). By Jimmy Carter Cautioning against religious fundamentalism's influence. | 8 |
| 7 | TEACHER MAN: A MEMOIR(Scribner, $26) By Frank McCourt.The author of "Angela's Ashes" recounts his tenure in the NYC public school system. | 6 |
| 8 | 1776(Simon & Schuster, $32). By David McCullough Military campaigns and personal narratives tell the story of the first full year of the American Revolution. | 26 |
| 9 | MY FRIEND LEONARD(Riverhead, $24.95) By James Frey.Frey recounts his continued recovery from substance abuse with the aid of a pal he met in rehab. | 1 |
| 10 | 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. | 8 |
Rankings reflect sales for the week ended Jan. 1, 2006. The charts may not be reproduced without permission from Nielsen BookScan. Copyright 2006 by Nielsen BookScan. (Right-hand column of italicized numbers reflects weeks on this list. The week ended Dec. 25 was skipped, as BW did not publish on Jan. 1, 2006. The list below reflects sales from 11/28/05 to 01/01/06.)
