Washington Area Bestsellers

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Sunday, January 29, 2006

Paperback
Fiction
1
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.
8
2
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.
10
3
HONEYMOON(Warner, $13.95) By James Patterson
& Howard Roughan.An FBI agent suspects the alluring fiancée in a wealthy banker's death.
3
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.
67
5
GILEAD(Picador USA, $14). By Marilynne Robinson
An elderly minister, in failing health, reflects on his enduring faith and a lifetime spent in the same Iowa town.
2
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.
21
7
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.
4
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.
6
9
THE MOTIVE(Signet, $7.99). By John Lescroart
San Francisco policeman Abe Glitsky teams with old pal Dismas Hardy to solve a case of double murder and arson.
1
10
THE KNOWN WORLD(Amistad, $13.95)
By Edward P. Jones.The tangled relationship between an ex-slave (and plantation owner) and his former master.
4
Nonfiction/General
1
NIGHT(FSG, $9). By Elie Wiesel
The Nobel laureate's terrifying account of his four years spent in a concentration camp during World War II.
9
2
A MILLION LITTLE PIECES(Anchor, $14.95)
By James Frey.A screenwriter and drug dealer's (now controversial) chronicle of addiction and recovery.
17
3
COLLAPSE: HOW SOCIETIES CHOOSE TO FAIL
OR SUCCEED(Penguin, $17). By Jared Diamond
The fatal consequences of ecological mismanagement.
4
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.
55
5
CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN
(Plume, $15). By John Perkins.Charges of financial malfeasance at the expense of developing nations.
4
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.
13
7
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.
23
8
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.
6
9
THREE WEEKS WITH MY BROTHER: A MEMOIR
(Warner, $13.95). By Nicholas Sparks and Micah Sparks
The siblings' contemplative journey around the world.
2
10
GUNS, GERMS, AND STEEL(Norton, $16.95)
By Jared Diamond.The impact of geography and the environment on the course of civilization.
57
Hardcover
Fiction
1
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.
95
2
THE HOSTAGE(Putnam, $26.95). By W.E.B. Griffin
A diplomat's murder, a family held captive and the Iraqi oil-for-food scandal meld in this Charley Castillo thriller.
3
3
THE PALE HORSEMAN(HarperCollins, $25.95)
By Bernard Cornwell.A.D. 877: The Saxon noblemen Uhtred and Alfred entrench to repel the Viking invaders.
1
4
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.
4
5
DEATH DANCE(Scribner, $26). By Linda Fairstein
A ballerina's grisly murder at the opera affords DA Alex Cooper entree to Lincoln Center's rarefied backstage.
1
6
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.
6
7
THE CAT WHO DROPPED A BOMBSHELL
(Putnam, $23.95). By Lilian Jackson Braun.Felines Koko and Yum Yum tackle another Pickax City murder.
2
8
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.
9
9
ARTHUR & GEORGE(Knopf, $24.95). By Julian Barnes
A fictional twist on Conan Doyle's real-life defense of George Edalji, whose trial was swayed by racial prejudice.
1
10
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.
4
Nonfiction/General
1
NIGHT(FSG, $19.95). By Elie Wiesel
Wiesel's novel-cum-memoir of the Holocaust--a wrenching act of witness--is the new selection of Oprah's Book Club.
1
2
THE WORLD IS FLAT: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE
TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY(FSG, $27.50)
By Thomas L. Friedman.Globalism's colossal impact.
41
3
MARLEY & ME: LIFE AND LOVE WITH THE
WORLD'S WORST DOG(Morrow, $21.95)
By John Grogan.For the love of an unruly Labrador.
6
4
STATE OF WAR: THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE CIA
AND THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION(Free Press, $26)
By James Risen.Exposing the domestic spying scandal.
3
5
THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING(Knopf, $23.95)
By Joan Didion.A memoir of mourning; winner of the 2005 National Book Award for nonfiction.
15
6
FREAKONOMICS: A ROGUE ECONOMIST EXPLORES
THE HIDDEN SIDE OF EVERYTHING(Morrow, $25.95)
By Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
40
7
BLINK: THE POWER OF THINKING WITHOUT THINKING
(Little, Brown, $25.95). By Malcolm Gladwell
The complex psychology behind our snap decisions.
42
8
MY YEAR IN IRAQ: THE STRUGGLE TO BUILD A
FUTURE OF HOPE(Simon & Schuster, $27)
By L. Paul Bremer III with Malcolm McConnell
2
9
AT CANAAN'S EDGE: AMERICA IN THE KING YEARS,
1965-68(Simon & Schuster, $35). By Taylor Branch
The third and final volume of Branch's civil rights history.
1
10
DAVE BARRY'S MONEY SECRETS: LIKE: WHY IS THERE
A GIANT EYEBALL ON THE DOLLAR?(Crown, $24.95)
By Dave Barry.The humorist's take on our legal tender.
1

Rankings reflect sales for the week ended January 22, 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, which premiered in Book World on Jan. 11, 2004. Advice, reference and self-help books appear on a separate, monthly list.)

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	Paperback
	Fiction
1	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.	8
2	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.	10
3	HONEYMOON(Warner, $13.95) By James Patterson & Howard Roughan.An FBI agent suspects the alluring fiancée in a wealthy banker's death.	3
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.	67
5	GILEAD(Picador USA, $14). By Marilynne Robinson An elderly minister, in failing health, reflects on his enduring faith and a lifetime spent in the same Iowa town.	2
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.	21
7	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.	4
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.	6
9	THE MOTIVE(Signet, $7.99). By John Lescroart San Francisco policeman Abe Glitsky teams with old pal Dismas Hardy to solve a case of double murder and arson.	1
10	THE KNOWN WORLD(Amistad, $13.95) By Edward P. Jones.The tangled relationship between an ex-slave (and plantation owner) and his former master.	4
	Nonfiction/General
1	NIGHT(FSG, $9). By Elie Wiesel The Nobel laureate's terrifying account of his four years spent in a concentration camp during World War II.	9
2	A MILLION LITTLE PIECES(Anchor, $14.95) By James Frey.A screenwriter and drug dealer's (now controversial) chronicle of addiction and recovery.	17
3	COLLAPSE: HOW SOCIETIES CHOOSE TO FAIL OR SUCCEED(Penguin, $17). By Jared Diamond The fatal consequences of ecological mismanagement.	4
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.	55
5	CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN (Plume, $15). By John Perkins.Charges of financial malfeasance at the expense of developing nations.	4
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.	13
7	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.	23
8	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.	6
9	THREE WEEKS WITH MY BROTHER: A MEMOIR (Warner, $13.95). By Nicholas Sparks and Micah Sparks The siblings' contemplative journey around the world.	2
10	GUNS, GERMS, AND STEEL(Norton, $16.95) By Jared Diamond.The impact of geography and the environment on the course of civilization.	57
	Hardcover
	Fiction
1	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.	95
2	THE HOSTAGE(Putnam, $26.95). By W.E.B. Griffin A diplomat's murder, a family held captive and the Iraqi oil-for-food scandal meld in this Charley Castillo thriller.	3
3	THE PALE HORSEMAN(HarperCollins, $25.95) By Bernard Cornwell.A.D. 877: The Saxon noblemen Uhtred and Alfred entrench to repel the Viking invaders.	1
4	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.	4
5	DEATH DANCE(Scribner, $26). By Linda Fairstein A ballerina's grisly murder at the opera affords DA Alex Cooper entree to Lincoln Center's rarefied backstage.	1
6	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.	6
7	THE CAT WHO DROPPED A BOMBSHELL (Putnam, $23.95). By Lilian Jackson Braun.Felines Koko and Yum Yum tackle another Pickax City murder.	2
8	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.	9
9	ARTHUR & GEORGE(Knopf, $24.95). By Julian Barnes A fictional twist on Conan Doyle's real-life defense of George Edalji, whose trial was swayed by racial prejudice.	1
10	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.	4
	Nonfiction/General
1	NIGHT(FSG, $19.95). By Elie Wiesel Wiesel's novel-cum-memoir of the Holocaust--a wrenching act of witness--is the new selection of Oprah's Book Club.	1
2	THE WORLD IS FLAT: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY(FSG, $27.50) By Thomas L. Friedman.Globalism's colossal impact.	41
3	MARLEY & ME: LIFE AND LOVE WITH THE WORLD'S WORST DOG(Morrow, $21.95) By John Grogan.For the love of an unruly Labrador.	6
4	STATE OF WAR: THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE CIA AND THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION(Free Press, $26) By James Risen.Exposing the domestic spying scandal.	3
5	THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING(Knopf, $23.95) By Joan Didion.A memoir of mourning; winner of the 2005 National Book Award for nonfiction.	15
6	FREAKONOMICS: A ROGUE ECONOMIST EXPLORES THE HIDDEN SIDE OF EVERYTHING(Morrow, $25.95) By Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner	40
7	BLINK: THE POWER OF THINKING WITHOUT THINKING (Little, Brown, $25.95). By Malcolm Gladwell The complex psychology behind our snap decisions.	42
8	MY YEAR IN IRAQ: THE STRUGGLE TO BUILD A FUTURE OF HOPE(Simon & Schuster, $27) By L. Paul Bremer III with Malcolm McConnell	2
9	AT CANAAN'S EDGE: AMERICA IN THE KING YEARS, 1965-68(Simon & Schuster, $35). By Taylor Branch The third and final volume of Branch's civil rights history.	1
10	DAVE BARRY'S MONEY SECRETS: LIKE: WHY IS THERE A GIANT EYEBALL ON THE DOLLAR?(Crown, $24.95) By Dave Barry.The humorist's take on our legal tender.	1