Washington Area Bestsellers

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Sunday, February 5, 2006

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.
11
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.
9
3
HONEYMOON(Warner, $13.95). By James Patterson
& Howard Roughan.An FBI agent suspects the alluring fiancée in a wealthy banker's death.
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.
68
4
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.
3
6
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.
7
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.
22
8
ENTOMBED(Pocket Star, $9.99). By Linda Fairstein
A serial rapist who doesn't kill, a copycat who does and an eerie puzzle involving Edgar Allen Poe occupy Alex Cooper.
1
9
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.
5
10
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.
2
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.
10
2
A MILLION LITTLE PIECES(Anchor, $14.95)
By James Frey.Billed as a memoir of addiction recovery, the author now admits to fabricating/embellishing his tale.
18
3
COLLAPSE: HOW SOCIETIES CHOOSE TO FAIL
OR SUCCEED(Penguin, $17). By Jared Diamond
The fatal consequences of ecological mismanagement.
5
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.
56
5
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.
14
6
CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN
(Plume, $15). By John Perkins.Charges of financial malfeasance at the expense of developing nations.
5
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.
24
8
GUNS, GERMS, AND STEEL(Norton, $16.95)
By Jared Diamond.The impact of geography and the environment on the course of civilization.
58
9
THE END OF FAITH: RELIGION, TERROR, AND THE
FUTURE OF REASON(Norton, $13.95). By Sam Harris
Religious conviction (in all its forms) as menace.
3
10
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.
98
Hardcover
Fiction
1
CELL(Scribner, $26.95). By Stephen King
A mind-altering pulse sent simultaneously through all mobile phones in the U.S. turns its recipients into killers.
1
2
MEMORY IN DEATH(Putnam, $24.95). By J.D. Robb
Cop Eve Dallas rebuffs her cruel foster mother's attempt at blackmail--and finds her murdered the very next day.
1
3
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.
96
4
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.
4
5
THE PALE HORSEMAN(HarperCollins, $25.95)
By Bernard Cornwell.A.D. 877: The Saxon noblemen Uhtred and Alfred entrench to repel the Viking invaders.
2
6
THE LAST TEMPLAR(Dutton, $24.95)
By Raymond Khoury.Modern-day zealots ofthe Knights Templar aim to reclaim a treasure not seen since 1291.
1
7
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.
7
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.
10
9
THE HUNT CLUB(Dutton, $26.95). By John Lescroart
Wyatt Hunt, a novice P.I., draws on his cadre of associates to help his best friend Devin, a cop, hunt down a murderer.
1
10
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.
2
Nonfiction/General
1
MARLEY & ME: LIFE AND LOVE WITH THE
WORLD'S WORST DOG(Morrow, $21.95)
By John Grogan.For the love of an unruly Labrador.
7
2
THE WORLD IS FLAT: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE
TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY(FSG, $27.50)
By Thomas L. Friedman.Globalism's colossal impact.
42
3
YOU'RE WEARING THAT? UNDERSTANDING MOTHERS
AND DAUGHTERS IN CONVERSATION
(Random House, $25.95). By Deborah Tannen
1
4
NIGHT(FSG, $19.95). By Elie Wiesel
Wiesel's memoir of the Holocaust--a wrenching act of witness--is the new selection of Oprah's Book Club.
2
5
FREAKONOMICS: A ROGUE ECONOMIST EXPLORES
THE HIDDEN SIDE OF EVERYTHING(Morrow, $25.95)
By Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
41
6
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.
2
7
THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING(Knopf, $23.95)
By Joan Didion.A memoir of mourning; winner of the 2005 National Book Award for nonfiction.
16
8
STATE OF WAR: THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE CIA
AND THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION(Free Press, $26)
By James Risen.Exposing the domestic spying scandal.
4
9
THE NUMBER: A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WAY TO
THINK ABOUT THE REST OF YOUR LIFE
(Free Press, $26). By Lee Eisenberg.Retire with ease.
1
10
OUR ENDANGERED VALUES: AMERICA'S MORAL
CRISIS(Simon & Schuster, $25). By Jimmy Carter
Cautioning against religious fundamentalism's influence.
11

Rankings reflect sales for the week ended January 29, 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. The advice/miscellaneous list below reflects sales from 1/16/06 to 1/29/06.)

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	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.	11
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.	9
3	HONEYMOON(Warner, $13.95). By James Patterson & Howard Roughan.An FBI agent suspects the alluring fiancée in a wealthy banker's death.	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.	68
4	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.	3
6	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.	7
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.	22
8	ENTOMBED(Pocket Star, $9.99). By Linda Fairstein A serial rapist who doesn't kill, a copycat who does and an eerie puzzle involving Edgar Allen Poe occupy Alex Cooper.	1
9	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.	5
10	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.	2
	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.	10
2	A MILLION LITTLE PIECES(Anchor, $14.95) By James Frey.Billed as a memoir of addiction recovery, the author now admits to fabricating/embellishing his tale.	18
3	COLLAPSE: HOW SOCIETIES CHOOSE TO FAIL OR SUCCEED(Penguin, $17). By Jared Diamond The fatal consequences of ecological mismanagement.	5
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.	56
5	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.	14
6	CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN (Plume, $15). By John Perkins.Charges of financial malfeasance at the expense of developing nations.	5
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.	24
8	GUNS, GERMS, AND STEEL(Norton, $16.95) By Jared Diamond.The impact of geography and the environment on the course of civilization.	58
9	THE END OF FAITH: RELIGION, TERROR, AND THE FUTURE OF REASON(Norton, $13.95). By Sam Harris Religious conviction (in all its forms) as menace.	3
10	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.	98
	Hardcover
	Fiction
1	CELL(Scribner, $26.95). By Stephen King A mind-altering pulse sent simultaneously through all mobile phones in the U.S. turns its recipients into killers.	1
2	MEMORY IN DEATH(Putnam, $24.95). By J.D. Robb Cop Eve Dallas rebuffs her cruel foster mother's attempt at blackmail--and finds her murdered the very next day.	1
3	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.	96
4	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.	4
5	THE PALE HORSEMAN(HarperCollins, $25.95) By Bernard Cornwell.A.D. 877: The Saxon noblemen Uhtred and Alfred entrench to repel the Viking invaders.	2
6	THE LAST TEMPLAR(Dutton, $24.95) By Raymond Khoury.Modern-day zealots ofthe Knights Templar aim to reclaim a treasure not seen since 1291.	1
7	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.	7
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.	10
9	THE HUNT CLUB(Dutton, $26.95). By John Lescroart Wyatt Hunt, a novice P.I., draws on his cadre of associates to help his best friend Devin, a cop, hunt down a murderer.	1
10	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.	2
	Nonfiction/General
1	MARLEY & ME: LIFE AND LOVE WITH THE WORLD'S WORST DOG(Morrow, $21.95) By John Grogan.For the love of an unruly Labrador.	7
2	THE WORLD IS FLAT: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY(FSG, $27.50) By Thomas L. Friedman.Globalism's colossal impact.	42
3	YOU'RE WEARING THAT? UNDERSTANDING MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS IN CONVERSATION (Random House, $25.95). By Deborah Tannen	1
4	NIGHT(FSG, $19.95). By Elie Wiesel Wiesel's memoir of the Holocaust--a wrenching act of witness--is the new selection of Oprah's Book Club.	2
5	FREAKONOMICS: A ROGUE ECONOMIST EXPLORES THE HIDDEN SIDE OF EVERYTHING(Morrow, $25.95) By Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner	41
6	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.	2
7	THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING(Knopf, $23.95) By Joan Didion.A memoir of mourning; winner of the 2005 National Book Award for nonfiction.	16
8	STATE OF WAR: THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE CIA AND THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION(Free Press, $26) By James Risen.Exposing the domestic spying scandal.	4
9	THE NUMBER: A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WAY TO THINK ABOUT THE REST OF YOUR LIFE (Free Press, $26). By Lee Eisenberg.Retire with ease.	1
10	OUR ENDANGERED VALUES: AMERICA'S MORAL CRISIS(Simon & Schuster, $25). By Jimmy Carter Cautioning against religious fundamentalism's influence.	11