Washington Area Bestsellers

Washington Area Bestsellers

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Paperback
Fiction
1
THE MERMAID CHAIR(Penguin, $14)
By Sue Monk Kidd.Jessie visits her ailing mother, still grief-stricken after Jessie's father's death 33 years before.
2
2
RAGE(Ballantine, $7.99). By Jonathan Kellerman
Psychiatrist Alex Delaware revisits the chilling case of two teens convicted of killing a toddler eight years earlier.
3
3
KILL THE MESSENGER(Bantam, $7.99). By Tami Hoag
A bike courier finds his life in jeopardy because of a parcel meant for a just-murdered defense attorney.
3
4
WITH NO ONE AS WITNESS(HarperTorch, $7.99)
By Elizabeth George.Scotland Yard's Lynley and Havers tackle a killing spree with racial overtones.
3
5
THE KITE RUNNER(Riverhead, $14)
By Khaled Hosseini.An Afghan immigrant returns to his Taliban-ruled country to atone for a childhood betrayal.
75
6
IRELAND(Avon, $7.99). By Frank Delaney
A BBC reporter's fictionalized saga recounts the colorful history of the Emerald Isle.
3
7
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.
8
8
THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN
(Hyperion, $12). By Mitch Albom.A parable illustrating the importance of life's smallest acts.
1
9
COLD SERVICE(Berkley, $7.99). By Robert B. Parker
Spenser comes to the aid of his longtime friend Hawk, who is seriously wounded in a hit by the Ukrainian mob.
1
10
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.
16
Nonfiction/General
1
THE COVENANT WITH BLACK AMERICA
(Third World, $12). Ed. by Tavis Smiley.Prominent African Americans propose a proactive plan for change.
2
2
NIGHT(FSG, $9). By Elie Wiesel
The Nobel laureate's terrifying account of his experience in Nazi camps during World War II.
17
3
IN COLD BLOOD(Vintage, $14). By Truman Capote
Its melding of crime reportage and fictional techniques made this account of a grisly murder an instant classic.
21
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.
63
5
COLLAPSE: HOW SOCIETIES CHOOSE TO FAIL
OR SUCCEED(Penguin, $17). By Jared Diamond
The fatal consequences of ecological mismanagement.
12
6
A MILLION LITTLE PIECES(Anchor, $14.95)
By James Frey.The author now admits to fabricating and embellishing his memoir of addiction recovery.
25
7
CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN
(Plume, $15). By John Perkins.Charges of financial malfeasance at the expense of developing nations.
12
8
SMASHED: STORY OF A DRUNKEN GIRLHOOD
(Penguin, $14). By Koren Zailckas.Now 25 and sober, Zailckas describes a young life defined by alcohol.
1
9
ANIMALS IN TRANSLATION: USING THE MYSTERIESOF AUTISM TO DECODE ANIMAL BEHAVIOR(Harvest, $15)
By Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson
7
10
THE GLASS CASTLE(Scribner, $14)
By Jeanette Walls.A daughter's memoir of her eccentric parents and the unorthodox upbringing she survived.
4
Hardcover
Fiction
1
LABYRINTH(Putnam, $25.95). By Kate Mosse
The lives of two women living 800 years apart are linked by a peculiar stone ring and the mystery of the Grail.
1
2
THE 5TH HORSEMAN(Little, Brown, $27.95)
By James Patterson and Maxine Paetro.Patients' puzzling deaths at a hospital suggest a ruthless murderer.
5
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 wily killer.
103
4
DIRTY BLONDE(HarperCollins, $25.95)
By Lisa Scottoline.A federal judge's secret sex life is exposed when she becomes a suspect in a brutal murder.
1
5
THE TENTH CIRCLE(Atria, $26). By Jodi Picoult
Graphic art illustrates this tale (with a "Purgatorio" metaphor) of a family coping with a daughter's rape.
2
6
THE TEMPLAR LEGACY(Ballantine, $24.95)
By Steve Berry.An ex-Justice Department agent spars with a lethal Templar order seeking a lost archive.
4
7
THE LAST TEMPLAR(Dutton, $24.95)
By Raymond Khoury.Modern-day zealots fromthe Knights Templar hunt for a treasure not seen since 1291.
8
8
CELL(Scribner, $26.95). By Stephen King
A mind-altering pulse sent simultaneously via all mobile phones in America turns its recipients into zombies.
8
9
THE HOUSE(Delacorte, $27). By Danielle Steel
A wealthy client's bequest offers attorney Sarah Anderson the chance to renovate a grand San Francisco manor.
3
10
THE REBELS OF IRELAND: THE DUBLIN SAGA
(Doubleday, $28.95). By Edward Rutherfurd.The conclusion of Rutherfurd's sweeping epic of Irish history.
3
Nonfiction/General
1
COBRA II: THE INSIDE STORY OF THE INVASION
AND OCCUPATION OFIRAQ(Pantheon, $27.95)
By Michael R. Gordon and Bernard E. Trainor
1
2
MARLEY & ME: LIFE AND LOVE WITH THE
WORLD'S WORST DOG(Morrow, $21.95)
By John Grogan.For the love of an unruly Labrador.
14
3
THE WORLD IS FLAT: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE
TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY(FSG, $27.50)
By Thomas L. Friedman.Globalism's colossal impact.
49
4
MISQUOTING JESUS: THE STORY BEHIND WHO
CHANGED THE BIBLE AND WHY
(HarperSanFrancisco, $24.95). By Bart D. Ehrman
2
5
FREAKONOMICS: A ROGUE ECONOMIST EXPLORES
THE HIDDEN SIDE OF EVERYTHING(Morrow, $25.95)
By Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
48
6
MANHUNT: THE 12-DAY CHASE FOR LINCOLN'S KILLER
(Morrow, $26.95). By James L. Swanson.John Wilkes Booth's sensational, elusive flight from Washington, D.C.
6
7
YOU'RE WEARING THAT? UNDERSTANDING MOTHERS
AND DAUGHTERS IN CONVERSATION
(Random House, $25.95). By Deborah Tannen
8
8
A YEAR IN THE WORLD: JOURNEYS OF APASSIONATE
TRAVELLER(Broadway, $26). By Frances Mayes
European destinations beyond her Tuscan villa.
1
9
BLINK: THE POWER OF THINKING WITHOUT THINKING
(Little, Brown, $25.95). By Malcolm Gladwell
The complex psychology behind our snap decisions.
48
10
THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING(Knopf, $23.95)
By Joan Didion.A memoir of mourning; winner of the 2005 National Book Award for nonfiction.
23

Rankings reflect sales for the week ended March 19, 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 MERMAID CHAIR(Penguin, $14) By Sue Monk Kidd.Jessie visits her ailing mother, still grief-stricken after Jessie's father's death 33 years before.	2
2	RAGE(Ballantine, $7.99). By Jonathan Kellerman Psychiatrist Alex Delaware revisits the chilling case of two teens convicted of killing a toddler eight years earlier.	3
3	KILL THE MESSENGER(Bantam, $7.99). By Tami Hoag A bike courier finds his life in jeopardy because of a parcel meant for a just-murdered defense attorney.	3
4	WITH NO ONE AS WITNESS(HarperTorch, $7.99) By Elizabeth George.Scotland Yard's Lynley and Havers tackle a killing spree with racial overtones.	3
5	THE KITE RUNNER(Riverhead, $14) By Khaled Hosseini.An Afghan immigrant returns to his Taliban-ruled country to atone for a childhood betrayal.	75
6	IRELAND(Avon, $7.99). By Frank Delaney A BBC reporter's fictionalized saga recounts the colorful history of the Emerald Isle.	3
7	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.	8
8	THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN (Hyperion, $12). By Mitch Albom.A parable illustrating the importance of life's smallest acts.	1
9	COLD SERVICE(Berkley, $7.99). By Robert B. Parker Spenser comes to the aid of his longtime friend Hawk, who is seriously wounded in a hit by the Ukrainian mob.	1
10	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.	16
	Nonfiction/General
1	THE COVENANT WITH BLACK AMERICA (Third World, $12). Ed. by Tavis Smiley.Prominent African Americans propose a proactive plan for change.	2
2	NIGHT(FSG, $9). By Elie Wiesel The Nobel laureate's terrifying account of his experience in Nazi camps during World War II.	17
3	IN COLD BLOOD(Vintage, $14). By Truman Capote Its melding of crime reportage and fictional techniques made this account of a grisly murder an instant classic.	21
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.	63
5	COLLAPSE: HOW SOCIETIES CHOOSE TO FAIL OR SUCCEED(Penguin, $17). By Jared Diamond The fatal consequences of ecological mismanagement.	12
6	A MILLION LITTLE PIECES(Anchor, $14.95) By James Frey.The author now admits to fabricating and embellishing his memoir of addiction recovery.	25
7	CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN (Plume, $15). By John Perkins.Charges of financial malfeasance at the expense of developing nations.	12
8	SMASHED: STORY OF A DRUNKEN GIRLHOOD (Penguin, $14). By Koren Zailckas.Now 25 and sober, Zailckas describes a young life defined by alcohol.	1
9	ANIMALS IN TRANSLATION: USING THE MYSTERIESOF AUTISM TO DECODE ANIMAL BEHAVIOR(Harvest, $15) By Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson	7
10	THE GLASS CASTLE(Scribner, $14) By Jeanette Walls.A daughter's memoir of her eccentric parents and the unorthodox upbringing she survived.	4
	Hardcover
	Fiction
1	LABYRINTH(Putnam, $25.95). By Kate Mosse The lives of two women living 800 years apart are linked by a peculiar stone ring and the mystery of the Grail.	1
2	THE 5TH HORSEMAN(Little, Brown, $27.95) By James Patterson and Maxine Paetro.Patients' puzzling deaths at a hospital suggest a ruthless murderer.	5
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 wily killer.	103
4	DIRTY BLONDE(HarperCollins, $25.95) By Lisa Scottoline.A federal judge's secret sex life is exposed when she becomes a suspect in a brutal murder.	1
5	THE TENTH CIRCLE(Atria, $26). By Jodi Picoult Graphic art illustrates this tale (with a "Purgatorio" metaphor) of a family coping with a daughter's rape.	2
6	THE TEMPLAR LEGACY(Ballantine, $24.95) By Steve Berry.An ex-Justice Department agent spars with a lethal Templar order seeking a lost archive.	4
7	THE LAST TEMPLAR(Dutton, $24.95) By Raymond Khoury.Modern-day zealots fromthe Knights Templar hunt for a treasure not seen since 1291.	8
8	CELL(Scribner, $26.95). By Stephen King A mind-altering pulse sent simultaneously via all mobile phones in America turns its recipients into zombies.	8
9	THE HOUSE(Delacorte, $27). By Danielle Steel A wealthy client's bequest offers attorney Sarah Anderson the chance to renovate a grand San Francisco manor.	3
10	THE REBELS OF IRELAND: THE DUBLIN SAGA (Doubleday, $28.95). By Edward Rutherfurd.The conclusion of Rutherfurd's sweeping epic of Irish history.	3
	Nonfiction/General
1	COBRA II: THE INSIDE STORY OF THE INVASION AND OCCUPATION OFIRAQ(Pantheon, $27.95) By Michael R. Gordon and Bernard E. Trainor	1
2	MARLEY & ME: LIFE AND LOVE WITH THE WORLD'S WORST DOG(Morrow, $21.95) By John Grogan.For the love of an unruly Labrador.	14
3	THE WORLD IS FLAT: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY(FSG, $27.50) By Thomas L. Friedman.Globalism's colossal impact.	49
4	MISQUOTING JESUS: THE STORY BEHIND WHO CHANGED THE BIBLE AND WHY (HarperSanFrancisco, $24.95). By Bart D. Ehrman	2
5	FREAKONOMICS: A ROGUE ECONOMIST EXPLORES THE HIDDEN SIDE OF EVERYTHING(Morrow, $25.95) By Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner	48
6	MANHUNT: THE 12-DAY CHASE FOR LINCOLN'S KILLER (Morrow, $26.95). By James L. Swanson.John Wilkes Booth's sensational, elusive flight from Washington, D.C.	6
7	YOU'RE WEARING THAT? UNDERSTANDING MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS IN CONVERSATION (Random House, $25.95). By Deborah Tannen	8
8	A YEAR IN THE WORLD: JOURNEYS OF APASSIONATE TRAVELLER(Broadway, $26). By Frances Mayes European destinations beyond her Tuscan villa.	1
9	BLINK: THE POWER OF THINKING WITHOUT THINKING (Little, Brown, $25.95). By Malcolm Gladwell The complex psychology behind our snap decisions.	48
10	THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING(Knopf, $23.95) By Joan Didion.A memoir of mourning; winner of the 2005 National Book Award for nonfiction.	23