Washington Area Bestsellers

Washington Area Bestsellers

Sunday, April 2, 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.
3
2
NO PLACE LIKE HOME(Pocket, $9.99)
By Mary Higgins Clark.A woman's tragic past looms when her new husband buys her childhood home.
1
3
THE KITE RUNNER(Riverhead, $14)
By Khaled Hosseini.An Afghan immigrant returns to his Taliban-ruled country to atone for a childhood betrayal.
76
4
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.
4
5
WITH NO ONE AS WITNESS(HarperTorch, $7.99)
By Elizabeth George.Scotland Yard's Lynley and Havers tackle a killing spree with racial overtones.
4
6
IRELAND(Avon, $7.99). By Frank Delaney
A BBC reporter's fictionalized saga recounts the colorful history of the Emerald Isle.
4
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.
9
8
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.
4
9
IN THE COMPANY OF CHEERFUL LADIES
(Anchor, $12.95). By Alexander McCall Smith
Sixth installment of the "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency."
1
10
THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN
(Hyperion, $12). By Mitch Albom.A parable illustrating the importance of life's smallest acts.
2
Nonfiction/General
1
THE COVENANT WITH BLACK AMERICA
(Third World, $12). Ed. by Tavis Smiley.Prominent African Americans propose a proactive plan for change.
3
2
NIGHT(FSG, $9). By Elie Wiesel
The Nobel laureate's terrifying account of his experience in Nazi camps during World War II.
18
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.
22
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.
64
5
COLLAPSE: HOW SOCIETIES CHOOSE TO FAIL
OR SUCCEED(Penguin, $17). By Jared Diamond
The fatal consequences of ecological mismanagement.
13
6
THE GLASS CASTLE(Scribner, $14)
By Jeanette Walls.A daughter's memoir of her eccentric parents and the unorthodox upbringing she survived.
5
7
A MILLION LITTLE PIECES(Anchor, $14.95)
By James Frey.The author now admits to fabricating and embellishing his memoir of addiction recovery.
26
8
CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN
(Plume, $15). By John Perkins.Charges of financial malfeasance at the expense of developing nations.
13
9
SMASHED: STORY OF A DRUNKEN GIRLHOOD
(Penguin, $14). By Koren Zailckas.Now 25 and sober, Zailckas describes a young life defined by alcohol.
2
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.
103
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 wily killer.
104
2
THE 5TH HORSEMAN(Little, Brown, $27.95)
By James Patterson and Maxine Paetro.Patients' puzzling deaths at a hospital suggest a ruthless murderer.
6
3
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.
2
4
THE SECRET SUPPER(Atria, $25.95). By Javier Sierra
Prodded by mysterious warnings, the Church inquires into da Vinci's in-progress painting, "The Last Supper."
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.
3
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.
5
7
PRIOR BAD ACTS(Bantam, $26). By Tami Hoag
A judge finds her life in jeopardy after an unpopular pre-trial ruling in the case of an accused serial killer.
1
8
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.
2
9
THE LAST TEMPLAR(Dutton, $24.95)
By Raymond Khoury.Modern-day zealots fromthe Knights Templar hunt for a treasure not seen since 1291.
9
10
CELL(Scribner, $26.95). By Stephen King
A mind-altering pulse sent simultaneously via all mobile phones in America turns its recipients into zombies.
9
Nonfiction/General
1
AMERICAN THEOCRACY: THE PERIL AND POLITICS OF
RADICAL RELIGION, OIL, AND BORROWED MONEY IN
THE 21ST CENTURY(Viking, $26.95). By Kevin Phillips
1
2
COBRA II: THE INSIDE STORY OF THE INVASION
AND OCCUPATION OFIRAQ(Pantheon, $27.95)
By Michael R. Gordon and Bernard E. Trainor
2
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.
15
4
THE WORLD IS FLAT: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE
TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY(FSG, $27.50)
By Thomas L. Friedman.Globalism's colossal impact.
50
5
MISQUOTING JESUS: THE STORY BEHIND WHO
CHANGED THE BIBLE AND WHY
(HarperSanFrancisco, $24.95). By Bart D. Ehrman
3
6
GAME OF SHADOWS: BARRY BONDS, BALCO, AND
THE STEROIDS SCANDAL THAT ROCKED PROFESSIONAL
SPORTS(Gotham, $26). By Mark Fainaru-Wada et al.
1
7
FREAKONOMICS: A ROGUE ECONOMIST EXPLORES
THE HIDDEN SIDE OF EVERYTHING(Morrow, $25.95)
By Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
49
8
WHERE GOD WAS BORN: A JOURNEY BY LAND
TO THE ROOTS OF RELIGION(Morrow, $26.95)
By Bruce Feiler.Exploringthe Holy Land on foot.
1
9
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.
7
10
A YEAR IN THE WORLD: JOURNEYS OF APASSIONATE
TRAVELLER(Broadway, $26). By Frances Mayes
European destinations beyond her Tuscan villa.
2

Rankings reflect sales for the week ended March 26, 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 02/27 to 03/26.)

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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.	3
2	NO PLACE LIKE HOME(Pocket, $9.99) By Mary Higgins Clark.A woman's tragic past looms when her new husband buys her childhood home.	1
3	THE KITE RUNNER(Riverhead, $14) By Khaled Hosseini.An Afghan immigrant returns to his Taliban-ruled country to atone for a childhood betrayal.	76
4	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.	4
5	WITH NO ONE AS WITNESS(HarperTorch, $7.99) By Elizabeth George.Scotland Yard's Lynley and Havers tackle a killing spree with racial overtones.	4
6	IRELAND(Avon, $7.99). By Frank Delaney A BBC reporter's fictionalized saga recounts the colorful history of the Emerald Isle.	4
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.	9
8	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.	4
9	IN THE COMPANY OF CHEERFUL LADIES (Anchor, $12.95). By Alexander McCall Smith Sixth installment of the "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency."	1
10	THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN (Hyperion, $12). By Mitch Albom.A parable illustrating the importance of life's smallest acts.	2
	Nonfiction/General
1	THE COVENANT WITH BLACK AMERICA (Third World, $12). Ed. by Tavis Smiley.Prominent African Americans propose a proactive plan for change.	3
2	NIGHT(FSG, $9). By Elie Wiesel The Nobel laureate's terrifying account of his experience in Nazi camps during World War II.	18
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.	22
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.	64
5	COLLAPSE: HOW SOCIETIES CHOOSE TO FAIL OR SUCCEED(Penguin, $17). By Jared Diamond The fatal consequences of ecological mismanagement.	13
6	THE GLASS CASTLE(Scribner, $14) By Jeanette Walls.A daughter's memoir of her eccentric parents and the unorthodox upbringing she survived.	5
7	A MILLION LITTLE PIECES(Anchor, $14.95) By James Frey.The author now admits to fabricating and embellishing his memoir of addiction recovery.	26
8	CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN (Plume, $15). By John Perkins.Charges of financial malfeasance at the expense of developing nations.	13
9	SMASHED: STORY OF A DRUNKEN GIRLHOOD (Penguin, $14). By Koren Zailckas.Now 25 and sober, Zailckas describes a young life defined by alcohol.	2
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.	103
	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 wily killer.	104
2	THE 5TH HORSEMAN(Little, Brown, $27.95) By James Patterson and Maxine Paetro.Patients' puzzling deaths at a hospital suggest a ruthless murderer.	6
3	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.	2
4	THE SECRET SUPPER(Atria, $25.95). By Javier Sierra Prodded by mysterious warnings, the Church inquires into da Vinci's in-progress painting, "The Last Supper."	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.	3
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.	5
7	PRIOR BAD ACTS(Bantam, $26). By Tami Hoag A judge finds her life in jeopardy after an unpopular pre-trial ruling in the case of an accused serial killer.	1
8	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.	2
9	THE LAST TEMPLAR(Dutton, $24.95) By Raymond Khoury.Modern-day zealots fromthe Knights Templar hunt for a treasure not seen since 1291.	9
10	CELL(Scribner, $26.95). By Stephen King A mind-altering pulse sent simultaneously via all mobile phones in America turns its recipients into zombies.	9
	Nonfiction/General
1	AMERICAN THEOCRACY: THE PERIL AND POLITICS OF RADICAL RELIGION, OIL, AND BORROWED MONEY IN THE 21ST CENTURY(Viking, $26.95). By Kevin Phillips	1
2	COBRA II: THE INSIDE STORY OF THE INVASION AND OCCUPATION OFIRAQ(Pantheon, $27.95) By Michael R. Gordon and Bernard E. Trainor	2
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.	15
4	THE WORLD IS FLAT: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY(FSG, $27.50) By Thomas L. Friedman.Globalism's colossal impact.	50
5	MISQUOTING JESUS: THE STORY BEHIND WHO CHANGED THE BIBLE AND WHY (HarperSanFrancisco, $24.95). By Bart D. Ehrman	3
6	GAME OF SHADOWS: BARRY BONDS, BALCO, AND THE STEROIDS SCANDAL THAT ROCKED PROFESSIONAL SPORTS(Gotham, $26). By Mark Fainaru-Wada et al.	1
7	FREAKONOMICS: A ROGUE ECONOMIST EXPLORES THE HIDDEN SIDE OF EVERYTHING(Morrow, $25.95) By Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner	49
8	WHERE GOD WAS BORN: A JOURNEY BY LAND TO THE ROOTS OF RELIGION(Morrow, $26.95) By Bruce Feiler.Exploringthe Holy Land on foot.	1
9	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.	7
10	A YEAR IN THE WORLD: JOURNEYS OF APASSIONATE TRAVELLER(Broadway, $26). By Frances Mayes European destinations beyond her Tuscan villa.	2