Washington Area Bestsellers

Discussion Policy

Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.

Sunday, April 23, 2006

Paperback
Fiction
1
THE DA VINCI CODE(Anchor, 14.95; $7.99)
By Dan Brown.A startling murder and ancient cryptograms spur a perilous hunt for the Cup of Christ.
3
2
ANGELS & DEMONS(Pocket Star, $9.99)
By Dan Brown.The Illuminati, a secret cabal, threatens the Vatican at the outset of a papal conclave.
91
3
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.
6
4
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.
4
5
TRUE BELIEVER(Warner, $12.95). By Nicholas Sparks
A science reporter, famed for his myth-debunking articles, investigates eerie lights in a North Carolina cemetery.
1
6
DECEPTION POINT(Pocket, $9.99). By Dan Brown
A meteorite discovered by NASA, containing never-before-seen fossils, may be a giant hoax.
39
7
THE KITE RUNNER(Riverhead, $14)
By Khaled Hosseini.An Afghan immigrant returns to his Taliban-ruled country to atone for a childhood betrayal.
79
8
TIME AND AGAIN(Silhouette, $7.99). By Nora Roberts
Two romance novellas, "Time Was" and "Times Change," featuring the time-traveling Hornblower brothers.
3
9
FULL SCOOP(St. Martin's, $7.99). By Janet Evanovich
and Charlotte Hughes.It's a season ofromance (and a little danger) for the zany residents ofBeaumont, S.C.
2
10
COUNTDOWN(Bantam, $7.99). By Iris Johansen
Jane Maguire's striking likeness to an ancient Roman actress haunts her once more in this fast-paced thriller.
3
Nonfiction/General
1
THE COVENANT WITH BLACK AMERICA
(Third World, $12). Ed. by Tavis Smiley.Prominent African Americans propose a proactive plan for change.
6
2
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.
25
3
NIGHT(FSG, $9). By Elie Wiesel
The Nobel laureate's terrifying account of his experience in Nazi camps during World War II.
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.
67
5
COLLAPSE: HOW SOCIETIES CHOOSE TO FAIL
OR SUCCEED(Penguin, $17). By Jared Diamond
The fatal consequences of ecological mismanagement.
16
6
SMASHED: STORY OF A DRUNKEN GIRLHOOD
(Penguin, $14). By Koren Zailckas.Now 25 and sober, Zailckas describes a young life defined by alcohol.
5
7
THE GLASS CASTLE(Scribner, $14)
By Jeanette Walls.A daughter's memoir of her eccentric parents and the unorthodox upbringing she survived.
8
8
CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN
(Plume, $15). By John Perkins.Charges of financial malfeasance at the expense of developing nations.
15
9
GARLIC AND SAPPHIRES: THE SECRET LIFE
OFA CRITIC IN DISGUISE(Penguin, $15)
By Ruth Reichl.Stealth and costumes at the dinner table.
1
10
A MILLION LITTLE PIECES(Anchor, $14.95)
By James Frey.The author now admits to fabricating and embellishing his memoir of addiction recovery.
29
Hardcover
Fiction
1
TWO LITTLE GIRLS IN BLUE(Simon & Schuster, $25.95)
By Mary Higgins Clark.Twins' telepathic link is a blessing when only one girl is returned after their kidnapping.
2
2
DARK HARBOR(Putnam, $25.95). By Stuart Woods
Stone Barrington suspects a serial killer in the murder of his cousin Dick and his family in rural Maine.
1
3
GONE(Ballantine, $26.95). By Jonathan Kellerman
Alex Delaware investigates an offbeat acting studio in the murder of a student who faked her own abduction.
3
4
CHASING DESTINY(Dutton, $24.95)
By Eric Jerome Dickey.Keith's daughter runs away while he's juggling his estranged wife and newly pregnant lover.
1
5
DARK TORT(Morrow, $24.95). By Diane Mott Davidson
Goldy Schulz, flourishing caterer and sometime sleuth, investigates the death of a paralegal at a client's firm.
1
6
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.
6
7
THE 5TH HORSEMAN(Little, Brown, $27.95)
By James Patterson and Maxine Paetro.Patients' puzzling deaths at a hospital suggest a ruthless murderer.
9
8
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.
5
9
OAKDALE CONFIDENTIAL(Pocket, $19.95)
By Anonymous.The "novel" that is causing a stir on the daytime soap "As the World Turns" is brought to life.
1
10
SUITE FRANÇAISE(Knopf, $25). By Irène Némirovsky
The recently discovered manuscript of an unfinished novel exploring French collaboration with the Germans in WWII.
1
Nonfiction/General
1
DON'T MAKE A BLACK WOMAN TAKE OFF HER
EARRINGS: MADEA'S UNINHIBITED COMMENTARIES
ON LOVE AND LIFE(Riverhead, $23.95). By Tyler Perry
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.
18
3
COBRA II: THE INSIDE STORY OF THE INVASION
AND OCCUPATION OFIRAQ(Pantheon, $27.95)
By Michael R. Gordon and Bernard E. Trainor
5
4
THE GOSPEL OF JUDAS(National Geographic, $22)
Ed. by Rodolphe Kasser, Marvin Meyer and Gregor Wurst
The papyrus pages of Judas's testament translated.
1
5
FREAKONOMICS: A ROGUE ECONOMIST EXPLORES
THE HIDDEN SIDE OF EVERYTHING(Morrow, $25.95)
By Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
52
6
AMERICAN THEOCRACY: THE PERIL AND POLITICS OF
RADICAL RELIGION, OIL, AND BORROWED MONEY IN
THE 21ST CENTURY(Viking, $26.95). By Kevin Phillips
4
7
AMERICAN GOSPEL: GOD, THE FOUNDING FATHERS,
AND THE MAKING OF A NATION
(Random House, $23.95). By Jon Meacham
2
8
MY LIFE IN FRANCE(Knopf, $25.95). By Julia Child
with Alex Prud'homme.The beloved chef relates her initial encounters with French cuisine and joie de vivre.
1
9
MISQUOTING JESUS: THE STORY BEHIND WHO
CHANGED THE BIBLE AND WHY
(HarperSanFrancisco, $24.95). By Bart D. Ehrman
6
10
THE LOST GOSPEL: THE QUEST FOR THE GOSPEL
OF JUDAS ISCARIOT(National Geographic, $27)
By Herbert Krosney.Tracking down a piece of history.
1

Rankings reflect sales for the week ended April 16, 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.)

Find More Reviews and Features in Books

Best of '09

Washington Post critics pick their favorite novels, biographies, mysteries, memoirs, along with the top audiobooks, releases for kids and more. Also:

The captive imagination

In "A Good Fall," Ha Jin turns a new prism on the question of freedom, showing that life in a foreign culture may be the most isolating situation.

Jobs | Cars | Real Estate | Rentals | Classifieds

SEARCH:

Search Archives

The Washington Post Company: Information and Other Post Co. Websites

Help | Contact Us

	Paperback
	Fiction
1	THE DA VINCI CODE(Anchor, 14.95; $7.99) By Dan Brown.A startling murder and ancient cryptograms spur a perilous hunt for the Cup of Christ.	3
2	ANGELS & DEMONS(Pocket Star, $9.99) By Dan Brown.The Illuminati, a secret cabal, threatens the Vatican at the outset of a papal conclave.	91
3	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.	6
4	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.	4
5	TRUE BELIEVER(Warner, $12.95). By Nicholas Sparks A science reporter, famed for his myth-debunking articles, investigates eerie lights in a North Carolina cemetery.	1
6	DECEPTION POINT(Pocket, $9.99). By Dan Brown A meteorite discovered by NASA, containing never-before-seen fossils, may be a giant hoax.	39
7	THE KITE RUNNER(Riverhead, $14) By Khaled Hosseini.An Afghan immigrant returns to his Taliban-ruled country to atone for a childhood betrayal.	79
8	TIME AND AGAIN(Silhouette, $7.99). By Nora Roberts Two romance novellas, "Time Was" and "Times Change," featuring the time-traveling Hornblower brothers.	3
9	FULL SCOOP(St. Martin's, $7.99). By Janet Evanovich and Charlotte Hughes.It's a season ofromance (and a little danger) for the zany residents ofBeaumont, S.C.	2
10	COUNTDOWN(Bantam, $7.99). By Iris Johansen Jane Maguire's striking likeness to an ancient Roman actress haunts her once more in this fast-paced thriller.	3
	Nonfiction/General
1	THE COVENANT WITH BLACK AMERICA (Third World, $12). Ed. by Tavis Smiley.Prominent African Americans propose a proactive plan for change.	6
2	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.	25
3	NIGHT(FSG, $9). By Elie Wiesel The Nobel laureate's terrifying account of his experience in Nazi camps during World War II.	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.	67
5	COLLAPSE: HOW SOCIETIES CHOOSE TO FAIL OR SUCCEED(Penguin, $17). By Jared Diamond The fatal consequences of ecological mismanagement.	16
6	SMASHED: STORY OF A DRUNKEN GIRLHOOD (Penguin, $14). By Koren Zailckas.Now 25 and sober, Zailckas describes a young life defined by alcohol.	5
7	THE GLASS CASTLE(Scribner, $14) By Jeanette Walls.A daughter's memoir of her eccentric parents and the unorthodox upbringing she survived.	8
8	CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN (Plume, $15). By John Perkins.Charges of financial malfeasance at the expense of developing nations.	15
9	GARLIC AND SAPPHIRES: THE SECRET LIFE OFA CRITIC IN DISGUISE(Penguin, $15) By Ruth Reichl.Stealth and costumes at the dinner table.	1
10	A MILLION LITTLE PIECES(Anchor, $14.95) By James Frey.The author now admits to fabricating and embellishing his memoir of addiction recovery.	29
	Hardcover
	Fiction
1	TWO LITTLE GIRLS IN BLUE(Simon & Schuster, $25.95) By Mary Higgins Clark.Twins' telepathic link is a blessing when only one girl is returned after their kidnapping.	2
2	DARK HARBOR(Putnam, $25.95). By Stuart Woods Stone Barrington suspects a serial killer in the murder of his cousin Dick and his family in rural Maine.	1
3	GONE(Ballantine, $26.95). By Jonathan Kellerman Alex Delaware investigates an offbeat acting studio in the murder of a student who faked her own abduction.	3
4	CHASING DESTINY(Dutton, $24.95) By Eric Jerome Dickey.Keith's daughter runs away while he's juggling his estranged wife and newly pregnant lover.	1
5	DARK TORT(Morrow, $24.95). By Diane Mott Davidson Goldy Schulz, flourishing caterer and sometime sleuth, investigates the death of a paralegal at a client's firm.	1
6	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.	6
7	THE 5TH HORSEMAN(Little, Brown, $27.95) By James Patterson and Maxine Paetro.Patients' puzzling deaths at a hospital suggest a ruthless murderer.	9
8	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.	5
9	OAKDALE CONFIDENTIAL(Pocket, $19.95) By Anonymous.The "novel" that is causing a stir on the daytime soap "As the World Turns" is brought to life.	1
10	SUITE FRANÇAISE(Knopf, $25). By Irène Némirovsky The recently discovered manuscript of an unfinished novel exploring French collaboration with the Germans in WWII.	1
	Nonfiction/General
1	DON'T MAKE A BLACK WOMAN TAKE OFF HER EARRINGS: MADEA'S UNINHIBITED COMMENTARIES ON LOVE AND LIFE(Riverhead, $23.95). By Tyler Perry	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.	18
3	COBRA II: THE INSIDE STORY OF THE INVASION AND OCCUPATION OFIRAQ(Pantheon, $27.95) By Michael R. Gordon and Bernard E. Trainor	5
4	THE GOSPEL OF JUDAS(National Geographic, $22) Ed. by Rodolphe Kasser, Marvin Meyer and Gregor Wurst The papyrus pages of Judas's testament translated.	1
5	FREAKONOMICS: A ROGUE ECONOMIST EXPLORES THE HIDDEN SIDE OF EVERYTHING(Morrow, $25.95) By Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner	52
6	AMERICAN THEOCRACY: THE PERIL AND POLITICS OF RADICAL RELIGION, OIL, AND BORROWED MONEY IN THE 21ST CENTURY(Viking, $26.95). By Kevin Phillips	4
7	AMERICAN GOSPEL: GOD, THE FOUNDING FATHERS, AND THE MAKING OF A NATION (Random House, $23.95). By Jon Meacham	2
8	MY LIFE IN FRANCE(Knopf, $25.95). By Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme.The beloved chef relates her initial encounters with French cuisine and joie de vivre.	1
9	MISQUOTING JESUS: THE STORY BEHIND WHO CHANGED THE BIBLE AND WHY (HarperSanFrancisco, $24.95). By Bart D. Ehrman	6
10	THE LOST GOSPEL: THE QUEST FOR THE GOSPEL OF JUDAS ISCARIOT(National Geographic, $27) By Herbert Krosney.Tracking down a piece of history.	1