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Sunday, April 30, 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.
4
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.
92
3
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.
2
4
THE TWELFTH CARD(Pocket Star, $9.99)
By Jeffery Deaver.Lincoln Rhyme's forensic aptitude comes to the rescue of a schoolgirl stalked by a hit man.
1
5
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.
7
6
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.
5
7
DECEPTION POINT(Pocket, $9.99). By Dan Brown
A meteorite discovered by NASA, containing never-before-seen fossils, may be a giant hoax.
40
8
SATURDAY(Anchor, $14.95). By Ian McEwan
February 2003: A London neurosurgeon's day of leisure shifts from the mundane to the life-threatening.
1
9
THE KITE RUNNER(Riverhead, $14)
By Khaled Hosseini.An Afghan immigrant returns to his Taliban-ruled country to atone for a childhood betrayal.
80
10
MARCH(Penguin, $14). By Geraldine Brooks
The imagined Civil War experiences of Mr. March, the absent father in Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women."
1
Nonfiction/General
1
THE COVENANT WITH BLACK AMERICA
(Third World, $12). Ed. by Tavis Smiley.Prominent African Americans propose a proactive plan for change.
7
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.
26
3
NIGHT(FSG, $9). By Elie Wiesel
The Nobel laureate's terrifying account of his experience in Nazi camps during World War II.
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.
68
5
MY LIFE SO FAR(Random House, $16.95)
By Jane Fonda.The actress, controversial activist and daughter of Hollywood royalty sets the record straight.
1
6
COLLAPSE: HOW SOCIETIES CHOOSE TO FAIL
OR SUCCEED(Penguin, $17). By Jared Diamond
The fatal consequences of ecological mismanagement.
17
7
AMERICAN PROMETHEUS: THE TRIUMPH AND
TRAGEDY OF J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER
(Vintage, $17.95). By Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin
1
8
GARLIC AND SAPPHIRES: THE SECRET LIFE
OFA CRITIC IN DISGUISE(Penguin, $15)
By Ruth Reichl.Stealth and costumes at the dinner table.
2
9
THE GLASS CASTLE(Scribner, $14)
By Jeanette Walls.A daughter's memoir of her eccentric parents and the unorthodox upbringing she survived.
9
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.
106
Hardcover
Fiction
1
BLUE SHOES AND HAPPINESS(Pantheon, $21.95)
By Alexander McCall Smith.Precious Ramotswe's "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" faces further challenges.
1
2
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.
3
3
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.
2
4
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.
2
5
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.
4
6
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.
2
7
THE 5TH HORSEMAN(Little, Brown, $27.95)
By James Patterson and Maxine Paetro.Patients' puzzling deaths at a hospital suggest a ruthless murderer.
10
8
THE TEMPLAR LEGACY(Ballantine, $24.95)
By Steve Berry.An ex-Justice Department agent spars with a lethal Templar order seeking a lost archive.
8
9
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.
6
10
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.
2
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
2
2
THE WORLD IS FLAT: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE
TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY(FSG, $30)
By Thomas L. Friedman.Arevised and expanded edition.
1
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.
19
4
COBRA II: THE INSIDE STORY OF THE INVASION
AND OCCUPATION OFIRAQ(Pantheon, $27.95)
By Michael R. Gordon and Bernard E. Trainor
6
5
FREAKONOMICS: A ROGUE ECONOMIST EXPLORES
THE HIDDEN SIDE OF EVERYTHING(Morrow, $25.95)
By Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
53
6
AMERICAN THEOCRACY: THE PERIL AND POLITICS OF
RADICAL RELIGION, OIL, AND BORROWED MONEY IN
THE 21ST CENTURY(Viking, $26.95). By Kevin Phillips
5
7
THE GOSPEL OF JUDAS(National Geographic, $22)
Ed. by Rodolphe Kasser, Marvin Meyer & Gregor Wurst
The papyrus pages of Judas's testament translated.
2
8
MISQUOTING JESUS: THE STORY BEHIND WHO
CHANGED THE BIBLE AND WHY
(HarperSanFrancisco, $24.95). By Bart D. Ehrman
7
9
AMERICAN GOSPEL: GOD, THE FOUNDING FATHERS,
AND THE MAKING OF A NATION
(Random House, $23.95). By Jon Meacham
3
10
A DEATH IN BELMONT(Norton, $23.95)
By Sebastian Junger.Reexamining a 1963 "solved" murder that might be the work of the Boston Strangler.
1

Rankings reflect sales for the week ended April 23, 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 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.	4
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.	92
3	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.	2
4	THE TWELFTH CARD(Pocket Star, $9.99) By Jeffery Deaver.Lincoln Rhyme's forensic aptitude comes to the rescue of a schoolgirl stalked by a hit man.	1
5	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.	7
6	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.	5
7	DECEPTION POINT(Pocket, $9.99). By Dan Brown A meteorite discovered by NASA, containing never-before-seen fossils, may be a giant hoax.	40
8	SATURDAY(Anchor, $14.95). By Ian McEwan February 2003: A London neurosurgeon's day of leisure shifts from the mundane to the life-threatening.	1
9	THE KITE RUNNER(Riverhead, $14) By Khaled Hosseini.An Afghan immigrant returns to his Taliban-ruled country to atone for a childhood betrayal.	80
10	MARCH(Penguin, $14). By Geraldine Brooks The imagined Civil War experiences of Mr. March, the absent father in Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women."	1
	Nonfiction/General
1	THE COVENANT WITH BLACK AMERICA (Third World, $12). Ed. by Tavis Smiley.Prominent African Americans propose a proactive plan for change.	7
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.	26
3	NIGHT(FSG, $9). By Elie Wiesel The Nobel laureate's terrifying account of his experience in Nazi camps during World War II.	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.	68
5	MY LIFE SO FAR(Random House, $16.95) By Jane Fonda.The actress, controversial activist and daughter of Hollywood royalty sets the record straight.	1
6	COLLAPSE: HOW SOCIETIES CHOOSE TO FAIL OR SUCCEED(Penguin, $17). By Jared Diamond The fatal consequences of ecological mismanagement.	17
7	AMERICAN PROMETHEUS: THE TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY OF J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER (Vintage, $17.95). By Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin	1
8	GARLIC AND SAPPHIRES: THE SECRET LIFE OFA CRITIC IN DISGUISE(Penguin, $15) By Ruth Reichl.Stealth and costumes at the dinner table.	2
9	THE GLASS CASTLE(Scribner, $14) By Jeanette Walls.A daughter's memoir of her eccentric parents and the unorthodox upbringing she survived.	9
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.	106
	Hardcover
	Fiction
1	BLUE SHOES AND HAPPINESS(Pantheon, $21.95) By Alexander McCall Smith.Precious Ramotswe's "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" faces further challenges.	1
2	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.	3
3	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.	2
4	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.	2
5	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.	4
6	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.	2
7	THE 5TH HORSEMAN(Little, Brown, $27.95) By James Patterson and Maxine Paetro.Patients' puzzling deaths at a hospital suggest a ruthless murderer.	10
8	THE TEMPLAR LEGACY(Ballantine, $24.95) By Steve Berry.An ex-Justice Department agent spars with a lethal Templar order seeking a lost archive.	8
9	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.	6
10	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.	2
	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	2
2	THE WORLD IS FLAT: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY(FSG, $30) By Thomas L. Friedman.Arevised and expanded edition.	1
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.	19
4	COBRA II: THE INSIDE STORY OF THE INVASION AND OCCUPATION OFIRAQ(Pantheon, $27.95) By Michael R. Gordon and Bernard E. Trainor	6
5	FREAKONOMICS: A ROGUE ECONOMIST EXPLORES THE HIDDEN SIDE OF EVERYTHING(Morrow, $25.95) By Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner	53
6	AMERICAN THEOCRACY: THE PERIL AND POLITICS OF RADICAL RELIGION, OIL, AND BORROWED MONEY IN THE 21ST CENTURY(Viking, $26.95). By Kevin Phillips	5
7	THE GOSPEL OF JUDAS(National Geographic, $22) Ed. by Rodolphe Kasser, Marvin Meyer & Gregor Wurst The papyrus pages of Judas's testament translated.	2
8	MISQUOTING JESUS: THE STORY BEHIND WHO CHANGED THE BIBLE AND WHY (HarperSanFrancisco, $24.95). By Bart D. Ehrman	7
9	AMERICAN GOSPEL: GOD, THE FOUNDING FATHERS, AND THE MAKING OF A NATION (Random House, $23.95). By Jon Meacham	3
10	A DEATH IN BELMONT(Norton, $23.95) By Sebastian Junger.Reexamining a 1963 "solved" murder that might be the work of the Boston Strangler.	1