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, May 21, 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.
7
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.
95
3
BROKEN PREY(Berkley, $9.99). By John Sandford
Gory slayings, reminiscent of those committed by two incarcerated killers, and a new iPod keep Davenport busy.
2
4
A WEDDING IN DECEMBER(Back Bay, $14.95)
By Anita Shreve.A winter wedding sets the stage for a reunion of college friends, exposing myriad secrets.
2
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.
10
6
MAP OF BONES(Avon, $7.99). By James Rollins
After a slaughter of worshipers, an ancient religious order loots the fabled bones of the Magi from a cathedral.
3
7
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.
5
8
VELOCITY(Bantam, $7.99). By Dean Koontz
An affable bartender is forced to choose a sociopath's next series of victims via menacing, time-sensitive notes.
3
9
THE KITE RUNNER(Riverhead, $14)
By Khaled Hosseini.An Afghan immigrant returns to his Taliban-ruled country to atone for a childhood betrayal.
82
10
THE UNDOMESTIC GODDESS(Dial, $12)
By Sophie Kinsella.After a costly error, a star London attorney accepts a housekeeping position in the country.
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.
10
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.
29
3
NIGHT(FSG, $9). By Elie Wiesel
The Nobel laureate's terrifying account of his experience in Nazi camps during World War II.
25
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.
71
5
THE GLASS CASTLE(Scribner, $14)
By Jeannette Walls.A daughter's memoir of her eccentric parents and the unorthodox upbringing she survived.
12
6
COLLAPSE: HOW SOCIETIES CHOOSE TO FAIL
OR SUCCEED(Penguin, $17). By Jared Diamond
The fatal consequences of ecological mismanagement.
20
7
CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN
(Plume, $15). By John Perkins.Charges of financial malfeasance at the expense of developing nations.
18
8
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.
107
9
THE POLITICALLY INCORRECT GUIDE TO WOMEN,
SEX, AND FEMINISM(Regnery, $19.95)
By Carrie L. Lukas.Has feminism deceived women?
1
10
AMERICAN PROMETHEUS: THE TRIUMPH AND
TRAGEDY OF J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER
(Vintage, $17.95). By Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin
4
Hardcover
Fiction
1
BEACH ROAD(Little, Brown, $27.95)
By James Patterson and Peter de Jonge.Asensational murder case jump-starts a struggling attorney's career.
2
2
DIGGING TO AMERICA(Knopf, $24.95). By Anne Tyler
Two couples' chance meeting at the airport while awaiting their adopted Korean daughters sparks a friendship.
2
3
I SAY A LITTLE PRAYER(Doubleday, $21.95)
By E. Lynn Harris.A zealous preacher's run for office on an anti-gay platform divides a black Atlanta church.
2
4
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.
6
5
BLUE SHOES AND HAPPINESS(Pantheon, $21.95)
By Alexander McCall Smith.Precious Ramotswe's "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" faces further challenges.
4
6
SECOND SIGHT(Putnam, $24.95). By Amanda Quick
Victorian London: Venetia, a photographer with psychic gifts, is hired to catalogue a secret society's treasures.
1
7
BAD TWIN(Hyperion, $21.95). By Gary Troup
Part of ABC TV's "Lost" series franchise, this is a mystery "written" by one of the passengers on that ill-fated flight.
1
8
PROMISE ME(Dutton, $26.95). By Harlan Coben
Sports agent Myron Bolitar is alarmed when his girlfriend's daughter disappears after he gives her a lift.
3
9
EVERYMAN(Houghton Mifflin, $24). By Philip Roth
This parable on life's meaning follows the uneventful life of a brother/ex-husband/father coping with his mortality.
1
10
SUITE FRANÇAISE(Knopf, $25). By Irène Némirovsky
A recently discovered, unfinished novel exploring French collaboration with the Germans in WWII.
2
Nonfiction/General
1
MAYFLOWER: A STORY OF COURAGE, COMMUNITY,
AND WAR(Viking, $29.95). By Nathaniel Philbrick
The saga of Plymouth Colony, stripped of mythology.
1
2
DON'T MAKE A BLACK WOMAN TAKE OFF HER
EARRINGS: MADEA'S UNINHIBITED COMMENTARIES
ON LOVE AND LIFE(Riverhead, $23.95). By Tyler Perry
5
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.
22
4
THE WORLD IS FLAT: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE
TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY(FSG, $30)
By Thomas L. Friedman.Arevised and expanded edition.
4
5
MOTHER: A CRADLE TO HOLD ME
(Random House, $9.95). By Maya Angelou
The beloved poet and writer's celebration of motherhood.
1
6
THE MIGHTY AND THE ALMIGHTY: REFLECTIONS
ON AMERICA, GOD, AND WORLD AFFAIRS
(HarperCollins, $25.95). By Madeleine Albright
2
7
YOU'RE WEARING THAT? UNDERSTANDING
MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS IN CONVERSATION
(Random House, $25.95). By Deborah Tannen
10
8
FREAKONOMICS: A ROGUE ECONOMIST EXPLORES
THE HIDDEN SIDE OF EVERYTHING(Morrow, $25.95)
By Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
56
9
BURNT TOAST: AND OTHER PHILOSOPHIES OF LIFE
(Hyperion, $24.95). By Teri Hatcher.Life lessons from a star of the television hit"Desperate Housewives."
1
10
MY LIFE IN FRANCE(Knopf, $25.95). By Julia Child
with Alex Prud'homme.With joie de vivre, the beloved chef relates her initial encounters with French cuisine.
3

Rankings reflect sales for the week ended May 14, 2006. The charts may not be reproduced without permission from Nielsen BookScan. Copyright © 2006 by Nielsen BookScan. (The 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

War stripped of all its glory

In "The Good Soldiers," Pulitzer Prize winning reporter David Finkel faced an unenviable task in writing his on-the-ground account of war in Iraq.

Who do men say that I am?

Though too cursory to work as an intro to the Gospels, Mary Gordon's "Reading Jesus" should appeal to anyone who wants to wrestle with the problems and paradoxes of the New Testament.

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.	7
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.	95
3	BROKEN PREY(Berkley, $9.99). By John Sandford Gory slayings, reminiscent of those committed by two incarcerated killers, and a new iPod keep Davenport busy.	2
4	A WEDDING IN DECEMBER(Back Bay, $14.95) By Anita Shreve.A winter wedding sets the stage for a reunion of college friends, exposing myriad secrets.	2
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.	10
6	MAP OF BONES(Avon, $7.99). By James Rollins After a slaughter of worshipers, an ancient religious order loots the fabled bones of the Magi from a cathedral.	3
7	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.	5
8	VELOCITY(Bantam, $7.99). By Dean Koontz An affable bartender is forced to choose a sociopath's next series of victims via menacing, time-sensitive notes.	3
9	THE KITE RUNNER(Riverhead, $14) By Khaled Hosseini.An Afghan immigrant returns to his Taliban-ruled country to atone for a childhood betrayal.	82
10	THE UNDOMESTIC GODDESS(Dial, $12) By Sophie Kinsella.After a costly error, a star London attorney accepts a housekeeping position in the country.	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.	10
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.	29
3	NIGHT(FSG, $9). By Elie Wiesel The Nobel laureate's terrifying account of his experience in Nazi camps during World War II.	25
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.	71
5	THE GLASS CASTLE(Scribner, $14) By Jeannette Walls.A daughter's memoir of her eccentric parents and the unorthodox upbringing she survived.	12
6	COLLAPSE: HOW SOCIETIES CHOOSE TO FAIL OR SUCCEED(Penguin, $17). By Jared Diamond The fatal consequences of ecological mismanagement.	20
7	CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN (Plume, $15). By John Perkins.Charges of financial malfeasance at the expense of developing nations.	18
8	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.	107
9	THE POLITICALLY INCORRECT GUIDE TO WOMEN, SEX, AND FEMINISM(Regnery, $19.95) By Carrie L. Lukas.Has feminism deceived women?	1
10	AMERICAN PROMETHEUS: THE TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY OF J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER (Vintage, $17.95). By Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin	4
	Hardcover
	Fiction
1	BEACH ROAD(Little, Brown, $27.95) By James Patterson and Peter de Jonge.Asensational murder case jump-starts a struggling attorney's career.	2
2	DIGGING TO AMERICA(Knopf, $24.95). By Anne Tyler Two couples' chance meeting at the airport while awaiting their adopted Korean daughters sparks a friendship.	2
3	I SAY A LITTLE PRAYER(Doubleday, $21.95) By E. Lynn Harris.A zealous preacher's run for office on an anti-gay platform divides a black Atlanta church.	2
4	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.	6
5	BLUE SHOES AND HAPPINESS(Pantheon, $21.95) By Alexander McCall Smith.Precious Ramotswe's "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" faces further challenges.	4
6	SECOND SIGHT(Putnam, $24.95). By Amanda Quick Victorian London: Venetia, a photographer with psychic gifts, is hired to catalogue a secret society's treasures.	1
7	BAD TWIN(Hyperion, $21.95). By Gary Troup Part of ABC TV's "Lost" series franchise, this is a mystery "written" by one of the passengers on that ill-fated flight.	1
8	PROMISE ME(Dutton, $26.95). By Harlan Coben Sports agent Myron Bolitar is alarmed when his girlfriend's daughter disappears after he gives her a lift.	3
9	EVERYMAN(Houghton Mifflin, $24). By Philip Roth This parable on life's meaning follows the uneventful life of a brother/ex-husband/father coping with his mortality.	1
10	SUITE FRANÇAISE(Knopf, $25). By Irène Némirovsky A recently discovered, unfinished novel exploring French collaboration with the Germans in WWII.	2
	Nonfiction/General
1	MAYFLOWER: A STORY OF COURAGE, COMMUNITY, AND WAR(Viking, $29.95). By Nathaniel Philbrick The saga of Plymouth Colony, stripped of mythology.	1
2	DON'T MAKE A BLACK WOMAN TAKE OFF HER EARRINGS: MADEA'S UNINHIBITED COMMENTARIES ON LOVE AND LIFE(Riverhead, $23.95). By Tyler Perry	5
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.	22
4	THE WORLD IS FLAT: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY(FSG, $30) By Thomas L. Friedman.Arevised and expanded edition.	4
5	MOTHER: A CRADLE TO HOLD ME (Random House, $9.95). By Maya Angelou The beloved poet and writer's celebration of motherhood.	1
6	THE MIGHTY AND THE ALMIGHTY: REFLECTIONS ON AMERICA, GOD, AND WORLD AFFAIRS (HarperCollins, $25.95). By Madeleine Albright	2
7	YOU'RE WEARING THAT? UNDERSTANDING MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS IN CONVERSATION (Random House, $25.95). By Deborah Tannen	10
8	FREAKONOMICS: A ROGUE ECONOMIST EXPLORES THE HIDDEN SIDE OF EVERYTHING(Morrow, $25.95) By Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner	56
9	BURNT TOAST: AND OTHER PHILOSOPHIES OF LIFE (Hyperion, $24.95). By Teri Hatcher.Life lessons from a star of the television hit"Desperate Housewives."	1
10	MY LIFE IN FRANCE(Knopf, $25.95). By Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme.With joie de vivre, the beloved chef relates her initial encounters with French cuisine.	3