Washington Area Bestsellers

Washington Area Bestsellers

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Paperback
Fiction
1
THE MEMORY KEEPER'S DAUGHTER(Penguin, $14)
By Kim Edwards.A doctor comes to regret telling his wife that one of their twins, a girl, died during delivery.
26
2
S IS FOR SILENCE(Berkley, $7.99). By Sue Grafton
P.I. Kinsey Millhone looks into the case of Violet Sullivan, an impetuous mother who vanished 34 years earlier.
3
3
THE TENTH CIRCLE(Washington Square, $15)
By Jodi Picoult.Graphic art illustrates this "Purgatorio" tale of a family coping with a daughter's rape.
8
4
THE CELL(Pocket Star, $9.99). By Stephen King
A mind-altering pulse sent simultaneously to all mobile phones in America turns its recipients into zombies.
4
5
SAVING FISH FROM DROWNING(Ballantine, $14.95)
By Amy Tan.A Burmese vacation is scuttled when American travelers are seized by a mystical rebel tribe.
3
6
FALSE IMPRESSION(St. Martin's, $9.99)
By Jeffrey Archer.The ownership of a priceless van Gogh self-portrait is put in question by the attacks of Sept. 11.
3
7
THE KITE RUNNER(Riverhead, $14)
By Khaled Hosseini.An Afghan immigrant returns to his Taliban-ruled country to atone for a childhood betrayal.
107
8
THE INHERITANCE OF LOSS(Grove, $14)
By Kiran Desai.A retired judge, his granddaughter and cook cope with political unrest in a Himalayan village.
4
9
THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN
(Hyperion, $12). By Mitch Albom
A parable showing the importance of life's smallest acts.
4
10
THE LAST TEMPLAR(Signet, $9.99)
By Raymond Khoury.Modern-day zealots from the Knights Templar hunt for a treasure not seen since 1291.
2
Nonfiction/General
1
THE IRAQ STUDY GROUP REPORT: THE WAY
FORWARD--A NEW APPROACH(Vintage, $10.95)
Co-chairs James A. Baker III and Lee H. Hamilton, et al.
2
2
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS(Bantam, $14; $7.99)
By James Bradley with Ron Powers.The life of Bradley's father, John, who served in the Pacific in World War II.
11
3
THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS(Amistad, $14.95)
By Chris Gardner with Quincy Troupe.Gardner's erratic rise from impoverished youth to prosperous broker.
4
4
RUNNING WITH SCISSORS(Picador USA, $14)
(St. Martin's, $7.99). By Augusten Burroughs
A memoir chock-full of hilarious and unsettling moments.
39
5
DREAMS FROM MY FATHER(Three Rivers, $14.95)
By Barack Obama.A memoir of a challenging, often lonely youth by the freshman senator from Illinois.
57
6
TEAM OF RIVALS: THE POLITICAL GENIUS
OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN(Simon & Schuster, $19.95)
By Doris Kearns Goodwin.Presidential finesse.
12
7
THE GLASS CASTLE(Scribner, $14)
By Jeannette Walls.A daughter's memoir of her eccentric parents and the unorthodox upbringing she survived.
43
8
THE PLACES IN BETWEEN(Harvest, $14)
By Rory Stewart.Walking across post-Taliban Afghanistan in the footsteps of the Mughal emperor Babul.
14
9
AMERICA (THE BOOK): A CITIZEN'S GUIDE TO
DEMOCRACY INACTION(Warner, $15.99)
By Jon Stewart and the Daily Show. "Teachers' edition."
6
10
1776(Simon & Schuster, $18). By David McCullough
Military campaigns and personal narratives tell the story of the first full year of the American Revolution.
24
Hardcover
Fiction
1
FOR ONE MORE DAY(Hyperion, $21.95)
By Mitch Albom.Charley Benetto is granted one final day with his mother, whose recent death left him devastated.
12
2
CROSS(Little Brown, $27.99). By James Patterson
Hunting for a serial killer/rapist, forensic psychologist Alex Cross inadvertently finds clues to his wife's murder.
5
3
NEXT(HarperCollins, $27.95). By Michael Crichton
A near-future tale that confronts the enormous strides in genetic research and its scientific and moral implications.
3
4
HANNIBAL RISING(Delacorte, $27.95)
By Thomas Harris.This prequel to "Red Dragon" fleshes out the events that made Hannibal Lecter such a monster.
2
5
DEAR JOHN(Warner, $24.99). By Nicholas Sparks
The budding romance between an aimless soldier and a conscientious college student is altered by 9/11.
7
6
TREASURE OF KHAN(Putnam, $27.95)
By Clive Cussler & Dirk Cussler.DirkPitt and the NUMA team aim to stop a Mongolian tycoon's ruthless scheme.
3
7
THE BOLEYN INHERITANCE(Touchstone, $25.95)
By Philippa Gregory. The treachery of Jane Boleyn, sister-in-law of Anne Boleyn, at the court of Henry VIII.
2
8
THE COLLECTORS(Warner, $26.99). By David Baldacci
The Camel Club reunites to solve a murder at the Library of Congress, which reveals a rogue CIA agent's treachery.
8
9
WILD FIRE(Warner, $26.99). By Nelson DeMille
Terrorists plot to force a U.S. nuclear strike in the Middle East by detonating nuclear bombs on U.S. soil.
6
10
NATURE GIRL(Knopf, $25.95). By Carl Hiaasen
Offended by a real estate sales call, a woman takes the telemarketer on a wild Everglades adventure.
5
Nonfiction/General
1
THE AUDACITY OF HOPE: THOUGHTS ON RECLAIMING
THE AMERICAN DREAM(Crown, $25)
By Barack Obama.The Illinois senator's social contract.
9
2
PALESTINE PEACE NOT APARTHEID
(Simon & Schuster, $27). By Jimmy Carter.The former president, broker of the Camp David Accords, weighs in.
4
3
THE INNOCENT MAN: MURDER AND INJUSTICE
IN A SMALL TOWN(Doubleday, $28.95)
By John Grisham.A1982 case of rape and murder.
10
4
I FEEL BAD ABOUT MY NECK: AND OTHER
THOUGHTS ON BEING A WOMAN
(Knopf, $19.95). By Nora Ephron.Aging angst.
20
5
MARLEY & ME: LIFE AND LOVE WITH THE
WORLD'S WORST DOG(Morrow, $21.95)
By John Grogan. For the love of an unruly Labrador.
50
6
CULTURE WARRIOR(Broadway, $26)
By Bill O'Reilly.Hot-button cultural issues pepper this take on the struggle between the left and the right.
12
7
STATE OF DENIAL: BUSH AT WAR, PART III
(Simon & Schuster, $30). By Bob Woodward
New details on the administration's war plans in Iraq.
12
8
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE THUNDERBOLT KID:
A MEMOIR(Broadway, $25). By Bill Bryson
A trip down memory lane by a child of the 1950s.
7
9
FREAKONOMICS: A ROGUE ECONOMIST EXPLORES
THE HIDDEN SIDE OF EVERYTHING(Morrow, $25.95)
By Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
75
10
THE WORLD IS FLAT: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE
TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY(FSG, $30)
By Thomas L. Friedman.A revised and expanded edition.
26

Rankings reflect sales for the week ended Dec. 17, 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 MEMORY KEEPER'S DAUGHTER(Penguin, $14) By Kim Edwards.A doctor comes to regret telling his wife that one of their twins, a girl, died during delivery.	26
2	S IS FOR SILENCE(Berkley, $7.99). By Sue Grafton P.I. Kinsey Millhone looks into the case of Violet Sullivan, an impetuous mother who vanished 34 years earlier.	3
3	THE TENTH CIRCLE(Washington Square, $15) By Jodi Picoult.Graphic art illustrates this "Purgatorio" tale of a family coping with a daughter's rape.	8
4	THE CELL(Pocket Star, $9.99). By Stephen King A mind-altering pulse sent simultaneously to all mobile phones in America turns its recipients into zombies.	4
5	SAVING FISH FROM DROWNING(Ballantine, $14.95) By Amy Tan.A Burmese vacation is scuttled when American travelers are seized by a mystical rebel tribe.	3
6	FALSE IMPRESSION(St. Martin's, $9.99) By Jeffrey Archer.The ownership of a priceless van Gogh self-portrait is put in question by the attacks of Sept. 11.	3
7	THE KITE RUNNER(Riverhead, $14) By Khaled Hosseini.An Afghan immigrant returns to his Taliban-ruled country to atone for a childhood betrayal.	107
8	THE INHERITANCE OF LOSS(Grove, $14) By Kiran Desai.A retired judge, his granddaughter and cook cope with political unrest in a Himalayan village.	4
9	THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN (Hyperion, $12). By Mitch Albom A parable showing the importance of life's smallest acts.	4
10	THE LAST TEMPLAR(Signet, $9.99) By Raymond Khoury.Modern-day zealots from the Knights Templar hunt for a treasure not seen since 1291.	2
	Nonfiction/General
1	THE IRAQ STUDY GROUP REPORT: THE WAY FORWARD--A NEW APPROACH(Vintage, $10.95) Co-chairs James A. Baker III and Lee H. Hamilton, et al.	2
2	FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS(Bantam, $14; $7.99) By James Bradley with Ron Powers.The life of Bradley's father, John, who served in the Pacific in World War II.	11
3	THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS(Amistad, $14.95) By Chris Gardner with Quincy Troupe.Gardner's erratic rise from impoverished youth to prosperous broker.	4
4	RUNNING WITH SCISSORS(Picador USA, $14) (St. Martin's, $7.99). By Augusten Burroughs A memoir chock-full of hilarious and unsettling moments.	39
5	DREAMS FROM MY FATHER(Three Rivers, $14.95) By Barack Obama.A memoir of a challenging, often lonely youth by the freshman senator from Illinois.	57
6	TEAM OF RIVALS: THE POLITICAL GENIUS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN(Simon & Schuster, $19.95) By Doris Kearns Goodwin.Presidential finesse.	12
7	THE GLASS CASTLE(Scribner, $14) By Jeannette Walls.A daughter's memoir of her eccentric parents and the unorthodox upbringing she survived.	43
8	THE PLACES IN BETWEEN(Harvest, $14) By Rory Stewart.Walking across post-Taliban Afghanistan in the footsteps of the Mughal emperor Babul.	14
9	AMERICA (THE BOOK): A CITIZEN'S GUIDE TO DEMOCRACY INACTION(Warner, $15.99) By Jon Stewart and the Daily Show. "Teachers' edition."	6
10	1776(Simon & Schuster, $18). By David McCullough Military campaigns and personal narratives tell the story of the first full year of the American Revolution.	24
	Hardcover
	Fiction
1	FOR ONE MORE DAY(Hyperion, $21.95) By Mitch Albom.Charley Benetto is granted one final day with his mother, whose recent death left him devastated.	12
2	CROSS(Little Brown, $27.99). By James Patterson Hunting for a serial killer/rapist, forensic psychologist Alex Cross inadvertently finds clues to his wife's murder.	5
3	NEXT(HarperCollins, $27.95). By Michael Crichton A near-future tale that confronts the enormous strides in genetic research and its scientific and moral implications.	3
4	HANNIBAL RISING(Delacorte, $27.95) By Thomas Harris.This prequel to "Red Dragon" fleshes out the events that made Hannibal Lecter such a monster.	2
5	DEAR JOHN(Warner, $24.99). By Nicholas Sparks The budding romance between an aimless soldier and a conscientious college student is altered by 9/11.	7
6	TREASURE OF KHAN(Putnam, $27.95) By Clive Cussler & Dirk Cussler.DirkPitt and the NUMA team aim to stop a Mongolian tycoon's ruthless scheme.	3
7	THE BOLEYN INHERITANCE(Touchstone, $25.95) By Philippa Gregory. The treachery of Jane Boleyn, sister-in-law of Anne Boleyn, at the court of Henry VIII.	2
8	THE COLLECTORS(Warner, $26.99). By David Baldacci The Camel Club reunites to solve a murder at the Library of Congress, which reveals a rogue CIA agent's treachery.	8
9	WILD FIRE(Warner, $26.99). By Nelson DeMille Terrorists plot to force a U.S. nuclear strike in the Middle East by detonating nuclear bombs on U.S. soil.	6
10	NATURE GIRL(Knopf, $25.95). By Carl Hiaasen Offended by a real estate sales call, a woman takes the telemarketer on a wild Everglades adventure.	5
	Nonfiction/General
1	THE AUDACITY OF HOPE: THOUGHTS ON RECLAIMING THE AMERICAN DREAM(Crown, $25) By Barack Obama.The Illinois senator's social contract.	9
2	PALESTINE PEACE NOT APARTHEID (Simon & Schuster, $27). By Jimmy Carter.The former president, broker of the Camp David Accords, weighs in.	4
3	THE INNOCENT MAN: MURDER AND INJUSTICE IN A SMALL TOWN(Doubleday, $28.95) By John Grisham.A1982 case of rape and murder.	10
4	I FEEL BAD ABOUT MY NECK: AND OTHER THOUGHTS ON BEING A WOMAN (Knopf, $19.95). By Nora Ephron.Aging angst.	20
5	MARLEY & ME: LIFE AND LOVE WITH THE WORLD'S WORST DOG(Morrow, $21.95) By John Grogan. For the love of an unruly Labrador.	50
6	CULTURE WARRIOR(Broadway, $26) By Bill O'Reilly.Hot-button cultural issues pepper this take on the struggle between the left and the right.	12
7	STATE OF DENIAL: BUSH AT WAR, PART III (Simon & Schuster, $30). By Bob Woodward New details on the administration's war plans in Iraq.	12
8	THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE THUNDERBOLT KID: A MEMOIR(Broadway, $25). By Bill Bryson A trip down memory lane by a child of the 1950s.	7
9	FREAKONOMICS: A ROGUE ECONOMIST EXPLORES THE HIDDEN SIDE OF EVERYTHING(Morrow, $25.95) By Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner	75
10	THE WORLD IS FLAT: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY(FSG, $30) By Thomas L. Friedman.A revised and expanded edition.	26