washingtonpost.com > Arts & Living > Books

Washington Area Bestsellers

Sunday, May 28, 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.
8
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.
96
3
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.
3
4
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.
3
5
THE KITE RUNNER(Riverhead, $14)
By Khaled Hosseini.An Afghan immigrant returns to his Taliban-ruled country to atone for a childhood betrayal.
83
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.
4
7
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.
4
8
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.
6
9
MARCH(Penguin, $14). By Geraldine Brooks
The imagined Civil War experiences of Mr. March, the absent father in Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women."
3
10
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.
11
Nonfiction/General
1
THE COVENANT WITH BLACK AMERICA
(Third World, $12). Ed. by Tavis Smiley.Prominent African Americans propose a proactive plan for change.
11
2
NIGHT(FSG, $9). By Elie Wiesel
The Nobel laureate's terrifying account of his experience in Nazi camps during World War II.
26
3
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.
73
4
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.
30
5
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.
108
6
COLLAPSE: HOW SOCIETIES CHOOSE TO FAIL
OR SUCCEED(Penguin, $17). By Jared Diamond
The fatal consequences of ecological mismanagement.
21
7
THE GLASS CASTLE(Scribner, $14)
By Jeannette Walls.A daughter's memoir of her eccentric parents and the unorthodox upbringing she survived.
13
8
CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN
(Plume, $15). By John Perkins.Charges of financial malfeasance at the expense of developing nations.
19
9
GUNS, GERMS, AND STEEL(Norton, $16.95)
By Jared Diamond.The impact of geography and the environment on the course of civilization.
64
10
HOW WOULD A PATRIOT ACT? DEFENDING AMERICAN
VALUES FROM A PRESIDENT RUN AMOK
(Working Assets, $12). By Glenn Greenwald
1
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.
3
2
DEAD WATCH(Putnam, $26.95). By John Sandford
An Army Intelligence veteran is called in when an ex-U.S. senator vanishes, casting suspicion on his political rival.
1
3
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.
3
4
THE HARD WAY(Delacorte, $25). By Lee Child
Former army MP Jack Reacher agrees to help a mercenary (also ex-Army) find his kidnapped wife and daughter.
1
5
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.
3
6
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.
7
7
BLUE SHOES AND HAPPINESS(Pantheon, $21.95)
By Alexander McCall Smith.Precious Ramotswe's "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" faces more challenges.
5
8
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.
2
9
THE MAN OF MY DREAMS(Random House, $22.95)
By Curtis Sittenfeld.At age 14, with the dissolution of her parents' marriage, Hannah begins her quest for true love.
1
10
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.
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.
2
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.
23
3
THE MIGHTY & THE ALMIGHTY: REFLECTIONS
ON AMERICA, GOD, AND WORLD AFFAIRS
(HarperCollins, $25.95). By Madeleine Albright
3
4
DON'T MAKE A BLACK WOMAN TAKE OFF HER
EARRINGS: MADEA'S UNINHIBITED COMMENTARIES
ON LOVE AND LIFE(Riverhead, $23.95). By Tyler Perry
6
5
THE WORLD IS FLAT: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE
TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY(FSG, $30)
By Thomas L. Friedman.Arevised and expanded edition.
5
6
FREAKONOMICS: A ROGUE ECONOMIST EXPLORES
THE HIDDEN SIDE OF EVERYTHING(Morrow, $25.95)
By Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
57
7
MYTHS, LIES, AND DOWNRIGHT STUPIDITY: GET OUT
THE SHOVEL -- WHY EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS WRONG
(Hyperion, $24.95). By John Stossel.Libertarian views.
1
8
LETTERS TO A YOUNG BROTHER: MANIFEST
YOUR DESTINY(Gotham, $20). By Hill Harper
The actor's inspirational advice for young men of color.
2
9
CLEMENTE: THE PASSION AND GRACE OF BASEBALL'S
LAST HERO(Simon & Schuster, $26)
By David Maraniss.Right fielder Roberto Clemente.
3
10
BURNT TOAST: AND OTHER PHILOSOPHIES OF LIFE
(Hyperion, $24.95). By Teri Hatcher.Life lessons from a star of the television hit"Desperate Housewives."
2

Rankings reflect sales for the week ended May 21, 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.)

	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.	8
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.	96
3	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.	3
4	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.	3
5	THE KITE RUNNER(Riverhead, $14) By Khaled Hosseini.An Afghan immigrant returns to his Taliban-ruled country to atone for a childhood betrayal.	83
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.	4
7	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.	4
8	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.	6
9	MARCH(Penguin, $14). By Geraldine Brooks The imagined Civil War experiences of Mr. March, the absent father in Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women."	3
10	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.	11
	Nonfiction/General
1	THE COVENANT WITH BLACK AMERICA (Third World, $12). Ed. by Tavis Smiley.Prominent African Americans propose a proactive plan for change.	11
2	NIGHT(FSG, $9). By Elie Wiesel The Nobel laureate's terrifying account of his experience in Nazi camps during World War II.	26
3	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.	73
4	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.	30
5	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.	108
6	COLLAPSE: HOW SOCIETIES CHOOSE TO FAIL OR SUCCEED(Penguin, $17). By Jared Diamond The fatal consequences of ecological mismanagement.	21
7	THE GLASS CASTLE(Scribner, $14) By Jeannette Walls.A daughter's memoir of her eccentric parents and the unorthodox upbringing she survived.	13
8	CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN (Plume, $15). By John Perkins.Charges of financial malfeasance at the expense of developing nations.	19
9	GUNS, GERMS, AND STEEL(Norton, $16.95) By Jared Diamond.The impact of geography and the environment on the course of civilization.	64
10	HOW WOULD A PATRIOT ACT? DEFENDING AMERICAN VALUES FROM A PRESIDENT RUN AMOK (Working Assets, $12). By Glenn Greenwald	1
	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.	3
2	DEAD WATCH(Putnam, $26.95). By John Sandford An Army Intelligence veteran is called in when an ex-U.S. senator vanishes, casting suspicion on his political rival.	1
3	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.	3
4	THE HARD WAY(Delacorte, $25). By Lee Child Former army MP Jack Reacher agrees to help a mercenary (also ex-Army) find his kidnapped wife and daughter.	1
5	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.	3
6	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.	7
7	BLUE SHOES AND HAPPINESS(Pantheon, $21.95) By Alexander McCall Smith.Precious Ramotswe's "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" faces more challenges.	5
8	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.	2
9	THE MAN OF MY DREAMS(Random House, $22.95) By Curtis Sittenfeld.At age 14, with the dissolution of her parents' marriage, Hannah begins her quest for true love.	1
10	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.	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.	2
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.	23
3	THE MIGHTY & THE ALMIGHTY: REFLECTIONS ON AMERICA, GOD, AND WORLD AFFAIRS (HarperCollins, $25.95). By Madeleine Albright	3
4	DON'T MAKE A BLACK WOMAN TAKE OFF HER EARRINGS: MADEA'S UNINHIBITED COMMENTARIES ON LOVE AND LIFE(Riverhead, $23.95). By Tyler Perry	6
5	THE WORLD IS FLAT: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY(FSG, $30) By Thomas L. Friedman.Arevised and expanded edition.	5
6	FREAKONOMICS: A ROGUE ECONOMIST EXPLORES THE HIDDEN SIDE OF EVERYTHING(Morrow, $25.95) By Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner	57
7	MYTHS, LIES, AND DOWNRIGHT STUPIDITY: GET OUT THE SHOVEL -- WHY EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS WRONG (Hyperion, $24.95). By John Stossel.Libertarian views.	1
8	LETTERS TO A YOUNG BROTHER: MANIFEST YOUR DESTINY(Gotham, $20). By Hill Harper The actor's inspirational advice for young men of color.	2
9	CLEMENTE: THE PASSION AND GRACE OF BASEBALL'S LAST HERO(Simon & Schuster, $26) By David Maraniss.Right fielder Roberto Clemente.	3
10	BURNT TOAST: AND OTHER PHILOSOPHIES OF LIFE (Hyperion, $24.95). By Teri Hatcher.Life lessons from a star of the television hit"Desperate Housewives."	2