BESTSELLERS / PAPERBACKS

*--* SO. CAL. RATING Fiction

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*--* 1 The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (Penguin: $14) A teenage girl is haunted by her mother’s death.

2 Life of Pi by Yann Martel (Harvest Books: $14) A boy shares a lifeboat with a tiger on a harrowing trip.

3 Angels & Demons by Dan Brown (Pocket Books: $7.99) A scholar uncovers a vendetta against the Catholic Church.

4 Three Junes by Julia Glass (Anchor: $14) A Scottish family comes together over three summers.

5 The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason (Vintage: $14) A British piano tuner’s adventures in 19th century Burma.

6 Chasing the Dime by Michael Connelly (Warner: $7.99) A brilliant but lonely chemist tries to find a missing prostitute.

7 The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander M. Smith (Anchor: $11.95) Botswana’s private eye.

8 The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber (Harvest: $15) A London prostitute, her lover and his wife.

9 Atonement by Ian McEwan (Anchor: $14) Guilt and redemption in World War II England.

10 Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros (Vintage: $13.95) The saga of a Mexican family.

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*--* SO. CAL. RATING Nonfiction

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*--* 1 Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand (Ballantine: $15.95) How an also-ran became America’s favorite racehorse.

2 Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution by Robert C. Atkins (Quill: $13.95) Shed pounds with a low-carb diet.

3 Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes (Broadway: $15) Restoring a cozy home in glorious Italy.

4 Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki with Sharon L. Lechter (Techpress: $15.95) Fiscal parenting.

5 100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know by American Heritage Dictionaries (Houghton Mifflin: $4.95)

6 The Last Jihad by Joel C. Rosenberg (Forge: $7.99) Iraqi terrorists are on a worldwide offensive in this political thriller.

7 Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs (Picador: $14) A boy goes to live with his mother’s psychiatrist.

8 Sandy Koufax by Jane Leavy (Perennial: $13.95) A look at the career of the renowned Dodger pitcher.

9 The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal et al. (Schocken: $13) The Holocaust and the limitations of forgiveness.

10 Artburn by Robbie Conal (Akashic: $19.95) Words and images from the L.A. Weekly caricaturist’s columns.

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