Southern California Rating:FICTION1 SHADOW OF THE HEGEMON...

Southern California Rating:

FICTION

1 SHADOW OF THE HEGEMON by Orson Scott Card (Tor Books: $25.95) In the sixth book of the Ender series, Bean becomes a tactical genius who wins the Earth for the Hegemon.

Last Week: --; Weeks on List: 1

2 THE CONSTANT GARDENER by John le Carre (Scribner: $28) A British diplomat quits his Nairobi home and garden to avenge the murder of his wife, who uncovered multinational misdeeds in Kenya.

Last Week: 3; Weeks on List: 4

3 SHOPGIRL by Steve Martin (Hyperion: $17.95) A young artist who works days in the glove department at Neiman Marcus falls abruptly in love with a millionaire businessman.

Last Week: 1; Weeks on List: 15

4 PRODIGAL SUMMER by Barbara Kingsolver (HarperCollins: $26) In southern Appalachia, three stories of human love intersect within a larger tapestry.

Last Week: 8; Weeks on List: 11

5 THE BEAR AND THE DRAGON by Tom Clancy (Putnam: $28.95) CIA warrior and U.S. President Jack Ryan faces brewing trouble in Russia and China and a global struggle for Siberian oil.

Last Week: 14; Weeks on List: 10

6 THE LAST PRECINCT by Patricia Cornwell (Putnam: $26.95) At Christmastime, Dr. Kay Scarpetta and her staff have not a moment to spare as mangled corpses crowd their morgue.

Last Week: --; Weeks on List: 6

7 ROSES ARE RED by James Patterson (Little, Brown: $26.95) Alex Cross battles a cunning murderer, nicknamed “Mastermind,” who orchestrates teams of criminals while hiding in the shadows.

Last Week: --; Weeks on List: 6

8 CODE TO ZERO by Ken Follett (Dutton: $26.95) A man wakes up in a train station in Washington, D.C., in 1958 with no idea who he is or how he got there.

Last Week: --; Weeks on List: 4

9 THE BLIND ASSASSIN by Margaret Atwood (Nan A. Talese/Doubleday: $26) A narrative tour de force of self-deceit and revenge that joins the lives of two sisters with an unpublished sci-fi novel.

Last Week: 4; Weeks on List: 17

10 SOUL MOUNTAIN by Gao Xingjian (HarperCollins: $27) The Nobel Prize winner shares a story of a man’s inner journey and search for freedom in rural China.

Last Week: 2; Weeks on List: 511 THE KILL ARTIST by Daniel Silva (Random House: $25.95) A former assassin is brought out of retirement to thwart a plot to destroy Middle East peace negotiations.

Last Week: --; Weeks on List: 1

12 THE PROMETHEUS DECEPTION by Robert Ludlum (St. Martin’s: $27.95) A spy infiltrates his former shadowy agency in this story of post-Cold War double-crosses and Wall Street conspiracies.

Last Week: --; Weeks on List: 8

13 PROTECT AND DEFEND by Richard North Patterson (Random House: $26.95) A newly elected president faces the unexpected chance to nominate a new chief justice of the Supreme Court.

Last Week: --; Weeks on List: 2

14 THE MARK by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins (Tyndale House: $22.99) The antichrist has taken over, branding his followers and causing mayhem in the latest in the “Left Behind” series.

Last Week: --; Weeks on List: 5

15 LYING AWAKE by Mark Salzman (Alfred A. Knopf: $21) A meditation on spirituality in the life of an Angeleno nun facing a dilemma: Should she have surgery that will cure her of mystical visions?

Last Week: 7; Weeks on List: 15

NONFICTION

1 A SHORT GUIDE TO A HAPPY LIFE by Anna Quindlen (Random House: $12.95) The columnist reflects on what it takes to “get a life” by living deeply rather than merely existing.

Last Week: 4; Weeks on List: 9

2 WHO MOVED MY CHEESE? by Spencer Johnson (Putnam: $19.95) This co-author of “The One Minute Manager” uses the parable of mice in a maze to show people how to manage change.

Last Week: 11; Weeks on List: 43

3 PARIS TO THE MOON by Adam Gopnik (Random House: $24.95) A personal homage to years spent in the City of Light by a longtime New Yorker writer.

Last Week: 3; Weeks on List: 11

4 MAESTRO by Bob Woodward (Simon & Schuster: $25) Portrait of Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, who started as a Juilliard-trained sax man and now keeps the U.S. economy in tune.

Last Week: --; Weeks on List: 7

5 DARWIN AWARDS by Wendy Northcutt (Dutton: $16.95) Stupid human tricks: Honoring those who improve our gene pool by eliminating themselves from it.

Last Week: 2; Weeks on List: 5

6 NOTHING LIKE IT IN THE WORLD by Stephen Ambrose (Simon & Schuster: $28) The historian looks at the building of the transcontinental railroad and its impact on the growth of the nation.

Last Week: 7; Weeks on List: 20

7 CALLUS ON MY SOUL by Dick Gregory with Sheila P. Moses (Longstreet Press: $25) The comedian, civil rights activist and nutritionist puts his life story down on paper.

Last Week: --; Weeks on List: 1

8 THE GREATEST GENERATION by Tom Brokaw (Random House: $24.95) The TV anchor tells the stories of the generation that came of age during the Depression and World War II.

Last Week: --; Weeks on List: 70

9 VANITY FAIR’S HOLLYWOOD edited by Graydon Carter and David Friend (Viking Studio: $60) Essays, photographs and caricatures portraying the cult of celebrity from 1914 to the present.

Last Week: 6; Weeks on List: 4

10 THE O’REILLY FACTOR by Bill O’Reilly (Broadway Books: $23) The TV pundit pontificates on what he finds to be the good, the bad and the completely ridiculous in American life.

Last Week: 1; Weeks on List: 14

11 MY FATHER’S DAUGHTER by Tina Sinatra with Jeff Coplon (Simon & Schuster: $26) A portrait of Frank Sinatra by his youngest daughter, describing the heights, slumps and loneliness of his career.

Last Week: --; Weeks on List: 3

12 THE BEATLES ANTHOLOGY by The Beatles (Chronicle Books: $60) Previously unreleased photos, memorabilia and reminiscences that should make any Fab Four fan want to twist and shout.

Last Week: --; Weeks on List: 13

13 TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE by Mitch Albom (Doubleday: $19.95) A sportswriter’s story of the life lessons he received during weekly visits to an older dying friend.

Last Week: 12; Weeks on List: 150

14 ON WRITING by Stephen King (Scribner: $25) Autobiography of the writer’s formative years, from his misbehaving youth to a janitorial stint that led to the idea for “Carrie.”

Last Week: 13; Weeks on List: 7

15 UNTIL TODAY! by Iyanla Vanzant (Simon & Schuster: $22) In an effort to help kill old (bad) habits, Vanzant offers 365 daily devotions for spiritual growth and peace of mind.

Last Week: --; Weeks on List: 1

PAPERBACKS

FICTION

1 O IS FOR OUTLAW by Sue Grafton (Ballantine: $7.99) New information dredges up old memories for Kinsey.

2 THE BRETHREN by John Grisham (Dell Island: $7.99) A scam by three former judges doing time goes awry.

3 CHOCOLAT by Joanne Harris (Penguin: $12.95) A woman and her daughter open a chocolate store in a French village.

4 HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG by Andre Dubus III (Vintage: $14) Two families clash over an auctioned house in this tragic tale.

5 THE RED TENT by Anita Diamant (Picador USA: $14) The blossoming of Dinah, Jacob’s only daughter, in Genesis.

6 GOT TO BE REAL (New American Library: $14) Love stories by E. Lynn Harris, Eric Dickey, Colin Channer and Marcus Major.

7 FORTUNE’S ROCKS by Anita Shreve (Back Bay Books: $13.95) A daughter of privilege is cast out of her cloistered world.

8 GIRL IN HYACINTH BLUE by Susan Vreeland (Penguin: $12) Eight stories linked by a Dutch master’s painting.

9 BROWN SUGAR edited by Carol Taylor (Plume: $13) A collection of erotic black fiction.

10 THE DRESS LODGER by Sheri Holman (Ballantine: $14) The sad tale of a young prostitute in 19th century England.

PAPERBACKS

NONFICTION

1 THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO SURVIVAL HANDBOOK by Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht (Chronicle: $14.95) S-O-S!

2 THE NEW NEW THING by Michael Lewis (Penguin: $13) The genius and ruthlessness of Silicon Valley giant Jim Clark.

3 GALILEO’S DAUGHTER by Dava Sobel (Penguin: $14) The famous astronomer and his daughter, a cloistered nun.

4 THE NINE STEPS TO FINANCIAL FREEDOM by Suze Orman (Random House: $13.95) Practical tips for managing money.

5 TALKING DIRTY WITH THE QUEEN OF CLEAN by Linda Cobb (Pocket: $8.99) Quick, inexpensive housekeeping tips galore.

6 GIRL, INTERRUPTED by Susanna Kaysen (Vintage: $12) A memoir of life in a psychiatric institute in 1967.

7 RICH DAD, POOR DAD by Robert T. Kiyosaki and Sharon L. Lechter (Techpress: $15.95) Adventures in fiscal parenting.

8 WORLD ALMANAC & BOOK OF FACTS 2001 (World Almanac: $10.95) Includes 2000 Olympics and election coverage.

9 OH NO! NOT ANOTHER PROBLEM by Jeanette A. Griver & Michele W. Vodrey (Compsych Systems:

$12.95) Solutions for daily life.

10 THE DARK SIDE OF THE LIGHT CHASERS by Debbie Ford (Riverhead: $13) How to reclaim your emotional power.

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Rankings are based on a Times poll of Southland bookstores.