BESTSELLERS | PAPERBACKS

Rankings are based on a Times poll of Southland bookstores.

*--* SO. CAL. RATING Fiction 1 The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards (Penguin: $14) A father hides the birth of a twin from his wife.

2 The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai (Grove: $14) A retired judge is caught up in Nepal’s independence movement.

3 Memories of My Melancholy Whores by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Vintage: $11.95) A man reflects on his loves.

4 Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See (Random House: $13.95) Two women in 19th century China.

5 The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (HarperSanFrancisco: $13) An Andalusian shepherd boy searches for treasure in Egypt.

6 Perfume by Patrick Suskind (Vintage: $13.95) An 18th century Paris perfumer’s quest for the ultimate scent.

7 Halo: Ghosts of Onyx by Eric Nylund (Tor Books: $12.95) An ancient force is reawakened on planet Onyx.

8 Snow by Orhan Pamuk (Vintage: $14.95) A Turkish poet returns from exile to find ideological strife.

9 The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult (Washington Square: $15) A Maine family unravels over allegations of rape.

10 On Beauty by Zadie Smith (Penguin: $15) Dueling Rembrandt scholars clash in a Massachusetts college town.

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*--* SO. CAL. RATING Nonfiction 1 The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (Scribner: $14) A memoir of breaking away from dysfunctional parents.

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

3 The Pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardner (Amistad: $14.95) A homeless man’s struggle to be a successful stockbroker.

4 The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz (Amber-Allen: $12.95) A code of conduct based on Toltec wisdom.

5 Istanbul by Orhan Pamuk (Vintage: $14.95) The Nobel laureate meditates on life in his city and its ancient civilization.

6 Bad President by R.D. Rosen et al. (Workman: $8.95) Jokes and photos about President Bush.

7 Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama (Three Rivers: $14.95) The senator traces his mixed-raced heritage.

8 Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki with Sharon L. Lechter (TechPress / Warner: $16.95) Fiscal parenting.

9 The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (Vintage: $13.95) A meditation on the nature of grief and survival.

10 An Alphabetical Life by Wendy Werris (Carroll & Graf: $15.95) A memoir of ups and downs in the bookselling biz.

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