LOS ANGELES TIMES Nov. 1, 2009

Rankings are based on a Times poll of Southland bookstores.

*--* Fiction weeks on list 1. Nine Dragons by Michael Connelly (Little, 2 Brown: $27.99) An LAPD detective travels to Hong Kong to solve the murder of a Chinese immigrant. 2. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (Doubleday: 6 $25.99) Harvard professor Robert Langdon uses his symbology skills to find a missing Freemason in Washington, D.C. 3. The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Putnam: $24.95) 21 The lives of a maid, a cook and a college graduate become intertwined while changing a Mississippi town. 4. Pursuit of Honor by Vince Flynn (Atria: 2 $27.99) Two counter-terrorism operatives deal with the fallout from a deadly terrorist attack. 5. Blood’s a Rover by James Ellroy (Knopf : 4 $28.95) A bank heist sets off an escapade through ‘60s L.A. with run-ins with the mob, the FBI and Howard Hughes. 6. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney 2 (Amulet: $13.95) Greg desires to spend summer vacation indoors despite his mother’s wishes for outdoor family fun. 7. Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby (Riverhead: 3 $25.95) A woman acquaints herself with the songwriter whose album caused the breakup of her relationship. 8. The Wild Things by Dave Eggers (McSweeney’s: 1 $19.95) An interpretation and elaboration of Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are.” 9. Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls 2 (Scribner: $26) The story of a hard-knock gal who raised horses and survived floods and the Depression. 10. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff 29 Kinney (Amulet: $12.95) Greg’s dad enlists him in sports to toughen him up. *--*

*--* Nonfiction weeks on list 1. Manhood for Amateurs by Michael Chabon 2 (Harper: $26.99) A collection of autobiographical essays reflecting on what it means to be a man and father. 2. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell (Little, 47 Brown: $27.99) An exploration of the backgrounds of high achievers. 3. Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom 4 (Hyperion: $23.99) Albom’s observations of a rabbi and a pastor on an eight-year journey of faith. 4. True Compass by Edward Kennedy (Twelve: 5 $35) The memoirs of the late U.S. senator from Massachusetts. 5. The Greatest Show on Earth by Richard 3 Dawkins (Free Press: $30) A pro-evolution argument filled with scientific evidence. 6. Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer 6 (Doubleday: $27.95) A chronicle of Pat Tillman, the NFL star turned Army Ranger whose death in Afghanistan stunned the power structure. 7. Zeitoun by Dave Eggers (McSweeney’s: $24) 11 The disappearance of a Syrian American father and good Samaritan in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. 8. Arguing With Idiots by Glenn Beck 4 (Threshold Editions: $29.99) Secrets for winning arguments with small-minded people. 9. Republican Gomorrah by Max Blumenthal 1 (Nation Books: $25) A liberal look at how fringe elements are defining a new Republican Party. 10. Jim Cramer’s Getting Back to Even by James 1 J. Cramer (Simon & Schuster: $26) Tips on how to invest in a post-crash stock market. *--*