Los Angeles Times Bestsellers

FICTION

Southern California Rating

1 GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING by Tracy Chevalier (Plume: $12) The woman who inspired a Vermeer painting.

2 THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER & CLAY by Michael Chabon (Picador: $15) Cousins in the comics biz.

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

4 CORELLI’S MANDOLIN by Louis De Bernieres (Vintage: $14) The Italian occupation of a Greek isle in World War II.

5 THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING by J.R.R. Tolkien (Ballantine: $6.99) Volume one of the epic “The Lord of the Rings.”

6 FOUR BLONDES by Candace Bushnell (Atlantic Monthly: $12) A quartet of stories about love and sex in New York.

7 DROWNING RUTH by Christina Schwarz (Ballantine: $14.95) A mystery set in Wisconsin at the end of World War I.

8 THE BEAR AND THE DRAGON by Tom Clancy (Berkley: $7.99) Jack Ryan faces brewing trouble in Russia and China.

9 BEE SEASON by Myla Goldberg (Vintage: $13) A young girl wins her family’s attention after excelling at spelling bees.

10 THE ALCHEMIST by Paulo Coelho (HarperSanFrancisco: $13) A shepherd’s journey to find gold in Egypt.

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NONFICTION

Southern California Rating

1 PERSONAL HISTORY by Katharine Graham (Vintage: $15) A memoir by the late publisher of the Washington Post.

2 ME TALK PRETTY ONE DAY by David Sedaris (Little, Brown: $14.95) Wisecracking essays on life in Paris and elsewhere.

3 ON WRITING by Stephen King (Pocket: $14.95) Memoir of the writer’s early years and the inspiration for “Carrie.”

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

5 KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL by Anthony Bourdain (Ecco Press: $14) Tales from the culinary trenches.

6 BAND OF BROTHERS by Stephen E. Ambrose (Touchstone Books: $16) The elite fighting force Easy Company.

7 ORDINARY PEOPLE, EXTRAORDINARY WEALTH by Ric Edelman (HarperResource: $15) Middle-class tycoons.

8 A HEARTBREAKING WORK OF STAGGERING GENIUS by Dave Eggers (Vintage: $14) A 22-year-old raises his kid brother.

9 THE ARROGANCE OF POWER by Anthony Summers (Penguin: $16) A tragic portrait of the Nixon presidency.

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