Bestsellers / Paperbacks

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

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

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

5 Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan (Ballantine: $14.95) Burma Road tourists make darkly humorous missteps.

6 The Two Minute Rule by Robert Crais (Pocket Star: $7.99) A parolee seeks the killer of his police officer son.

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

8 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Scribner: $12.95) A portrait of Jazz Age decadence and excess.

9 The History of Love by Nicole Krauss (W.W. Norton: $13.95) A writer escapes the Nazis but loses his beloved.

10 The Brooklyn Follies by Paul Auster (Picador: $14) A disillusioned man finds much to live for.

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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 Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (Penguin: $15) A journey of self-discovery in Italy, India and Indonesia.

3 The Measure of a Man by Sidney Poitier (HarperSanFrancisco: $14.95) The actor on his values.

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

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

6 The Freedom Writers Diary with Erin Gruwell (Broadway: $13.95) Long Beach teens write about their lives.

7 The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav (Free Press: $14) A New Age guide to finding one's immortal soul.

8 The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene (Penguin: $18) How to harness emotions to increase influence.

9 Life: Picture Puzzle (Life: $7.99) Altered side-by-side photos, based on the magazine's popular feature.

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

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