Recordpub.com - One for the Books: A Fictional Smorgasbord

I have a fictional smorgasbord for you, with a little something for almost every taste.

For an appetizer, how about a few laughs? "Gods Behaving Badly" by Marie Phillips is filled with raunchy, bizarre British humor. Imagine that the ancient Greek gods are living among us today. Apollo, Mars, Aphrodite and the rest are just as they were in the old days: conceited, hedonistic, mostly amoral spoiled brats -- when ladies turn down Apollo's advances, for example, he turns them into trees. But they have only a limited amount of power left and are using it up quickly. They've adapted to modern times -- Aphrodite is a phone sex operator; Apollo has his own reality TV show. Most of them live in a filthy old house in London, and young Alice is hired as their house cleaner. Because of the bad behavior of the gods, Alice is doomed, along with the rest of the world, and a young man sets out to save them. It's light and silly, and it made me laugh out loud.

Ready for the main course? Hold onto your hat: "Last November I had a nightmare. It was 1924 and I was at Riverton again." Thus begins "The House at Riverton" by Kate Morton. It's no accident that it opens with an homage to "Rebecca." Morton admits in an end note that she wanted to recreate the feeling of a work by Daphne du Maurier, Kazuo Ishiguro or Evelyn Waugh. And she does.

Grace, our narrator, is 98 in 1999 and looks back over her life. She recounts becoming a servant in 1914 in the great British house at Riverton, where the butler irons the morning newspaper and keeps the family's secrets. As a servant, Grace is privy to all the family's activities, because they ignore the staff, and she witnesses the suicide of a famous poet one night at the mansion. In 1999 a producer is making a movie about that event, but Grace keeps insisting -- to us alone -- that what everyone "knows" happened that night is wrong. This book has many levels, and Morton's characters are anything but stick figures; they breathe and ache and find joy, and they are affected deeply by the Great War, the evolving society, and the changing roles of women and men.

I fell in love with this book early on -- the characters, the secrets, the details, the romance, the writing. Ahhh, the writing! Here's what happens after a sunset: "The shimmering crescent has disappeared, leaving the sky bereft: a clear, cold blue, lacerated by streaks of frosty white. The heath itself shivers in the sudden shadow, and in the distance a train sneaks through the valley fog, electric brakes moaning as it turns towards the village." Later, one very small, simple image just stopped me cold: Outside the nightclub, "she turned to thank him, and watched as the club's reflected name slid off his black cab as he disappeared into the night." Just lovely.

It's a deliciously long, old-fashioned novel --one of those you wrap yourself in and come away feeling as if you'd known the characters. It is a pretty extraordinary debut novel by this Australian writer. I think fans of "Upstairs, Downstairs," "Rebecca" and "Remains of the Day" will love it. Also, the talk of WWI aircraft and Bleriots reminds me of "Flambards." Someone is bound to turn it into a movie. Do yourself a huge favor and read it first.

For the follower of introspective literature, try a helping of "Salvage" by Jane F. Kotapish. This novel features a woman who talks to her dead sister in the closet, and her mother talks to saints. As the narrator, now 37, looks back on her childhood, she wrestles with her mother's possible insanity, as well as an ugly incident she witnessed on the New York City subway. The book explores memory, post-traumatic stress, imagination and obsession. This will never be made into a musical comedy, but it's very poetic writing: "My house and I are doing an odd tango, lurching and swaying in the act of knowing one another. I am trying to be patient. But there are moments when this sense of hovering in my own reality exhausts me, infuriates me. I keep waiting for an invitation of some kind to be issued, a passport to my own life to be stamped."

Time for dessert! When this one came in, I dropped everything else because I knew it would be great -- and it is! "Fearless Fourteen" by Janet Evanovich continues the adventures of New Jersey bond enforcement agent Stephanie Plum. One day, as Stephanie is cooking in Joe Morelli's kitchen, a "stocky man" runs out of the basement and out the back door. Who was that? Why are people breaking into Joe's house and digging in his yard? Joining the Plum party are a young computer geek, a 60-something rock star, an inept stalker, former hooker Lula with an extremely reluctant bridegroom, the gorgeous ex-Special Forces agent Ranger, assorted nasties, and of course, Grandma, who had me laughing so hard I could barely breathe. I just love it. It's a really satisfying balance of tense storyline and goofy fun with all the wacky characters in Stephanieland. It goes on sale June 17.

Finally, how about a thriller with your after-dinner coffee? "The Secret Scroll" by Ronald Cutler is a "Da Vinci Code"-like action-adventure. Hero Josh Cohan "sees" shadows near Jerusalem that lead him to a cave, where he digs up an artifact in a jar. It is a scroll written by Yehoshua ben Yosef two weeks before his death. Was this the Jesus of the Bible, discussing his feelings and his mission? There's a lot of violence, but there are also interesting discussions of the perverting of religion for private purposes. Although the book left a few things unexplained, several actions didn't seem plausible to me, and it really needed a proofreader, it's an intriguing blend of history, theology and fantasy. And the storyline makes me want to do some historical research of my own.

For a list of best-sellers and other book news, go to www.recordpub.com, click on "Lifetimes," and check out "One for the Books" online. Send news to Books@recordpub.com.

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BOOK NOTES,
One for the Books Extra Online Exclusives:

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Author Doris Lessing calls winning the Nobel Prize in 2007 a "bloody disaster," because she no longer has time to write, with all the interviews and such. Poor baby.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7393915.stm

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What did your mom read to you when you were little? In a recent contest, Book Reporter asked people what books they remember:

http://www.bookreporter.com/features/Mothers_Day_2008/contest.asp#winners

I didn't win, but my memory was of "The Polka-Dot Tots." It's out of print, and there may have been a longer title. But I vividly remember the brightly colored illustrations.

What books do you remember from childhood? Write to me at
Books@recordpub.com or at the Record-Courier.

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Nuala O'Faolain died May 10 in Dublin at the age of 68.

http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,,2279362,00.html

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From the New York Times: "As of now, Oxford University Press has no official plans to publish a new print edition of the Oxford English Dictionary."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/11/magazine/11wwln-medium-t.html?_r=2&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

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from Publishers Weekly

Seekers: The Quest Begins by Erin Hunter is the ninth pick by Al Roker in Al's Book Club on the NBC Today show.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/18179145/

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The 40th anniversary Best of the Bookers contest has announced a short list. The public is now able to vote for the best Booker prize winner of all time.

http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,,2279400,00.html

http://www.themanbookerprize.com/news/vote

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CBS Sunday Morning did a recent interesting piece on a former manure storage tank in Wisconsin that was turned into "a castle full of books."

http://youtube.com/watch?v=EDAtNgjTRgM

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Lawrence Hill has won the top Commonwealth Writers' Prize for a novel about a West African girl, sold into slavery in 18th-century South Carolina, who eventually returns home.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aw8ESrq7.vuU

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from Bloomberg.com:
"Pop a couple of Prozacs and sit back for a roundup of the scariest financial books on the market. It's gloom-and-doom season for purveyors of financial books, so pull out a can of beans from your ammo case in the bomb shelter and warm it up. You're going to need some nourishment. Book titles are getting scarier than an auction-rate security, with titles such as "Bad Money: Reckless Finance, Failed Politics, and the Global Crisis of American Capitalism' ... Other cheerful titles to get you stuffing your money in the mattress: "The Great Bu$t Ahead: The Greatest Depression in American & UK History Is Just Several Short Years Away'' and "`The Second Great Depression: Starting 2007, Ending 2020.' "

Find the complete article at:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&refer=columnist_antilla&sid=auM54NAIdlo0

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from Shelf Awareness -- The Children's Choice Book Awards winners have been announced by the Children's Book Council. Ian Falconer is illustrator of the year for OLIVIA HELPS WITH CHRISTMAS; J.K. Rowling is author of the year for HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS.
Other winners:
FRANKIE STEIN by Lola M. Schaefer, illustrated by Kevan Atteberry
BIG CATS by Elaine Landau
ENCYCLOPEDIA HORRIFICA by Joshua Gee

http://bookweekonline.com/index1.html

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According to Publishers Weekly, there will soon be three new "Dune" novels by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. The titles are "Jessica of Dune," "Irulan of Dune" and "Leto of Dune." Herbert, of course, is the son of original "Dune" author Frank Herbert. The two authors are also co-producers of the upcoming remake of the movie "Dune."
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Hey, Francophiles: Check out this Web site for "The Best Wine Bars and Shops of Paris," "The Patisseries of Paris" and much more!

http://www.littlebookroom.com/winebarsofparis.html#

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from Shelf Awareness -- new books coming out May 20:

The Front by Patricia Cornwell
Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk
A Time to Fight: Reclaiming a Fair and Just America by Jim Webb
Executive Privilege: A Novel by Phillip Margolin
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull by James Rollins
Moon Shell Beach: A Novel by Nancy Thayer
Blood Trail by C. J. Box
Hospital: Man, Woman, Birth, Death, Infinity, Plus Red Tape, Bad Behavior, Money, God and Diversity on Steroids by Julie Salamon
Odd Hours by Dean Koontz
The Answer: Grow Any Business, Achieve Financial Freedom, and Live an Extraordinary Life by John Assaraf and Murray Smith

Now in paperback:

The Diana Chronicles by Tina Brown

New Books Out May 27:

The Enchantress of Florence: A Novel by Salman Rushdie
Panic in Level 4: Cannibals, Killer Viruses, and Other Journeys to the Edge of Science by Richard Preston
Your Government Failed You: Breaking the Cycle of National Security Disasters by Richard A. Clarke
Black Out: A Novel by Lisa Unger
Blood Noir by Laurell K. Hamilton
Chasing Harry Winston: A Novel by Lauren Weisberger
The Reapers: A Thriller by John Connolly
Blue Smoke and Murder by Elizabeth Lowell
Shadow of Power: A Paul Madriani Novel by Steve Martini

Now in paperback:

High Noon by Nora Roberts
In the Woods by Tana French
Obsession by Karen Robards
Clapton: The Autobiography by Eric Clapton
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Publishers Weekly On-Sale Calendar for Comics, Graphic Novels:
May 14, 2008
Life Sucks (First Second)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Vol.2: No Future for You (Dark Horse)
Welcome to Tranquility Vol. 2 (DC/ Wildstorm)
Blood Plus Vol. 2 (Dark Horse)
This is as Bad as It Gets (Andrews McMeel Publishing)
Amazing Spider Girl Vol. 3: Mind Games (Marvel)
2 Guns (Boom! Entertainment)
Milk Teeth (Drawn & Quarterly)
Potential (Touchstone)
Aria Vol. 2 (Tokyopop)
Switch Vol. 2 (Viz Media)
Shoulder a Coffin Kuro Vol. 1 (Yen Press)
Kingdom of the Winds Vol. 1 (NetComics)
Toto: The Wonderful Adventure Vol. 1 (Del Ray Manga)
Kamisama Kazoku Vol. 1 (Go! Comics)

May 21 2008
Batman Vs. Two Face (DC)
Spider-Man Brand New Day Vol. 1 (Marvel)
Finding Peace (IDW Publishing)
What is It (Drawn & Quarterly)
Bottomless Belly Button (Fantagraphics)
No Pasaran Vol. 3 (NBM)
Sundome Vol. 2 (Yen Press)
Pendragon Vol. 1: The Merchant of Death (Simon & Schuster)
Haridama Magic Cram School Vol. 1 (Del Ray Manga)
Drafted Vol. 1 (Devils Due Publishing)
Daring Students Association Vol. 1 (Udon Entertainment)
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A $30 special edition of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" will be available Sept. 23 to mark the 10-year anniversary of the book's publication.

http://www.twincities.com/ci_9327126?nclick_check=1

Kids can check out the cover art with a moving magnifying glass, for some reason, at:

http://www.scholastic.com/harrypotter/books/covers/art1anniversary.htm

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Looking for a gift book for the graduate? Publishers Weekly offers a few suggestions:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6563328.html?nid=2788

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Publishers Weekly Religion Best-Sellers for May:
1. Mistaken Identity. Don & Susie Van Ryn and Newell, Colleen & Whitney Cerak.
2. Dead Heat. Joel C. Rosenberg.
3. The Promise: God's Purpose and Plan for When Life Hurts. Jonathan Morris.
4. The Open Road: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. Pico Iyer.
5. A Civilization of Love: What Every Catholic Can Do to Transform the World. Carl Anderson.
6. The Third Jesus. Deepak Chopra.
7. The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism. Timothy Keller.
8. Become a Better You. Joel Osteen.
9. Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires, the Respect he Desperately Needs. Emerson Eggerichs.
10. Walking with God: Talk to Him. Hear from Him. Really. John Eldredge.

Paperback
1. The Shack. William P. Young.
2. 90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life. Don Piper with Cecil Murphey.
3. The God Delusion. Richard Dawkins.
4. The Forbidden. Beverly Lewis.
5. The Five Love Languages. Gary Chapman.
6. Mere Christianity. C.S. Lewis.
7. Battlefield of the Mind. Joyce Meyer.
8. The Purpose-Driven Life. Rick Warren.
9. Someday (Sunrise Series, Baxter 3). Karen Kingsbury.
10. Dawn's Light. Terri Blackstock.
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from Publishers Weekly:
"First Lady Laura Bush's Read All About It!, written with daughter Jenna, now sits on bookstore shelves alongside several children's books written by Lynne Cheney, marking the first time that the wives of both an incumbent President and Vice-President have had picture book bestsellers. As Bush told the Today Show, her book, which is aimed at encouraging reluctant readers, is "based on stories of children that I taught that I used to tell Barbara and Jenna about when they were little girls."

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Les Roberts offers sneak peek at new Cleveland mystery novel

Les Roberts, the Cleveland-based mystery writer, has released the first three chapters of his forthcoming novel as a free download.

"King of the Holly Hop" will be the 14th book in the series featuring Cleveland private eye Milan Jacovich. It will be published in hardcover in June, 2008.

"Almost every day, readers call or email me asking when another Milan book will be coming out," Roberts said. "I'm glad I can finally show it to them."

Fans of the series have been waiting a long time for a new installment. The previous Milan Jacovich novel was published in 2002.

The new book centers around a murder at Milan's 40th high school reunion. When one former classmate is found shot to death and another becomes the main suspect, Milan takes on the unpleasant job of investigating old friends in search of the real killer.

The first three chapters of "King of the Holly Hop" can be downloaded for free at

http://www.grayco.com

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This fun blogger came up with the idea of a "literary mix tape." (Search for her May 14, 2008, entry.)

http://www.litminds.org/blog/

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from Publishers Weekly, here's a very sad report on the state of reading in America (entire text is from "Children's Bookshelf" newsletter):

"Imagine That! to Close Next Month
After 31 years, Imagine That! Children's Bookstore in Riverside, Calif., will close its doors at the end of June. According to co-owner Jennifer Christensen, who bought the store five years ago with her mother, Judy Christensen, a variety of factors went into the decision, including a drop-off in school business.

"Certainly the Internet and chains have impacted our school business," says Christensen, whose sales have also suffered from No Child Left Behind and the Accelerated Reader (AR) software used to quiz children on what they've read. "The concept of pleasure reading has gone away," says Christensen, adding that children in her area are reading for AR quizzes rather than for fun. On top of that, area high schools have cut back on reading assignments. Students are no longer required to read entire novels; instead they are assigned to read a chapter or two.

In addition, the tough economic climate has contributed to a downward slide that began before the Christensens purchased the store. Riverside has been particularly hard hit by the foreclosure crisis; a recent article in The Californian cited Riverside County as having one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country.

With Imagine That!'s lease up for renewal and continued price competition from nearby mass merchandisers and grocery stores like Costco and Ralphs, Christensen felt that she had no choice. The store has already begun a going out of business sale. "Judith Rosen
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Power 9 from 'The Blue Zones'

By The Associated Press
Dan Buettner's nine tips for longer life, from his book "The Blue Zones":
1. "Move Naturally. Be active without having to think about it."
2. "Hara Hachi Bu. Painlessly cut calories by 20 percent."
3. "Plant Slant. Avoid meat and processed food."
4. "Grapes of Life. Drink red wine (in moderation)."
5. "Purpose Now. Take time to see the big picture."
6. "Down Shift. Take time to relieve stress."
7. "Belong. Participate in a spiritual community."
8. "Loved Ones First. Make family a priority."
9. "Right Tribe. Be surrounded by those who share Blue Zone values."

Source: "The Blue Zones" by Dan Buettner.
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Here's a link to some more book news, articles from the AP wire that I picked out for you:

http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/3818042

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PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST-SELLERS

HARDCOVER FICTION
1. "The Host" by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown)
2. "Love the One You're With" by Emily Giffin (St. Martin's Press)
3. "Sundays at Tiffany's" by James Patterson, Gabrielle Charbonnet (Little, Brown)
4. "Star Wars: Legacy of the Force: Invincible" by Troy Denning (Del Rey)
5. "Phantom Prey" by John Sandford (Putnam)
6. "Swine Not?: A Novel Pig Tale" by Jimmy Buffett (Little, Brown)
7. "The Whole Truth" by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing)
8. "Careless in Red" by Elizabeth George (HarperCollins)
9. "Twenty Wishes" by Debbie Macomber (Mira)
10. "From Dead to Worse" by Charlaine Harris (Ace)
11. "Bright Shiny Morning" by James Frey (HarperCollins)
12. "Where Are You Now?" by Mary Higgins Clark (Simon & Schuster)
13. "The Steel Wave: A Novel of World War II" by Jeff Shaara (Ballantine)
14. "Unaccustomed Earth" by Jhumpa Lahiri (Knopf)
15. "Hold Tight" by Harlan Coben (Dutton Adult)

NONFICTION/GENERAL
1. "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch, Jeffrey Zaslow (Hyperion)
2. "Audition" by Barbara Walters (Knopf)
3. "Just Who Will You Be? Big Question. Little Book. Answer Within." by Maria Shriver (Hyperion)
4. "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne (Atria Books/Beyond Words)
5. "Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea" by Chelsea Handler (Simon Spotlight Entertainment)
6. "The Post-American World" by Fareed Zakaria (W.W. Norton)
7. "A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father" by Augusten Burroughs (St. Martin's Press)
8. "The South Beach Diet Supercharged: Faster Weight Loss and Better Health for Life" by Arthur Agatston and Joseph Signorile (Rodale Books)
9. "The Revolution: A Manifesto" by Ron Paul (Grand Central Publishing)
10. "Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs" by Elissa Wall (William Morrow)
11. "Debt Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About" by Kevin Trudeau (Equity Press)
12. "Ghosts Among Us: Uncovering the Truth About the Other Side" by James Van Praagh (HarperOne)
13. "The Downhill Lie: A Hacker's Return to a Ruinous Sport" by Carl Hiaasen (Knopf)
14. "Home: A Memoir of My Early Years" by Julie Andrews (Hyperion)
15. "Escape" by Carolyn Jessop, Laura Palmer (Broadway Books)

MASS MARKET PAPERBACKS
1. "The Hollow" by Nora Roberts (Jove)
2. "The Good Guy" by Dean Koontz (Bantam)
3. "Invisible Prey" by John Sandford (Berkley)
4. "Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Betrayal" by Eric Van Lustbader (Vision)
5. "Shoot Him if He Runs" by Stuart Woods (Signet)
6. "Simple Genius" by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing)
7. "Pandora's Daughter" by Iris Johansen (St. Martin's Press)
8. "The Woods" by Harlan Coben (Signet)
9. "Natural Born Charmer" by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Avon)
10. "Innocent as Sin" by Elizabeth Lowell (Avon)
11. "The Darkest Night: Lords of the Underworld" by Gena Showalter (HQN)
12. "Playing with Fire" by Katie MacAlister (Signet)
13. "Comanche Moon" by Catherine Anderson (Signet)
14. "Up Close and Dangerous" by Linda Howard (Ballantine)
15. "The Devil Who Tamed Her" by Johanna Lindsey (Pocket)

TRADE PAPERBACKS
1. "A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose" by Eckhart Tolle (Plume)
2. "The Shack" by William P. Young (Windblown Media)
3. "Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia" by Elizabeth Gilbert (Penguin)
4. "Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time" by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin (Penguin)
5. "The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment" by Eckhart Tolle (New World Library)
6. "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen (Algonquin)
7. "The Friday Night Knitting Club" by Kate Jacobs (Berkley)
8. "Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World" by Lisa Lillien (St. Martin's Griffin)
9. "Wicked Pleasure" by Lora Leigh (St. Martins Griffin)
10. "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini (Riverhead)
11. "Nineteen Minutes" by Jodi Picoult (Washington Square Press)
12. "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream" by Barack Obama (Three Rivers Press)
13. "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" by Kim Edwards (Penguin)
14. "What to Expect When You're Expecting" by Heidi Murkoff, Sharon Mazel (Workman Publishing Group)
15 "Skinny B----" by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin (Running Press)

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USA TODAY BEST-SELLERS

Key: F-Fiction; NF-Nonfiction; H-Hardcover; P-Paperback
1. "The Hollow" by Nora Roberts (Jove) (F-P)
2. "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch, Jeffrey Zaslow (Hyperion) (NF-H)
3. "Audition" by Barbara Walters (Knopf) (NF-H)
4. "The Host" by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown) (F-H)
5. "A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose" by Eckhart Tolle (Plume) (NF-P)
6. "The Battle of the Labyrinth: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 4" by Rick Riordan (Hyperion) (F-H)
7. "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown) (F-P)
8. "Love the One You're With" by Emily Giffin (St. Martin's Press) (F-H)
9. "The Good Guy" by Dean Koontz (Bantam) (F-P)
10. "Sundays at Tiffany's" by James Patterson, Gabrielle Charbonnet (Little, Brown) (F-H)
11. "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" by Dr. Seuss (Random House Books for Young Readers) (F-H)
12. "Phantom Prey" by John Sandford (Putnam) (F-H)
13. "New Moon" by Stephenie Meyer (Little Brown for Young Readers) (F-H)
14. "Star Wars: Legacy of the Force: Invincible" by Troy Denning (Del Rey) (F-H)
15. "The Shack" by William P. Young (Windblown Media) (F-P)
16. "Eclipse" by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown) (F-H)
17. "Swine Not?: A Novel Pig Tale" by Jimmy Buffett (Little, Brown) (F-H)
18. "Dylan: The Clique Summer Collection" by Lisi Harrison (Poppy) (F-P)
19. "Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia" by Elizabeth Gilbert (Penguin) (NF-P)
20. "Invisible Prey" by John Sandford (Berkley) (F-H)
21. "Three Cups Of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time" by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin (Penguin) (NF-P)
22. "The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment" by Eckhart Tolle (New World Library) (NF-P)
23. "Pandora's Daughter" by Iris Johansen (St. Martin's Press) (F-H)
24. "The Whole Truth" by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing) (F-H)
25. "The Devil Who Tamed Her" by Johanna Lindsey (Pocket) (F-P)
26. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules" by Jeff Kinney (Amulet) (F-H)
27. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney (Amulet) (F-H)
28. "Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World" by Lisa Lillien (St. Martin's Griffin) (NF-P)
29. "The Friday Night Knitting Club" by Kate Jacobs (Berkley) (F-P)
30. "Comanche Moon" by Catherine Anderson (Signet) (F-P)
31. "Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea" by Chelsea Handler (Simon Spotlight Entertainment) (NF-H)
32. "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne (Atria Books/Beyond Words) (NF-H)
33. "Shoot Him if He Runs" by Stuart Woods (Signet) (F-H)
34. "Eat This Not That!" by David Zinczenko, Matt Goulding (Rodale) (NF-H)
35. "Natural Born Charmer" by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Avon) (F-P)
36. "Twenty Wishes" by Debbie Macomber (Mira) (F-H)
37. "Just Who Will You Be? Big Question. Little Book. Answer Within." by Maria Shriver (Hyperion) (NF-H)
38. "Up Close and Dangerous" by Linda Howard (Ballantine) (F-P)
39. "Careless in Red" by Elizabeth George (HarperCollins) (F-H)
40. "Innocent as Sin" by Elizabeth Lowell (Avon) (F-P)
41. "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen (Algonquin) (F-P)
42. "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini (Riverhead) (F-P)
43. "Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Betrayal" by Eric Van Lustbader (Vision) (F-P)
44. "Bright Shiny Morning" by James Frey (HarperCollins) (F-H)
45. "A Wanted Man" by Linda Lael Miller (HQN) (F-H)
46. "Where Are You Now?" by Mary Higgins Clark (Simon & Schuster) (F-H)
47. "Simple Genius" by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing)(F-P)
48. "Naruto, Volume 29" by Masashi Kishimoto (Viz Media LLC) (F-P)
49. "The Post-American World" by Fareed Zakaria (W.W. Norton) (NF-H)
50. "Nineteen Minutes" by Jodi Picoult (Washington Square Press) (NF-P)
Reporting stores include: Amazon.com, B. Dalton Bookseller, Barnes & Noble.com, Barnes & Noble Inc., Books-A-Million and Bookland, Booksamillion.com, Borders Books & Music, Bookstar, Bookstop, Brentano's, Davis Kidd Booksellers in Nashville, Jackson, Memphis, Tenn., Doubleday Book Shops, Hudson Booksellers, Joseph-Beth Booksellers (Lexington, Ky.; Cincinnati, Cleveland), Powell's Books (Portland, Ore.), Powells.com, R.J. Julia Booksellers (Madison, Conn.), Schuler.

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WALL STREET JOURNAL BEST-SELLERS

FICTION
1. "The Host" by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown)
2. "Love the One You're With" by Emily Giffin (St. Martin's Press)
3. "Star Wars: Legacy of the Force: Invincible" by Troy Denning (Del Rey)
4. "Sundays at Tiffany's" by James Patterson, Gabrielle Charbonnet (Little, Brown)
5. "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown)
6. "Phantom Prey" by John Sandford (Putnam)
7. "New Moon" by Stephenie Meyer (Little Brown for Young Readers)
8. "Eclipse" by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown)
9. "Swine Not?: A Novel Pig Tale" by Jimmy Buffett (Little, Brown)
10. "The Miracle at Speedy Motors" by Alexander McCall Smith (Pantheon)
11. "The Whole Truth" by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing)
12. "Careless in Red" by Elizabeth George (HarperCollins)
13. "Bright Shiny Morning" by James Frey (HarperCollins)
14. "The Steel Wave: A Novel of World War II" by Jeff Shaara (Ballantine)
15. "From Dead to Worse" by Charlaine Harris (Ace)

NONFICTION
1. "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch, Jeffrey Zaslow (Hyperion)
2. "Audition" by Barbara Walters (Knopf)
3. "American Heroes: In the Fight Against Radical Islam" by Oliver North (B&H Books)
4. "The Post-American World" by Fareed Zakaria (W.W. Norton)
5. "Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea" by Chelsea Handler (Simon Spotlight Entertainment)
6. "Just Who Will You Be? Big Question. Little Book. Answer Within." by Maria Shriver (Hyperion)
7. "Ghosts Among Us: Uncovering the Truth About the Other Side" by James Van Praagh (HarperOne)
8. "StrengthsFinder 2.0" by Tom Rath (Gallup Press)
9. "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne (Atria Books/Beyond Words)
10. "The Revolution: A Manifesto" by Ron Paul (Grand Central Publishing)
11. "A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father" by Augusten Burroughs (St. Martin's Press)
12. "The South Beach Diet Supercharged: Faster Weight Loss and Better Health for Life" by Arthur Agatston and Joseph Signorile (Rodale Books)
13. "Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs" by Elissa Wall (William Morrow)
14. "Escape" by Carolyn Jessop, Laura Palmer (Broadway Books)
15. "The Downhill Lie: A Hacker's Return to a Ruinous Sport" by Carl Hiaasen (Knopf)
The Wall Street Journal's list reflects nationwide sales of hardcover books during the week ended last Saturday at more than 2,500 Barnes & Noble, B. Dalton, Bookland, Books-a-Million, Books & Co., Bookstar, Bookstop, Borders, Brentano's, Coles, Coopersmith, Doubleday, Scribners and Waldenbooks stores, as well as sales from online retailers Amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

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The following authors are making the media rounds, talking about their books:

--W. Bruce Cameron, 8 Simple Rules for Marrying My Daughter: And Other Reasonable Advice from the Father of the Bride (Not That Anyone Is Paying Attention)
--Kate Torgovnick, Cheer! Three Teams on a Quest for College Cheerleading's Ultimate Prize
--Mary Tillman, Boots on the Ground by Dusk: My Tribute to Pat Tillman
--Barbara Walters, Audition: A Memoir
--Henry Winkler, The Life of Me (Enter at Your Own Risk)
--Richard Zoglin, Comedy at the Edge: How Stand-up in the 1970s Changed America
--T.D. Thornton, Not by a Long Shot: A Season at a Hard Luck Horse Track
--Charles Osgood, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the White House: Humor, Blunders and Other Oddities from the Presidential Campaign Trail
--Mario Lopez, Mario Lopez's Knockout Fitness
--Jill Price, author of The Woman Who Can't Forget: The Extraordinary Story of Living with the Most Remarkable Memory Known to Science--A Memoir
--Nancy Yi Fan, author of Sword Quest
--Matt Taibbi, The Great Derangement: A Terrifying True Story of War, Politics, and Religion at the Twilight of the American Empire
--William Shatner, Up Till Now: The Autobiography
--John Harwood, co-author of Pennsylvania Avenue: Profiles in Backroom Power
--Jimmy Buffett, author of Swine Not?: A Novel
--James Frey, Bright Shiny Morning
--Masaharu Morimoto, Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking
--Roger Lowenstein, While America Aged: How Pension Debts Ruined General Motors, Stopped the NYC Subways, Bankrupted San Diego, and Loom as the Next Financial Crisis
--Brian L. Weiss, Many Lives, Many Masters
--Ted Bell, Nick of Time
-- Bill Moyers, Moyers on Democracy
--Jennifer Hooper McCarty, What Really Sank the Titanic: New Forensic Discoveries
--Ted Sorensen, Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History
--Siri Hustvedt, The Sorrows of an American
--Matt Taibbi, The Great Derangement: A Terrifying True Story of War, Politics, and Religion at the Twilight of the American Empire
--Mehmet Oz, YOU: The Owner's Manual, Updated and Expanded Edition: An Insider's Guide to the Body that Will Make You Healthier and Younger
--Douglas Feith, War and Decision: Inside the Pentagon at the Dawn of the War on Terrorism
--Sen. Harry Reid, The Good Fight
--Jerry Falwell's widow Macel Falwell, Jerry Falwell: His Life and Legacy
--Evan Handler, It's Only Temporary: The Good News and the Bad News of Being Alive
--Simon Winchester: The Man Who Loved china: The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom
--Aleksandar Hemon, The Lazarus Project
--Rabih Alameddine, The Hakawati
--Nam Le, The Boat
--Tony Danza, Don't Fill Up on the Antipasto: Tony Danza's Father-Son Cookbook
--Jason L. Riley, Let Them In: The Case for Open Borders
--Mark Bittman, How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food
--Elissa Wall, Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs
--John Harwood, co-author of Pennsylvania Avenue: Profiles in Backroom Power
--Elise Blackwell, The Unnatural History of Cypress Parish
--Ted Sorensen, Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History
--Tim Shorrock, Spies for Hire: The Secret World of Intelligence Outsourcing
--James Van Praagh, Ghosts Among Us: Uncovering the Truth About the Other Side
--Lincoln Hall, Dead Lucky: Life After Death on Mount Everest
--Rita Rudner, I Still Have It . . . I Just Can't Remember Where I Put It: Confessions of a Fiftysomething
--David Shields, The thing about life is that one day you'll be dead
--John Harwood and Gerald Seib, Pennsylvania Avenue: Profiles in Backroom Power
--Elissa Wall, Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs
--Gene Hackman, co-author with Daniel Lenihan of Escape from Andersonville: A Novel of the Civil War
--John Harwood, co-author of Pennsylvania Avenue: Profiles in Backroom Power
--Tony Danza, Don't Fill Up on the Antipasto: Tony Danza's Father-Son Cookbook,
--Jared Bernstein, Crunch: Why Do I Feel So Squeezed? (and Other Unsolved Economic Mysteries)
--Chef Mario Batali, Italian Grill
--Jeff Gordinier, X Saves the World: How Generation X Got the Shaft but Can Still Keep Everything from Sucking
--Paula Uruburu,American Eve: Evelyn Nesbit, Stanford White, The Birth of the "It" Girl and the Crime of the Century
--Grover Norquist, Leave Us Alone: Getting The Government's Hands Off Our Money, Our Guns, Our Lives
--Macel Falwell, Jerry Falwell: His Life and Legacy
--Susan Coll, author of Acceptance
--Robert Kagan, author of The Return of History and the End of Dreams
--Victor Wooten, author of The Music Lesson: A Spiritual Search for Growth Through Music
--Elissa Wall, author of Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs
--Senator Jim Webb, author of A Time to Fight: Reclaiming a Fair and Just America
--Michael Meyerson, author of Liberty's Blueprint: How Madison and Hamilton Wrote the Federalist Papers, Defined the Constitution, and Made Democracy Safe for the World
--Rachel Corrie, author of Let Me Stand Alone: The Journals of Rachel Corrie
--Murray, author of The Really Inconvenient Truths: Seven Environmental Catastrophes Liberals Don't Want You to Know About--Because They Helped Cause Them
-- Cokie Roberts, author of Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation
--Senator Chuck Hagel, author of America: Our Next Chapter
--Rajmohan Gandhi, author of Gandhi: The Man, His People, and the Empire
--Kevin Nealon, author of Yes, You're Pregnant, But What About Me?
--Simon Winchester, author of The Man Who Loved China: The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom
--Stella Saperstein, co-author of The Harmonious Child: Every Parent's Guide to Musical Instruments, Teachers, and Lessons
--Jill Price, author of The Woman Who Can't Forget: The Extraordinary Story of Living with the Most Remarkable Memory Known to Science--A Memoir
--Al Roker, author of Al Roker's Big Bad Book of Barbecue: 100 Easy Recipes for Backyard Barbecue and Grilling
--former U.S. Representative Mickey Edwards, author of Reclaiming Conservatism: How a Great American Political Movement Got Lost--And How It Can Find Its Way Back
--Nancy Snyderman, M.D., author of Medical Myths That Can Kill You: And the 101 Truths That Will Save, Extend, and Improve Your Life
--Howard Bahr, author of Pelican Road
--Alexandra Fuller, author of The Legend of Colton H. Bryant
--Arianna Huffington, author of Right Is Wrong: How the Lunatic Fringe Hijacked America, Shredded the Constitution, and Made Us All Less Safe
--Jesse Ventura, former wrestler and Governor of Minnesota whose new book with Dick Russell is Don't Start the Revolution Without Me!
--Jimmy Buffett, author of Swine Not?: A Novel
--Patricia Cornwell, The Front
--Tony Danza, Don't Fill Up on the Antipasto: Tony Danza's Father-Son Cookbook
--Benjamin Nugent, American Nerd: The Story of My People
--Bill McKibben, editor of American Earth: Environmental Writing Since Thoreau
--Lincoln Chafee, Against the Tide: How a Compliant Congress Empowered a Reckless President
--Fareed Zakaria, The Post-American World
--Rick Perlstein, author of Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America
--Mark Evanier, author of Kirby: King of Comics
--Honor Moore, author of The Bishop's Daughter: A Memoir
--Bruce Weigl, author of Declension in the Village of Chung Luong
--John Harwood, co-author of Pennsylvania Avenue: Profiles in Backroom Power
--Mary Atwell, author of Wretched Sisters: Examining Gender and Capital Punishment
--Alexandra Fuller, The Legend of Colton H. Bryant
--Sir Hilary Synnott, Bad Days in Basra: My Turbulent Time as Britain's Man in Southern Iraq
--M. Gigi Durham, author of The Lolita Effect: The Media Sexualization Young Girls and What We Can Do About It
--Mario Batali, author of Italian Grill
--David Benioff, author of City of Thieves
--Charles Cobb, author of On the Road to Freedom: A Guided Tour of the Civil Rights Trail
--Robert Creamer, author of Listen to Your Mother: Stand Up Straight!--How Progressives Can Win
--William Safire, author of Safire's Political Dictionary
--Matt Taibbi, author of The Great Derangement: A Terrifying True Story of War, Politics, & Religion at the Twilight of the American Empire
--Oliver North, author of American Heroes: In the Fight against Radical Islam
--Marie Brenner, Apples & Oranges: My Brother and Me, Lost and Found
--Andrew Blechman, Leisureville: Adventures in America's Retirement Utopias
--Jonathan Rieder, author of The Word of the Lord Is Upon Me: The Righteous Performance of Martin Luther King, Jr.
--Elizabeth Royte, Bottlemania: How Water Went on Sale and Why We Bought It
--Kit Hinrichs, co-author of 100 American Flags
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