Los Angeles Times bestsellers for Nov. 15, 2009
- Share via
| Fiction | Weeks on list | |
| 1. | The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (Doubleday: $25.99) Harvard professor Robert Langdon uses his symbology skills to find a missing Freemason in Washington, D.C. | 8 |
| 2. | Nine Dragons by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown : $27.99) An LAPD detective travels to Hong Kong to solve the murder of a Chinese immigrant. | 4 |
| 3. | The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Putnam: $24.95) The lives of a maid, a cook and a college graduate become intertwined while changing a Mississippi town. | 23 |
| 4. | Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving (Random House: $28) A father and son on the run in 1950s Northeast logging communities. | 1 |
| 5. | The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (Tor: $29.99) Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn, attempts to unite kingdoms and alliances in preparation for the Last Battle. | 2 |
| 6. | Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney (Amulet: $13.95) Greg desires to spend summer vacation indoors despite his mother’s wishes for outdoor family fun. | 4 |
| 7. | True Blue by David Baldacci (Grand Central: $27.99) After being framed for a crime, a cop must break a case to prove worthy of the badge again. | 1 |
| 8. | Blood’s a Rover by James Ellroy (Knopf : $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 |
| 9. | The Humbling by Philip Roth (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt: $22) A washed-up stage actor is rejuvenated when he begins an erotic affair with a younger woman. | 2 |
| 10. | Pursuit of Honor by Vince Flynn (Atria: $27.99) Two counterterrorism operatives deal with the fallout from a deadly terrorist attack. | 4 |
| 11. | Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (Henry Holt: $27) The rise of Henry VIII’s advisor Thomas Cromwell. | 1 |
| 12. | Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Roderick Rules by Jeff Kinney (Amulet : $12.95) Greg navigates middle school while trying to keep his brother from revealing a secret. | 1 |
| 13. | The Book of Genesis Illustrated by R. Crumb (W.W. Norton: $24.95) Graphic depictions from all 50 chapters of the first book of the Bible. | 3 |
| 14. | Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney (Amulet: $12.95) Greg’s dad enlists him in sports to toughen him up. | 30 |
| 15. | Chronic City by Jonathan Lethem (Doubleday: $27.95) New Yorkers try to find meaning in their superficial lives | 2 |
| Nonfiction | ||
| 1. | What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell (Little, Brown: $27.99) A collection of the author’s writings of everyday and extraordinary people. | 2 |
| 2. | SuperFreakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (William Morrow: $29.99) More funny, informative facts and questions to ponder. | 3 |
| 3. | Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell (Little, Brown: $27.99) An exploration of the background of high achievers. | 49 |
| 4. | Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom (Hyperion: $23.99) Albom’s observations of a rabbi and a pastor on an eight-year journey of faith. | 6 |
| 5. | Manhood for Amateurs by Michael Chabon (Harper: $26.99) A collection of autobiographical essays reflecting on what it means to be a man and father. | 4 |
| 6. | Zeitoun by Dave Eggers (McSweeney’s: $24) The disappearance of a Syrian American father and good Samaritan in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. | 13 |
| 7. | The Book of Basketball by Bill Simmons (ESPN: $30) An encyclopedia of all you need to know about the NBA. | 2 |
| 8. | L.A. Noir by John Buntin (Harmony: $26) Gangster Mickey Cohen and LAPD Chief William Parker battle for control in midcentury Los Angeles. | 8 |
| 9. | Save the Deli by David Sax (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt : $24) The history behind and search for the best delis across America. | 1 |
| 10. | Knockout by Suzanne Somers (Crown: $25.99) Interviews with innovative cancer doctors. | 2 |
| 11. | Too Big to Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin (Viking: $32.95) A behind-the-scenes account of the players behind America’s financial crisis. | 2 |
| 12. | Just Who Will You Be? by Maria Shriver (Hyperion: $14.95) Ask who, not what, you want to be. | 13 |
| 13. | Arguing With Idiots by Glenn Beck (Threshold Editions: $29.99) Secrets for winning arguments with small-minded people. | 5 |
| 14. | Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer (Doubleday: $27.95) A chronicle of Pat Tillman, the NFL star turned Army Ranger whose death in Afghanistan stunned the power structure. | 7 |
| 15. | A Bright and Guilty Place by Richard Rayner (Doubleday: $25) The sagas of an ambitious young lawyer, a prime suspect in a mob murder and a police photographer paint a picture of early 20th century Los Angeles. | 11 |
The biggest entertainment stories
Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
