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The New York Times Bestseller List
October 12th, 2008

Hardcover Fiction

1. THE LUCKY ONE, by Nicholas Sparks.  A marine returning home sets out to find the woman whose photo he found in Iraq.
2. THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE, by David Wroblewski. A mute takes refuge with three dogs in the Wisconsin woods after his father’s death.
3. ONE FIFTH AVENUE, by Candace Bushnell.  The worlds of gossip, theater and hedge funds have one address in common.
4. HEAT LIGHTNING, by John Sandford. Virgil Flowers investigates murder cases linked by a lemon in the mouth of each victim.
5. TSAR, by Ted Bell.  The Kremlin has a brutal killer working for it in America.

Hardcover Nonfiction

1. THE SNOWBALL, by Alice Schroeder.  The life of Warren Buffett.
2. DEWEY, by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter. The kitten left freezing in the returned-book slot of an Iowa public library, and his rise to fame.
3. HOT, FLAT, AND CROWDED, by Thomas L. Friedman. How a green revolution can renew America, by the New York Times columnist.
4. A BOLD FRESH PIECE OF HUMANITY, by Bill O’Reilly.  The Fox News commentator on his upbringing and career.
5. THE LIMITS OF POWER, by Andrew Bacevich.  A retired Army colonel argues that Americans themselves are responsible for the country’s woes.

Paperback Trade Fiction

1. THE SHACK, by William P. Young. A man whose daughter was abducted is invited to an isolated shack, apparently by God.
2. THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES, by Sue Monk Kidd.  In South Carolina in 1964, a teenage girl tries to discover the secret to her mother’s past.
3. THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO, by Junot Díaz. A nerdy Dominican-­American struggles to escape a family curse.
4. NIGHTS IN RODANTHE, by Nicholas Sparks.  Romance ignites between a middle-aged man and woman at a North Carolina inn.
5. THE CHOICE, by Nicholas Sparks. How a North Carolina man’s decisions about love and death play out in his life.

Paperback Mass-Market Fiction

1. MR. CAVENDISH, I PRESUME, by Julia Quinn.  A duke falls for the woman to whom his engagement was arranged long ago, then learns he may not be a duke — and thus not have a right to her hand.
2. DOUBLE CROSS, by James Patterson.  Alex Cross and his new girlfriend, a police detective, confront a boastful Washington killer.
3. SEDUCE ME AT SUNRISE, by Lisa Kleypas. A handsome Gypsy must decide whether to give in to an unquenched desire.
4. NIGHTS IN RODANTHE, by Nicholas Sparks.  Romance ignites between a middle-aged man and woman at a North Carolina inn.
5. COLLATERAL DAMAGE, by Fern Michaels.  The Sisterhood tracks a hacker who has stolen a secret list of political fund-raisers’ names.

Paperback Non-Fiction

1. THREE CUPS OF TEA, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. A former climber builds schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
2. EAT, PRAY, LOVE, by Elizabeth Gilbert. A writer’s yearlong journey in search of self takes her to Italy, India and Indonesia.
3. THE AUDACITY OF HOPE, by Barack Obama. The Illinois senator asks Americans to move beyond political divisions.
4. DREAMS FROM MY FATHER, by Barack Obama. The senator on life as the son of a black African father and a white American mother.
5. SARAH, by Kaylene Johnson. The career of Sarah Palin, the Alaska governor and Republican vice presidential nominee.

Hardcover Advice

1. THE LAST LECTURE, by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow. After learning he has terminal cancer, a Carnegie Mellon professor shares his thoughts on the importance of “seizing every moment.”
2. GIADA’S KITCHEN, by Giada De Laurentiis. A collection of 100 Italian recipes with a California twist.
3. GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS 2009, edited by Craig Glenday. Tallest, fastest, youngest, most.
4. THE SECRET, by Rhonda Byrne. The law of attraction as a key to getting what you want.
5. BEFORE YOU DO, by T. D. Jakes.  How your choices affect your relationships, marriage and family.

Paperback Advice

1. THE LOVE DARE, by Stephen Kendrick and Alex Kendrick.  A 40-day challenge for spouses to practice unconditional love.
2. A NEW EARTH, by Eckhart Tolle. A spiritual teacher prescribes letting go of the ego to help end conflict and suffering.
3. SKINNY BITCH, by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. Vegan diet advice from the world of modeling.
4. WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING, by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel.  Advice for parents-to-be.
5. THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES, by Gary Chapman.  How to communicate love in a way a spouse will understand.

Children’s Picture Books

1. BIG WORDS FOR LITTLE PEOPLE, by Jamie Lee Curtis. Illustrated by Laura Cornell.  A boisterous family improves its vocabulary, and its relationships. (Ages 4 to 8 )
2. TEA FOR RUBY, by Sarah Ferguson. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser.  A clumsy girl learns table manners before meeting the “queen.” (Ages 4 to
3. ON A SCARY SCARY NIGHT, by Walter Wick.  Can you see what I see? Picture puzzles. (Ages 4 to 8 )
4. GALLOP!, written and illustrated by Rufus Butler Seder.  Animals seem to move when you flip the page. (Ages 4 to 8 )
5. WE THE PEOPLE, by Lynne Cheney. Illustrated by Greg Harlin. The story of the Constitution. (Ages 5 to 10 )

Children’s Chapter Books

1. THE GRAVEYARD BOOK, by Neil Gaiman. Illustrated by Dave McKean.  To avoid a killer, a boy lives in a cemetery. (Ages 10 and up)
2. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney. The travails of adolescence, in cartoons. (Ages 9 to 12)
3. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES, written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney. How Greg embarrassed himself on his summer vacation (ask his older brother, Rodrick); a sequel to “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.” (Ages 9 to 12)
4. THE MAZE OF BONES, by Rick Riordan.  A brother and sister hunt for the source of their family’s power; Book 1 of a new series, “The 39 Clues.” (Ages 12 and up)
5. NATION, by Terry Pratchett. Two young survivors of a tsunami slowly forge a new society. (Ages 12 and up)

Children’s Paperback Books

1. THE BOOK THIEF, by Markus Zusak. A girl saves books from Nazi burning and shares them with a Jewish man in hiding. (Ages 14 and up)
2. THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX, by Kate DiCamillo. Illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering. A mouse, a rat and a girl on a magic trip. (Ages 10 and up)
3. THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY, by Trenton Lee Stewart. Illustrated by Carson Ellis. Gifted kids on a mission. (Ages 9 to 12)
4. RULES, by Cynthia Lord. The challenges and rewards of life with an autistic brother. (Ages 9 to 12)
   
5. THE ALCHEMYST, by Michael Scott.  Twins must help an immortal alchemist protect his book of spells from an evil sorcerer. (Ages 12 and up)

Children’s Series Books

1. THE TWILIGHT SERIES, by Stephenie Meyer. Vampires and werewolves in high school. (Ages 12 and up)
2. INHERITANCE, by Christopher Paolini. A teenager and his dragon learn the secrets of a fantasy world. (Ages 12 and up)
3. HOUSE OF NIGHT, by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast. Vampires in school. (Ages 14 and up)
4. INKHEART, by Cornelia Funke. The characters of a book come to life and ensnare its readers. (Ages 10 and up)
5. IF YOU GIVE . . ., by Laura Numeroff. Illustrated by Felicia Bond.  Fun with cause and effect. (Ages 4 to

Source: The New York Times Best Seller List

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