Fiction

1. “The Da Vinci Code,” by Dan Brown (Doubleday, $24.95). The murder of a curator at the Louvre leads to a trail of clues found in the work of Leonardo and to the discovery of a centuries-old secret society.

2. “London Bridges,” by James Patterson (Little, Brown, $27.95). The F.B.I. agent Alex Cross contends with two deadly enemies: the supercriminal known as the Wolf and the assassin known as the Weasel.

3. “The Five People You Meet in Heaven,” by Mitch Albom (Hyperion, $19.95). An old man who died while trying to rescue a little girl from danger discovers that all will be explained to him in the afterlife.

4. “I Am Charlotte Simmons,” by Tom Wolfe (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $28.95). A very smart, very innocent freshman from the Blue Ridge Mountains is amazed by what she finds at a prestigious university.

5. “Hour Game,” by David Baldacci (Warner, $26.95). Two private investigators hunt for a murderer who duplicates the methods of notorious serial killer.

Nonfiction

1. “America (The Book),” by Jon Stewart, Ben Karlin and David Javerbaum (Warner, $24.95). “The Daily Show” offers a lavishly illustrated parody of a civics textbook.

2. “Learning to Sing,” by Clay Aiken with Allison Glock (Random House, $21.95). An “inspirational memoir” by the “American Idol” runner-up in 2003

3. “When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?” by George Carlin (Hyperion, $23.95). Another volume of observations and opinions from the stand-up comedian.

4. “His Excellency,” by Joseph J. Ellis (Knopf, $26.95). A biography of George Washington, by the author of ”Founding Brothers.”

5. “How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must),” by Ann Coulter (Crown Forum, $26.95). A collection of the columnist’s writing about what’s wrong with liberals.

Advice and miscellaneous

1. “The Purpose-Driven Life,” by Rick Warren (Zondervan, $19.99). Finding the meaning of life through God.

2. “The Perricone Promise,” by Nicholas Perricone (Warner, $27.95). A guide to looking younger and living longer.

3. “He’s Just Not That Into You,” by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo (Simon Spotlight Entertainment, $19.95). How a woman can tell if a relationship is going nowhere.

4. “Your Best Life Now,” by Joel Osteen (Warner Faith, $19.99). A faith-based approach to living with enthusiasm.

5. “The South Beach Diet,” by Arthur Agatston (Rodale, $24.95). A weight-loss plan designed by a Miami cardiologist.

— The New York Times