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. “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.

3. “The Big Bad Wolf,” by James Patterson (Little, Brown, $27.95). After joining the F.B.I., Alex Cross must contend with numerous brazen kidnappings and a ruthless criminal known as the Wolf.

4. “Trojan Odyssey,” by Clive Cussler (Putnam, $27.95). Dirk Pitt and his two grown children investigate oceanic mysteries off the coast of Nicaragua.

5. “The Dark Tower: Volumes 1-5,” by Stephen King (Viking and Donald M. Grant/Scribner, various prices). The tale of a mysterious gunslinger, Roland Deschain, and his quest for the nexus of all space and time.

Nonfiction

1. “Who’s Looking Out For You?” by Bill O’Reilly (Broadway, $24.95). The host of “The O’Reilly Factor” attacks those individuals and institutions that he believes have let down the American people.

2. “Flyboys,” by James Bradley (Little, Brown, $25.95). An account of eight American airmen who were shot down and captured by the Japanese in World War II.

3. “Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them,” by Al Franken (Dutton, $24.95). A satirical critique of the rhetoric of right-wing pundits and politicians.

4. “Dude, Where’s My Country?” by Michael Moore (Warner, $24.95). The author of “Stupid White Men” calls for “regime change” in Washington.

5. “America 24/7,” created by Rick Smolan and David Elliot Cohen (DK Publishing, $50). A collection of photographs that depict one week (May 12-18, 2003) in the life of the United States.

Advice, how-to and miscellaneous

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

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

3. “The World According to Mister Rogers,” by Fred Rogers. (Hyperion, $16.95). Inspirational words from the TV personality, who died this year.

4. “Guinness World Records 2004” (Guinness, $27.95). A profusely illustrated collection of records about subjects as various as sports and technology.

5. “The Present,” by Spencer Johnson (Doubleday, $19.95). An inspirational parable about the search for happiness, by the author of “Who Moved My Cheese?”

— The New York Times