Fiction

1. “Lifeguard,” by James Patterson and Andrew Gross (Little, Brown, $26.95). Things go terribly awry when a lifeguard at a Florida resort agrees to take part in a $5 million heist.

2. “The Historian,” by Elizabeth Kostova (Little, Brown, $25.95). A young woman’s quest to learn the truth about her father’s life and her mother’s death involves research into Vlad the Impaler and Dracula.

3. “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.

4. “The Interruption of Everything,” by Terry McMillan (Viking, $25.95). At the age of 44, an unhappily married California woman discovers she’s pregnant.

5. “Until I Find You,” by John Irving (Random House, $27.95). Tracing the experiences of a movie star named Jack Burns, whose life has revolved around his relationships with older girls and older women.

Nonfiction

1. “1776,” by David McCullough (Simon & Schuster, $32). An account of America’s founding year by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author, focusing on the inexperienced George Washington and heroic citizen soldiers.

2. “100 People Who Are Screwing Up America,” by Bernard Goldberg (HarperCollins, $25.95). The author of “Bias” takes aim at “Hollywood blowhards,” “America bashers,” rappers and others.

3. “The World is Flat,” by Thomas L. Friedman (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $27.50). A columnist for The New York Times analyzes 21st-century economics and foreign policy.

4. “Freakonomics,” by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (Morrow, $25.95). A maverick scholar applies economic thinking to everything from sumo wrestlers who cheat to legalized abortion.

5. “Blink,” by Malcolm Gladwell (Little, Brown, $25.95). The author of “The Tipping Point” explores the importance of hunch and instinct to the workings of the mind.

Advice

1. “Natural Cures ‘They’ Don’t Want You to Know About,” by Kevin Trudeau (Alliance Publishing Group, $29.95). Remedies that do not include drugs or surgery.

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

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

4. “You: The Owner’s Manual,” by Michael F. Roizen and Mehmet C. Oz (HarperResource, $24.95). A guide to how the body works, and advice on maintaining health and youth.

5. “The 3-Hour Diet,” by Jorge Cruise. (HarperCollins, $24.95.) Reset your metabolism by eating frequently.

– The New York Times