Fiction

1. “The Broker,” by John Grisham (Doubleday, $27.95) The C.I.A. arranges a presidential pardon for a power broker who may know crucial secrets, laying a trap for the foreign intelligence service that wants him dead.

2. “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.

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. “State of Fear,” by Michael Crichton (HarperCollins, $27.95). Reverse eco-terrorists create natural disasters to convince the public that global warming is real.

5. “Chainfire,” by Terry Goodkind (Tor/Tom Doherty, $29.95). The 10th volume of the “Sword of Truth” fantasy series.

Nonfiction

1. “Witness,” by Amber Frey (ReganBooks/HarperCollins, $25.95). A memoir by the California massage therapist who testified for the prosecution in the murder trial of Scott Peterson.

2. “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.

3. “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.

4. “Collapse,” by Jared Diamond (Viking, $29.95). A historical investigation, by the author of “Guns, Germs, and Steel,” into why some societies succeed while others fail.

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

Advice, how-to

and miscellaneous

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

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

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. “French Women Don’t Get Fat,” by Mireille Guiliano (Knopf, $22). The secrets of French women, who enjoy food and wine while staying slim.

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

— The New York Times