TheBestseller
Observatory

Best Sellers

Hardcover Fiction

Week of May 25, 2008

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1
NEW
THE HOST
Stephenie Meyer
Cover of THE HOST

THE HOST

by Stephenie Meyer · Little, Brown

2 wks at #1 · 1 on list

The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of their human hosts while leaving their bodies intact, and most of humanity has succumbed. But Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind. Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of the man Melanie loves--Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer yearns for a man she's never met. As outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off to search for the man they both love.--From publisher description.

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SUNDAYS AT TIFFANY’S
James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet
Cover of SUNDAYS AT TIFFANY’S

SUNDAYS AT TIFFANY’S

by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet · Little, Brown

2 wks on list

The number one bestselling author shows his sensitive side in his heartwarming new romantic novel. Jane was a sweet, funny, chubby seven-year-old, desperately seeking love from her self-obsessed mother, Vivienne, and a father who was wrapped up in a new life with his beautiful young girlfriend. Jane's only friend was handsome, funny, thirty-something Michael. Michael was different; no one else could see him, nor did they believe he existed beyond the realms of Jane's very creative imagination. They would talk from morning until night. As Jane grew older though, the time came for Michael to leave Jane's side. Jane couldn't forget him though. Over twenty years since Michael said goodbye, Jane catches a glimpse of that unforgotten face, her heart pounding, she can't believe it is true - could it really be Michael? This time though Michael isn't just a figment of her imagination. But will the path of true love be a smooth one? And will Jane get her happy ever after? Sundays at Tiffany's is a heart-warming romance about a girl who until now has lived her life on the sidelines, about what it feels like to fall in love, a tale of soulmates.

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NEW
PHANTOM PREY
John Sandford
Cover of PHANTOM PREY

PHANTOM PREY

by John Sandford · Putnam

1 wks on list

Terrified by her daughter's disappearance and the signs of a deadly struggle in their home, a widow implores Lucas Davanport to use his connections to expedite the investigation, which subsequently reveals the work of a serial killer.

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THE WHOLE TRUTH
David Baldacci
Cover of THE WHOLE TRUTH

THE WHOLE TRUTH

by David Baldacci · Grand Central

3 wks on list

A powerful defense contractor, a reluctant intelligence agent, and an ambitious journalist race to contain and control an international crisis that could destroy the world in this #1 New York Times bestselling thriller. "Dick, I need a war." Nicolas Creel is a man on a mission. He heads the world's largest defense contractor, The Ares Corporation. Dick Pender is the man Creel retains to "perception manage" his company to even more riches by manipulating international conflicts. But Creel may have an even grander plan in mind. Shaw, a man with no first name and a truly unique past, has a different agenda. Reluctantly doing the bidding of a secret multi-national intelligence agency, he travels the globe to keep it safe and at peace. Desperate to get back to the top of her profession, Katie James gets the break of a lifetime: the chance to interview the sole survivor of a massacre that has left every nation stunned. In David Baldacci's first international thriller, these characters face a catastrophic threat that could change the world as we know it.

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FROM DEAD TO WORSE
Charlaine Harris
Cover of FROM DEAD TO WORSE

FROM DEAD TO WORSE

by Charlaine Harris · ACE

1 wks on list

Psychic cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse finds herself in the middle of big trouble of the supernatural kind in this novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series—the inspiration for the HBO® original series True Blood. After the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina, and the manmade horror of the explosion at the vampire summit, Sookie Stackhouse is safe but dazed, yearning for things to get back to normal. But her boyfriend Quinn is among the missing. And things are changing, whether the Weres and vamps in her corner of Louisiana like it or not. In the ensuing battles, Sookie faces danger, death...and once more, betrayal by someone she loves. And when the fur has finished flying and the cold blood ceases flowing, her world will be forever altered...

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TWENTY WISHES
Debbie Macomber
Cover of TWENTY WISHES

TWENTY WISHES

by Debbie Macomber · Mira

2 wks on list

Thirty-eight-year-old widow Anne Marie Roche, the owner of a successful Seattle bookstore, creates a list of twenty wishes, and, while acting upon her wishes, encounters an eight-year-old girl named Ellen who helps her complete her list--with unexpected results.

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WHERE ARE YOU NOW?
Mary Higgins Clark
Cover of WHERE ARE YOU NOW?

WHERE ARE YOU NOW?

by Mary Higgins Clark · Simon & Schuster

5 wks on list

How far would you go to keep a secret? It has been ten years since 21-year-old Mack went missing. A Columbia University senior, he walked out of his room and has not been seen since. Every year he calls his mother on her birthday, on his birthday, and on Mother's Day. He assures her he is fine, refuses to answer her frenzied questions, then hangs up. Even the death of his father on 9/11 does not bring him home. Mack's sister, Caroline, has now endured two family tragedies. Determined to solve the mystery surrounding her brother's disappearance, she sets out to discover the truth. But with it comes a secret that someone will do anything to protect, leading her to a deadly confrontation with an unexpected enemy…

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UNACCUSTOMED EARTH
Jhumpa Lahiri
Cover of UNACCUSTOMED EARTH

UNACCUSTOMED EARTH

by Jhumpa Lahiri · Knopf

6 wks on list

The Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Namesake has written eight superbly crafted short stories.

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THE MIRACLE AT SPEEDY MOTORS
Alexander McCall Smith
Cover of THE MIRACLE AT SPEEDY MOTORS

THE MIRACLE AT SPEEDY MOTORS

by Alexander McCall Smith · Pantheon

4 wks on list

Fans around the world adore the bestselling No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series and its proprietor, Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s premier lady detective. In this charming series, Mma Ramotswe—with help from her loyal associate, Grace Makutsi—navigates her cases and her personal life with wisdom, good humor, and the occasional cup of tea. Under the endless skies of Botswana, there is always something Mma Ramotswe can do to help someone and here she finds herself assisting a woman looking for her family. The problem is the woman doesn't know her real name or whether any of her family members are still alive. Meanwhile, Mma Makutsi is the recipient of a beautiful new bed that causes more than a few sleepless nights. And, at Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni has come under the influence of a doctor promising a miracle cure for his daughter's medical condition, which Mma Ramotswe finds hard to accept. Nonetheless, Precious Ramotswe handles these things in her usual compassionate and good-natured way, while always finding time for a cup of red bush tea.

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HOLD TIGHT
Harlan Coben
Cover of HOLD TIGHT

HOLD TIGHT

by Harlan Coben · Dutton

4 wks on list

NOW A NETFLIX SERIES! The bestselling author and creator of the hit Netflix dramas Stay Close and The Stranger delivers a #1 New York Times bestseller that asks how well parents really know their children—and puts them on a technological roller coaster of their worst fears. “We’re losing him.” With those words, Mike and Tia Baye decide to spy on their sixteen-year-old son Adam, who has become increasingly moody and withdrawn since the suicide of his best friend. The software they install on his computer shows them every Web site visited, every e-mail sent or received, every instant message. And each keystroke draws them deeper and deeper into a maze of mayhem and violence that could destroy them all....

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CHILD 44
Tom Rob Smith
Cover of CHILD 44

CHILD 44

by Tom Rob Smith · Grand Central

2 wks on list

A serial killer challenges rising Soviet State Security force officer Leo Demidov's beliefs about the paradise of the working world, resulting in Leo's demotion and threats against the lives of his family members.

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THE APPEAL
John Grisham
Cover of THE APPEAL

THE APPEAL

by John Grisham · Doubleday

15 wks on list

In Grishams first legal thriller since "The Broker," justice is for sale--andonly the rich can afford it.

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CERTAIN GIRLS
Jennifer Weiner
Cover of CERTAIN GIRLS

CERTAIN GIRLS

by Jennifer Weiner · Atria

5 wks on list

Cannie Shapiro returns in the acclaimed novel from the author of Good in Bed,All Fall Downand the forthcoming Who Do You Love! It's been almost thirteen years since we last saw Cannie Shapiro, the heroine of Good in Bed, whose journey towards happy-ever-after made millions of women the world over laugh, cry and recognise themselves. The last decade of Cannie's life has brought some surprises. Her life story, in fictional form, became an unexpected bestseller, and Cannie has since retreated from fame's fallout, writing science-fiction under a pen name and praying that all her daughter inherited from her father, Cannie's ex-boyfriend Bruce Guberman, are her curls and her eye-colour, and not his predilection for smoking pot. Meanwhile Cannie's best friend, Samantha, is looking for love in all the wrong places, and Cannie's husband, Peter, has decided that he'd like to have a baby, and the family's first choice for a surrogate is none other than Cannie's flamboyant kid sister ...

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NEW
SKELETONS AT THE FEAST
Chris Bohjalian
Cover of SKELETONS AT THE FEAST

SKELETONS AT THE FEAST

by Chris Bohjalian · Shaye Areheart

In January 1945, in the waning months of World War II, a small group of people begin the longest journey of their lives: an attempt to cross the remnants of the Third Reich to reach the British and American lines. Among the group is 18-year-old Anna Emmerich, the daughter of Prussian aristocrats. There is her lover, Callum Finnella, a young Scottish prisoner of war who has been brought from the stalag to her family's farm as forced labour. And there is the intriguing Wehrmacht corporal whom the pair know as Manfred - who is, in reality, Uri Singer, a Jew from Germany who managed a daring escape from a train bound for Auschwitz. As they work their way west, they encounter a countryside ravaged by war. Their flight will test both Anna's and Callum's love, as well as their friendship with Manfred - assuming any of them even survive. Skilfully capturing the flesh and blood of history, Bohjalian has crafted a rich tapestry that puts a face on one of the 20th century's greatest tragedies - while creating a masterpiece that will haunt readers for generations.

Historical bestseller data sourced from the New York Times Book Review, archived by Hawes Publications.