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Jon Stewart tops the Oct. 10 L.A. Times bestseller list

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The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Daniel Okrent
www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Rally to Restore Sanity

This week, talk show host Jon Stewart and ‘The Daily Show’ enter the nonfiction bestseller list with ‘Earth: A Visitors Guide to the Human Race’ at No. 1. Stewart’s show, of course, is an intelligent, satiric take on the daily news. Like his colleague Steven Colbert, he often brings authors on his show; above, in an episode from July, journalist Daniel Okrent talks about his book ‘Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition.’ This is the second book from Stewart and his team; like 2006’s ‘America: The Book,’ this one promises that it includes ‘lots of color photos, graphs and charts.’ In other words, lots of satire, not too much reading strain. Stewart has eight Emmys; so far, the Pulitzer has eluded him. But give him time.

The extended hardcover and paperback bestseller lists for Oct. 10 are after the jump. Rankings are based on a weekly poll of 130 Southern California bookstores and chain results.

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-- Carolyn Kellogg

Hardcover Fiction Bestsellers
Place Book Weeks on list
1 Freedom by Jonathan Franzen (Farrar, Straus & Giroux: $28) The breakdown of a Mid-Western family. 5
2 Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks (Grand Central: $25.99) A mysterious woman finds love in a small N.C. town. 2
3 The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson (Knopf: $27.95) The highly anticipated final book of the ‘Millennium Trilogy.’ 19
4 Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic: $17.99) No one is safe in the final installment of The Hunger Games trilogy. 6
5 Room by Emma Donoghue (Little, Brown: $24.99) A 5-year-old boy narrates his life in a 12x12 room. 2
6 Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic: $17.99) In a post-apocalyptic future, kids are forced to fight in gladiator-like matches to the death. 20
7 The Fall by Guillermo del Toro (Morrow: $26.99) A vampiric plague threatens to take over the rest of the world in book two of ‘The Strain’ trilogy. 1
8 The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Putnam: $24.95) The Southern lives of a maid, cook and college graduate intertwine. 70
9 This Isn’t What it Looks Like by Pseudonymous Bosch (Little, Brown: $16.99) Clues and secrets are uncovered in a medieval world. 1
10 Twelfth Grade Kills by Heather Brewer (Dutton: $16.99) Teenage vampire Vlad deals with the pressures of senior year while eluding a slayer. 1
11 Bad Blood by John Sandford (Putnam: $27.95) A suspicious suicide leads Virgil Flowers to a series of monstrous crimes. 1
12 My Hollywood by Mona Simpson (Knopf: $26.95) The relationship between a TV writer’s wife and her Filipina nanny. 6
13 The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender (Doubleday: $25.95) Rose Edelstein’s gift of taste is bittersweet. 16
14 Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart (Random House: $26) A satirical, twisted, futuristic love story. 9
15 Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger (Atria: $25.99) A marriage strains under the spotlight of celebrity. 6
16 Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella (Dial: $25) An out-of-control surprise party runs into money troubles. 1
17 Don’t Blink by James Patterson (Little, Brown: $27.99) A reporter lands in the middle of the murder of a mob lawyer. 1
18 Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic: $17.99) The winners of the annual Hunger Games face the consequences of their victory. 7
19 Zero History by William Gibson (Putnam: $26.95) ‘Spook Country’’s Hollis Henry plunges into the secret world of military apparel manufacturing. 3
20 Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich (St. Martin’s: $27.99) The hunt for relics of the Seven Deadly Sins in Salem. 2

Hardcover Nonfiction Bestsellers
Place Book Weeks on list
1 Earth: A Visitors Guide to the Human Race by Jon Stewart (Grand Central: $27.99) A summation on our species from the team behind ‘The Daily Show.’ 1
2 The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking (Bantam: $28) Further explanations of quantum theory and its relation to the universe. 4
3 The Wave by Susan Casey (Doubleday: $27.95) The science and surfers of the ocean’s gnarliest waves. 2
4 Tattoos on the Heart by Gregory Boyle (Free Press: $25) A Jesuit priest recounts working with L.A. youth through his gang intervention program. 27
5 Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern (HarperCollins: $15.99) A son’s compilation of his elderly father’s sharp and profane observations. 21
6 The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson (Random House: $30) The mid-century exodus of black Southerners to the North and Midwest. 3
7 Pinheads and Patriots by Bill O’Reilly (William Morrow: $27.99) The effect of a shifting political & social climate on Americans. 2
8 The Power by Rhonda Byrne (Atria: $23.95) Utilizing the force of emotions to create positive outcomes. 6
9 Obama’s Wars by Bob Woodward (Simon & Schuster: $50) Internal documents offer a look behind the presidents military decisions. 1
10 Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain (Ecco: $26.99) A gastronome’s journey for foodies everywhere. 14
11 A Journey: My Political Life by Tony Blair (Knopf: $35) The former British prime minister’s candid account of his career. 4
12 The Hilliker Curse by James Ellroy (Knopf: $24.95) The crime novelist’s restless, reckless love affairs. 2
13 Rock What You’ve Got by Katherine Schwarzenegger (Voice: $22.99) Anecdotes and tips on developing a healthy body image in young women. 1
14 Charlie Chan by Yunte Huang (Norton: $26.95) The backstory of the fictional detective. 2
15 White House Diary by Jimmy Carter (Farrar, Straus & Giroux: $30) Intimate reflections on Jimmy Carter’s presidency. 1
16 Getting Pretty Back by Molly Ringwald (It Books: $25.99) The actress shares insights and tips on finding inner and outer beauty after 40. 6
17 Los Angeles: Portrait of a City by Kevin Starr (Taschen: $70) A photographic journey through the city’s cultural, political, industrial and sociological history. 3
18 Wisdom From the Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz (Peter Pauper Press: $5.95) Condensed excerpts from the original book. 2
19 SuperBaby by Jenn Berman (Sterling: $24.95) Nurturing your child’s potential during the formative first three years. 2
20 Strength Finders 2.0 by Tom Rath (Gallup Press: $22.95) An upgraded assessment on how to find your top talents. 14

Paperback Fiction Bestsellers
Place Book
1 The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson ($14.95)
2 The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson ($15.95)
3 Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese ($15.95)
4 Little Bee by Chris Cleave ($14)
5 Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro ($15)
6 Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls ($15)
7 The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen ($16)
8 A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore ($15)
9 Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann ($15)
10 Tinkers by Paul Harding ($14.95)
11 To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee ($7.99)
12 The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho ($13.95)
13 The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger ($6.99)
14 The Professional by Robert B. Parker ($9.99)
15 Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl ($9.99)

Paperback Nonfiction Bestsellers
Place Book
1 Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert ($16)
2 The Official SAT Study Guide, 2nd Edition by The College Board ($21.99)
3 The Great American Stickup by Robert Scheer ($15.99)
4 The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz ($7.44)
5 Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer ($15.95)
6 The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls ($15)
7 What to Expect When You’re Expecting by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel ($24.95)
8 Old Jews Telling Jokes by Sam Hoffman ($15)
9 Zeitoun by Dave Eggers ($15.95)
10 Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain ($15.99)
11 Seven Days in the Art World by Sarah Thornton ($15.95)
12 Three Cups of Tea by David Oliver Relin and Greg Mortenson ($16)
13 Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean by Edward Kritzler ($15)
14 Traveling with Pomegranates by Ann Kidd Taylor and Sue Monk Kidd ($15)
15 Lit by Mary Karr ($14.99)

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