Born and raised in Malibu, writer Dan Fante, son of the honored John Fante, gave a reading last month in Malibu and discussed his book “86’d,” a tale of his alter ego Bruno Dante’s downward alcoholic spiral and recovery, propelling it onto the bestseller list.
New in paperback, the novel everyone is raving about is “Let the Great World Spin,” Colum McCann’s new book that centers on Philippe Petit’s illegal 1974 high-wire walk between the Twin Towers and the aftermath that alters lives affected by Petit’s daring stunt. The nonfiction list is also full of new year’s offerings: a Warren Beatty bio; Elizabeth Gilbert’s latest on marriage; and the first huge book of the year, “Game Change,” in which political reporters John Heilemann and Mark Halperin reveal the inner workings of the Obama, Clinton, McCain and Palin campaigns.
On the children’s list is an all time favorite: the beautifully illustrated “Zen Shorts,” by Jon Muth. Also, smiles abound with local author Patrice Karst’s “The Smile that went Around the World,” and “Smile,” by John Rowe.
Fiction
1. “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” by Stieg Larsson, paperback, Vintage, $14.95
21. “The Elegance of the Hedgehog,” by Muriel Barbery, paperback, Europa Editions, $15
31. “The Help,” by Kathryn Stockett, hardcover, Putnam, $24.95
41. “86’d,” by Dan Fante, paperback, Harper Perennial, $13.99
51. “Let the Great World Spin,” by Colum McCann, paperback, Random House, $15
61. “The Book of Genesis,” by R. Crumb, hardcover, W.W. Norton, $24.95
71. “Wolf Hall,” by Hilary Mantel, hardcover, Henry Holt, $27
81. “Olive Kitteridge,” by Elizabeth Strout, paperback, Random House, $14
91. “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society,” by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer, paperback, Dial Press, $14
10. The Girl Who Played with Fire, by Stieg Larsson, hardcover, Knopf, $24.95
Nonfiction
11. “Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime,” by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, hardcover, Harper, $27.99
21. “Man, Interrupted: Welcome to the Bizarre World of OCD, Where Once More is Never Enough,” by James Bailey, paperback, Mainstream Publishing, $14.95
31. “Los Angeles/Southern California Restaurants,” by Zagat Survey, paperback, Zagat Survey, $15.95
41. “Novel Destinations: Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen’s Bath to Ernest Hemingway’s Key West,” by Pearl, Rendon and Schmidt, paperback, National Geographic, $13.95
51. “Day Hikes Around Los Angeles: 82 Great Hikes,” by Robert Stone, paperback, Day Hike Books, $14.95
61. “Star: How Warren Beatty Seduced America,” by Peter Bisking, Simon & Schuster, $30
71. “Food Rules,” by Michael Pollan, paperback, Penguin, $11
81. “Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage, by Elizabeth Gilbert, hardcover, Viking, $26.95
91. “The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, Malcolm Gladwell, paperback, Back Bay, $15.99
101. “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius,” by Dave Eggers, paperback, Vintage, $15
Children
11. “Aesop’s Fables,” by J. Pinkney, hardcover, Chronicle Books, $19.99
21. “The Smile that went Around the World,” by Patrice Karst, hardcover, DeVorss & Co., $15.95
31. “Zen Shorts,” by John J. Muth, hardcover, Scholastic, $17.99
41. “Skippyjon Jones,” by Judy Schechner, hardcover, Dutton, $15.99
51. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw,” by Jeff Kinney, hardcover, Amulet, $13.95
61. “The Looking Glass Wars,” by Frank Beddor, paperback, Speak, $8.99
71. “Smile,” by John Rowe, hardcover, Minedition, $16.99
81. “Lock and Key,” by Sarah Dessen, paperback, Speak $8.99
91. “Feed,” by M.T. Anderson, paperback, Candlewick, $7.99
101. “Eclipse,” by Stephenie Meyer, paperback, Little Brown, $12.99
Book list provided by Diesel, A Bookstore