Best Sellers

Fiction

1. The Christmas Sweater, by Glenn Beck with Kevin Balfe and Jason Wright (Threshold Editions; $19.99). A boy learns from his disappointment.

2. Scarpetta, by Patricia Cornwell (Putnam; $27.95). Forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta takes an assignment in New York City.

3. Cross Country, by James Patterson (Little, Brown; $27.99). Alex Cross chases the leader of a lethal teenage gang.

4. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski (Ecco; $25.95). A mute takes refuge in the Wisconsin woods after his father’s death.

5. The Host, by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown; $25.99). One woman won’t surrender to the aliens who have taken control.

Nonfiction

1. Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell (Little, Brown; $27.99). Why some people succeed — it has to do with luck as well as talent — from the author of Blink and The Tipping Point.

2. Dewey, by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter (Grand Central; $19.99). Kitten was left freezing in the returned-book slot of an Iowa public library and rose to fame.

3. American Lion, by Jon Meacham (Random House; $30). A look at Andrew Jackson, by the editor of Newsweek.

4. A Bold, Fresh Piece of Humanity, by Bill O’Reilly (Broadway; $26). The commentator on his upbringing and career.

5. Too Fat to Fish, by Artie Lang with Anthony Bozza (Spiegel & Grau, $24.95). Humorous memories from the comedian.

Advice, how-to and miscellaneous

1. The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow (Hyperion; $21.95). Thoughts on “seizing every moment” from a professor who died of cancer at age 47.

2. Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, by Ina Garten (Clarkson Potter; $35). Cooking techniques and new recipes.

3. The Purpose of Christmas, by Rick Warren (Howard Books; $17.99). Reclaiming the holiday.

4. Guinness World Records 2009, edited by Craig Glenday (Guinness; $28.95).

5. You: Being Beautiful, by Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz et al. (Free Press; $26.99). How foods, mood swings and the management of pain affect inner and outer beauty