Local bestsellers

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

2. The Christmas Sweater, by Glenn Beck with Kevin Balfe and Jason Wright. (Threshold Editions, $19.99.) A boy learns from his disappointment with his mother's gift.

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

4. The Story 0f Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski. (Ecco, $25.95.) A mute takes refuge with three dogs in the Wisconsin woods after his father's death.

5. Arctic Drift, by Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler. (Putnam, $27.95.) In his 20th adventure, Dirk Pitt searches for a crucial element that will help reverse global warming.

6. Just After Sunset, by Stephen King. (Scribner, $28.) Short stories blending fantasy and psychological realism.

7. The Hour I First Believed, by Wally Lamb. (Harper, $29.95.) A man reconstructs five generations of family history.

9. The Charlemagne Pursuit, by Steve Berry. (Ballantine, $26.) The former Justice Department operative Cotton Malone searches for the truth about his father's death on a secret submarine mission to the Antarctic.

10. Your Heart Belongs to Me, by Dean Koontz. (Bantam, $27.) A man is stalked by a woman who resembles the donor of the heart he received in a transplant operation.

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

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

3. American Lion, by Jon Meacham. (Random House, $30.) Andrew Jackson, the seventh president, in the White House, by the editor of Newsweek.

5. A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity, by Bill O'Reilly. (Broadway, $26.) The Fox News commentator on his upbringing and career.

6. Too Fat to Fish, by Artie Lange with Anthony Bozza. (Spiegel & Grau, $24.95.) Humorous memories from the comedian, a member of the cast of "The Howard Stern Show."

7. Why We Suck, by Denis Leary. (Viking, $26.95.) Sardonic essays from the actor and comedian, currently the co-creator and star of the TV series "Rescue Me."

8. The Snowball, by Alice Schroeder. (Bantam, $35.) The life of Warren Buffett.

9. Do the Right Thing, by Mike Huckabee. (Sentinel, $25.95.) A campaign memoir and statement of principles from the former Republican presidential aspirant.

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

2. The Purpose of Christmas, by Rick Warren. (Howard Books, $17.99.) Reclaiming the holiday as a time for celebration, salvation and reconciliation.

3. Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, by Ina Garten. (Clarkson Potter, $35.) Cooking techniques and nearly 100 new recipes for elegant meals.

4. Guinness World Records 2009, edited by Craig Glenday. (Guinness, $28.95.) Tallest, fastest, youngest, most.

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