Books: Bestsellers

Number of weeks on chart 2 (v.g.); improvement in sales this week 150% (yesss!). Bridget Jones is back, her popularity undimmed by the plethora of competing lovelorn titles which her original Diary spawned. She looks set to rule the charts until Delia's How to Cook Book Two arrives this Thursday. Mrs I'll-make-you-competent takes on Miss Incompetent; booksellers are rubbing their hands in glee. Compiled on sales over seven days ending 27 Nov Bookwatch Ltd & Whitaker BookTrack 1999

PSYCHOLOGY/MEDICAL/SELF-HELP

TITLE AUTHOR/PUBLISHER WEEKLY PRICE

SALES

1 Men are from Mars... John Gray (Thorsons) 2,789 pounds 9.99

2 Aches and Pains Maeve Binchy & Wendy Shea (Orion) 2,274 pounds 3.99

3 Women are from Venus John Gray (Thorsons) 1,319 pounds 1.99

4 Little Book of Confidence Susan Jeffers (Rider) 1,292 pounds 1.99

5 Men are from Mars John Gray (Thorsons) 1,234 pounds 1.99

6 Little Book of Calm Paul Wilson (Penguin) 1,101 pounds 2.50

7 Medicine (Siena) 931 pounds 0.99

8 A Book of Peace (Penguin) 915 pounds 1.99

9 Illustrated Reflexology (Mustard) 861 pounds 4.99

10 The Alchemist Paul Coelho (Thorsons) 803 pounds 6.99

ORIGINAL NON-FICTION

TITLE AUTHOR/PUBLISHER WEEKLY PRICE

SALES

1 Guinness World Records 2000 (Guinness) 32,662 pounds 18

2 Beano Book 2000 (D C Thomson) 18,298 pounds 17.99

3 Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Quiz Book (Boxtree) 12,020 pounds 5.99

4 Managing My Life Alex Ferguson (Hodder) 11,283 pounds 19.99

5 Walking with Dinosaurs Tim Haines (BBC) 9,801 pounds 5.99

6 New British Classics Gary Rhodes (BBC) 9,139 pounds 20

7 If Only Geri Halliwell (Bantam) 8,594 pounds 18.99

8 The Dandy Book 2000 (D C Thomson) 7,413 pounds 5.99

9 White Cap and Bails Dickie Bird (Hodder) 7,159 pounds 18.99

10 How to Cook Book 1 Delia Smith (BBC) 6,994 pounds 16.99

ORIGINAL FICTION

TITLE AUTHOR/PUBLISHER WEEKLY PRICE

SALES

1 The Edge of Reason Helen Fielding (Picador) 31,360 pounds 12.99

2 Adrian Mole... Sue Townsend (M Joseph) 14,534 pounds 14.99

3 The Fifth Elephant Terry Pratchett (Doubleday) 12,728 pounds 16.99

4 Harry Potter and... J K Rowling (Bloomsbury) 7,795 pounds 10.99

5 Crisis Four Andy McNab (Bantam) 6,258 pounds 16.99

6 Last Chance Saloon Marian Keyes (M Joseph) 5,010 pounds 9.99

7 Power Plays Tom Clancy (Penguin) 4,434 pounds 5.99

8 Second Wind Dick Francis (M Joseph) 4,349 pounds 16.99

9 The Remorseful Day Colin Dexter (Macmillan) 3,964 pounds 16.99

10 Net Force 3 Tom Clancy & Steve Piecenik (Headline) 3,847 pounds 6.99