New York Times Bestsellers for August 24

In Hardcover:
Sandra Brown's "Smoke Screen" makes a strong debut on the fiction chart this week, grabbing the #1 spot.

"The Bourne Sanction" by Eric Van Lustbader remains steady for the third week, holding down the second spot.

Last week's #1 book, "Acheron" by Sherrilyn Kenyon drops two places, now residing at #3.

Celebrating its fifteenth week on the list, "The Host" by Stephenie Meyer comes in at #6.

"The Mercedes Coffin" by Faye Kellerman debuts at #8.

Another book debuting this week is "Off Season" by Anne Rivers Siddons which takes the ninth spot.

David Ebershoff's "The 19th Wife" celebrates its rookie week on the chart by coming in at #12.

"The Gargoyle" by Andrew Davidson drops two places in its second week to #16.

Karen Traviss's "The Clone Wars" holds strong on the chart, taking the nineteenth spot.

Other books of interest: "Rules of Deception" by Christopher Reich at twenty-five, "Faces of Fear" by John Saul at twenty-seven, "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" by Junot Diaz at thirty-two, "The Enchantress of Florence" by Salman Rushdie at thirty-four, and "The Turnaround" by George Pelecanos at thirty-five.

In Trade Paperback:
Grabbing the top spot once again is "The Shack" by William P. Young, now celebrating lucky week thirteen on the chart.

"The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho comes in at #3.

The post-apocalyptic nightmare that is Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" takes the sixth spot.

"The Bridge of Sighs" by Richard Russo debuts at #11.

Tana French's "In the Woods" keeps going strong, coming in at #14.

"The Yiddish Policemen's Union" by Michael Chabon is still selling well, this week grabbing the nineteenth spot on the chart.

Other books of interest: "Out Stealing Horses" by Per Petterson at twenty-two, "On Chesil Beach" by Ian McEwan at twenty-three, "The Pillars of Earth" by Ken Follett at thirty-two, and "Rant" by Chuck Palahniuk at thirty-four.

In Mass Market Paperback:
Taking hold of the top spot again this week is John Grisham's "Playing for Pizza".

"Play Dirty" by Sandra Brown clocks in this week at #5.

Patricia Brigg's new novel "Cry Wolf" rocks the eighth spot in its third week.

"The Sanctuary" by Raymond Khoury finds solace at #9.

"The Bone Garden" by Tess Gerritsen not only has a creepy title, it also has the fourteenth spot on the chart.

Elves abound on the chart again this week. "The Elves of Cintra" that is. Terry Brooks' novel comes in at #16.

Other books of interest: "Nature Girl" by Carl Hiaasen at seventeen, "Shadowfires" by Dean Koontz at twenty, "The Orc King" by R.A. Salvatore at twenty-two, "The Mission Song" by John le Carre at twenty-five, "Heartsick" by Chelsea Cain at twenty-six, "The Wheel of Darkness" by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child at twenty-nine, and "The Last Colony" by John Scalzi at thirty-three.