Bestselling books nobody's read yet

Aggressive marketing, a celebrity author, and especially a popular series can sell thousands of copies of a book even before it appears in bookstores. Here's a list of the titles that attracted the greatest number of prepublication orders at Barnes & Noble in August:

1. Trace (A Kay Scarpetta Novel, No. 14), by Patricia Cornwell, Putnam, $26.95 (Sept. 7).

2. The Dark Tower VII, by Stephen King, Scribner, $35 (Sept. 21).

3. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norell, by Susanna Clarke, Bloomsbury, $27.95 (Sept. 8). (See review, page 15.)

4. The Grim Grotto: Book the Eleventh (A Series of Unfortunate Events), by Lemony Snicket, HarperCollins, $11.95, Grades 4-7 (Sept. 21).

5. Incubus Dreams (An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novel), by Laurell Hamilton, Berkley, $23.95 (Sept. 28).

6. London Bridges, by James Patterson, Little Brown, $27.95 (Nov. 8).

7. Are You Afraid of the Dark?, by Sidney Sheldon, HarperCollins, $25.95 (Sept. 14).

8. Double Homicide: Santa Fe, by Jonathan Kellerman & Faye Kellerman, Warner, $23.95 (Oct. 5).

9. Nights of Rain and Stars, by Maeve Binchy, Dutton, $25.95 (Sept. 21).

10. Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential, by Joel Osteen, Warner, $19.99 (Oct. 28).

Based on cumulative preorders at Barnes & Noble and BarnesandNoble.com , Aug. 1-25.