Books by American authors landed at #1 in both France and Germany in January, while Dan Brown continued to hold the top spot in Spain. Leading the German fiction list was Marked by the American mother-daughter team of P.C. and Kristin Cast. Marked is part of the House of Night series published in the U.S. by St. Martin's Press (see story, page 11). Another St. Martin's young adult author to hit the top 10 in Germany was Noel Alyson. Evermore landed at #10 and is the first title in Alyson's Immortal series. A third book hit the German top 10 list last month that shared the young adult/fantasy traits of Marked and Evermore, but is by German author Kerstin Gier. Sapphire Blue is part of a time traveler trilogy, and the three titles have been acquired by Holt Children's Books, which will publish the first title, Ruby Red, in 2011. Next two books will be published in 2012 and 2013.

James Ellroy knocked The Lost Symbol out of first place in France last month with the release of Blood's a Rover, the conclusion of his trilogy begun in 1995 with American Tabloid and which received a starred PW review. The highest debuting new title by a French author was Third Chronicle of the Reign of Nicholas I, which is described as a mock biography of French president Nicholas Sarkozy.

Mathias Malzieu, French author and lead singer of the Dionysos, had the #7 fiction bestseller in Spain last month with The Boy with the Cuckoo-Clock Heart. Knopf will release the novel in the U.S. in March.

Among the new titles in nonfiction is 1001 Natural Wonders You Must See Before You Die, which debuted at #3 in Spain. The sites have been selected by UNESCO.

International Bestsellers

France
Fiction Nonfiction
1 Underworld USABlood's a RoverJames Ellroy Rivages MétronomeMetronomeLoránt Deutsch Michel Lafon
2 Le Symbole perduThe Lost SymbolDan BrownLattes Lionel raconte JospinLionel Tells JospinLionel Jospin Seuil
3 La première nuitThe First NightMarc Levy Robert Laffont Vingt et un, 9: Jeux de pouvoirTwenty one, vol. 9: Power Games- XXI
For week ending January 24, used by arrangement with Livres Hebdo
Spain
Fiction Nonfiction
1 El simbolo perdidoThe Lost SymbolDan Brown Planeta Nueva gramatica de la lengua EspañolaNew Gammar of the Spanish LanguageReal Academia Española Espasa
2 Contra el vientoAgainst the WindAngeles Caso Planeta El secretoThe SecretRhonda Byrne Urano
3 El tiempo entre costurasThe Time Between SeamsMaria Duenas Temas de Hoy 1,001 lugares que hay que visitar antes de morir1,001 Natural Wonders You Must See Before You DieMichael Bright Grijalbo
For week ending January 24, used by arrangement with El Cultural
Germany
Fiction Nonfiction
1 GezeichnetMarkedP.C. Cast, Kristin Cast Fischer Glück kommt selten alleinFortune Is Not Coming by ItselfEchart von Hirschhausen Rowohlt
2 AtemschaukelEverything I Have I Carry with MeHerta Müller Hanser In der Mitte des LebensIn the Middle of LifeMargot Kässmann Herder
3 Bis(s)zum ende der nachtBreaking DawnStephenie Meyer Carlsen Irre: Wir behandein die FalschenInsane: We Treat the Wrong PeopleManfred Lutz Gütersloher Verlagshaus
For week ending January 24, used by arrangement with Buchreport