Dolly Parton Says the Bible Would Be Her Companion on a Deserted Island
In an interview with Today's Jenna Bush Hager, Dolly Parton spoke candidly about her love of books.
While revealing some of her favorites, she also said she's read everything on Oprah's Book Club and Reese Witherspoon's book club.
Parton also spoke about why she started Imagination Library in honor of her father.
Fans might call her the Queen of Country Pop, but Dolly Parton prefers to be called the Book Lady.
The 73-year-old star spoke to Today's Jenna Bush Hager about her love for literature and revealed that she must read at least 50 books a year.
"I spend so much time reading...People say, 'When do you have time read? But I wake up in the middle of the night, I'll read. I read myself to sleep. I don't watch TV that much, I prefer to read," she said.
Parton also said that she reads everything from Reese Witherspoon's book club and Oprah's Book Club, and that she specifically loves historical fiction. "So whatever the new books are, whatever's on the New York Time bestseller list, I love to read that."
Patron confessed if she were deserted on an island, her favorite book to take would be the Bible. "I better take the Bible cause if I'm stranded on an island, I figure I may not get off of their and I might wanna do some crammin.'" she said while laughing.
Besides that, the singer also shared some of her all-time favorites, and the Southern writer whose work she loves to read.
"Water for Elephants. The Count of Monte Cristo has always been! I read a lot of old classics, things that I didn't get to read when I was young. So I'm really loving going back and reading a lot of that," she said. "I have a favorite Southern writer named Lee Smith. She writes all these great stories about country people, mountain people. So I'm really drawn to Southern writers as well."
Dolly Parton's Favorite Books
Through her Dollywood Foundation in the 1980s, Parton started the Imagination Library-an organization that mails one book a month to every child enrolled from birth until kindergarten. She revealed they have currently given out 115 millions books, explaining she started the charity because of her dad.
"My dad and a lot of my relatives that were brought up in the mountains from big, big families... didn’t get a chance to go to school...So my dad was the smartest person I ever knew, but couldn’t read and write," she said. "And that always bothered him and troubled him. So I wanted to do something my dad could be proud to help me with it. And Daddy got to live long enough to hear the kids call me the Book Lady. And he was as proud of that as being a star. And that meant so much to him. And so I felt like I brought honor to my dad through that."
When it comes to picking between mystery or romance, Parton instantly responded she loves romance novels. "I even love those drugstore books, too. I loved the romance, but I like the mysteries too. But I just love all kinds of books," she said.
No matter how busy her schedule is, Parton always finds time to read. Her favorite places to unwind with a good book? In bed or aboard her tour bus. "I travel a lot on my tour bus. And I just love it when I've got a long trip... I just love to bring the food I've cooked, put it on the bus, take some good books and just read all the way."
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