Dolly Parton, 80, Reveals Her 5 Favorite Books: ‘I Read at Least 50 a Year’—See Her Top Picks!
From historical fiction to Southern writers, the Queen of Country shares her must-reads!
Key Takeaways
- Dolly Parton reads at least 50 books a year and shares top picks like 'Water for Elephants'
- The country icon's Imagination Library has gifted over 120 million books to children since 1995
- Get Dolly's favorite Southern book recommendations, including Lee Smith's powerful novels
Dolly Parton, 80, loves her family, songwriting, philanthropy, glitz, glamour—and books! That’s right! The Queen of Country has a lesser-known nickname: the Book Lady. “I mean, I must read at least about 50 books a year,” the icon told Jenna Bush Hager on her podcast, Open Book With Jenna. In addition to being a book lover, Dolly’s also deeply passionate about literacy and libraries. She started the Imagination Library, a nonprofit book gifting program that mails free books to children from birth until they begin school in participating areas, back in 1995.
Whether you’re looking for your next page-turner or want to see what inspires one of America’s most beloved icons, there’s something for everyone here. We rounded up Dolly’s captivating must-reads—from historical fiction masterpieces to tales from Southern storytellers who ‘go plum deep’ into her soul.
Keep scrolling for all of Dolly’s book recommendations, plus the one book she’d take to a desert island!
Why Dolly Parton loves reading and literacy
Dolly launched the Imagination Library in 1995—which has given out more than 120 million books—and it’s a passion that’s very near and dear to her heart. The idea for the library was inspired by her own father’s inability to read.
“Before he passed away, my Daddy told me the Imagination Library was probably the most important thing I had ever done. I can’t tell you how much that meant to me because I created the Imagination Library as a tribute to my Daddy,” Dolly said in a letter to fans. “He was the smartest man I have ever known but I know in my heart his inability to read probably kept him from fulfilling all of his dreams.”
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library: Giving the gift of reading
Her initial mission was to inspire children in her home county to love to read, but over the years it turned into a global phenomenon. “Here we are today with a worldwide program that gives a book a month to well over 3 million children,” she continued in the letter. “Of course, I have not done this alone. The real heroes of our story are the thousands of local organizations who have embraced my dream and made it their own. They raise millions of dollars each year and wake up every day with a passion to make sure their kids have every opportunity to succeed.”
She also credits her love of reading and storytelling to her mother. “Mama always used to read to us from the Bible. And I remember loving fairy tales because my mind was such a fantasy—and I loved all that,” she recalled. “I learned to love to read really early on. And I just read everything I can get my hands on!” For more information on Dolly’s Imagination Library, visit ImaginationLibrary.com.
Dolly Parton’s favorite books of all time
During her sit-down conversation with Jenna Bush Hager, Dolly was thrilled to talk all things books. “People always say, ‘but when do you have time to read?’,” she said. “When I wake up in the middle of the night, I’ll read. I’ll read myself to sleep. I don’t watch TV that much—I prefer to read! I read everything, but I love historical fiction.”
Dolly also shared that she reads everything from Reese Witherspoon’s book club. “And whatever’s on the New York Times bestseller list, I love to read that.” When it came to specific recommendations, she listed a variety of books from Water to Elephants to literary classics and The Bible.
When asked about her favorites, she quickly revealed her top three. “Water for Elephants. The Count of Monte Cristo always! I read a lot of old classics too, 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. [More on her below!] She writes all these great stories about country people, mountain people. So I’m really drawn to Southern writers as well.”
‘Water For Elephants’ by Sara Gruen
Set in the intriguing yet gritty world of a Depression-era traveling circus, Sara Gruen’s bestseller follows penniless Polish orphan Jacob Jankowski, who is a young veterinary student. After he jumps a traveling circus train, he finds work caring for the animals, but before long, he strikes up a connection with star performer, Marlena. The problem: Marlena is married to the circus’ tyrannical manager. A dual-timeline story about the power of love, sacrifice and survival that will stay with you long after the last page.
‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ by Alexandre Dumas
This sweeping literary masterpiece by Alexandre Dumas centers on the wrongfully imprisoned Edmond Dantès. Behind bars in the eerie Château d’If, Edmond refuses to let injustice define his fate. As he uncovers a secret hidden fortune located on the Isle of Monte Cristo, he begins plotting his escape and revenge. This classic tale delivers a captivating blend of adventure, suspense and intrigue.
‘Oral History’ by Lee Smith
In an interview with Marie Claire, Dolly declared Lee Smith her “favorite Southern writer.” “This book really hits home for me because it’s really about Southern people,” Parton explained to the outlet. “It’s a wonderful story about families, and love and romance and just the hard times that people go through. Lee Smith just tells a story in such a way that it just goes plum deep into my soul and heart. And if you have not read Lee Smith, you better get after it!”
‘Black Mountain Breakdown’ by Lee Smith
New York Times bestselling author Smith is known for capturing the nuances of Appalachian life in her novels—so it’s no wonder Dolly, who grew up in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, adores her books!
In Black Mountain Breakdown, readers are transported to the fading mountain town of Black Rock. Crystal Spangler believes she’s destined for something bigger than her tiny hometown—she’s bright, admired and crowned a teenage beauty queen. She’s the girl everyone thinks will make it big—and she does. But years later, Crystal is drawn back to her hometown to uncover dark, heartbreaking secrets that won’t stay buried in the past.
‘The Grapes of Wrath’ by John Steinbeck
“Well, now this book, I bet you millions of people know. This is The Grapes of Wrath and, of course, who doesn’t love John Steinbeck and all the wonderful things he’s written?” she raved to Marie Claire. “I’ve probably read this book three times in my life.”
In the novel, John Steinbeck traces the Joad family’s harrowing journey from Dust Bowl-ravaged Oklahoma to California, where hope for a better life gives way to hardship and injustice—testing their resilience and sense of dignity.
Dolly went on to say that the plot points in Steinbeck’s story hit close to home: “I relate to the hard work, the poor people, the struggles and the times. There’s just so much wisdom, so much feeling and so much heart and soul in books like this. Nothing like the old classics, really.”
‘Big Stone Gap’ by Adriana Trigiani
“Do you know Adriana Trigiani?” Dolly asked with a smile. “She’s another one of my favorite writers. She’s Italian and lives in the city, but she grew up in Cumberland Gap in the South. And this one, Big Stone Gap, I just love this.” Set in 1978 in the Blue Ridge town of Big Stone Gap, the story follows 35-year-old “spinster” Ave Maria Mulligan, who is perfectly content—until a long-buried family secret upends her life, setting her on a path of unexpected romance, inheritance and a life-changing journey to Italy.
The one book Dolly Parton would take to a desert island
In their podcast interview, Jenna Bush Hager smiled at Dolly and asked: If you were deserted on a desert island, which book would you take with you? “I better take the Bible cause if I’m stranded on an island, I figure I may not get off of there and I might wanna do some crammin’,” Dolly replied with a smile, laughing.
Dolly Parton’s reading habits: paperbacks forever!
Other fun facts uncovered from Dolly’s bookish interviews? She prefers hard copy books over Kindle or an e-reader. “I’m always going to pick a paper book. I love the feel of books and the smell of books—I just love to physically touch a book!”
Her go-to genres? Based on her book picks, historical fiction is certainly a favorite. But she said she likes to read a little bit of everything. “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.
She also enjoys sharing the joy of reading with friends and family. In fact, any true book lover knows how special a really good book recommendation is—and Dolly is no different. “When I want to know about books, I contact my sisters. I ask ‘Have you read any good books lately?’ They say they’ve been saving me some and I say the same,” she said.
“So, friends and family, we swap books back and forth! The books that are word of mouth…those are the best.” Dolly, we couldn’t agree more!
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