Stars Put Spotlight On Books

Comedian Jeff Foxworthy's favorite book this year doesn't have a lot of jokes, but it's a veteran best seller and inspirational to many: The Bible.

"It starts off with a bang," the actor-comedian joked in a letter to retired librarian Glenna Nowell, who began asking celebrities to recommend their favorite books 13 years ago.

Since Nowell started the project, it has drawn responses from presidents, movie stars, authors, athletes and a wide range of other notables from around the world.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair enjoys The Lord of the Rings so much he reads it to his children. Gillian Anderson of The X-Files fame gets it together with When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron.

Flameout A friend recalls the short life of novelist Robert Bingham.

Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, eschewing the stereotype that jocks don't read, makes a pitch for Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove.

Five years ago, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, then secretary-general of the United Nations, took time to send his praise for The Grammar of Politics by Harold Laski. Bookaholic President Clinton also weighed in with several of his favorites, including The Last of the Mohicans, in 1994.

Trends in types of books favored by the famous shift from year to year from inspirational and self-help to classics and pop. The lists appear on the library's Web site in advance of National Library Week, April 9-15 this year.

"It's a good mixup this time, some of everything," said Nowell, who has read many of the books that turn up on her list and tries to catch up with others that appear.

From 10 Downing Street in London, Blair's assistant wrote that the prime minister also lists as his favorites Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped and Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe.

Anderson doesn't get into details of why he likes Chodron's book, which Nowell describes as an inspirational, self-help piece that relies heavily on Buddhist tenets.

"It's pretty heavy slogging," says Nowell, who has sampled several chapters.

Doonesbury Cartoonist Garry Trudeau listed The New New Thing by Michael Lewis as his top pick. It sheds light on the evolving nature of American capitalism in the Internet age, said Nowell.

Country singer Faith Hill answered Nowell and didn't list any books, but wrote about how important it is to read.

"If I couldn't read, I wouldn't be able to read contracts, write new songs or read the letters that my fans send to me," she wrote.

Also on Nowell's 13th annual list of celebrities' favorite books: