Taylor Hicks Talks to the NY Post About His Reading Habits!

As we anxiously await to release of "Early Works" on Tuesday, available exclusively at all Target Stores, we find the NY Post continuing to give priceless praise and publicity to Taylor! How awesome is that? It's too bad we don't get the paper out here in California, because if it was, I think I would become a regular reader! In today's issue, we find out what Taylor keeps in his reading library! Check it out!

"....One of Taylor Hicks' favorite books is the one the "American Idol" crooner wrote himself.

"I might not be the greatest speller," concedes the author and subject of "Heart Full of Soul," which came out last summer, "but it meant the world to me to express myself through my own words, as opposed to having so many questions thrown at me, post-'Idol.'

"Letting the fans connect with me without a filter - that'll always hold a special place in my heart!"

Lately, fans have been connecting with the Alabama-born crooner through "Grease," in which he has a small but showy turn as Teen Angel through Sept. 6. And while he's waiting to go onstage, he says, he often reads a newspaper (he majored in journalism and business before dropping out to sing) and books.

"You can probably go back and look at all the great songwriters in the world, and they'll tell you reading's the key to success," the silver-haired Soul Patroller tells The Post's Barbara Hoffman. "Being around words helps you write words."

Here's what else is on his bookshelf:

Texasville

by Larry McMurtry

I remember my grandmother and I reading "Texasville" together at the beach. It's about a lower-income family that strikes oil, and basically goes through changes. I was probably 8 or 9 years old, and I remember how funny Larry McMurtry was. He's a brilliant writer.

Charlotte's Web

by E.B. White

One of my favorite children's books. The message is great.

The Da Vinci Code

by Dan Brown

I think the book is better than the movie, personally - more detailed. How that story unfolds just blew me away.

The Seat of the Soul

by Gary Zukav

He talks about how, when we feel an intuition, we need to recognize and learn from it so we can use that sixth sense even more . . . It's basically about listening to your heart....."