Loretta Lynn's 'Loretta Lynn - Coal Miner's Daughter' is still the ruler that all other country queen confessionals must be measured by. Loretta has also published a second autobiography 'Still Woman Enough: A Memoir' and a cookbook 'You're Cookin' It Country : My Favorite Recipes and Memories'.

When you mention Loretta, Tammy Wynette's name cannot be far behind. The late great Wynette also published both a best-selling autobiography 'Stand By Your Man' that is regrettably out of print and a cookbook 'The Tammy Wynette Southern Cookbook'.

The woman who really broke down the walls for country female vocalists is Kitty Wells who amazingly has had little written about her historic career. One attempt was a small "book" 'Queen of country music: The life story of Kitty Wells' that was mainly sold at her Nashville museum and at personal appearances on the road.

Certainly one of the most beloved women in country music was Minnie Pearl who was a comedienne not a singer. Minnie's charming 'MINNIE PEARL' vividly brings her back; a book on her humor 'The Best Jokes Minnie Pearl Ever Told : (Plus some that she overheard!)' has also been published.

Dolly Parton is probably the most famous women from the world of country music. Dolly's best-selling autobiography 'Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business' was a bit of a tease but still fun. She has also published a children's book based on one of her greatest songs 'Coat of Many Colors'. Older sister Willadeane has chronicled the family's love of music in 'Smoky Mountain Memories : Stories from the Hearts of the Parton Family' while Dolly has been the subject of a number of biographies over the years ranging from paperbacks to beautifully illustrated hardcover books.

The late Patsy Cline is widely regarded as the finest female singer in country music history and her tragically short life has been documented in several books including 'Patsy: The Life and Times of Patsy Cline', and 'Honky Tonk Angel : The Intimate Story Of Patsy Cline', as well as the unique 'Remembering Patsy' and 'Love Always, Patsy : Patsy Cline's Letters to a Friend'.

Dottie West was a major country queen for almost thirty years and is overdue a major biography since her death in 1991 but we do have 'Country Sunshine: The Dottie West Story', co-written by one of her cousins to hold us over til then. The modest softcover book is mainly notable for revealing the horrors of Dottie's childhood.

The late Skeeter Davis was one of country music's first major female soloists and had major pop success as well. Skeeter's charming and intimate 'Bus Fare to Kentucky: The Autobiography of Skeeter Davis' is not to be missed. In 1998 she published a lovely children's book based on her childhood dream of a doll for Christmas in 'The Christmas Note'.

Although best-known as the wife of American icon Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash was very important to country music in her own right, a famous name in the industry since childhood when she sang with the original Carter Family. June published two volumes of memoirs 'From the Heart' and 'Among my klediments'. She and Cash are the subjects of two recent books by a longtime employee including 'At Home with Johnny, June and Mother Maybelle: Snapshots from My Life with the Cash and Carter Families' and for the story of Maybelle and Sara Carter's legendary trio with Sara's husband A.P. check out 'Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone? : The Carter Family & Their Legacy in American Music'.

Barbara Mandrell is one of the best known country stars to the general public thanks to her 1980's TV series. Her 1991 autobiography was a New York Times best seller and amazingly, the paperback is still in print 'Get to the Heart : My Story'. Almost a decade earlier, little sister Louise Mandrell had published a pictorial history on the family 'The Mandrell Family Album'.

Tanya Tucker has been a major part of the country music industry since she was thirteen. She has published both an autobiography 'Nickel Dreams: My Life' and a "self-help" book '100 Ways to Beat the Blues'.

Donna Fargo was one of very top country girls in the 1970's, in recent years she has more concentrated on poetry and inspirational books and cards. Among her books are 'I Prayed for You Today: A Collection of Uplifting Thoughts to Let Someone Know How Much You Care', 'Trust in Yourself: Thoughts About Listening to Your Heart and Becoming the Person You Want to Be (Selp-Help)', and 'To the Love of My Life: A Collection of Love Poems (Love)'.

RebaMcEntire is certainly the biggest female star to emerge from Nashville in the last 25 years. Reba has published both an autobiography 'Reba : My Story' and a inspirational book 'Comfort from a Country Quilt'.

Emmylou Harris has had a very devoted following for 30 years now. She has yet to pen her memoirs but a biography has been published 'Emmylou Harris: Angel In Disguise'.

And then there's the legendary Judds. Naomi has published a best-selling autobiography 'Love Can Build a Bridge' as well as a series of self-help/inspirational books including 'Naomi's Breakthrough Guide : 20 Choices to Transform Your Life' In 2005 she joined Dolly and Skeeter as the author of a children's book 'Gertie the Goldfish and the Christmas Surprise' while daughter Wynonna releases her autobiography 'Coming Home to Myself'.

Two rare autobiographies of a couple of women who for a time ranked with the most popular female vocalists are 'Jeannie C. Riley: From Harper Valley to the Mountain Top' and Jan Howard's 'Sunshine and Shadow'. Another Grand Ole Opry favorite, Jeannie Seely has published a collection of witticisms and commentary 'Pieces of a puzzled mind' that is fairly hard to find but I believe she is selling it on her website.

Notable biographies on two pioneering female vocalists are 'Patsy Montana: The Cowboy's Sweetheart' and 'Ramblin' Rose' Two singers who haven't quite had the string of hits of most of these others ladies have published well-received cookbooks but they unfortunately have long been out of print 'Jeanne Pruett feedin' friends cookbook' and 'Stella Parton's Country Cookin': From Slum Gullion to Blushing Tuna Pie, Cabbage Strudel to Mama's Fried Taters, Mississippi Mud Cake to Willadeene's Watermellon Punch, Dolly's Dill'.

Setting a new watermark in bluntness is Maxine Brown's (of the Browns) delightful autobiography 'Looking Back to See: A Country Music Memoir' which tells of the highs and lows of a country music career in the golden era.

Lorrie Morgan has written an autobiography that is mainly a memoir about her marriage to Keith Whitley 'Forever Yours, Faithfully' and Canadian country star Michelle Wright, who captured America's attention for awhile in the 1990's has written a book as well 'A Year in the Life: The Journals of Michelle Wright'.

There are still a number of big name ladies in country music who have never written a book or had one published about them, notably Lynn Anderson, Crystal Gayle, Wanda Jackson, Connie Smith, Jean Shepard, and Janie Fricke.

Space limitations have prevented me from listing recent books on contemporary country queens like Shania Twain, Faith Hill, LeeAnn Rimes, Pam Tillis, Trisha Yearwood, and even newcomer Gretchen Wilson but the fact that these books were not written by the women themselves also was a minus for putting them on the list.

There are books out on Patti Page, Anne Murray, Brenda Lee, k. d. lang, Linda Ronstadt, and Olivia Newton-John, however these women do not consider themselves country singers, although during periods of their career they have had their recordings released to country radio and/or recorded specifically for the country market. They are essentially pop singers.

'Singers & sweethearts: The women of country music' was the first book written about women country stars although it concentrates strictly on Loretta, Tammy, Dolly, June, and Tanya and is like long magazine articles on each of these five. 'Finding Her Voice: Women in Country Music, 1800-2000' is easily the most ambitious work done yet on country female vocalists and the new 'The Women of Country Music: A Reader' promises to be another major work. A Canadian publisher issued 'Country Women' a few years ago, a reasonably informative softcover book with thumbnail biographies including many Canadian country singers you will likely not be familiar with unless you are Canadian yourself.

TOP FIVE RECOMMENDED BOOKS: "Coal Miner's Daughter", "Minnie Pearl by Minnie Pearl", "Bus Fare to Kentucky", "Looking Back to See" and "Finding Her Voice".