By Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts
Friday, September 28, 2007; C03

First lady Laura Bush is always talking books, books, books, and tomorrow's National Book Festival on the Mall -- with 70 authors this year -- is one of her favorite projects. But we wanted her private reading list, so she gave us a peek between the White House book covers.

On the bedside table: "The Samurai's Garden" by Gail Tsukiyama -- a gift from Martha-Ann Alito -- and Jay Winik's "The Great Upheaval," sent over by Lynne Cheney. "She said in her note that she was barely into the book, but she was finding the part about Catherine the Great very interesting," she told us. (Hmmm. Which part?) The president also has a copy (sent by Winik) on his side of the bed.

Venues: Anyplace she can grab a few minutes, and always in bed. "I have trouble going to sleep if I haven't read first," she said. (The president reads on long flights and on his stationary bike.) She typically finishes three books a month, though more since she's recovering from nerve surgery; most are given by friends, a few ordered from bookstores.

Genres: Favors fiction, with some history and biography, and lots of children's books (Newbery and Caldecott award winners), especially now that she's writing one with Jenna. Her husband prefers history, biography and mysteries; he just finished Vince Flynn's "Protect and Defend."

Favorites: "One of the loveliest books I've ever read is Marilynne Robinson's 'Gilead.' . . . It really is wonderful. It's one of the books that you finish and you just turn back to the first page and start again, because it's so beautifully written." Other top picks: Carol Shields's "The Stone Diaries," Ann Patchett's "Bel Canto," Willa Cather's "My Antonia."

Critical reviews: Unlike many of us, the first lady has no guilt about not finishing once she's halfway through. "If I'm reading a book that I don't find that interesting, I quit, just like now I have the opportunity to walk out of movies that I don't think are that great."

If your father was president and your mother is a senator running for president, are you really a private citizen? Bill Clinton thinks so, and has asked a New York restaurant to remove a snapshot of Chelsea Clinton with owner Nino Selimaj. The New York Post reported that last week, Selimaj received a letter on Clinton's letterhead ordering that the picture -- proudly hung in the front window of Osso Buco for five years -- be taken down because the former first daughter is a "private citizen" who never gave permission, wrote Clinton aide Douglas Band.

Weird, huh? Celebs and politicians have their pictures taken at restaurants all the time. Chelsea, 27, ate at the Italian restaurant more than once, happily posed for the snapshot, and is old enough to pick up the phone herself if she's got a beef.

"She never objected," Selimaj told us yesterday, who said he has no idea why the picture has suddenly become an issue. "My guess is as good as yours." He said he's never been asked to remove any of the star snaps on his walls and is especially shocked that his "favorite president of all time" would ask such a thing.

Clinton's office did not respond to calls for comment. Selimaj told us he's keeping the picture up until Chelsea personally requests he remove it; the letter is now on display beside the photo.

Lindsay Lohan will be a no-show at any welcome-home boozefests planned for her rumored release from rehab this weekend. The sobriety-challenged actress, who entered her third stint in August, is staying put at Utah's Cirque Lodge for now, mom Dina Lohan told "Access Hollywood."

David Beckham's bad year just got worse: The L.A. Galaxy star, sidelined since August with a knee injury, raced back to London yesterday after his father, Ted, had a heart attack and was hospitalized. Becks and his dad didn't speak after the elder Beckham wrote an unauthorized bio in 2005, but have since reconciled.

Isaac Mizrahi digging into an overflowing goody bag at the new Chevy Chase Bloomingdale's. The Target fashion designer, flacking a skin care line, was given the bag by a fan; he was most excited about the hair products and huge bottle of Snow Queen Vodka.