WHEN Kelly Clarkson hits the road -- which in her busy schedule is often -- there are a few essentials she takes with her.

Her laptop, her iPod, about five books and usually some DVDs. While in Australia last week -- between performing on Rove, Sunrise and Good News Week -- Clarkson managed to catch a few minutes of her favourite TV show NCIS.

"I'm a huge NCIS fan," she confesses. "My sister is one of those crime nerds; she watches all those shows. And she got me addicted to this show. I'm currently watching that on DVD."

Her favourite characters are gothic forensic scientist Abby (Pauley Perrette) and British medical examiner Ducky (David McCallum).

She's also a big reader and a huge fan of the Twilight series. She also recently finished The Shack by William P. Young, which addresses religion, and Emergency by Neil Strauss, which she says is "frightening but cool".

"I love reading," the former American Idol winner says. "I think it's good for me, too, because I'm a talker. And it gets difficult on your voice if you're also doing shows and you're talking every minute of the day. And I love reading anyway. We're kind of a nerdy group, my band. We read books together and talk about them."

The latest book they have been dissecting is Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.

The big-voiced singer has been in Australia for a brief promotional visit, and she promises to be back in March for a full-scale tour.

She loves coming here -- Australia is probably her biggest fan base outside of the US -- and it reminds her of home in Texas.

"Everyone's really friendly and welcoming. It just reminds me of home for some reason," the bubbly 27-year-old says.

Clarkson still lives in Texas, close to where she grew up, and has turned her back on the Hollywood lifestyle.

Rather than going to A-list parties and spending hours on a treadmill to justify her existence, she's happy to be hanging out at home with friends and living the life of a normal 27-year-old.

In conversation, she comes across as down to earth and unaffected and couldn't be nicer.

Recently, Clarkson has come under scrutiny because of her weight, something which she says doesn't matter to her. In an industry where looking thin is more important than simply looking good or healthy, her attitude is a breath of fresh air.

"I'm the same weight I've always been," she says. "I think people try and put pressure on people in the (music) industry, but honestly I live in Texas and I don't care. I'm a healthy girl and I work out and I eat well enough. I don't focus on what everyone else thinks.

"I didn't come into the spotlight because I'm a supermodel. I came in because of talent -- I was on a talent show. People voted for me because they like hearing me sing."

Clarkson's fans certainly don't care about such things -- and she has many around the world. She says the idea of being a role model would have "freaked her out" seven years ago, when she first rose to fame, but now she focuses on just being herself.

"Music is supposed to be about fun and being inspiring so I just focus on that. I'm a normal person and I screw up and I do good things sometimes. I'm like everybody else."

Clarkson's fourth album All I Ever Wanted has been well received, following the less successful My December in 2007, debuting at No.1 in the US in March and No.2 on the Australian ARIA charts. The single My Life Would Suck Without You reached platinum sales. Her latest single, I Do Not Hook Up, was co-written by Katy Perry. But Clarkson chose the song before Perrymania had exploded and the singer-songwriter was still an unknown.

"I felt like I tapped into that way before it even happened, so I was pretty excited. I love her writing. I'm a big fan."

And Clarkson says she is also a fan of another recent star -- Scottish spinster Susan Boyle. Clarkson says she bawled her eyes out when her brother and sister first sent her links to the YouTube video of the Britain's Got Talent contestant performing I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables.

"It's just like me," she says. "I wasn't the prettiest girl on my show. I'm more like the girl next door.

"It was awesome to see her get up there and sing and blow people away with just her talent. I was bawling when I first heard it. Les Miserables is one of my favourite musicals."

Naturally, Clarkson's family are the most important people in her life, and though her touring schedule takes her all over the world, she enjoys coming home.

"Whenever I go home and I'm just hanging out, nobody's putting me on a pedestal or anything. I'm still the little sister of the group. I'm still the friend that's kind of crazy and creative. I'm still the same person to them. I think that's what kind of helps me out a lot . . .they're not really affected by it." It is so cool that she was able to maintained her friendships from before she was famous. Seems some people aren't able to do that and I have to wonder if it's THEIR attitude and not the other people's that causes the shift

She loves spending time with her nieces and nephews, but isn't ready for kids.

"I'm back and forth on that," she says. "Part of me loves being the aunt where I can just give them back whenever I want. But they're just so adorable. I probably won't have a kid until 35. It seems like a good age."