While show biz celebrities are used to receiving adulation from fans, most of them also experience moments of self-doubt.
When this happens, they cope with emotional problems often by turning to self-help books.
Inquirer Entertainment is publishing this article in commemoration of the annual Young Readers’ Day, which is celebrated all over the world every second Tuesday of November. This is done by organizing events that enable adults to read to and with children.
Incidentally, the Inquirer has been doing this through its Read-Along sessions held every month for 10 years now.
We asked several celebs the most significant books they have read:
Bianca King
Bianca King
“Mindfulness for Beginners” by John Kabat-Zinn and “The Art of Happiness” by the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler are what I consider the most significant books I’ve read so far. They’re easy to understand and applicable to one’s life. They are for people who are trying to be more self-aware of their actions and the choices they make in life. They help you get in touch with your core.
Matteo Guidicelli
“The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” by Robin Sharma is about a city guy who, one day, says no to living a corporate life, gives up everything he owns, and goes up the Himalayas. He chills there for a year or two and comes back to the city a different person.
From that book, you can read that life is all but a mindset. It’s also about the people you surround yourself with. When there’s a problem, try not to look for the negative. Always find positive things from the situation. That’s what I took away from reading the book. Since then, I started surrounding myself with positive-minded people—that, I think, is how you move forward.
Diego Loyzaga
Diego Loyzaga
Dan Brown’s “The Lost Symbol” is not the most significant book I’ve read. But, it’s the most recent I’ve read. It’s about the Freemasons and the Illuminati. I find them very intriguing, and I really want to learn about them. If you know the movies “Angels & Demons” and “The Da Vinci Code,” this is similar in theme. It’s something you can get addicted to. It’s a page-turner.
Beauty Gonzalez
I read a lot of books but usually forget what they’re about soon after. The one that had an impact on me is David Macinnis Gill’s “Black Hole Sun.” I love it because it talks about mental illness. Before reading it, I thought that it wasn’t normal to feel “weird.” The book made me realize that, sadly, this is “normal” to some people. It has taught me empathy. I don’t have a mental illness—I’m perfectly fine—but this is a nice book for people dealing with those issues.
Sofia Andres
Sophia Andres
I learned a lot from (Rick Warren’s) “The Purpose Driven Life.” It gives you advice when it comes to thinking about what you want to be in the future. Before I read the book, I didn’t have a purpose. As a young teenager, I was the happy-go-lucky type. A friend gave that book to me, and it totally changed my outlook on life.
Joem Bascon
I’m not into literary books. I’m a visual person. Comics or graphic novels are more important to me as an actor. Graphic novels give me fresh ideas. I see my imagination coming to life on their pages and see myself in the characters. When I read comic books, I get to experiment in the creation of new characters for the projects I’m working on. I particularly like Neil Gaiman’s works, “Sandman” and “American Gods,” [and Mike Carey’s] “Lucifer.”
Albie Casiño
“I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell” by Tucker Max is very important to me, because it got me into reading. I was never much of a reader. I find it hard to read because I’m dyslexic and I have a short attention span.
Max, who wrote four books, is very funny. Reading it got me into reading Max’s three other titles. Now, I’m thinking of buying my next—it’s called “Astrophysics for People in a Hurry” (Neil deGrasse Tyson). I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy reading if not for that one (Max’s).