By Conchita Edwards and Denise Amador
There’s a new trend in showbiz circle, suddenly every celebrity insists on being authors and wanted to be taken seriously like any other literary geniuses.
Just recently, actress Claudine Barretto announced that she’s going to publish a tell-all book, which will coincide with her showbiz comeback. Once published, Barretto will be part of the roster of celebrities who use their personal brands to sell books, ostensibly they wrote personally (or with the generous assistance of a ghost writer, we suppose).
Now, answering the question as to why celebrities want to encroach on a territory initially known only to wordsmiths who have the luxury of time to be in front of their computers weaving words and sentences, it’s simple – they want validation and they want to prove that they are more than just pretty faces.
This Sunday’s “listicles,” we are having a rundown of showbiz personalities who have become published authors this year. It’s good to note that some of them even landed on the bestselling list of the country’s major bookstores.
Alex Gonzaga
After coming up with a best-selling book last year, the witty and talented host authored her second book entitled Dear Alex, We’re Dating. Tama, Mali?! Love, Catherine. It is a breakup survival guide that aims to help broken-hearted readers let go and move on from their heartaches, and help them on their journey to a happy single and independent life.
Kathryn Bernardo
Fueled by her endeavor to inspire every girl to be her best self, the 20-year-old shares everything she’s learned about fashion, beauty and friendship in a book entitled Everyday Kath: Kathryn Bernardo’s 365 Ways To Be A Teen Queen. The book is a token of appreciation for those who have been supporting her career. Kathryn’s book is also about how to be stronger in life and how to stand on your own feet – something that she herself realized when she celebrated her birthday this year.
Vice Ganda
The colorful personality of the box-office actor and comedian is the essence of President Vice: Ang Bagong Panggulo ng Pilipinas, a book he released in July. He was convinced to write this book because he was inspired by the current president’s message of change. In an interview, Vice shared, “Ang librong ito ay pang pa-good vibes lang. It has nothing do with the government. Para lang ito sa katuwaan ng lahat.” So there, don’t take it seriously.
JaDine
There’s no better way to celebrate the “realness” of their relationship than immortalizing it through a book they co-authored. Entitled Team Real: Your All-Access Pass Into James Reid and Nadine Lustre’s World, it focuses on how their actual selves won the hearts of many people that support them. The book also talks about travel and adventures, money talk and life hacks. Most importantly, Team Real is about teaching a reader to love himself, embrace his uniqueness and endeavor to reach his ultimate dreams. The book sold 100,000 copies upon release.
Andrea Brillantes
The 13-year-old Kapamilya, who has more a million fans on Facebook, shared that her book #GOALS: Your Journey To Be The Best You contains a combination of entertaining stories, tricky comics and advice for the youth to be confident in their own skin. Through her own words, she encourages young people her age to be proactive and go for they really want to achieve in life. If there more 13-year-olds out there who have the same passion to influence people, this world will be such a better place.
Judy Ann Santos
Busy playing her important roles in life as an actress, a wife, and a mother, she gave herself a chance and pursued her passion in cooking when her husband Ryan Agoncillo encouraged her to go to culinary school. Now armed with “delicious knowledge” to share, the celebrated actress published a book entitled Kitchen, which highlights 44 recipes categorized in five sections: Comfort Food, Friends, Kiddie Parties, Wifey Duties, and Health & Discoveries. You see, Judy Ann is no longer just the Ula, Mara or the Esperanza that made her a TV darling.
Alden Richards
The book Alden Richards: In My Own Words, reveals everything there is to know about the reluctant celebrity who was born Richard Faulkerson, Jr. It recounts the path the 24-year old actor, singer, and TV host took before hitting showbiz gold with Aldub—a history that includes male pageants and failed auditions. The book then delves deeper into Alden’s life as an ordinary guy by spilling revealing truths and endearing facts about the down-to-earth star. Alden, an old-fashioned romantic, also sets readers’ hearts aflutter by candidly letting his views on love and dating be known.