Assunta de Rossi loves books on fashion, fantasy and cars

Award-winning actress Assunta De Rossi is a major fan of imagined stories. She reads fiction and fantasy to escape to different worlds and to vicariously experience the adventures of characters that she’s fallen in love with through the years. Though she admits that she barely has the time to read these days because of her hectic schedule both as an actress and a homemaker, Assunta says that she always makes it a point to read a new story or book at least twice or thrice a year. Here are some of her most favorite works of fiction.

The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger. “This book is so hilarious. I can read it over and over again. I have always been fascinated with the world of fashion and I’ve always imagined what it’s like to work for a top fashion magazine.”

The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint Exupery. “I always feel like a kid again every time I read this book. The values that I learned from this book are both timeless and universal.”

Where Only the Moon Rages by Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo. “This is a collection of short stories which, for me, are best read and enjoyed during a quiet evening and ideally when it’s raining softly. There is a story in this collection about a man and a woman who met in a lighthouse at the Northern region of the Philippines. They fell in love but they never really consummated their love. Another story is about a teacher who fell in love with the goddess of the mountain whom I assume to be Mariang Makiling.”

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. “I love period novels. I am so amazed by the life of Sayuri and the secret lives of geishas.”

Twisted Travels by Jessica Zafra. “This is not exacly a work of fiction but I love how Jessica Zafra documents her ‘twisted travels.’ She’s so funny and I could relate to her misadventures because I have been to most of the places that she wrote about in this book. She even wrote about her US trip with the Eraserheads in this collection, which is a major plus for me because I’m a huge Eheads fan.”

The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller. “I first saw the movie then I read the book. I’m a fan of Meryl Streep and I can’t get enough of the movie so I decided to get a copy of the book. I couldn’t stop crying when I started reading this. There are some scenes in the book that were not shown and used in the movie but that’s okay. My favorite line both in the book and movie is ‘This kind of certainty comes only but once in a lifetime.’ Isn’t it obvious? I’m a sucker for romance.”

Ladlad Edited by Danton Remoto and J. Neil Garcia. “This is a collection of short stories, poems, essays and plays written by some of the best writers in our country. I particularly love the play ‘Kuwan’ by Jun Lana where a gay guy falls for his best friend who happens to be a girl or so he thinks. I’d like to play the role of the girl in ‘Kuwan’ someday since I have never experienced acting on stage.”

30-Minute Meals by Rachel Ray. “I super love this book because it does, more or less, keep its promise to help and teach people to prepare delicious and fabulous meals in 30 minutes or even less.”

Wonder Woman: Gods & Mortals by George Perez. “I stumbled upon this graphic novel by accident and I’m glad I did. This is a fun read. This talks about the origin story of Wonder Woman, how she got her powers and how and why she left the island to visit ‘Man’s World.’”

501 Must-Drive Cars by Fid Backhouse. “I love everything about cars. This is a must-read for car enthusiasts like me. If only I could buy and own all 501 cars featured in this book. But then again, I always have my imagination, right?”

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“The Reading Club” recommends A Bit of Earth by Suchen Christine Lim where the author deftly weaves historical fact and fiery imagination into a visually powerful multicultural story that spans three generations and four decades.

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Your comments and suggestions are welcome at gr.rodis@gmail.com. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @showbizmanila.