(Warning: this is a free-writing kind of post)
I finished four books throughout this week. It’s not that I want to brag. It’s because of a special project: to encourage my fellow brothers to read.
My appointment as the library committee chairperson
Two months ago, I was appointed as the head of the library committee. It’s not because I am the most qualified but because there’s only two persons to choose from including myself. We don’t even have a librarian. During our initial meeting, I asserted my desire to acquire books. It’s actually strange that in the previous years, the funds for the library in book acquisition are untouched. I want my confreres to read that I bought books that I don’t prefer to read. Some fellow young brothers are even cynical of my project. But it’s okay; I’ll just feed the readers more motivation to read: purchase what they want to read.
How I developed the habit of reading?
I’m a late bloomer when it comes to reading. I started the habit when I was a senior high school student. And the secret to start the habit is just to start reading. What I did is to just begin with the books that I like: chess. The same goes for my confreres: give them the books they like.
Among the four books I read, I like The First Phone Call from Heaven by Mitch Albom because of the balance between the fanaticism and cynicism towards the phone call hoax. Second book I read is the Adultery by Paulo Coelho. It might be fueled by sensual scenes but I cannot relate to the protagonist’s first world problems and the lousy portrayal of psychiatrists because of the author’s bias to this field. Maybe I just had gone through a lot of crisis and I’m from a third world country that (spoiler alert) I’m kind of surprised when the protagonist had a “spiritual awakening” through paragliding. My advice to the dear author (or the translator): please write “love is the universal language” in a more creative way in the future books. I like the third and fourth book by Bo Sanchez but I feel lazy to write about them.
Question: When was the last time you read a book?
Br. Allen 
Are you allowed to read any book you want to read ? Like, sensual books ?
Someone asked me to buy it and I just bought it. I told that to the rector that the book is “sensual” and he reacted. I said that it’s part of the motivation to my peers.
To answer your question if we are allowed to read “sensual books”, the answer is, of course: no. It just so happened that Coelho’s latest book contains some “sensual” parts unlike other books that is wholly “sensual” or erotic to be exact (even the term pornographic will do). I won’t buy or read Fifty Shades of Grey and I hope anyone from us should.
Usually, only inspirational, spiritual, children’s book are spared of the “sensual” things and I promote this three genres. But in reality, the most requested books are novels and I read the books first before I distribute so I know what kind of books are my brothers reading. Hehe