The Difference Between Advocating Reading and Supporting Books

Like most things, some things mesh down to word choice, interpretation and how much of a… let’s say… stickler any one individual chooses to be in any given situation.

For this post, I’m going to be a stickler by drawing out the difference between ADVOCATING READING versus Supporting Books.

Supporting books is the ACT of building a platform, be it physical…as in nailing together a bookshelf and filling it full of books, or virtual…as in creating a host-site to display book cover images; all to serve as a foundation for 'supporting' books.

Advocating reading is different. Encouraging others to read books requires first, having read the book…completely. Second, having a deep ‘personal’ appreciation for the content read. And third, THEN building the platform, be it physical or virtual, to display only those books being advocated to read.

In other words, reading advocates do the hard work. Short story to dramatize the point.

A while back I came across a reader comment (and I’m only paraphrasing the gist of the comment) commenting on how most selections that were a part of Oprah’s book club were sad, depressing stories.

This comment stayed with me because every time I came across a book with that little round ‘Book Oprah’s Club’ sticker on the face of the book, I would hesitate. ‘Did I want to read a sad, depressing story?’ Most times I didn’t, and as a result would select another book.

BUT…and HOWEVER, ‘if’ Oprah’s book club selections do majorly appeal to sad stories, then this is a prime example of exactly what a ‘Good Reading Advocate’ does.

It is important that there are diverse resources to go to, where unlike visiting libraries or bookstores (virtual or online), the digging is sort of done for you.

There are times when someone might say, ‘hey, I’m in the mood for something really poignant, and yeah…well sad too,’ and know just where to go. Other times we might want to read something with a lot of mocha flavor, or straight up all crime, or humor, political, YA, LGBT, or even what some might refer to as SMUT reading.

And then too, there are times... haha…what I’m really advocating here…when someone might say, ‘I’m looking to read a unique deep page-turner with a mix of all these flavors,’ and know just where to go… right over here @RYCJ’s Favorite List.

I do the digging work, so that all the reader has to do, when the mood strikes, is sit back, read and enjoy turning them pages.