It occurred to me, that I read more books than I review here on the blog. Yet I still rate those books on my Goodreads account, and over there I’m not the best about writing out my thoughts. I know, I need to get better. So people understand my reasoning for giving something three stars or four. However, there are some books that I just blaze through for a quick read or pallet cleanser, and then I’m off to the next book!
If I stopped to put a book review on my blog for every book I read, I wouldn’t get near the amount of reading done that I enjoy. One day I hope to be that quick and efficient, but I’m not quite there yet.
So, I figured I’d take a moment to break down my bookish rating system and their star equivalency. I mean, I know if you’re a pretty loyal follower or friend, you probably have a decent understanding of my ratings at this point. But I thought it’d still be a good idea to break it down.
Let’s get to it!
One Stars
I’ve been fortunate to not have any one stars in my home library. Nor do I recall having read anything in college or prior that warrants such a low rating.
That’s probably because I love stories. But I’m sure I have a one star waiting for me. The odds are against me. All I can say is that I do check out ratings and the opinions of friends or trusted influencers before reading a book.
So this is theoretical at this point, but I’d have to say a one star would have to be a book that if I didn’t DNF (did not finish) I wish I had.
A book where I found nothing redeemable about it. Lack of story, lack of depth, zero conflict. Or even worse, a book that glorified horrific behavior in earnest. A book where the grammar is so horrendous that I am jarred from the story frequently.
One stars are books that I would definitely not recommend and ones that had me regretting my purchase.
Two Stars
If a book is a two star, it had the outline of a good story. A cool concept. One where the blurb grabbed me, but the actual product just left me hanging and wanting. A book where the grammar and structure is distracting but not yet making me angry.
This one can also include pacing. If the story feels disjointed and the pace at which the story is told is either making things happen way too fast or absolutely nothing is happening and I’m wondering where the story went.
Two stars are also books I would not recommend. I may mention them to friends or family. Yeah, I read it. But they’d quickly be able to tell from my facial expression that I didn’t enjoy the experience.
I have read a couple of two stars, but they’ve been so long ago–before I researched before reading–that I’ve evidently repressed their titles.
Two stars leave me feeling down. Like a missed opportunity.
Three Stars
Three stars can be summed up in one phrase.
Good, not great.
They’re good stories. Good stories with good characters. Probably not well rounded characters, but they have good bones.
Conflicts are there but predictable to a fault. And even though they follow a well-proven formula story wise, they just are basic. And I don’t get emotionally attached at all to the characters or what they’re going through because the details are lacking.
These three star books can be promising though. They’re meh, however, there are enough of the good bones and neat concepts there that if it’s a trilogy or series, I’m probably going to pick up the next novel to see if they get better.
If the second book doesn’t get better, I wash my hands of them.
I’m probably more likely to discuss three star books to see why someone else loved them and if I missed something.
Three star books leave me feeling lukewarm. I wish the water was either hotter or had more bubbles but it’ll do the job.
Four Stars
Now, four star books are good!
I thoroughly enjoyed the story, characters, character development and where the plot took me. The grammar flaws are rare and if they’re there, I don’t care. I was hooked.
Compelling stories with possibly multiple threads that are interwoven. I enjoy these stories for their complexity. For the attention to details, big and small.
I know it’s a four star when the movie starts playing in my heads as my eyes devour the words.
I am transported. And rarely do I get thrown out of the movie playing but it’s not impossible.
When around friends and family, possible strangers on the internet, I will engage with fellow fans of a four star book and highly recommend it.
However, four stars are not without flaws. But they’re pretty minor, and fall more into an opinion based category than say grammar or plot-holes. These “flaws” are more likely to be that I thought the novel had too much fat that could’ve been cut. Or the book was taken in a great direction but still pretty predictable.
Many three stars can jump into the four star category if they really leave me with a twist or a satisfying character/story development.
Four star books leave me feeling like I just finished a glass of wine while wrapped up in a fluffy blanket and I still have half a bottle left. I’m in a really good place and I’d love to continue the journey.
Five Stars
Top tier, five star reads are definitely ones I have to gush about.
These are the ones where if I know you, and I know you’re a reader to any degree, I am telling, requesting, pleading for you to read this so I have someone to talk to about it.
I am enraptured with the characters, the story, the cover art, you name it. I’m probably following the author by this point on some form of social media because I must know what is coming next and when.
Five stars are a movie rolling in my head pretty much from the start. Only disrupted by an outside force like work or someone talking to me. And sleep if I allow such a disruption. With a five star, I’m liable to stay up into the wee hours of the morning even if I work the next day.
There may be some story flaws in a micro, minuscule way that some may love to pick at, but I’m way too invested to care. I’m drinking that kool-aid, slurping that soup, you name it. I’m nom-noming the story like the five star meal it is.
These stories have realistic, complex characters. They have issues, they are flawed, but they are also well-rounded and growing. These characters most assuredly are not the same at the end of the book as they were at the start.
Characters aren’t the only complex thing. The plot itself is not linear. This is a tapestry. Weaved in such a way that when I step back and look at the piece as a whole, it is art. The world is typically not black and white as some stories can be. This world is a swirl of grey.
Five star reads leave me burning. I want, no–need, more.
My Ratings, Concluded
Every story has its audience.
A one star for me, may be a three or higher for you. And that’s okay! That’s great even. It means you got something out of it that I didn’t.
And likewise I may have been totally enamored with a book, claiming it to be a five star, when it’s a two for you. That’s cool as well!
I just wanted to write this to give you all a little more background and information as to why I rate something the way I do. Heck, I wrote this for myself as well. Sometimes I need a reminder as to why I rate the way I do!
Until Next Time,
Let’s Connect:
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