I’ve come across some controversy online about 5 star reviews lately and I’d love your take on the subject. Basically, some readers are saying that ‘true’ 5 star reads are rare, if not impossible to find and they criticized reader reviewers who leave a lot of 5 star reviews (Yikes! That’s me!) They object to these ‘false’ high reviews because they distort the ‘true’ rating of the book and do a disservice to other readers. Heated exchanges ensued and became quite hoity-toity literary in my humble opinion – almost like they were talking about professional, critical reviewers instead of bibliophiles who share reviews as an extension of their hobby (or bookish obsession, whichever fits!)
I have to say, it quite surprised me to see these kinds of negative conversations going on amongst fellow book lovers. You’d think we’d be united in our passion for stories and we all understand that not every book is the right match for every reader so shouldn’t that also be reflected in our reviews?
Anyway, this got me to thinking about how I approach starring my reviews and wondering if I am letting the team down, so to speak, in my over enthusiastic ratings? So here’s the discussion question:
What criteria do you use to determine a 5 star rating?
I’ve been living in a happy bubble where most of my reads end up being 5 stars. Perhaps I’m delusional or maybe it’s just that I’m approaching ratings in a very different way?
I consider my relationship to the story, as opposed to taking an objective look at literary devices, word usage etc. Sometimes beautiful writing moves me and I’ll note that in my written review, but mostly a 5 star read is one that:
- engages me wholeheartedly, often to the point that it’s jarring to resurface into my ‘real’ world.
- I connect with characters, have to love MCs, but even loving to hate their nemesis keeps me engaged and invested in the story as well.
- I become emotionally invested
- I think about the plot and or/characters throughout the day when I’m not reading the book. Sometimes I even dream about them.
- I look forward to picking up where I left off and/or find it hard to put the book down
- And when I reach the end I experience the blissful contentment of a story well told.
Fortunately (or unfortunately according to some reviewers,) most of the books I read meet this criteria. I think, partly, because I’ve fine-tuned my ability to pick out books I know I’ll enjoy. Also, I readily DNF ones that don’t interest me. But mostly, I think I’m easy to entertain and I appreciate a good story and why shouldn’t I give it a 5 star rating if it made me happy?
So, what do you think? I’d love to hear how you determine a 5 star read. Oh — and 4.5s – what’s with that? What keeps a 4.5 star read from being a 5 star read? Reviewers never say, but they gush over every aspect of the book and I’m left wondering why they couldn’t just give the poor story a 5 star rating? 🙂
Share your thoughts in a comment and I’ll enter you in a draw for:
Kav's Best Reads 
As long as people are being sincere and fair about their rating (high or low), they can do whatever they want. It’s their review, not mine.
You give your reasons in detail so people should be glad to read your WHY!
Sometimes I read reviews and endorsements that have such a generic write-up that I truly wonder how they could have read the book. Clicks and likes, I guess??
I do not give five stars easily. I save them for books that *really* wow me. If they completely blew me away, they get 5+ stars. If it was good or really good, they will get 4, 4.25. My average rating each month is almost always between 4 and 4.25.
I do not agree with those who say a person can’t leave a low rating or review. I’m going to be honest either way. I don’t enjoy it but I have to be honest. I try to say it as politely as I can. I will DNF if I need to and have no qualms about that either. I rarely do it but I will. It may not be for me but perhaps someone will find a way to appreciate it.
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P.S. – A 5-star book for me is one that keeps me engaged, evokes emotion without force, has me excited to keep reading, makes me want to tell others about it, one that sits with me in my thoughts and plays out like a movie. A book that has me living inside of it.
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I could never be nuanced enough to differentiate between a 4.25, 4.5 or 5 star! Maybe my mind isn’t analytic enough? Oh, that actually does make sense, I react emotionally to a story so that’s the way I review as well. Way back in high school we had to do this massive aptitude test for board study of some sort and I scored abysmally low in areas like logic – scored high on the creative stuff. So there, that’s my 5 star excuse and I’m sticking to it. Bwahahahaha!
And yes — low ratings are a whole other controversy. Again on instagram influencers and even authors were promoting not giving a review at all if it wasn’t 4 or 5 stars! I thought that was pretty nervy but it made the rounds and lots of people I follow picked it up so it went kinda viral. I’ve always looked at reader reviews as more for readers than authors. I mean, yes, I want to promote authors and their work but I’m not just posting reviews to boost their numbers. Partly I’m doing reviews to remind me about the details of a book, what I liked, or didn’t, but also for fellow bibliophiles to help them figure out if a book is something they’d like to read too. That’s how I sort through what I’ll read next, what new author to try, even what books to choose from Net Galley. I read some reviews – both good and bad – and that helps me determined whether the book is a fit for me.
Ohhh, I like your 5 star point about whether it’s a book you want to tell others about – that’s a great guideline. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Tammy. Happy Reading!
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A five star review… I guess the book just “does it for me” overall. Left feeling happy, fulfilled, content. Smiling. Encouraged.
Otherwise, I could sit there and nitpick all day long. It’s just too fussy.
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Yes!!!!!!! Why waste time nitpicking when you could be reading the next book?! 🙂 Good luck, Diane!
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Totally agree with you! If a book has you not wanting to put it down, but not wanting it to end at the same time, why not give it a 5 star rating? If the author’s writing is so good that your feel like that fly on the wall, standing right beside them or even like you “are” one of them, then why not a 5 star rating? Definitely agree with you about being seasoned readers. We know by reading the back cover, the look of the front cover and rarely but still who the author is, whether we will enjoy reading a book or not. If not, I put it down and move on. No need spending my reading time on a 1 or 2 star book. Another reason for a 5 star rating for me is if the book can make me laugh, cry, personally feel the emotions of the characters, and/or give thought to. It means the author has me invested in the story. While I might not be stingy with my 5 star ratings, I know what I love reading and I’m happy to share it with others so hopefully someone else can have the same reading experience as I had.
Have a great Sunday full of smiles and some fun reading. May it lead you into a blessed upcoming week. ❤
2clowns at arkansas dot net
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Yep, being savvy about book selection can make all the difference in how many 5 star ratings a reader gives out. I don’t read something because it’s popular or on a best seller list or award list or even a book club selection. I read what appeals to me, so it’s only natural I’ll enjoy the book. Tried to join a book club in my new area but, ugh, the books they posted for the fall were so not my kind of read at all. Dense literary tomes that I found sooooooo boring. So, alas, no book club for me. But also no negative reviews from me either. 🙂 Good luck, Kay!
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Good morning Kav and Best Readers, reviews are such a subjective thing. We are all intitled to our own feelings and opinions about the books we read and how we rate them. Having said that, I think you are correct in your hoity toity literary assessment of those who want to control the rating/reviewing process. Even though we may be shocked by these types of discussions, I learned a long time ago not to give power to the opinions of others, it’s just impossible to please all the people all the time (even if I want to, which I do not, lol).
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said you have finetuned your ability to pick books you know you’ll enjoy. That’s me exactly. I used to never not finish a book, but with so many ebooks available to choose from these days if I try a book and it’s not for me, I don’t have a problem setting it aside either.
I have simplified how I rate books over the years. I use a simple 3, 4, 5 rating system. 3 is an average read, 4 is above average book I enjoyed, and 5 is a book that was extremely good and gave me an emotional response and a sigh worthy ending. I wish there was a 4.5 rating, some books are better than the 4-above average rating but missing that special something that makes a 5 a 5. We just have to round up or down, but I don’t belabor it, I just pick one. I agree with all your 5 star points listed.
I will say one thing that keeps me from giving a book a 5 star rating is when the book overall feels sad to me. For example, recent read Things We Cannot Keep by Amanda Cox. We all know she is a great storyteller and her latest book is an interesting story, but it made me sad. I just can’t make myself give 5 stars to a book that was mostly sad even when it ends on a good note. Like I said, reviews are so personal and subjective. I know I am a sensitive reader, but I make no apologies for it. Someone else may not come away with that same feeling and have no problem giving it a 5.
Thanks for the rating discussion and giveaway! tracey14567 atgmail.com
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I love that you have become a DNFer! 🙂 Good point about accepting the fact that you can’t please everyone and not to worry about others’ opinions. Way back when I first started posting my reviews, I kept getting emails from a ‘helpful’ person who critiqued my reviews, cited grammatical errors and punctuation mistakes (apparently I use – too often and was, at the time, fond of multiple !) Anyway, she did this diligently in order to help me become more professional and polished so I could save myself from public embarrassment!!! She’d get quite put out when I didn’t always take her advice. I tried to be diplomatic and thanked her for her input every time but I also explained that I was mostly writing the way I talk (and yes, if we had a conversation you would see the multiple ! dancing around the room!!!!) Finally she gave me up as a lost cause. I’m a bit more polished now, but still ‘me’, if that makes any sense.
Interesting point about not being able to give a 5 star to a book that makes you sad. Emotions are such an integral part of reading – I wouldn’t be as obsessed about it if all my fiction was bland. I do like a happily ever after though and sometimes a story takes me through a wringer before I get to that point. Sounds like I should hold off on reading Things We Cannot Keep until I need a good cathartic cry. (books are great for letting our emotions out!) Thanks for your thoughtful response, Tracey. Good luck!
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I’m stunned you had a critique-r/reviewer of reviews! People can be so controlling and call it “being helpful”. We used to have a saying in my family, “the only advice that’s appreciated is the advice that’s ask for.” still true.
And you’ve probably never seen me post anything without a good amount of exclamation points, I love making a point and that’s how I talk too!!! haha
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I feel a lot like you do. Thanks for sharing this Kav. I have talked to some people and they will give 3 or 4 stars if one thing is wrong or messed up. Really? Last I heard, we are all kinda messed up in one way or another. I love to read where characters learn to grow and allow it. Oh so much, to say. But suffice it to say I believe a lot of what you said above. If a story held my attention and I can’t wait to read the next book in a series or another one by that author, I will give that book a five.
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Yes!!!! I mean, do we really want to sit around and pick every aspect of a story to death before we render it worthy of 5 stars?! That would put me off reading altogether! In some ways I think going with our gut reaction to a book turns out to be the most honest way to review. And good point about a 5 star book is the kind of read that has you itching to pick up the next book in the series or written by the author — totally agree. I’ll have to add that to my list! Thanks for sharing, Lori. Good luck!
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A book has to blow me away to get a 5 star review. I do give a lot of 4 star reviews but a 5 star review book has me reading through the night and early morning until the book is finish and that is rare for me. The last 5 star review I left on a book was NOT christian fiction but was a book that blew me away with so many details about life in a country during a war but the characters were almost all civilians.
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I like that you have a good sense of what differentiates a 4 star and 5 star read for you. I’m way too…I dunno…over enthusiastic maybe? Like a kid enthusing over every little thing just because it’s there. lol So for more a 4 star read is usually because of content, like excessive swearing or too spicy or else it has too many cliches that aren’t as well thought out as they could be (that’s for my cozy mystery reading.) Or — if a dreaded love triangle caused me way too much angst. Bwahahahaha! Good luck, Kim!
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For me a 4 star read is a story line that is sluggish to begin with but becomes stronger as you get through the books. When I mean sluggish I mean slow. It’s not so much the swearing and I’m not a fan of spicy. Some people just don’t like certain words that are used to describe as certain situation. But when a book is written in a different language and translation to english is good or great that can sometimes be a 5 star review.
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Hmmm…good point about slow starting books. I can see how that would knock a star off even if the story picks up and there’s an overall enjoyment. I usually stop reading if I’m not engaged so I never get too far into a sluggish start. 🙂
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This is a fascinating discussion! I’m also somebody who gives a lot of five star reviews. Mostly fours and fives. Threes are rarer, and if a book would get a two or one from me, I pray and evaluate whether I’d like to skip reviewing or feel the need to “warn” people about the title.
Like Tracey said, reviews are very subjective, so I think it would be nearly impossible to create an objective standard for everyone to adhere to.
That said, on the flip side, I’ve significantly pruned down my reading of self-published / indie authors (which I know is a controversial take), because I find it’s harder to be objective when I’ve been talking to the author AND I find there can be a bit of a discrepancy between reading something someone wrote, as a favor, and actually thinking something is worth buying and recommending that others do the same.
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I wrestle with one and two stars reviews as well. I like your point about whether you feel the need to warn people about something in the book. I find that super helpful when I’m looking up an unknown author – like a Net Galley offering – and I’m not sure about content. And it’s so important with say, a middle grade book that might have explicit scenes or lots of profanity. That’s something I’d want to know about as a parent or a librarian buying for a school library. Same with romance…used to be that ‘cozy’ and ‘heartwarming; inferred closed door but not anymore. So, those lower star reviews by like-minded readers help me sort out what’s a fit for me and what isn’t and saves a lot of grief later. Having said that, I rarely leave that low a rating because I usually DNF the book and if I haven’t read the whole book, I don’t think it’s fair to review it.
Have been wrestling over how to review a book I got from Net Galley, billed as a cozy mystery romance. Looked super cute, featured dogs but turned out to be full of hardcore swearing — like everywhere! – and one open door scene. I felt like I had to read the whole thing because it’s a NG book but I’m in a quandary about how to review it. No way I’m putting it on this blog or my insta account so I thought maybe posting a review on Good Reads and Amazon with disclaimers front and centre and then trying to write the review by looking at the story with those negative (for me) aspects pulled out of it. Because there were still some great parts to the story and the mystery and the romance was cute…up to a point. Anyway, still haven’t posted the review because I can’t figure out how to star it. I mean, is it fair to take off stars because I selected a book that wasn’t a good fit for me? Gah! So confusing. Anyway, thanks for sharing your thoughts, Stephanie. Good luck!
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You know you can tell NetGalley that you won’t be reviewing a book. And tell them why. It will not count against your overall percentage! It just relieves you from continuing to read it.
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Wow, Paula, I didn’t know that! I felt obligated once I’d received it. I’ll definitely do that if I run into the problem again. Planning on being more careful though.
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Most books I read are 4 star. Which for me to be considered a 5 star, means it’s a keeper to stay on my shelf/reread. Most books are 4 star because there is usually something that may be small but consistently runs through the book that annoys me that keeps me from wanting to reread. But I do understand the nuace that not every book is for every reader and it saddens me to see these arguments! We are all different and there is no law or rule that everyone can or will follow.
sarahdar0801ATgmailDOTcom
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I like the way you differentiate between a 4 star and 5 star read for you. Keeper shelf worthy is a criteria I haven’t heard before but it’s a really good one. Yes, it seems like bookstagram has gotten grumpy over the last few months between AI and reviews and there’s even controversy over spicy and non spicy now. Sigh, Can’t we all just read what makes us happy and respect all the other readers’ right to do the same? Thanks for your input, Sarah. Good luck!
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I love this question! As the very organized. black-and-white person that I am, I wrote a rubric for my ratings on StoryGraph! It’s along the lines of this:
5 star – I adored this book. I will definitely reread this book! I haven’t stopped talking about it since I started reading it and will continue to do so. Most of the books I read are 5 star because, like you said, I know what I like to read and don’t finish something that I’m not enjoying.
4 star – I enjoyed this book, but I won’t reread it. Maybe something small that I didn’t like. I usually assume it’s a “me” problem and not a “this book” problem and up my rating to a 5 star.
3 star – there were things I enjoyed and things I didn’t about this book. It felt like writing for the sake of publishing, not because writing is a passion. Cookie-cutter storyline. If it was a suspense/mystery, I know who the bad guy was early on. I recently rated one a 3 star because there was a woman pastor in the story. There was also a map in the beginning of the book that didn’t match with the storyline in the book. And the characters all had the same “voice” which I started to find annoying, glad these characters weren’t my actual friends haha! But I also enjoyed other aspects of the story.
2 star – I really didn’t like this book and it will be going to the thrift story. One that I rated 2 star was a love triangle with very descriptive kissing (for a Christian book!). It was supposed to be full of shocking twists and turns, but there wasn’t a big ah-ha moment at the end, and the suspense felt life a back burner compared to all the kissing.
1 star – this book became firewood and I will proudly tell the world this. I have only ever actually rated one book a 1 star and it was Always Running by Luis Rodriquez. I left a not-so-nice review. I had to read it for college and write a book report. At least I got to vent my frustration in my book report haha and I got an A in the class!
Anyway, this reminds me that I need to go back and catch up on a few reviews. Sometimes I’m so excited to read the next book that I don’t leave a review right away.
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Bwahahaha! A rubric, of course you did! Are you by any chance a teacher? I love it! Your 5 star criteria rock! And the last time under your 5 star had me laughing out loud. Your 3 star criteria is so illuminating. I like how well thought out it is. I’m usually vague on 3 stars — mostly a character who really annoyed me or blatant plot holes in a mystery (cozy mysteries get the majority of my 3 star reviews.) And your point about all the characters having the same ‘voice’ – that becomes so evident when you listen to an audio book. And makes it so confusing too! Bwahahaha! Your 1 star comment – I’d never heard of the book so I had to look it up. Ugh. Glad you got a good grade out of your report. 🙂 Happy reviewing, Rebecca. I try make myself review a book before I pick up the next one or it becomes a slippery slope of me reading and no reviews written which isn’t any fun at all when it comes time to catch up. Good luck, Rebecca!
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It’s sad that the reading community is criticizing its own. Everyone determines their reviews and ratings a little differently, and that’s okay! And when all the styles are taken together, a potential reader can decide if the book is a good match for him or her.
For me, I don’t give many five star reviews b/c it has to be a book that I loved and is well-written. I’ve read some well-written books that I just didn’t love. And I have thoroughly enjoyed some books that weren’t particularly well-written, but had a high enjoyment level. I have a lot of four star reads; it’s probably the most common rating I give. It’s a book that I enjoyed and I’ll keep, but it may not have blown me away. Like you, I’ve learned what kind of books I can reasonably expect to enjoy, and what books I probably won’t enjoy even if it’s well-written.
Jolene – iwant2save34 at gmail dot com
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I think that’s what frustrates so many people – that everyone is doing their own thing when it comes to reviews – and they just have to let it go and concentrate on doing their own thing. 🙂 Now this is an interesting take – ” I’ve read some well-written books that I just didn’t love. And I have thoroughly enjoyed some books that weren’t particularly well-written, but had a high enjoyment level” – I’ll have to think on this some…because when I read it, I see what you’re saying, but when I’m reading a book, I don’t necessarily see that difference. I think because I’m an emotional reader — so as long as I’m feeling all the feels (whatever they may be) I’m happy? You’re making me do some deep thinking and analyzing my poor overworked brain, Jolene! Thanks….I think…and good luck!
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So now reviewers are rating reviews? hmm… What a waste of precious reading time! I rate all of Laura Frantz’s books 5 stars bc of her stellar writing ability, plots, & amazing characters. However, I don’t compare every book I read according to how she writes or no one else would receive 5 stars! If a book keeps me coming back, isn’t too slow, I become invested in plot/characters, and the writing is great in THEIR way (not Laura’s or other fave authors), it will earn 5 stars from me! I will give 4.5 stars if there are too many errors & if there’s cursing, I DNF.
Like you, Kav, many books I read rate 5 stars bc I pick them out knowing I’m going to love them. Maybe I enjoyed the 1st book so much I just KNOW I’m going to love the sequels as well—such as Colleen Coble’s Sanctuary series or Where Stillness Speaks & sequel, By Mercy Unbroken by Chelsey Welwood. Or if it’s written by one of my fave authors & I’ve been waiting for it to release! If a book is boring, I will rate it 3-4 stars depending on how boring. lol Novels & reviews are so subjective & we really can’t know if someone else’s review is sincere or not. Unless we have the gift of mind reading!
Have a blessed Sunday everyone!
dianalflowers at aol dot com
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“Waste of precious reading time” – yep, you’ve got that right! Ohhhh, really good point about comparisons! Just because one book or author is a 5 star every time, doesn’t mean another completely different kind of story can’t be as well. I think each book has to stand on its own merit and your review is going to reflect how it made you feel, even the mood you were in at the time, if you had a personal connection with part of the story – all that kind of things. So that means you could give an author like Laura 5 stars but also a short contemporary rom/com written in a completely different style, 5 stars as well.
Oh, and the more we read and talk about what we read, the better we are at picking out 5 star reads to begin with! I have Where Stillness Speaks on my TBR and it’s been there for ages, what am I waiting for????? Ah, interesting point about not knowing if a review is sincere or not. That’s something to think about too. I guess all we can do is be true to ourselves and the books we read. Thanks for sharing, Diane. Good luck!
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Exactly! I can rate one of Laura Thomas’s Christmas novellas 5 stars bc of the way it made me feel (all cozy, snuggly, & in the Christmas spirit) as well as I can Laura Frantz’s beautiful novels. I think every book should stand on its own merit, don’t you? Sometimes (in the winter especially), only a good Christmas suspense fills the bill! Yes, to our own selves be true. I can’t imagine why someone would write a false negative review unless they have want to sabatoge the author’s book for some reason, but I have suspected a few on Amazon. I love & appreciate CF authors so much for enriching my life, heck, I really want to give them all 5 star reviews!!!!
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Sometimes autocorrect doesn’t help at all! That sentence shouId read “I can’t imagine why someone would write a false negative review unless they want to sabotoge the author’s book for some reason, but I have suspected a few on Amazon.”
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I like this ‘every book should stand on its won merit.’ — yes, that’s how I approach reviewing and rating. Very well said, Diane. Grrr to reviewers who aren’t genuine in their ratings. Why waste their time? And, as you say, after all the work that goes into writing a novel! Every story might not be a match but we don’t have to diss the ones that aren’t.
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Kav, I almost always give 4 or 5 star reviews. Like so many others have said, I know what I like to read and gravitate toward those books.
Another thing that can make it tricky for me when rating books is that, as an author, I have connections to quite a few authors. So sometimes I won’t give a book I wasn’t crazy about a star rating but will just write a brief review. For me 5 star reads usually either really wow me, have amazing writing, an amazing story, really entertain me, or keep me interested throughout – eager to read the next page, etc. Sometimes a book may fall just short of that and then something happends or comes together and I think yes, indeed, this makes it 5 stars for me. Maybe 4.5 🙂
ckbarker at gmail dot com
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We are all seasoned pros at picking out good books it seems. 🙂 Most of the time, anyway. I often wonder what authors do when they are asked to endorse a book they haven’t read yet. You know how publishers like to have those blurbs on the back cover and in the online descriptions. Like what if it’s someone you know, or some eager debut novelist and you read the ARC and don’t like it at all but now you’re committed to giving a positive review? That must be so tricky! I wondered if leaving off star ratings was a possibility. Not sure Amazon lets you do that though, but you can on Good Reads. That’s a good way to get out of a sticky rating problem. I like your 4.5 reasoning. That kinda makes sense to me. 🙂 Good luck, Cheryl!
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I don’t think Amazon lets you leave off the star ratings either, but I’ve definitely done it on Goodreads before. And I think many times authors are asked to read a book for possible endorsement (that’s how I handled asking for endorsement) so someone may get back with you and offer to do some kind of shout-out or review but pass on the endorsement. There might be a few different reasons for that so maybe a little easier to accept, but thank goodness it didn’t happen to me 🙂 However, I had to pass on endorsing a book once and it’s tricky indeed. Another reason writers have to have a thick skin 🙂
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Yikes — there seems to be some underlying author etiquette involved in these endorsement things. Plus, I’m sure that would be easy to get bogged down with requests which would take way too much time away from the author’s own writing and book promoting.
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My goodness! I didn’t realize giving a book five stars was such a big deal! 😳 If you enjoyed a book, why not give it five stars. 🤷🏻♀️ I actually feel like the rating system is mostly for your personal benefit. Sure it can be used as a way to recommend books, (obviously🙂) but, you’re rating the books you read based on what you thought of it! Seems like a silly thing for people to complain about. I don’t see anything wrong with someone enjoying the books they choose to read and rating them appropriately! 😂
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I didn’t either until this recent ‘controversy’ blew up on social media. lol And good point about the rating system being for personal benefit. I don’t know how often I’ve checked back on Good Reads to see what I thought of a series that I haven’t picked up in awhile. Happens a lot with cozy mysteries. I don’t know what I’d do if my GRs account got wiped. I’ve heard that has happened to some people. Ack! Thanks for chatting, Bridget. Good luck!
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I rate books lower than I used to, but my go-to rating is still generally 4 stars – my goal is to read books that I’ll like. Typically a 5-star book wows me; something in the writing just strikes a chord that I can’t resist. Also, if they are books that I am prepared to baby through mutiple moves, reread every few years, and can’t bear to cull to make space for new books, they fully deserve 5 stars. I have many and love them so much.
4 stars means I enjoyed it; I maybe wasn’t wowed, but I passed a pleasant time in the story. Some have all the right elements to make a great story and have nothing objectionable, yet they are just missing that extra something, and I have no desire to read it a second time. Some I probably should upgrade to 5 stars since I’ve reread them so many times and still find them highly enjoayble (first impressions aren’t always final!)
3 stars: I struggled to finish, found the characters ridiculous in a bad way, didn’t care for certain content, etc
2 stars: I disliked significant portions of it. It’s surprising if I finished it.
1 star: the dislike of the book is sufficient to span decades. I think I’ve only rated one book a 1 star, which I read as a teenager – a fairy tale retelling that the author made dirty and awful. The sense of betrayal still lingers!
~Rachael
rdalquist AT gmail DOT com
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Lots of people have mentioned that 5 star reads are books that ‘wowed’ them and I like that description especially because it leaves the ‘wowing’ open to personal opinion. What wows you might not wow me and that’s totally fine. It’s just wonderful that most every book has at least a few wow cheerleaders! Ugh to that fairy tale retelling betrayal! I like your rating system run down. Comprehensive and sounds like it’s easy enough use. Thanks for sharing, Rachael. Good luck!
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I was just considering that I give a lot of 5 star reviews. I review for a lot of authors and publishers. So I want to be a good influencer.
But I actually cheat. On my goodreads shelves I have a category Beyond 5 Stars. That is reserved for outstanding books by authors such as Amanda Dykes and Gabrielle Meyer. At least in my estimation.
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Ohhh, I like that! Beyond 5 Stars! What a great idea. A clever way to really showcase the books that made a huge impact on you. Good luck, Paula!
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Sorry WordPress didn’t let me finish!
I try not to judge a book by other books but on its own merits. And as others have said by how much I liked it or how it spoke to me. I try to be discerning in what I choose to read.
paulamarys49ATgmailDOTcom
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I agree — so important to greet each new book fresh – no comparing it to your previous read. I think that’s where people can really get hung up on the rating system. We’re not supposed to be judging books against each other. Discernment is the key to book selection for sure.
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It is 5 stars any day when I find something I like.
jacsmi75 at gmail dot com
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And yay for all the 5 star books in our libraries! Good luck, Jackie!
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I’m with you on the 5 star reviews, Kav. If a book is well written, entertaining, and makes me happy reading it, I’m likely going to give it 5 stars. I do give a few 4 stars if the book was good but didn’t give me that extra something. I also am pretty discerning in what I read so that accounts for the high amount of 5 stars.
pmkellogg56[at]gmail[dot]com
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I love how discerning we are! 🙂 Also makes Best Readers the best people to get book recommendations from. Good luck, Pam!
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I thought the star reviews reflected how the book rates for each reader. And if that’s the case I know that a 5 star book for me could be a 3 star book for someone else (though I’m not sure how😜). It’s kind of how you find favorite authors, right? You enjoy their book so much you want to read another (and another, and another…) by them. 🙂
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Yesssss! I mean, I’m aware that a good review can help an author but I know that most of them don’t even read their reviews. I especially feel like Good Reads is for readers. I find reviews so helpful when I’m checking out a new author or book. Good luck, Sabrina!
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Ha! I’m with you on being a mostly five-star reviewer, lol😅 I have thought sometimes that maybe I should change my system and be a mostly four-starer, reserving five stars for my top reads (because, let’s face it, some five-star reads are better than others!), but then it hardly feels fair that I deduct a star from a very good book that I really enjoyed just because I liked another even better.
What made me settle on continuing with rating as many books at five-stars as I want to is when I thought of the authors and book sales themselves. If I loved the book and want other people to buy/read it, then I know that my five star is gonna be good for helping to encourage them to do so. It’s that simple. 🤷♀️
If I liked a book, but something in/about it gave me pause, I’ll usually deduct a star. Still four stars, but something in it bothered me (without being too objectionable.) I think I’ve only ever given three stars to maybe one book in my life😂
I tend to enjoy a wide variety of writing styles and, like you, know my own tastes well enough to be able to do pretty good at picking out storylines and genres I usually enjoy. So yeah, I’m not often disappointed in the books I read and almost always enjoy what I pick up, lol.
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It’s interesting reading all the different opinions and reasons on rating books. I agree with those of you who said you mostly read books you know you’ll like, because you’ve enjoyed other books by the author or someone whose tastes are similar recommended it. I’ve gotten good at knowing which authors/genres/types of books I enjoy reading, so my ratings reflect that. My 5-star books are ones I have a hard time putting down, can’t wait until I can start reading it again, and the writing and story are superb. Authors like Amanda Dykes and Laura Frantz, among others, make me want to go back and re-read paragraphs because of the beauty of their writing. Books that I would love to read again and belong on my keeper shelf get 5 stars–even though I know I’ll probably never find the time to read it again! LOL Also, those I don’t hesitate to recommend to others get a 5. If I enjoy the book, but probably wouldn’t read it again, it will get a 4. If it’s somewhere in between a 4 and a 5, I’ll usually round it up, but mention in the review that it’s a 4.5. I rarely give a 3, simply because I usually don’t pick up books that I know I might not enjoy, but sometimes there’s just something that wasn’t up to par.
Thanks for the thought-provoking subject, Kav!
whthomas13 at yahoo dot com
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