My Rating System!

I’ve been posting so consistently this month (on Tuesdays and Fridays), and I didn’t want to lose my momentum. The only problem is that I haven’t actually finished a book since Winterwood, so I’ve decided to finally write up something that has been on my mind for some time. 

I was looking through my Goodreads 2020 Challenge (I’ll write up more on that closer to the end of the year), and I realized the majority of the books I read, I rated either 4 or 5 stars. There are 5 books (out of 59) that I rated 3 stars. I didn’t rate a single thing below that. This isn’t to say that I absolutely loved all of the books I read, but I thought it might be fun for me to break down my rating system!

5 STARS:

For me to give 5 stars to a book, there has to be a few conditions met. I have to like the narration, main character(s), character development, plot, and pacing. On top of that, I have to feel like the story leaves me changed, breathless, or feeling seen. That is the main identifier of a 5 star read for me—did the ending stun me into silence? Did the story fill a part of my heart that I didn’t know needed to be filled? Afterwards, do I see bits of the story in my life from there on out? Do I want to constantly SHOUT about the book after reading it?

Some books that I felt this way with were Six of Crows (including Crooked Kingdom), The Starless Sea, Winterwood, and the entire Trials of Apollo series. With all of my 5 star reads, I always hold the book to my chest for some time after reading. That being said, I think it’s pretty easy for me to feel like that with books, as 32 of my 59 books I’ve finished this year were 5 stars. Oh well. I won’t change my mind on what makes a 5 star book. If I read a LOT of them, then yay for me!

4 STARS:

With 4 star books, I still usually like the narration, main character(s), character development, plot, and pacing. However, if one of those categories is lacking a little, then it’s not a big deal. I can still love a book if I find the plot lacking, or the pacing is a bit off. It just tends to pull me out of the story a little. 

The biggest thing that differentiates a 4 star from a 5 star read is how I feel after reading. I generally don’t hold 4 stars to my chest in a breathless sort of way. I finish the book, I appreciate the book, and I move on from the book. So far this year, I have given 24 books a 4 star rating

3 STARS:

This is the lowest rating I’ve given this year (and I think ever). I don’t dislike/hate these books. I just am usually underwhelmed by them. This is the rating I’m least likely to give, as I only gave 5 out of 59 books this rating this year. For me to give a book 3 stars, it’s usually because multiple categories—narration, main character(s), character development, plot, and pacing—are lacking/grate on me. 

There will be things I really appreciate, and I’m a firm believer that I can learn and gain things from every book I read, as both a reader and a writer. However, if 5 star reads leave me breathless and 4 star books leave me unchanged, 3 star books generally leave me feeling a bit disappointed or empty. 

So, that’s really it. All of the books I read fall into those three categories. I don’t really ever DNF (Did Not Finish) books, mainly because I believe something can be gained from ALL of the books I read. But that’s my rating system! So, if you ever see me rate something on Goodreads, this is what those ratings mean! 

Should I start leaving my ratings on my reviews? How do you rate the books you read?

My Last Read:

Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw

My Current Read:

Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

My Next Read:

The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu