How do YOU rate books when reviewing? Your personal thoughts

[Duende Knocking]

I also feel that the rating system would be easier to work with if it were on a 1-5 scale. This is roughly how I will be ratings things, I think (keep in mind that I reread books quite often, so I do mean what I say with "would read again!")

1 - Terrible. A train wreck and a half to read. Wouldn't recommend to anyone I liked. Felt like it was a chore to finish it the first time, so certainly wouldn't read again!
2 - Neutral. Might have been good were it not for major flaws in the work. Probably wouldn't recommend. Wouldn't read again.
3 - Pretty good book. Might have some minor flaws. Would recommend to others. Wouldn't read again unless really bored.
4 - Really good book. Doesn't have any notable issues (okay maybe just one!). Would recommend to others. Would read again.

Major flaws/issues might be consistently poor writing style, a terrible main character, boring/unrelatable characters overall, weak internal consistency, a plot that's vague or difficult to follow, significant borrowing from other work, etc...

Minor flaws/issues might be inconsistent writing style, an unlikeable main character against a backdrop of good ones, a cast that isn't fully developed/used, a subplot overtaking the main plot for abnormally long perios, etc...


And of course, the special exceptions:

The Book That's So Atrocious I Can't Put It Down! - I think we've all come across these before... they're so mystifyingly, bafflingly terrible that we just can't stop reading them. We might perform some dramatic readings of especially surreal moments, but that's as far as we would make our friends suffer. Might get a 2 instead of a 1.

The Book that was Really Good, but still Pretty Awful for this Author - If an author's other works are fantastic and I come across a total dud, I will probably rate it more harshly than I might were it by someone else. This might be unfair, but it's hard not to be more critical when we are let down.

[ALynnPowers]

As I am reading, I always start off thinking that it is going to be a four star book (our of four stars, if reading for this site). I start out thinking the best and expecting the best. Then the level is adjusted as I find things I don't particularly care for. Honestly, it would be hard for me to give a book 1 star, because I am always able to find something about the book that I appreciate. I have only give a lowest star rating ONCE since I began reviewing books (and that wasn't for this site; just a random Amazon review).

I use this same approach. I go in with high standards, and then adjust accordingly. And like you, I've yet to give a book a one star rating because I can usually find something that I respect or appreciate.

As a writer, I know what it's like to put a lot of effort into writing a book, regardless of how "terrible" it turns out in the end, so I feel like if anything, I can also find good "respect" for the author for finishing a book and coming up with a story as a positive point to give at least an extra point.

I wish I could get people to do the same for me. Hahahah. I tease.

[Cbrunyate]

I agree with you, choosing a number for a book is always difficult for me too. I have a Goodreads account (like many of us, I'm sure) and always struggle for longer than I probably should over what rating to give a book when I've finished reading it. There's always some parts of the book that I could rate higher/lower than other parts of the book. I often try to think about if in 6 months from now will I still think it was a really great read, and possibly worth re-reading. This usually helps me to narrow down a little bit where I want to score. But from Goodreads to Amazon too much emphasis is place on the star rating. I'd take a brief, well thought out, review over the simple star rating any day.

[TLGabelman]

Im getting more and more hard on the books I read. I dont read many 1's but that is likely because if I havent been pulled into the book by page 100 then I move on. Too many books and too little time.

[readsalot]

When I post to amazon, it depends if I've been asked to read a book or not. If the author asks me, generally, I only post reviews of 3 or better...3 and less get private feedback. It's still my honest opinion but I see no reason to publically share all my critiques.

[SMiller515]

With any type of review system, it is more difficult when given an "even" number of choices. There is no middle ground there, it is basically either good or bad. I agree with many users that a 5-point rating system would be more beneficial for the authors. It would more clearly divide the 2's from the 3's. Eliminate some of that gray area where you don't know if the book is truly good or bad simply because it just needed another rating option.

[Jenniferbutler]

I rate mine honestly. I try to give you the feeling I had while reading; without giving too much away!

[ALynnPowers]

So I was reading this book, and I was really into the book the whole time, and every time I can across something I didn't care for, it was easy to brush it off because it didn't bother me that much. By the end of the book, I was pretty convinced that I was going to give it a full star rating. But then when I sat down to write the review, I was going through the pros of the book and then the cons of the book, and suddenly I realized that I had a lot more cons than I thought I had. I felt like it wasn't fair to give it a full rating when there was so much I didn't like about the book. I surprised myself with that one....

[Duende Knocking]

I'm in an awkward situation with the book I just finished.... It was bad.

Hilariously bad.

So hilariously bad that not only did I read it in one sitting, but I was laughing out loud through parts of it.

Does this book deserve a good rating? It kept me interested and it made me laugh, but from a critical standpoint it was terrible. I mentioned earlier in this thread that I'd probably give these books a higher score, but now that I actually have to do an official review for one, I'm not so sure. Is it fair to give "bad" books decent ratings just because they were so absurd that they were fun?

I also worry because both of my reviews so far have been 2/4. I don't want posters and authors to come to the conclusion that I'm just "that" reviewer who rates everything a 2. I just haven't had good luck with the books I've picked yet.

[ALynnPowers]

I'm in an awkward situation with the book I just finished.... It was bad.

Hilariously bad.

So hilariously bad that not only did I read it in one sitting, but I was laughing out loud through parts of it.

Does this book deserve a good rating? It kept me interested and it made me laugh, but from a critical standpoint it was terrible. I mentioned earlier in this thread that I'd probably give these books a higher score, but now that I actually have to do an official review for one, I'm not so sure. Is it fair to give "bad" books decent ratings just because they were so absurd that they were fun?

I also worry because both of my reviews so far have been 2/4. I don't want posters and authors to come to the conclusion that I'm just "that" reviewer who rates everything a 2. I just haven't had good luck with the books I've picked yet.

Maybe when you actually sit down to write the review you will find yourself coming to a different conclusion?
I read a book that I thought was pretty bad, but it also made me laugh because it was so bad. In the end, I felt like I was doing it a favor by giving it 2/4 rating, because it was just funny, and funny is good.

I actually read a book recently (for review) and I loved the whole thing while I was reading it. Then when I went to write the review, I was surprised because I kept saying more and more negative things. In the end, I felt like I HAD to give it a less than perfect score, even though I had intended to give it full marks when I began the review. Wait, I just wrote about this, didn't I? Whoops! Hahahaha.

Anyway, maybe once you start putting your opinions into words, you will be surprised.
And don't worry about your earliest reviews. It seems like the higher your level becomes and the more books you get to choose from, the more likely you are to come across books that fit your taste more. That's what's happened with me, I think.

[Hendmosaad89]

I give fours when I've really enjoyed the book and loved everything about it. But it doesn't have to change my life:) I rarely dislike books, so I only give 1 to the ones I really dont like and find them lacking in every way.

[ALynnPowers]

I give fours when I've really enjoyed the book and loved everything about it. But it doesn't have to change my life:) I rarely dislike books, so I only give 1 to the ones I really dont like and find them lacking in every way.

Yeah, sometimes I wish I could rate books on a scale of 1-10, just so I can be more specific about how MUCH I liked it. Haha.

[Gravy]

I give fours when I've really enjoyed the book and loved everything about it. But it doesn't have to change my life:) I rarely dislike books, so I only give 1 to the ones I really dont like and find them lacking in every way.

Yeah, sometimes I wish I could rate books on a scale of 1-10, just so I can be more specific about how MUCH I liked it. Haha.

Or didn't

[Eric Morris]

I love to read, but I'm a very casual reader. I have full time employ, a wife and four children, so I read when I can, and I try to read daily if I can.

With that in mind, I rate books on how they affect my day to day life:

1. "Why am I giving up time with my family to torture myself?"

2. "I may or may not feel like reading this today, but I'll work through it and see it to the end." I usually end up in this place when a book has some critical flaws that take away from my enjoyment.

3. "I really want to get a couple of chapters in tonight; I can't wait to find out what's about to happen." This is my "good book" rating. I enjoy reading the book, and I'll come back to it every chance I get.

4. "It's 3am, and I have to be up at 6, but I JUST CAN'T STOP!!" These are the books I just can't put down. I will sacrifice a night's sleep because the characters (and the author by extension) have earned that right by drawing me into their world hardcore and not letting go!

[mountain5tormhawk]

I'm going to print some of these out and keep referring to them.

While reading these posts, I began thinking I'd rate a book I just read by a favorite author a 3 instead of a 4. But someone else's post made me think I'd go ahead and rate it as a four, even though it didn't effect me as deeply as some of his others. If there were 6 stars, I'd easily give the most recent one a four, and the one I read before that, a five. So I think, objectively (as I can be), I would give both of them 4 stars.