How I Rate the Books I Read…

I’ve always taken the way I rate the books I read for granted and to be quite honest, when it comes to clicking on the right number of stars on Goodreads when I submit my review, I hardly give much thought to it. So I wanted to try this challenge to not only understand my own thinking when it comes to how I rate the books I read, but also to add some clarity surrounding my reviews so if you were to ever see my star ratings come up on Goodreads, you know exactly why I’ve given that particular book the rating I have…

One Star Reviews Ugh one-star reviews. I hate giving books a one-star review and to be honest, I very rarely do it. I think for me to give a book a one-star rating, it definitely has to be a book I didn’t finish. I don’t think I’ve ever read a full book and then given it a one-star rating. I think for me, a typical one-star read is one that I just simply couldn’t finish - possibly because of the way it's written or the story is too complicated, jumpy and/or boring.

I think it’s important to mention here that I don’t give every book I DNF a one-star. There can be lots of reasons why I DNF a book, from not being in the mood to read the book, the book having triggering elements and sometimes, I’m just not excited about picking the book back up to read. I have very rarely DNF’d a book and then given it a one-star read, because I do think that I have to strongly dislike the book to brand it with a one-star review.

Two Star Reviews I’d say if I didn’t enjoy a book, I’m more likely to give it a two-star rating. Two-star reads for me typically end up being books that had elements of being an enjoyable read but whilst reading, I came across a lot of issues that just didn’t sit right with me; from the book not really having much of a story to follow and keep me entertained, from a book that had characters who I felt no connection with or just simply disliked.

I think the difference between a one-star rating and a two-star rating is that a two-star read creates an emotion in me. For example, with The Girls, even though I didn’t enjoy it, it sparked a certain emotion of disappointment and I needed to discuss that with other readers. I would say this is the big difference for me - if I disliked a book but I want to discuss it with other people then it’s certainly had some sort of effect on me and so therefore isn’t a complete write-off.

Three Star Reviews I’d say that three-star reviews are some of my most used ratings. A lot of people seem to think that if a book is given a three-star rating, then it’s no good and whilst that might be the case for some people, it certainly isn’t for me. For me, a three-star rating is given to a book that I simply ‘liked’. It was breath–taking and it was life-changing but it was an enjoyable read and I liked it.

I would give a book a three-star review if the book is an easy, feel-good, simple read; one that doesn’t require me to think too much about the story or doesn’t require me to feel a certain way or to talk about the book. A three-star read for me is often a rom-com, feel-good story that I needed to just take my mind off things that are happening in real life. Good examples of this include The Cactus, The Love Hypothesis and The Winter of Second Chances. Just easy reads that are enjoyable to read and don’t require the reader to think too much about what’s happening in the story.

Four Star Reviews Again, I’d say that four star ratings are very common for me as I’ve read so many great books but some of them just haven’t justified being given five stars. I don’t really like handing out a five-star rating unless a book has really grabbed me and knocked me off my chair. There are SO many books which I’ve loved but didn’t strike me as a five-star read and therefore it is added to my four-star collection.

I would say that for me, a four-star read is still an incredibly good book and one that I would recommend over and over again. If I give a book a four-star rating, then it typically ticks all my boxes; good setting, three-dimensional characters I connect with, a great story line, and a need to pick up the book and read it at any given opportunity. I’d say that the majority of books that I read are four-star reads and are only just, by a slight margin, missing out on that fifth star.

Five Star Reviews As you can probably guess from above, I am very picky when it comes to handing out five-star reviews but I don’t want you to think that I’m in any way a book snob. The only way I can explain a five-star read for me is that whilst I’m reading it or after reading it, the book ignites this fire in my soul and I instantly know I want to read this book over and over again and recommend it to anyone who is willing to listen. I actually probably know a book is a five-star read from less than 100 pages in.

So unless a book is igniting this burning in my chest, it cannot be given five stars from me but my god, when I do give a book a five-star rating, trust me, you will know about it because I will probably be talking about that book for months on end. So here is a quick insight into how I rate my books when it comes to uploading my review on Goodreads and I have to say it was actually quite difficult to question myself and my decisions when it comes to rating the books I read. I think it was actually really interesting to get inside my own head and to understand what it is that makes a book a five-star read compared to a four-star read, and why I think that three-star ratings are always given bad press when in my world, if I’ve given a book a three-star read, I would still consider that book to be a great read.

So I’m interested in seeing how my ratings differ from yours, so why don’t you try this challenge, get inside your own head and help other readers to understand the meaning behind your ratings and reviews.