Do you rate books after you’ve read them? I never did until I joined Goodreads. I like that I have a system in place for remembering my general feelings about a book and that my star reviews add to the book’s aggregate score.
One thing that continues to surprise me about Goodreads reviews is that a three-star rating is thought by many users to be unfavorable. I totally disagree! I think Goodreads would also disagree since their suggestions on rating a book is the following:
I tend to use this system as my base; but, of course, it’s a bit more personalized and nuanced.
One Star Books (Did Not Like It)
These are the books I hated. I probably abandoned them; I was bored out of my gourd; I would never recommend this book to anyone, ever. A sampling of my one-star reviews:
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
To be fair: most people like these books and their aggregate Goodreads scores are pretty high.
Two Star Books (It Was Okay)
I reserve two-star reviews for books I finished but I may have rolled my eyes. I may have liked one aspect of the story, but ultimately I wouldn’t recommend it. Some books I’ve recently rated two stars:
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Before the Fall by Noah Hawley
Three Star Books (Liked It)
I liked these books: I got exactly what I came for and what I expected. I’d recommend them! I think this is the biggest misconception. For me, I think all books should start at three. If you wow me, you get bumped up; if you disappoint me, you get bumped down. I expect a good story; I expect interesting characters; I expect strong writing. My expectations mean that I’m impressed and I’d read another of your books.
Some recent three-star reviews:
Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper
Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin
Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
Four Star Books (Really Liked It)
A four-star review means I went beyond just getting what I expected. Maybe I’m more emotionally connected to your characters; maybe your descriptions really impressed me; you made me think about the world or my life in a new way. I think of these books as stories I can recommend to almost anyone. TBH, three-star and four-star reviews get a little murky for me. It’s a grey area. Recent reads I’ve rated with four stars:
The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Emma by Jane Austen
Five Star Books (It Was Amazing)
I think of five-star books as my new favorites. These books have changed my life in some way. I probably shed a tear or two. I probably went full-on nerd and read paragraphs out loud to people who tolerate this part of my personality; I most likely Googled the book and the author and read their Wikipedia pages; I saw myself in a character or I wanted to be the character.
Recent five-star books:
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín
How do you rate the books you read? I’d love to hear about your process (and some recommendations for waht I should read next)!
Emily Paine Smith 