This is my own personal rating scale and should be taken as such.
6 stars – it was perfect in every possible way
You are reading: Rating system for books
I reserve the six star rating of excellence for those very special books or series that have blown me away from the first page with intriguing, unpredictable, daring and extremely original plots, impeccable writing styles, a high level of commitment in my part, and unforgettable, multi-layered characters. There is absolutely nothing I would change about those books and I think they should be on everyone’s reading lists.
5 stars: I loved it
I loved the book, I couldn’t put it down and I couldn’t think of anything else while reading it. he stayed with me long after i finished it and i will definitely reread it at some point. The writing style of the book is often another reason I’d give it such a high rating: I love books that have unique, consistent, well-developed writing styles. these books often end up on my list of favorite books.
4.5 stars: I loved it
I loved the book and couldn’t put it down, but there was something about it that didn’t make it perfect for me, like grammatical or editing errors that were numerous and distracting, or characters I couldn’t personally relate to. . these books also often end up on my favorites list.
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4 stars: I liked it a lot
I really liked the book and had a hard time putting it down, but there was room for improvement, often in weak dialogue, the need for tighter character development, a particular writing style, or not being able to connect with the characters in all times. . however, I would highly recommend these books to anyone, as I think most readers will find them very enjoyable.
3.5 stars: I really liked it
I enjoyed the book and had no problem finishing it, the writing style was good, but the plot or character development could use some improvement in my opinion.
3 stars: I enjoyed it
I thought the book was good, but it was kind of predictable plot-wise, it didn’t connect with the characters enough, or something about the writing style bothered me. however, I enjoyed reading it.
2 stars: I had problems
I had a hard time finishing the book and didn’t connect with the story or the characters for one reason or another. this rating is often used for well-written books that I believe have questionable or objectionable themes, or are aimed at the wrong readers. I am not afraid to push the boundaries in literature and every topic has its audience, but I strongly believe that a level of responsibility must be preserved when writing books that address certain topics and special attention must be paid to the selection of readers. this rating is also used for books that lack balance in plot development, where the shock effect dominates over a well balanced and justified plot.
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1 star: I didn’t like it
Usually I won’t review a book I didn’t enjoy at all. I will rarely rate it, as I don’t believe in criticizing someone’s work in that way. however, if you had strong objections to a book’s themes, then you might rate it a “1” for good reads, but still not review it. however, since I rarely finish a book I haven’t connected with from the beginning, I rarely use this grade.
my brand of book reviews
You may notice that the vast majority of the books I review have a rating of 4 stars or more. I come from the school of thought that if you don’t have anything nice to say, you shouldn’t say anything at all, and I view book review in a similar way. whenever I find myself needing to re-evaluate the way I do things, I remind myself that just as I wouldn’t personally be interested in following a fashion blog that tells me what not to wear, I look at fashion book blogs. the same way. I know that not many fellow bloggers or reviewers share this way of thinking with me and I respect that. that is, however, the way I choose to do things.
That said, not all the books I read are 4 or 5 star reads for me. I am extremely difficult to please, and although I have become more adept at selecting books that I would most likely end up loving, 3 out of 5 books I read in an average week still end up unreviewed or abandoned. midway for one reason or another. Now, this is in no way to say that these books are “bad” books or that other readers wouldn’t enjoy them. I’m just saying this reader didn’t connect with them.
So what about those books, you might ask. why am I not reviewing all the books I end up finishing? aren’t they worthy of a review? Well, aside from the fact that it can take me up to 3 hours to write a review from start to finish and I’d need a damn good reason to spend 3 hours telling other readers why I didn’t enjoy a book, I don’t see the point in doing that either. in the grand scheme of things, I see my “role” as positive, rather than negative. I am here to tell you about the great books I have read, about how they have affected me, in the hope that they will do the same for you. there is no gospel according to natasha, despite what i say to my family, and my reviews and other general opinions about the books will forever remain the personal opinions of a woman, a very moody, demanding and meticulous reader who does not indulge easily.
I’ve given books lower ratings in the past and I’m not saying it won’t happen again in the future, but in each of those cases, something about those books made me want to finish them even though I wasn’t. t enjoying them, and then left me with much to say afterwards. So much so that I needed to write that review. there is never an agenda behind it, just a need to express (or expel) my thoughts about that book because something in that story left a significant mark on me. And I continue to insist that reviewing books is a subjective exercise and you will rarely find two people who completely agree with a book, as daily interactions with other readers show me. our ratings are arbitrary and should not be taken too seriously or personally. and all of them are valid and should be respected as such. I also think that all reviews are good, as long as a story engages the reader and provokes emotions. If you can get a reader to spend even half an hour writing about a book, interacting with the story and the characters, you’ve done your job as a writer.
Everything I do is totally motivated by my love of books, reading and writing in general, and the more amazing books I read, the more my expectations change. that’s why sometimes it gets harder and harder to find a book that ticks all the boxes for me. but I persevere, sometimes I start 5-6 books before I find the one that “speaks to me”, and if I end up liking it, that is the book I will tell you about!! that’s the book I’ll spend my time going through so I can tell you all the ways that story moved me. and this is how I do things, I never expect others to do the same.
read-ahead copies
Sometimes I receive advance reading (arc) copies of books to review before the publication date, either from the publisher or the author. I will always express my honest and fair thoughts about those books and my reviews will always be genuine regardless of where the books were obtained. I do not charge for reviews, nor do I receive discounts, gifts or favors in exchange for a review. all other books are through personal purchase.
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