April 2, 2016

How I Rate Books on Goodreads

I really love Goodreads. It's such a great way to connect with other readers, find out what they're reading, and get recommendations. Their website definitely needs a 21st-century upgrade but it does the job.

One thing I've noticed lately when reading reviews is that everyone's star rating means something a little bit different so I thought I would break down my ratings and what they mean!


5 stars: I only have a few books on GoodReads that I've ever given 5 stars. I reserve this rating for a book that I loved so much that I would absolutely read again. 5-star ratings are reserved for my all time favorite books, for those books that I've bought days after finishing a library copy because I need to have that book in my personal collection.

Recent 5-star books: "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society." "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet."

4 stars: I give books 4-star ratings when they're well-written, have strong character development, and a well-driven plot. These are books that I really enjoy and would highly recommend but aren't books I would necessarily read again.

Recent 4-star books: "The Martian." "The Telling Room." "The Nightingale." 

3 stars: Meh. I give three-star ratings to books that are pretty forgettable. They're weak in character development, don't tie loose ends up at the end, or drag on and then try to end too quickly.

Recent 3-star books: "Still Alice." "The Ocean at the End of the Lane"

2 stars: These are books that are well-written and have nothing else going for them. Character development is weak and they're plot-driven without anything significant happening to advance the story line. These are the books that could easily be cut down by 100 pages and take forever to read because you think something is going to happen and it doesn't.

Recent 2-star books: "Icarus."The Zookeeper's Wife." "Shatter Me."

1 star: If I give a book one star, it means that it's easily one of the worst books I've ever read. It's poorly written, is anti-climactic, and has poorly developed characters. 

Recent 1-star books: "The Eastern Stars."

Are you on Goodreads?
How do you rate books? 

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