You know that moment when you wail, “This book is good but IS IT GOOD ENOUGH TO BE 5-STARS?” and melt into an existential crisis?
Yes, hi.
Look only a few things in life deserve that coveted and illusive 5-star rating, and those things include: the invention of cheesecake, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and the actual existence of myself which lights up your entire life. 5-stars to me. But books??? Books are hard to be so firm and clear-cut with their ratings.
A book might make you feel so happy that it’s 5-stars. Or maybe it ruins your heart and soul so it’s 5-stars. And these are two vastly different feelings — SO HOW ARE THEY BOTH THE SAME RATING?! Honestly this is why 98% of bookworms are softly crying and climbing up the walls and will not come down.
I’m not sure if it’s just me, but lately I’ve noticed a massive rise in seeing 4.5-star ratings.
And not just on other blogs, but for myself too! I actually don’t use half-stars because Goodreads refuses to (disagreeable Goodreads…) but I’ve wanted to use a 4.5 rating several times this year. So I don’t feel like it’s just me thinking about 4.5 stars more often?!
So clearly I need to massively overanalyse it just in case you weren’t having a crisis about it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Now you can.
MAYBE WE READ SO MUCH THAT OUR STANDARDS ARE NOW UNATTAINABLY HIGH?!
I mean, when you read 100+ books a year, you firstly (a) GO A LITTLE NUTTTTS, and also (b) you do get more picky about finding that “perfect” read! I have books that are ultimately absolutely “this is my everything” favourites, and it’s hard for other books to meet that let alone beat that?!
COMMITMENT IS HARD OK, DON’T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT.
Is it 4 stars??? Is it 5??? I don’t know I gET SO FLUSTERED. If I’m not entirely sure if a book is 5-stars, but it’s not 4-stars, then…??? What’s left but to pack a single rucksack of cheese and goat meat and take to the mountains to live in solitude for our failing to make a decision? *
* Am I extra??? HA. … yes.
YOU’RE SAVING THE 5-STARS TITLE
Because then it carries WAY more weight if you only give them out infrequently right!? Like if I see someone who barely ever goes over 4 stars and then they suddenly dish out a 5? I pAY ATTENTION.
THE BOOK WAS PERFECT EXCEPT FOR THAT…ONE LITTLE THING
Which is valid! Like a smoosh of an ending can ruin an amazing book. Or maybe a book took too long to get super good?! Or maybe the book was going along great AND THEN THE DOG DIED AND WHY CAN’T THE HUMANS DIE, NOT THE PRECIOUS DOGGOS.
MAYBE WE’RE GENUINELY TOO FUSSY????
Look I want to point out that MAYBE this is the case?! Are we demanding the “perfect” book? Like, if a character does one small thing we don’t like…do we knock off stars?! Is it even fair? I’m asking myself this too! Because I’ve dropped a book’s star rating, while I sat grumbling like a dark gremlin in the deep going, “Eh I wouldn’t have done that if I’d been writing it.” But like…I’m not writing it. It’s not my brain child. So maybe it’s unfair to ask a book to read my mind instead of me enjoying reading the author’s mind? *
* Honestly…that sounds way creepier than I thought it would.
At the end of a day: you should rate a book what you want.
We’re book bloggers and bookworms here! We have opinions and there are no right vs wrong ones when it comes to books. Unless it’s my book then the only response is 10/10, c’mon now, you love me, I’m fragile and also see everything and look at me I’m so small and cute so love me properly ok. (PAUSES TO BREATHE AFTER RUN ON SENTENCE OF THE CENTURY.)
But I do wonder if life isn’t too short not to go the whole way and just give books the full 5-stars?! I’ve actually gone back and upped some of my 4-star ratings because…eh, there’s no real reason they didn’t get there. And, personally, I’d rather spread the love. Not telling everyone to do that, but if it makes me happy — why not!?
Although I still won’t give 5-stars to just anything. C’mon. It has to be like the cheesecake of cakes to get the 5-stars from me still.
This POST is speaking to me on a whole different level BECAUSE YES. Ratings have always been SUPER hard to get right and I fuss over them SO much!??! (I noticed you stopped rating books THO AHEM) Sometimes a book just NEEDS that something for me to give it five stars. And sometimes I’m just fussy. Like, I read a fluffy contemporary (and I always rate those below 5 stars) BUT i was like I literally LOVED It?!?! But I have just had this like GRUDGE against fluffy contemporaries because I never like them but I have it 5 stars in the end but IDK?! I always compare books to other 5 star reads. Was it as good as Six of Crows? Uh, nowhere near. Does it still deserve five stars? I DON’T KNOW SOMEONE GIVE ME ANSWERS. I tryyyy not to stress about ratings too much because I think my review still explains my thoughts pretty well but half stars are such a helpful thing but then also makes me more indecisive AGH. THUG and Starfish were books I gave 5 stars initially because of the hype, but then i dropped to 4/4/5 stars because….IDK?!?! Reasons. .
Not aaalways!! I rate 4 and 5 stars still.😂Sometimes 3? (I’m having an absolute crisis over this Ilsa, saaaave me.) But I still want to make sure my 5-stars MEAN something, or else the whole thing is just a wasted system. So it’s this weird balance of not being so stingy I never find books I lovelovelove…but also making sure the 5-stars go to the special ones!
And omg I was like that with Lara Jean’s books! I mean IT’S SO FLUFFY HOW CAN IT BE THE SAME AS THE RAVEN BOYS?! But I loved it. So much. I told myself just to shut up and give it 5 and I really haven’t regretted it.😂
(I’ve dropped ratings and raised ratings later too! Thinking about books in retrospect is weird sometimes.😂)
I really appreciate this,Cait. I e goven out like two 5 stars this year, and the rest we’re 4,5 stars. Maybe I’m too stingy? But I want 5 stars to mean something. I cally 4 and a half shelf on good reads ‘practically perfect’ and save five stars for unreservred delight. The Wrath and the Dawn and Saving Francesca were 4.5 stars for me but I have, like, 60 others.
I get the pain! I mean, I feel I’m too stingy, so I make an effort to remind myself that lessening a book a star because it had like 3 paragraphs I didn’t like…is probably too picky. 😂 However, I do want my 5-stars to be super special! I’ll never just give them out to any book I “Like”…it has to be INTENSE LOVE.
I give out 5/5 stars maybe three times a year. Sometimes five? I’ve only given out 2 so far this year, 4 if you count re-reads. I’ve never found a “perfect” book per se. I could probably pick apart the elements I didn’t like from a 5-star book. *shrugs*. I’m probably too critical. I’ll go recommend all the books I rated 4/5 stars, which just reminds me that all ratings are subjective to WHO read them and WHEN they read them!
I just feel like I want to share the love, you know?! But I DEFINITELY think we should all do what we want! If it’s rare for you to even give out a 4, then that’s cool! I know I have less books on my “best of the year” shelf every year *cries* But I still give out about 2 or so 5-star ratings a month on average, I think?
And omg yes! Like sometimes a book might’ve been 5-stars if I was in a better mood?! I feel guilty about that, but what can we do?!
I DESPERATELY NEED HALF STARS. I’ve been giving a lot of half star ratings nowadays too. I know there aren’t any half stars in goodreads (and I’m constantly ranting about that) but I still put in my review that I want to give a book 3.5 or 4.5 stars.
I give 5 stars a lot because I’ve only been serious in my reading life now and I’ve been reading all the hyped up and most loved books in the community and most just deserve 5 stars okay?? I think I have an average rating of 4.6 something on goodreads and I’m fine with that. I don’t give books less than 3 stars because I mostly DNF 2-star-worthy books.
A book doesn’t need to be perfect to have 5 stars. I give five stars even if the book has minor flaws. I just give 4.5 stars to books when I think they’re great but there’s still something MORE I want from them. When I finish reading and I enjoyed a book but it wasn’t VERY satisfying, I give it 4.5 stars.
Some books that I gave 4.5 ratings:
A Darker Shade of Magic
Six of Crows
Throne of Glass
I love this post. I’ve been thinking about half stars lately too. It seems like you can read my mind 😉
I JUST WISH GOODREADS WOULD GIVE US HALF STARS. LIKE WHAT THE HECK. WE ASK FOR THIS SO NICELY. 😭😂😭😂 I try to just stick to the full stars because of that but argghg, I want 3.5 a lot.
And I think it’s great that you rate high! I know some people feel guilty about it but pffft. Life is SHORT. Read good books and toss the ones that don’t work for us, I say. :’) And I will definitely give out 5-stars to books that might not be absolutely everything perfect. I think I can get too fussy haha. Although it still has to be really really special!!
(I AM a mind reader. 😏😏)
Basically, I just rate books on how much I enjoyed them. It’s a feeling I get. If it’s just meh, the 2 stars. If I enjoyed it, but it’s not my favourite compared to whatyouwant, then 4 stars, If I just plain enjoyed it and don’t compare it, then 5 stars. Some books/series are just automatic 5 star books (Harry Potter, The Hunger Games etc.). Crown of Midnight missed 5 stars for me, because it was just so sad and such a dark time for Celaena concerning Nehemia. And I just couldn’t face her having to lose any more people! But I DID love the ending when Chaol finds out who she really is!!!
I’m definitely with the feels too! Like a book can have nothing “wrong” with it, but if it doesn’t totally catch my feels?! Then I can’t rate it 5. 😂😂
I rarely give 5 stars, so far this year I have given only 5 books 5 star and 3 of them were Harry Potter…..
I will give a five star if I can relate A LOT to a book. (example: Batman Nightwalker and A monster calls) Or if I love all the characters .( the plot is not a priority) Most of books I have read I hated the main character and sadly there are not much books I can relate to.
I am so fussy about my rating 😶 I also rate them by .25 and .75 stars. I can’t give a book 5 stars if I think it doesn’t deserve it! I agree that life is too short to be fussy but……
Random fact: I was eating cake for breakfast
I can’t wait to read your book! (I know I am late 😶) BTW you are so funny and I love your sarcasm. Lots of love from Qatar 🇶🇦 💓
I totally relate to that! I sometimes will give 5-stars to a plot that isn’t *the best*…but if the characters are just my favourite things ever?! FIVE STARS. 😍😍 And omg you go right down the decimals there haha! 😂 I want to go into half stars sometimes, but I’m trying not to let myself unless Goodreads lets us!
(CAKE FOR BREAKFAST YESSS. YOU ARE LIVING LIFE RIGHT.)
And aww you’re not late! It’s only been out a month. I so so appreciate that you want to read it!💕💕
It does not have to be perfect. Perfection is unattainable. If I loved it, I will give it five stars. I get what you mean about half star ratings though – I gave one out for the first time the other day myself, although it was a 3.5 not a 4.5.
I feel like perfect just so so rarely happens, especially for us writers?! Like I’m sure a part of our brain is always reconstructing how we would’ve done that one little itty bitty thing.😂 (Hopefully that’s not just me.) I WANT to give 5-stars out! I want them to be special, but not unattainable!
I can’t speak for everyone but I feel that a lot of people have started being more honest with their ratings. Often I would rate a book higher for example if I was struggling between a 3 or 4 star rating. For the first time this month I gave a book a 3.5 rating. I think we’re just now saving higher ratings for the books that really wow us.
I know I’ve never been dishonest with my ratings 😂 but I think I get what you mean?! I also think just having read more and more books, it’s impossible for our standards to not be super high!
I use 4.5 star rating more than I do 5 star rating haha and I hate that GR does not support this rating system.
For me a 5 star rating is more than just the book being good – It also indicated a level of re-readability for me. Like, most of my 5 stars are books I have read multiple times because they are just THAT GOOD that they need multiple readings. If I read a book that is good but I feel like I will never re-visit it, I usually don’t give it 5 stars. Or if I did give it 5 stars but found that during a re-read I enjoyed it FAR less, I also take down half a star. It’s because a 5 star read for me is like that extra *something*.
Then there are the books that I genuinely loved and I am obsessed with BUT they lack something (not only re-readability). Those are usually 4.5 stars of 4 depending on WHAT was that lacking factor. For example, if I disliked the writing, but loved the plot, it will probably be 4.5 since I’m a character & plot reader. If I dislike one of the characters or how they are written, I’m more likely to give it 4 stars even if I LOVED it. Problems with the romance are usually 4.5 UNLESS it touched on one of my big pet peeves (like romance cures all or insta love that makes me go ??? or infuriating love triangles meh). And yeah, if I strongly disagree with something and wish it wasn’t in the book… I’m going to drop half a star or so. There is one book I am thinking of that I loved everything about and then came the ending and ruined THE ENTIRE book. I gave that one three stars because I could not get over how much I hated that ending. I still rant about it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Aside for that, I often read books that have NOTHING WRONG WITH THEM. I can’t point to one thing I specifically didn’t like. That being said, I don’t go around throwing them at everyone like I do The Foxhole Court for example or Harry Potter or The Host or Written in Red. I don’t end up the read feeling like asljfljdlks what is my life why is the book done nooooo. I don’t have any specifically strong feelings towards them. Those are 3.5 to 4 star reads. Even though, again, I can’t point to one bad thing.
It’s all about how a book makes you FEEL. So, personally, I ain’t got no problem with half stars!
Sorry for the overly long comment X0X
Goodreads is really out to attack us with their lack of half-stars. *SIGH* They once said on twitter that half stars make people less likely to rate, and I’m like?!? What the heck. That is so not true. 😂
And agreed about 5-stars needing to be that little *extra* bit of something. 😍 If I rate something 5-stars, I want to be WHOLLY in love with it. Although sometimes I wonder if I’m being fussier than I used to be?! Like did I used to find more 5-star books or did my tastes just get really picky and unattainably high?😂I wants to be able to rate books the full 5 stars without it being like “once a year” or something though.
And omg SAME about books that really have nothing wrong with them, but they still aren’t 5 stars.😂I feel bad about that, but it’s gotta hit us in the feels right?!
GR is annoying me a lot lately. I love the community, I love the platform and everything but the changes they’ve been making & their ignoring of features we’ve been asking for years in favor of things we never wanted is irking. But let’s not get there lol
You DO get pickier the more you read. But it’s not you being “fussy”.
Eight years ago, a lot of things that today are stale or predictable were innovative and unique to you. But the more you read, the less anything seems “unique” or “special” and so you feel less inclined to give 5 stars because “Oh, I’ve read that before”. Or because “I like this, but I have seen it done better here, here and here”.
That’s why things like The Raven Boys that are very unique and atmospheric (like, that entire series feels like a dream) wow you.
That’s why books like The Wicker King that explore mental illness, neglect and same-sex love (and even Polyamorous relationships) in mixed media and a blend of almost-fantasy and reality & touches on all these subjects subtly and trusts you to interpret it the way you want to make you want to throw the book at people and tell them to read it.
That’s why books like The Foxhole Court trilogy, that tell the story of abuse, love, and obsession, and showcases how fiding things to care about and love helps you be stronger and fight your demons while never once insinuating that those will FIX your problems and CURE your ills make you unable to put it down.
It’s like, they do something different with the subject matter, or they appeal to your worldview and the way you think of life, and they do so BETTER than some other great books you’ve read. And yes, even some of THOSE five stars might seem less of a five star in five years because by that point you would have read books that dealt with the same matters even BETTER.
It’s simply your bookworm evolution ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ it’s why sometimes you read a book and write “18 years old me would have loved this” or “six years ago I would have aboard this train” or whatever ^_^
5 stars is a very STRESSFUL rating. And I feel like I’ve betrayed my 5 star books if I give a new book 5 stars. There’s A LOT and a half to think about here. Relationship status : it’s complicated. It’s not you it’s me, book. I still love youuuuu. I’ll never let go. It starts with dramatics. You’re really REALLY good. But did you have EVERYTHING I’ve ever wanted? Did the author read my mind while writing you? Probably not because pffft that’s an impossibly high standard since authors are only wizards not supposed to read minds.
SEE IT’S A REAL STRUGGLE.
I usually just start getting ridiculous when rating books that I really love. Anything above a 4.5 it’s already A MESS. Yes I give 4.80 ratings (sorry Crooked Kingdom) so I can avoid thinking about it too much.
iT’S COMPLICATED < --- me with like every review I ever write.😂 It's like even when a book is clear cut, I seem to find a way to confuse and complicate myself while rating and reviewing it ah hahha. Please someone give us book bloggers more chocolate, WE ARE DOING OUR BEST AND ARE TIRED HERE.😂
I give books a 5-Star rating pretty often, just cause I feel like: why not? If the book gave me feels, I loved the main character, and it had a twisty plot with minor flaws – then it deserves it!! An author spent years of their life to put it out there and they did a great job!! Even if a book had some things I didn’t like, most of the time I give it 5 stars.
Ugh but I agreeeee that it can be hard to compare one 5-Star read to another beautiful famous book that really spoke to me cause: they both deserve 5 stars but they’re sooo different!! #SOSTRESSFUL
I didn’t give Mockingjay 5 Stars when I read it just because I didn’t like that it had less action and more politics, but looking back – it 100% deserves 5 stars.
That’s how I’m feeling these days too! 💛 I mean ok so maybe there was one small thing I wouldn’t have done buuuuut, LIFE IS SHORT. The book gave me feels and I loved it so why not give the full 5?! I mean, I won’t give 5-stars to just anything still…but I want to challenge myself not to be so fussy that I actually block myself from enjoying things. If that makes sense. 😂
Although it’s so hard when like I canNOT stop talking about the Wicker King (obviously 5stars😂) but I also gave The Art of Feeling 5-stars and I never talk about it?! Ratings are hard. 😭
Maybe you won’t notice but this is my third comment in the day… I am obsessed with your blog and the way you express. <3
Aww I have noticed and thank you so so much for reading my blog!!💛💛It means a LOT TO ME.
I have a hard time giving ratings other than a 3 or 4 star. Idk, I feel mean giving less than 3 (although I have, usually to DNF books) and maaaybe a couple 5’s here and there. The only books that consistantly get 5 stars from me are comics and manga. My latest series are either classic (Runaways, both the original run and Rainbow Rowell’s new series) or super inclusive (Ms Marvel by G Willow Wilson). And I’m fangirling so hard over Fruits Basket right now, all of those books so far have been 5 star.
The most recent book I wanted to rate higher was Hocus Pocus and the all new sequel. It was SO FLIPPING GOOD, but there were enough details that weren’t quite right I had to give it a 3.5. I wanted to 5 star it so much because it’s one of my favorite movies. The struggle is real. 😭😭😭
The struggle IS real for rating! I think we’re all like doing amazingly here just tryign to rate things, when it’s so subjective and there’s so many variables hahaa.
It’s so annoying when I love books except for that ONE THING. Or when I love it but the way they write it confuses me and I actually have to sit down and carefully comb through it and my thoughts to see if it still is with my moral standards and stuff. Because I love the book. But I’m not sure about that STUFF so I can’t rate it 5-stars! *bangs head on desk*
Your sign off looks amazing, by the way.
I still give 5-stars even if I don’t agree with EVERYTHING in it.😂I mean, it’s the author’s world not mine? I’m trying to remember that haha. But I still have definitely got a ton of books that are the *nearly* 5 but just nOT QUITE AND AGH THE AGONY.
(Also thank you!! I’m playing around with some new graphics.😂)
I don’t really think about stars/ratings. I believe life is probably much simpler that way. It also helps that I’m not on Goodreads. I keep track of my reading on paper, so it would be kind of weird to put little stars next to each title . . . or wait, would it?
Pardon me while I go draw a bunch of little stars.
(Not really, but . . . maybe.)
Ahh that would definitely keep book reviewing easier without the stars haha. 😂😂
I don’t really use 4.5 stars either because of Goodreads and it’s hard enough giving a book a rating from five different ones please don’t expand it. So instead I very clearly define the ratings and figure out what to give the book from that.
5 stars=absolutely amazing will shove down everyone’s throats and scream about it’s glory from the top of the mountain, so like Six of Crows.
4 stars=it was good, quite very good, but missing something, which is what I did with Daughter of the Pirate King (which I actually talk about a lot and have considered giving it favorites status but it’s missing something)
3 stars=it’s meh, it was ok, I’d read it again if I got paid for it but wouldn’t read it again by choice, at least not until I’ve forgotten about it which won’t take long (did anything even happen in Insurgent? Does Insurgent even exists? I’ve only read it in April! Or did I? I think I dreamt it, yes, that’s what happened)
2 stars=did not like it at all but there was one tiny little light that I liked, I typically dnf these books. For example Allegiant (throwing serious shade at the Divergent series for some reason) I liked the first 100 pages until they went outside the city and . . . well . . . I don’t particularly like talking about it.
1 stars=to quote my Goodreads description a one star rating means “KILL IT KILL IT WITH FIRE” it is extremely rare for me not to dnf these and they are rare and often problematic as in they shouldn’t exist because they’re disrespectful and\or hurt people. Like One of Us Is Lying which got one star from me not only because the characters where atrocious and the plot was predictable but because suicide shouldn’t be used as a plot twist
Goodreads just likes to ruin our life. So I go with it too haha. And ahh haha I’m so glad you love Six of Crows that much.😂That’s the BEST. Ahhh when is it time to reread that omg I need to.😂
I also feel like 3 stars is a “meh” rating, even though technically that should be 2.5? But omg I am not even getting into 2.5 stars.😂THAT’S TOO MUCH MATH. HIDE ME.
Agreeeeda bout One Of Us Is Lying. Suicide and making mental illness seem like vicious pettiness is SO wrong and dangerous. Which is why I hate 13 Reasons Why too. 😒
Interesting post. Thunderhead just missed being 5 stars with me, too. I thought it was too long and took too long to get to the action. I don’t put star ratings on my blog, and Goodreads doesn’t do half-stars, so I don’t either. This year, I’ve been giving 5 stars to any book that’s well-written and can distract me from the awfulness of the world. I’ve read 52 books and gave 10 of them 5 stars.
Ahhh yes that’s why Thunderhead wasn’t quite 5 for me, but I AM actually tempted to go back and give it 5, because I’m still thinking about it?! 😍THAT ENDING.
This has been on my mind a lot too! It’s been stressing me out just a tad because I’ll see that I have a 4-star-rated book that I liked more than another book I notice I gave 5-stars to. Like… wut?! O_o
I’ve also noticed that my number of 4.5 star ratings has increased too. Just the other day I gave All the Crooked Saints 4.5 stars because it just barely “missed the mark,” ya know?? (Even though I did love it. XD)
Also it’s my first time commenting so HELLO. *waves* I love your blog and your sense of your humor and I can’t wait to ATPN! 😀
Omg I get htat too! Like even for a book last year I’ll see I gave it 5 and I’m like??? That doesn’t seem right.😂And I completely get the feel when it was basically AMAZING but not quite “perfect”!? I feel so bad for those books.😂
Also thank you so much for commenting!! And welcome to the madness! (I hope you like ATPN! hehe. No pressure though…after this post full of rating pressure. 😂💛)
You just read my mind with this post! I finished a book last night, and I want to rate it on Goodreads (darn you for not allowing half stars), but…..is it a 4 or 5! I face this quandry All. THE. TIME.
It comes up so so much, right??! It’s just so hard when we read so much and have high standards!!
This is so relatable! I have this struggle cONSTANTLY. I’m sort of just given up on being a picky rater, because I’m a people pleaser and not a critique-y sort of person and I literally feel so guilty if I give a book under three stars…help.😂So 4.5 always seems like such a good idea, because it’s that happy medium between “good” and “fabulous.” AND IT SHALL MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY. *has existential crisis because I don’t know anymore*
Also, guess what? I ordered my copy of ATPN and IT’S SUPPOSED TO ARRIVE TODAYYYYY!!🎉
Aww, I totally understand!! that’s the feeling I’ve had these days lately.😂 I just want to give books 4 or above and skip the negative reviews?! Which is ok I think we can all do what we want.😂 *joins you with existential crisis*
AJFDKASLD I’M SO EXCITED YOU’RE GOING TO READ ATPN. I HOPE YOU LIKE IT.😂 No pressure though haha.
I haven’t actually noticed this and looking at my own 4,5 star ratings I’ve only gotten 3 so far which is normal for me. I mean versus nine 5 star ratings (though to be fair I reread a favorite series) and forty-six 4 star ratings.
But rating is so HARD. And yeah I do think sometimes we over analyze things. Just slap on the first thing that comes to mind. I wish it was that easy haha.
Ratings aRE HARD. I think we’re all just trying to do the best we can haha. Although I do get confused when I see bloggers who barely EVER give above 3?! I mean, I would be depressed with reading if my average read was just three stars.😂😂
THIS POST IS SO SPOT ON. I use 4.5 stars for waaaay too many books! I usually love about 40% of the books I read (a statistic I made up), but I don’t want to hand out 5-stars for all of them, so I usually resort to the dreaded 4.5. I’m not incredibly fussy, but if there is a single thing I dislike about a book, it’ll be demoted to 4.5 stars. And actually, although I do wish goodreads did half stars, I sometimes use their system to make it even MORE complicated. Like, a book I gave 4.5 stars and 5 GR stars is better than a book that got 4.5 stars and 4 GR stars. Does that even make sense? I love to complicate things for myself.😂
It’s okay to be fussy, I think! I mean, I’m personally trying to give the full 5 more and stop withholding.😂Buuuut, then again, knowing a book got the full 5 from a fussy rater, makes me want it INSTANTLY. So it’s a huge honour, right!? I do love that about it!
Hi, Cait !!
Yup, you’re absolutely right xD Geez, i hadn’t actually noticed this so this post was just a big WOW from me hahhah.
I AAAAALWAYS save that 5-star rating for a book that really blows my mind. A book that, well, idk how to explain it, but it’s a book that you KNOW you have to give 5 stars and it just feels right and IT MAKES SENSE. I for one don’t usually give 4.5 stars. I just go for 4 stars. Or 5. But nothing in between. Tho i do think that would change if Goodreads allowed us half stars. THEY REALLY GOTTA FIX THAT !!! Idk how they don’t get the message already xD But yeah hahahh. Anywaaaay, 4.5 ratings have increased. I mean, it’s a way of saying “Hey, I LOVED THIS AND YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY READ IT, but there was just this tiny little thing that didn’t reach 5 stars.”
THANKS FOR THIS POST !!! I absolutely loved it. As always <3
Ah haha I’m glad you enjoyed this post!😂 It is kind of happening a lot right?! And I totally get that feeling of wanting to save the 5-stars for that REALLY special book. It makes sense! I just feel these days I want to give out 5-stars without like over-analysing it too much…Life is short.😂
I like 5 star ratings being more exclusive because then, as you say, they mean something. I think they should be hard to get, because you’re kinda like saying “this book is the best, see, it gets ALL the stars.” (I am not very articulate today and I don’t know why.) Of course this problem might be easier to solve if Goodreads would GIVE US 10 STARS INSTEAD OF 5 *ahem* Sorry.
I think every book can be improved in some way, so I don’t give out a lot of five star reviews. When I do, it’s usually because the book made me feel something VERY INTENSELY which is unusual for me when it comes to books, for some reason. For example, I’ve given all the Haikyuu!!! manga I’ve read so far 5 stars, because they’re unbelievably well-written, well-plotted, well-drawn, and the characters are fantastically real. And beyond that IT MAKES ME FEEL SO MANY THINGS. And it’s a frickin volleyball manga. I didn’t even care about volleyball before I watched the anime and read some of the manga.
I have found that graphic novels and anime make me feel more feelings than books, though. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because of the music and visuals? I haven’t read widely in that genre, so maybe I’ve also just encountered the cream of the crop so far.
Haha you’re being articulate in my opinion!!😂And I agree it’s soooo cool when that 5-stars is the HIGHEST honour!! Which is why I definitely don’t give them out lavishly. But I want to give out more?! I think I can be too critical and I want to just enjoy myself. Especially if I’m feeing 4.5…I mean, just go the whole way, Cait.😂
I hate feeling fussy and because of this I haaaaaaaate the star rating system. I don’t think my thoughts fit well into the star system. I am super wishy washy about everything, so I am super prone to going back and changing my rating later. So I choose not to use it if I can help it. I don’t want to force all my thoughts into a squished 4 stars or 5 stars. Plus! What does 4 stars mean to one person as opposed to another person? I think it is too simple a system for something so big and complicated as books and I think it falls short.
… Of course that being said I still use it to decide what to read. I’m a fickle being.
I think it’s totally ok to change ratings in retrospect, right!? They’re not set in stone.😂Feelings change later ahhh. I know I gave Anger Is a Gift originally 4 stars but could NOT stop thinking about it, so I think it deserved the whole 5 and I went back.😂
I did the same thing with Scythe. Especially after I read Thunderhead. I don’t know that I realized how invested in the story I really was until I finished the second book. I decided that any issues it had weren’t issue enough for me to keep it from the 5 stars I settled on. Who knows though? I might change my mind in an hour. 😂
I agree with this so much. I think that being a book blogger has made me more critical of books because I’m trained to think about the goods and the bads of what I read. I’m no longer the child who reads for the simple pleasure of being taken to another world.
Oftentimes, I’ll give a book 5 stars in my mind because of all the feels at the end, then as I reflect back on the book while prepping for my review, I realize there are lots of little flaws in the book. And I wonder if I can dish out that 5 stars in spite of all those flaws.
In the end, the rating system is intended to make our lives easier, not harder. I do my best to go along with the 5-star rating system. Usually, what’ll push me to give a book that elusive 5 star rating is if it has a good story and gets me thinking. I may also give it if it was really entertaining and near un-put-downable.
Some books that I ended up giving 5 stars despite my hesitancies were Mistborn and An Ember in the Ashes.
Then there are books like The Bluest Eye. The Bluest Eye was a book that I wouldn’t read for fun (it was a school read), but it was well crafted and got me thinking – so I gave it 5 stars.
Yes yes that’s what it feels like! I used to just read for pure fun, but now I’m really analytical and picky.😂Which isn’t necessarily bad, but I do miss the days when I just read for PURE fun. Everything was like 4 or 5 stars back then haha. So personally I’m trying to give more 5 star ratings because I think books do deserve it and life is short. <3
I definitely give 5-stars when the book sticks with me or makes me really FEEL all the things.
I use half-star ratings all the time (I just indicate in my actual review if it’s a half-star since Goodreads is oblivious to the fact that the entire book community wants them), but for some reason, I can’t bring myself to rate something 4.5 or 1.5. I’ll do 2.5 and 3.5 ratings all the time (3.5 is actually a pretty common rating for me), but personally, if my rating is going to stoop that low or go that high, I should just big one nice, rounded number. I don’t have any problem with other people rating books 4.5, but it’s one of my quirky things that I just can’t. If I liked something that much, I’ll just go ahead and give it the 5, or if I feel like it was so good but still had a couple mistakes I can’t get past, I’ll go down to a 4.
(Not sure if I checked the box to receive replies to my comments or not . . . whoops xD)
Goodreads just ignores like 95% of our requests and like changes the font and expects us to be happy. WHY GOODREADS. *heavy sigh* 😭😂 I usually want 3.5 or 4.5 tbh. I never think about 2.5s haha. But yet I still round up because of Goodreads aaaand sometimes when I feel like giving a book 4.5, I stop and go: WHY?! LIFE IS SHORT JUST GIVE IT THE FULL 5.😂
Oh my goodness, this is very much a real phenomenon- at least for me it is too? I genuinely think I am too fussy though, too. Like- I used to be much more generous with my five-stars, or maybe I was just easier to impress, I have no idea. This year Idk how many I have given out but it isn’t many. Maybe… 4? Actually let’s check for funsies. FIVE, That’s it. And one of them I was close to doing a 4.5 (Dread Nation, due to some slowness) too, but I thought I was being too picky hahah. (P.S.- your book is one of those 5! That’s impressive actually- out of like 75 books, only 5 got 5 stars? Go ahead, have a piece of cake as a prize or something.)
Unless I am VERY moved by a book, or VERY engrossed by a book… I just can’t in good conscious give it the full 5 I think? You bring up a good point about the half stars on Goodreads though. I *really* wish they would get their act together because UGH. I usually round up, because it’s like- okay the author didn’t make Goodreads lazy, so I shan’t penalize their overall rating, so I almost always rate up (though full confession, if it is a book I really don’t care about and I am too lazy, I don’t haha).
Wow okay one that just missed the 5 stars? I think Bring Me Their Hearts was the most recent one! But I DID round up on Goodreads- and I should post on Amazon too cause i really liked it. (Where I also round up, of course!)
I feel like maybe it’s because we’ve read SO much?! I sure gave out more 5-stars when I started blogging. 😂 My “best of the year” shelf for 2018 is REALLY skinny haha. I feel a bit bad. I try not to use the half stars but sometimes they’d be helpful.😂
But afjdskalfd the fact that I got 5-stars IS ACTUALLY THE MOST FLATTERING THING. DID I MENTION YOU’RE MY FAVOURITE. 😘❤️❤️
Aw I loved Bring Me Their Hearts so much! But yeah it wasn’t the full 4 for me either?
For me, 5 star books have to either be a. perfect, or b. eh, life is short, book is good enough and the earth is flat. *thumbs up* I give quarter stars now and I have way too many 4.75 stars, I have Six of Crows 4.75 stars just because I had a reading slump and the start wasn’t moving really fast.
I agree with the statement about dogs dying so much. LOOK! CATS! CATS CAN DIE! KILL THE CAT OR THAT IRRITATING HUMAN WHOSE A LAZY EXCUSE FOR A HUMAN! (Nikolai not Mal. Why, Leigh, why? PUPPIES DESERVE TO LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!
Speaking of SoC, do you have any good YA Fantasy audiobooks with a full cast, thanks!!!
Yaaaa that’s how I feel these days too.😂 I’m more tempted just to give out 5-stars because eh. Life is short. Books are doing their best. (Mostly.😂) But I seriously can’t go into decimal places, waaay too much math for me.
Omg what is it with killing the dogs?! THEY ARE PRECIOUS AND WHOLESOME. I love them so much.
Have you tried Illuminae?! BEST full-cast on audio ever!!
Well, to keep myself from going TOTALLY crazy, I try to rate books purely on how much I enjoyed it, and try not to get too technical. I gave To Kill a Kingdom 4.5 stars just because it took me a little while to warm up to Lira and it was a little darker than I’m used to, but that’s just my personal preferences, not really because there was anything wrong with the book, you know?
Yes I try to rate on enjoyment too!! Like personal preferences DEFINITELY affect us here and that’s ok, right?! Like I’ve rated a book lower because the character did something I just…eh, I wasn’t ok with it personally? But someone else would probably be fine. Hence books are SO subjective. 😂
Tbfh 90% of the books I read are 5 stars because I just love books in general, and if it hits enough marks without doing anything I hate, insta love. Or, not love, but I’ll rate it good because it’s good?
Idk
My mind works in mysterious ways.
Aww I love that! I think life can be too short to hate on books too much?! Like I’m starting to just give out better ratings or just skip negative reviews because I LOVE BOOKS AND I WANT TO SPREAD THE LOVE FOR THEM.
yES SPREAD THE LOVE
BOOKS ARE INCREDIBLE PEOPLE PUT HARD WORK INTO THEM L O V E THEM
I think some books simply need time to settle, In fact, there had never been a book that was 5* the moment I finished it. Never. Books that left me support excited and emotionally dissolved because of the reading experience.
The fifth start only really rises on long term when the book still sticks right enough in memory that I think about it a year later because what happened in it was still support relevant or I run across it’s themes in real life… Then it turns into a five star rating.
* has never been
* super excited
*super relevant
Jeez, what an autocorrect
Ohh I agree with that! Like I’ve had books I’ve gone and upped the rating in retrospect. That was me and Anger Is a Gift! SO GOOD, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Great post, Cait! I do use half stars throughout the scale when I think they’re called for – thought to be fair, I don’t use a star rating on my blog. Maybe I should start? Anyway, the way I tend to rate books is that they start with 5 stars before I start reading, and as I go I deduct half or full stars as necessary. I don’t really think too much about it; mainly, I get to the end, ,and I think “Aaah, this book was awesome! But I wasn’t keen on this, and I don’t think it handles that well…” and deduct. Or I’m all “This book wasn’t for me, I didn’t like X or Y or even Z, and don’t get me started on A, B and C!” And then there’s very few stars at the end. Lol. I know most people don’t start with 5, but I find it works for me to deduct than to give half/stars. Lol. So a book that gets 5 stars is a book that didn’t have anything I didn’t like about it, one I loved completely,
Currently reading For a Muse of Fire by Heidi Heilig (her agent works in the UK, and I’ve met through bookselling, and she knew what a fan I was, so she sent me a proof! So lucky! And she’s given me permission to review it this month for Mental Illness in YA Month, even though it doesn’t come out until September), and it’s SO good! But I did feel it started a little slowly so I was thinking of deducting half a star for that. But now, with everything that’s going on, I’m thinking it needed that slower start to introduce the characters, the world, the politics, because everything is going mad now, and it wouldn’t have made as much sense if the groundwork wasn’t laid earlier on, even if there wasn’t a huge amount happening apart from travelling and conversations for quarter to half the book. But it’s also a quick read, despite it’s length, because of the extra goodies of posters, flyers, telegrams, maps, sheet music, letters, and some of the story written like a script. So, it wasn’t a huge amount of time with nothing happening? So probably a full five stars. I’m really enjoying it!
Oh I noticed you don’t do star ratings and I did wonder why.😂I honestly think bloggers should do whatever makes them happy haha. And omg sometimes I’m the same: like I start writing a review and think the book wasn’t so bad but theeeen I realise how many negatives I’ve listed.😂ALTHOUGH, I also think I focus way too much on negatives even if I’m writing a positive review?! So I’m changing that for myself. Like that’s just a personal thing, but I’m definitely aiming to focus on the positives now. Especially being an author. 🙊🙊
Ahhh I can’t WAIT to read Muse of Fire ajdkflsad it’s going to be amazing and I’m particularly excited about the musical part!!
Rating books is so hard, and Goodreads NEEDS to finally introduce half-star ratings, because they’d make our life so much easier?? (Or maybe more complicated, I don’t know.) But I struggle with giving a book or four or 3.5 stars the most, because I very, very rarely give a book five stars – though it doesn’t have to be perfect to get five stars from me! Mostly, it comes down to how much it affected me.
And as I read more books, I definitely notice how I’m getting more and more critical, sighhh.
GOODREADS MAKES US SUFFER. *flails about hopelessly* And I feel like I’ma lot more critical and find it harder to give 5 than I used to be?! I feel a bit bad though! I think books deserve 5 stars and sometimes I don’t wait for like 100% perfection. 90% sometimes will do.😂But I still give them out very carefully.
This is perfect!! I am SUPER stingy with my 5 star ratings. I very rarely ever give them, and when I do, you KNOW it’s amazing 😉 My problem is my standards are set to Jay Kristoff level and I have trouble finding anything else that can achieve that level, ha.
I love when I see you’ve given a book 5-stars because I WANT IT.😂😂 (And it’s hard when you get like a favourite-of-all-time author and nothing lives up to them, right?! That’s me with Stiefvater books.😂)
I believe that we have the right to be picky and fussy so I don’t throw out five-star ratings like confetti. If I find it really hard to decide between a four and a five rating (because I also don’t use half-stars), I try to be systematic and assign ratings each for the plot, the characters and the writing then the average rating is my final star rating for the book. I know math, ewww! Of course I am a person full of inconsistencies so sometimes, I just do away with the maths and the technicalities. Like when a book was able to touch the delicate strings of my soul and make me weep or make me angry or anything deeply emotional, I instantly give five star ratings. Someday, I think I will draft a definitive list of criteria for my five-star reads but as of now all I can say is I am as confused as you.
Ah haha that’s a lot of math! But agreed: readers should feel free to rate HOWEVER they like. And if we want half-stars (or like…decimal points😂) then we should go for it. *Shrugs* These days though I’m feeling like life is short so I’ll give out the full 5 if I really liked the book but there was just *one* tiny thing I didn’t like.😂Still keeping the 5 for special occasions though!
Hmm personally, I’ve noticed the increase of half-stars in my read, in general! I used to round up/down my review, but this year I haven’t been able to do that and instead use half star rating a lot (except on goodreads *side-eye*). I think I just have higher standard as I read more books, it’s become harder to rounding up the ratings because they’re not at the same level as other books that received that rating, if you get me? Especially for 5 stars books, I’ve been saving that rating for really special books that just BLEW ME AWAY 😀
Gooooodreads!! GIVE US HALF STARS, C’MON NOW.😂 It would so solve so many problems if they did haha. But yes! I feel like the longer I blog, the more I wish I had half stars?! My standards are just so high now.😂 And I honestly have rated less books 5-stars this year than normal (discounting rereads, because I keep rereading old fav 5-stars and then my standards just get even HIGHER and I’m doomed.)😂
I’ve been like this… I think… since I started reviewing? (80 million years ago, dinosaurs roamed the Earth, there was almost no wifi it was a whole thing…) I think for me it had something to do with growing up steeped in a school environment where I internalised the idea that essentially nothing is ever perfect? I went through a phase reviewing where I wanted to make a rubric for figuring out the rating I was going to give a book. So giving something 10/10 is something that I find difficult. (Honestly an 8/10 or 9/10 means I definitely totally loved it and had one or two small quibbles that make it feel dishonest to give it a perfect score because I am… weird.) When I rate things on Goodreads, though, I tend to bump anything I’d give a 4.5 star to a full 5 (rather than down to a 4 because. If it’s a 4.5 it’s BASICALLY a 5, right? That’s how math works, no?)… possibly it’s a good thing that Goodreads hasn’t given me the power of half-stars because then I’d dither about stuff even more.
In conclusion: in my case it’s definitely that I’m too fussy and I should probably unbend a little bit about my weird rating standards. (I think “it’s unfair to ask a book to read my mind instead of me enjoying reading the author’s mind” is a really good way to put it… that one’s probably going to stick with me all day.)
BACK IN THE ANCIENT DAYS WHEN WE HAD DINASOURS AND PATCHY WIFI. *hobbles around like an ancient thing* 😂 And oh so you do like out of 10? That’s cool…more room there.😂I mean, I kind of *know* nothing is every perfect. and even my most favourite series, if you asked me if I could change one little thing? I almost always would.😂 but I’ve still come to the point to realise it was THAT author’s vision executed and maybe I need to immerse myself in their perspective? IDK. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately.
Ugh Cait this is SO RELATABLE. I actually just finished Six of Crows, and I DID love it quite lot, but like LITERALLY EVERYONE is ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED with it and in my brain I was like “this is going to be the amazingest most mind-blowing book of EVER” and don’t get me wrong, it was SUPER good, but…I don’t know, maybe I was expecting my mind to be a LITTLE bit more blown. I feel like maybe I wouldn’t have hesitated to give five stars if I hadn’t hyped it up so much in my mind? But I really have no idea.
Aw I totally get that for SoC don’t worry! I LOVE it to death now, but the first time I read it, I felt it was a bit slow and I got confused?!😂Then I reread it via audio and I’m like afafdkslad so obsessed now there is no hope for me.😂 But the hype was SO real for that one!
Honestly, I’m more liberal with my 3.5 stars than 4.5 stars, it’s quite easy for me to find a book that is better than 3 stars but not quite enough to get to 4, much easier than it is to find a book between 4 and 5 stars. Honestly, mostly it’s just a feeling I get if a book is 5 stars, it doesn’t have to be technically perfect, if there even is such a thing. All the books I truly I love, I just have this really deep feeling of connection to the world and characters, I feel totally immersed in their story, it’s like I’m living it with them and when I feel that, I give a book five stars. Recently a book that just missed the five star mark for me? Legendary. It was so amazing and I definitely felt connected to Tella and immersed in the world, but there was just something about it, it didn’t feel quite the same as my other five star reads so I couldn’t quite bring myself to give that extra half star. Maybe I am just really fussy-I definitely think I’ve got pickier since I’ve been blogging!
It’s funny because Legendary was SO perfect for me. I was completely lost in the world and it was one of the quickest 5-stars I’ve given in a while.😂
That is totally fair and I was so close to giving it five stars, it just didn’t quite feel the same as my other five star reads? It’s really hard to explain!
HAHAHAHAHA so when you said “WHY THE DOGGO AND NOT THE HUMANS” all I can think about is Manchee (Patrick Ness) and now I’m forever scarred omg
ALSO book that missed 5 stars but IT WAS SO GOOD would be i guess And I darken because I LOVED IT but also was confused the whole time…
OMGGGG I AM CONSTNATLY THINKING ABOUT MANCHEE AND I STILL HAVEN’T STOPPED CRYING SINCE I READ IT IN 2016. HOLD ME. 😭😭😭
Also I loved And I Darken and was the same!! If it did 4.5 ratings it would get that.😂
I’ve been asked a few times why all of my blog reviews are always highly rated. It only seems that way really. I only write reviews for books I enjoyed, usually if I’m not enjoying a book, I’ll just throw it out the window rather than waste time reading and then reviewing. I think even compared to a few years ago, the quality of books and characters have improved too. There are a wider variety and young adult is wonderful for realistic contemporaries as well, it’s often where new adult and adult books fall down. We’re talking about mental health, physicality, race, skin colour, religion and faith, In general, young adult books are pretty inclusive comparatively. Of course there’s still a long way to go so all teens can relate and see themselves within narratives but the quality is there and I think readers are really appreciative of how authors are listening and always improving. Really interesting discussion smushy, looking forward to reading everyone’s replies before me ♡♡♡
That’s honestly what I’m trying to do now though too! Like I do still finish everything (I’m obsessive😂) but I’m trying to only do 4 and 5 stars on the blog. And that’s like fair! Just because we BLOG the higher books, doesn’t mean we love everything. Although I absolutely have no problem reading salty reviews too.😂
And omg YA is actually doing the best things in terms of diversity. I’m so proud. 😭❤️
I thought I was the only one who’s been thinking about this???
I recently looked at my favourite books of 2018 and I noticed that I have only 4 books that aren’t rereads that I gave 5 stars but I have like 5 more where I wrote “nearly 5 stars” and now I’m like???? Why????
I’m also thinking about going back and upping a few of those ratings but I’m not sure which yet. I do think that maybe I’ve been a bit too harsh but I don’t really know why. Maybe you’re right and it’s because I’ve been reading so much recently and it feels like I’m giving many books five stars even though that’s not quite true.
I don’t know, but I want to be more consistent with my ratings because I’m just confusing myself with it and SO MANY BOOKS ARE WORTH FIVE STARS why do I have such a hard time giving them that? Ahhhh. Now I have an existential crisis.
YOU AND ME BOTH, MY FRIEND. *comes to cry with you over this crisis*
And omg same though…like I was trying to find my last 5-star read a while ago and only came across rereads?! (At least now I’ve read Bright We Burn last week and LOVED it. Easy 5!) And sometimes, eh I don’t even think it probably should matter what we rate books? As long as we’re enjoying ourselves and happy with our systems! But life IS short. And I want to give some high ratings to books I adore.😂
But it’s hard when a book is really good but like…it’s not the same level of favourite as your ULTIMATE favourite?! AHHHH CRISIS.
I hate star systems for books! I also think I rate too many books too highly. Book ratings should follow a normal distribution, so technically most books should be three-star books, right? Only a few books should be five-star books, but I fear people will pass on good books if I give them three stars. I wonder if our four-and-a-half star reviews should really be four-star reviews and many of our four- and five-star reviews should really be three- and four-star reviews respectively.
Eek I don’t know about that, honestly! If I mostly read 3-star books, I’d probably quit reading.😂I read because I’m passionate about it, so I want to rate books high and thoroughly enjoy fangirling over them as much as possible! I do try to reserved 5-stars for the very very special books, but I don’t want to be too stingy. That’s just me though.😂😂
I feel like I’ve definitely gotten pickier the longer I’ve been blogging. LIke, I think it just takes more to excite me now because I’ve rated SO many books. Which seems sort of unfair, but rating is so subjective, it’s hard to stick to any sort of “rules.”
Agreed though! Like it’s SO hard when there are so many factors that contribute to rating?! And it’s subjective. AND our standards are all so high now.😂
So far this year I have only given out two five stars, but I have had a TON of four star (and four and a half star) books. Like you said, I think that I am stuck in the mentality that books have to be perfect to earn a five-star rating, but no book is really perfect (except for yours of course).
For me, a five-star book is less about the techniques and the small details but the larger themes and developments that made me FEEL things. For me, a five-star book is memorable in the slush of books that I read. And I know that this sounds super subjective, but a five star book has to keep me thinking after the last page and give me emotions (which is not an easy task for a heartless dragon like me).
The last five-star book that I read was Children of Blood and Bone. I loved the message of the book and I thought that it was impeccably woven into the story without being too overbearing or didactic. However, there were some small details that I was confused by/didn’t enjoy, but the fact that it almost made me leak emotion out of my eyes won me over.
I don’t think that I am fussy (at least I don’t want to admit it), but blogging about books has definitely upped my standards for books. In my early blogging days I would give 5 stars to pretty much any book that I liked. Now, I am much more selective with my stars (even though I rarely give less than three stars anyway, which is a fun contradiction). I think that since I have curated a collection of favorite books and seen a LOT of great writing, it is harder to impress me and usurp the ones that are already my favorites.
Aww *blushes* yOU SAID I WAS PERFECT. MY NEW FAVOURITE PERSON IS RIGHT HERE. 💖❤️
😂 Ahhhem. Excuse me. So WHERE WERE WE?! Ah ahha, yes I totally get that feel that we’re all waiting for the “perfect” book and then nothing quite lives up to our ultimate favourites we’ve already read! But I also don’t want to be the kind of bookworm who’s never happy? That’s just me though.😂I want to give out 5 stars because life is short and what’s the point of being a bookworm if I can’t flail my head off now and then?!
Blogging has most definitely changed me for giving out star ratings too. I used to be WAY less critical.😂
Honestly, I have never given 5 stars to any book since I started book blogging so yeah… I’m definitely fussy. I mainly give ratings that I believe will remain that way.
Omg! I hope you find an amazing book soon then!
Totally agree! There’s always that little something missing and you’re just screaming at the book – YOU’RE SO GOOD but icantgiveyou5stars!!!!!!!
For me, something that comes to mind is Children of Blood and Bone. LOVED the story but wasn’t the biggest fan of the character arcs – but the story won over me completely so I had to give it 4.5 stars but of course on Goodreads, I’ll assign the book a 5.
http://mariajohnwrites.com/mary-sue-gary-stu/
Ahhhh I have such trouble with that moment BUT IT COMES UP SO OFTEN?!😂Like hi there’s just this oooone little thing that means you’re not *quite* 5.. 😭😭Life is difficult and bookworms aren’t paid enough for this omg. And yeah I was the same with COBAB although it was kind of because the plot was really predictable and I didn’t understand the romance at ALL, but like the world was incredible!?
OHMYGOD THE ROMANCE. It was why i intensely disliked the main character apart from the fact that she had so many character traits that i didn’t really understandable but that mid-way point at the Temple where the story of the Gods is told is so very beautiful <3<3
And oh yes the Prince's arc also didn't make sense to me? Especially since this was a massive book 🙁 Still, excited for the second one and hope it isn't one of those long unnecessary ones 🙁
Honestly? I give a 5 star if it my mind was blown, or if it made me cry. But because of Goodreads, 4.5 stars are on my 5 star shelf too, which is perfectly okay with me: I’m a picky human XD (also as I’m writing this, I’m on Goodreads because #distracted and is there a way just to view books by how many stars you gave them?? I’m not seeing it but maybe you know)
I’m not sure about just viewing books via stars on Goodreads? I have shelves to divide my star ratings.😂I always found that was the easiest way, so if someone is like “What’s a good book” I just link them to my total 5-star shelf.😂
I’m right there with you! I actually tend to use .5 ratings. I’m one of those bloggers that is picky about my five star ratings, too. I don’t think a book needs to be absolutely perfect, but I do give them out pretty sparingly. I use 4.5 for books that I loved except for one aspect that took me out of the story. Some of my latest 4.5 star reads have been Obsidio, Starry Eyes, My Lady Jane, and Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. I loved all of them, but they didn’t stay with me for a really long time like my five star reads, which I still think back to all the time. Maybe I’m a bit too picky, but I’ve gotten used to handing out 4.5 stars like candy now, haha!!
It’s just really hard to demand books be totally perfect right!? Especially when we’re never going to have the same brain as the author.😂 Although, of course, that saying I DO have books I truly think are perfect and I am all heart eyes over them akdjfalsd.
Since I am a sucker for characters, a 5 star book HAS to have great, well-written characters. I demand them. Of course it has to be written properly too, and it can’t bore me! If a book has a great writing, but it made me bored, it can’t receive that high rating. It may seem that I am a little bit demanding, but this is how I feel about a book deserving those 5 stars :’)
Oh absolutely! I rate on feels too, not necessarily good writing.😂Like some of my favourite books ever have some things that are subpar but like??? I freaking loved them so I’m just going to go with it.😂
Oh I LOVE this post so much. I have noticed that I tend to give more 4,5 stars lately, I’m not sure why, but maybe because the book is missing a tinyyyyy little something I can’t quite place and somehow, I just can’t give it 5 stars? I don’t know if it’s me just being fussy and difficult or, if it’s the book that REALLY missed out on something though, and it is SO VERY FRUSTRATING at times haha. I think the most frustrating thing of it all is that I can’t put 4,5 stars on Goodreads and HOW do I pick between 4 and 5 then??? Ahhh bookworm struggles are the worst hahaha.
Agh I totally get it though. It’s like happening way more to me too…I wonder if it’s just because we’ve read SO many good books in the past when we were young and impressionable 😂 and had less to compare it with?😂
For me to give a book five stars it has to have a “five-star feeling”. I don’t how to really explain this feeling, but when I’m reading I just know. I am super fussy because even if I really enjoyed a book if it didn’t have the “five-star feeling” than it doesn’t get five stars, which I know logically makes no sense, but that’s just the way my brain works. Also, Goodreads should most definitely have half stars ratings, cause I really need them sometimes.
I totally get it though! That *Feeling* is really important!😂 Sometimes I read a book that objectively has nothing wrong with it, but it didn’t hit me in the heart or anything soooo…not 5-stars even though I feel bad about that!
I’ve been doing this????? USUALLY, I’M HANDING OUT 5 STARS LIKE CANDY ON HALLOWEEN. But… I’m trying to be more “critical” (eeeep help) with my ratings and not just jump on the hype train and think, “YES THIS BOOK IS PERFECTION I ADORE BYE THERE ARE NO FAULTS”, and that’s hard to do!! BUT I just LOVE the books I read and I’m trying not to ignore the little quibbles that I have (me having HIGH expectations AND being picky… way to go me…)
BYE YES, I AGREE.
IT’S SO HARD OMG. WHY DON’T BLOGGERS GET MORE CAKE FOR OUR SUFFERING??? We work so hard here.😭 Creating art and havoc. I just have no idea what to rate anything anymore, to the point where I sometimes just don’t GIVE any rating. 😂 That’s great problem solving, Cait, well done.
So maybe Goodreads will eventually see that we need these. LOL. Yes, I love the 4.5 rating so much personally – 5 stars is when I’m going crazy and stuttering with love or even screaming. 4 is when it’s a good book. There are LOADS of books that don’t exactly make me scream about them, but they’re better than just a “good book”. That’s the 4.5 xD
Also, I feel like it’s because 3 is just kind of a mean rating to give? For most people? Like, it’s not a bad rating. But it’s a cold rating 😀 and totally – giving the 5 is hard. I can’t give 5 to every book I loved… cause then I’d need a 6 xD (sshhhh, I already need a 6.)
Apparently they openly say they’re never doing half-stars because it will make it “harder for people to want to rate”….EYE ROLL. SIGH. I saw them say it on twitter once, but it seems dumb. Like restaurants get half stars?! books are our food…pls. Give us what we want. 😭
And yeah I agree about 3! I consider 3 pretty much a negative lmao. Even though 2.5 is actually the middle ground here!
I just have a good feeling when it’s supposed to be 5 stars. It doesn’t need to be absolutely perfect because there are books that weren’t flawless but still achieved 5 stars for me. But I’m also really indecisive with my ratings in general. So yea that’s what happens when you’re a bookworm 🙃
Omg I’m so constantly indecisive, so I hear you.😂
I’m super picky with my 5 star reads. I kinda assign them based on 2 categories, how emotional the book made me – super happy, super touched, super amazed, anything super really – and how memorable I think it will be. I forget about the details of most books pretty quickly, so I only feel like I can call something a favorite, 5 star read if I can explain to someone in a month or two what I loved about the book. For me that can be really useful in differentiating a great but forgettable book from a new favorite.
The 3.5’s and 4.5’s on the other hand have to do with emotion. I liked it, but not so, so much (3.5) versus I really, really loved it, but that one thing bugged me the entire book (4.5). I think it just has to do with the criteria you rate with.
I definitely rate on emotion too.😂I mean it’s GOT to make me super emotional to get a high rating, or strike a chord with me? But honestly some books I have genuinely nothing bad to say about them…but they just didn’t *quite* make that 5…
Blogging and rating is hard.😂
I’m not too fussy on my ratings *ahem* I give out five stars to books that I love and want everyone to read! Sometimes I also take in the book’s background, like, ‘is it indie? Is it unheard of?’
I love, love, LOVE The Great Library! I also got myself an e-copy of Starfish recently! Yay!
AHHH THE GREAT LIBRARY AND STARFISH THOUGH!! *all the heart eyes*
And yeah, honestly sometimes I’ve given 5-stars just because why not.😂Life is short? I want to make people happy sometimes haha.
ooohhh ratings. ratings are hard indeed. My personal definition for stars are, 5 means MUST READ (I WILL SHOVE IT INTO EVERYONE FACES AND PESTER THEM UNTIL THEY READ IT TOO SO THAT WE CAN SUFFER TOGETHER). 4 equals a good book, like yes it has done everything right, but because i read too much maybe it hasn’t made me go crazy about it, but yes it is still a good book. 3 are the meh ones, like yeah read it if you got nothing else to do. 2 goes for the boring ones. 1 means i hated it (which is very rare because i cannot normally HATE books, but yes this happens)
Yeah I go with 3-stars feeling “Meh” too.😂Even though it’s technically better than middle ground? Like 2.5 should be the true “meh” book but if I’m giving out 2.5’s then it’s not a book I liked at all! MATHS IS HARD.😂
I relate to this so much and rating is such a struggle because every book is different. My reasoning for not giving a book 5 stars at some point could be completely ignored as I give another book 5 stars despite that reason. I give a book 5 stars when I’m either emotionally torn apart and want to just lock myself away for a good long time, OR when a book makes me so happy that I want to shriek about it to everyone I know, OR when it makes me appreciate certain things and alter my perspective on something. But also, there are authors that I automatically give 5-star ratings because to me, their work is that good no matter what–but then I feel like I should do separate ratings just for that author and give them their own scale to go by xD It’s all extremely confusing and makes no sense.
Yes yes exactly, right?! And it’s so hard to equate the two, because they generated SUCH different emotions. So like how is an epic complex fantasy 5 stars and a cute fluffy fun book also 5?! It doesn’t seem fair.😂We need more stars haha.
Yes yes yes. Rating books is sooo hard. I struggle especially with rating books that I had a looot of fun with, that were addictive and kept me glued to the pages but weren’t objectively the best? Like how much do I factor my enjoyment in and how much do I have to knock of if a book is trope-y and not the best writing style wise?
Or light and fluffly contemporary. They normally just want to entertain and if they achieve that, should I give them 5 Stars even if they don’t compare to some of my favourite fantasy books in complexity and richness? But like, that wasn’t their goal, so … I don’t know what to dooooo! Help me, Cait!
Also my rating really depends on when I’m ratin it. Right after finishing it and still feeling that high of finishing a good book? Or after a few days? Was the books really hyped for one specific thing and I’m just a little rebel and don’t want to give it full 5 stars because I don’t like the way people are praising it for ONLY that specific thing? But that wouldn’t be fair either and I … just don’t know.
IT’S SO HARD, RIGHT?! Like the fluff books that make me LAUGH and love so much…definitely 5. But then??? The ones that absolutely change my world??? Also 5 but they’re *better*?? Let me go cry.
Also I tend to rate books lower after I’ve read a REALLY good one.😂
My sister doesn’t read my blog but this one time she wanted to ‘inspect it’ and she told me that I rate all my books way too highly and now I’m just TOO SCARED to dish out 5 stars?! Ratings just stress me out, really.
Aww no! I’m sad to hear that, Simi. Honestly you should blog and read and rate books the way YOU want to. Your opinion on your blog is the only one that matters.
Omg Cait you totally wrote out what I’ve lowkey been wondering myself! I definitely feel like I give more 4.5 star ratings then – let’s say in 2016! I feel like this might be because I’ve been reading a lot more than a used to and therefore have established more requirements for a 5 star read! And sometimes … there is just something off about a book, I can never quite place it, but sometimes the ‘spark’ seems to be missing that makes me ADORE a book 😮
*hi fives for our timely questions* 😂 It is more of a thing right now, hey?! I think it’s ok, like we should all do what we want, but i personally want to go ahead and give the full 5 stars more.😂Just because life is short haha.
okay, yes I’m guilty. I guess I don’t want to waste 5 star ratings on books that are not MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITES in the entire world. but I could… i so easily could. Thanks for sharing!
I think it’s fair to keep 5-star ratings really special sometimes too!
5 star books need to elicit several emotional responses from me while reading, keep me engaged to the point I don’t ever want to put the book down, make plot holes plausible (every story has a hole or two), and have very few or no typos. It also helps if I feel the material is unique and/or I have the urge/need to reread it or collect the entire series for my personal library. And just thinking about the book or series puts a sparkle in my eye and smile on my face.
Ahh I definitely like to think of 5-star books and then start smiling too! A VERY clear indication it’s worth every star!
I totally get this! I have faced this dilemma a lot like why am I giving this book a 4 star rating, and why is this book a 5 star read?
Ultimately it depends on how it makes me feels. Sometimes books make me feel something really strong, and I can’t explain why. There may be some things that are lacking in it but it gave me that ‘I love reading’s feeling so I gave it 5 stars.
Same with 4 star ratings! Like the book Kay be perfect in all terms but it didn’t give me that feeling? I feel bad sometimes for keeping it down at 4 stars but that’s just the way I work 🙂
AH I love this post!! A lot of people find it weird that I do 3.75, 4.5 and 4.75 star ratings because I just prefer to keep those 5 Stars for like ABSOLUTE FAVOURITES. I think this is why I like it when bloggers like myself have a page dedicated to how they rate books because everyone rates differently? and of course, ATPN was a total 5/5 for me *nudge wink* I get urges to reread it even though I know it’ll break me again.
That’s fair though! We should be able to rate books however we want.😂 bUT OMGGGG knowing you don’t rate a lot of books the full 5 and yET MINE GOT IT makes me all teary. 💛💛💛
Well I did read your book in one sitting and sobbed pretty freaking hard 😭 if that’s not a 5 star idk what is ❤️❤️❤️