Why I Rate Books So High
I feel like on average I rate the books I read somewhere between 4-5 stars, with a great majority end up being a 5 star read. And the thing is, I really do think these books are 5 stars! I've seen people rate books I love somewhere between a 3 or 4 which isn't bad, depending on their rating system.
For the past few years I've been very picky about the books I read...though I still find plenty that I want to read and that speak to me. But there are times I have hesitancy and doubts, so those tend to go on a wishlist for a maybe someday. But I won't buy a book unless I know it's one I would want to read and enjoy.
And for the past 9 years I've been doing pretty well at this! Sure I still might stumble upon a book I thought I would love but didn't and it'll get a 3 or even rarer a 2 or lower. But the majority of my books get rated on the high side because I tend to know what I will like. Even when it comes to trying new to me authors, there will be something about their book that makes me think it's a me book. Maybe it was other reviews or just the description alone--as I had to go on in the years before blogging.
So the reason why you will see such high ranking books on my blog is because I know what I like! And if I like something I'm going to give it high marks and not just give it lower ones to make things look even or whatever. I'm not going to say a book I thoroughly enjoyed was a 3 star to mix things up or demote points because there was one or two things I didn't like. Unless those things really extended and took over the story in some fashion, I'm still likely to rate the book highly. Those books with the one or two things I didn't like may end up being 4.5 stars or the awkward 4.75 or higher but still under 5! Lol! I never shy away from the completely awkward rating!
Have you ever looked at how you rate your reads? Is there an average or a number you tend to give out more or less? Why is that? What do you base your review rating on within the book?
Yes, I tend to rate books high, when I do rate them, because I don’t bother reviewing books I hate. Life is too short to put effort into a book I don’t enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI feel like most books get a 4. Like you, I kinda know what I will and won't like before I start a book so my TBR is selected with those factors in mind. For me, all books start at a "3" and then move along the scale depending how I feel when I finish. I do get the occasional 2 star review out there but most of the time I DNF a book before I would ever rate it as such.
ReplyDeleteVery nice post on how you rate your books. Thank you for sharing your rating thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI recently switched to only reviewing books that get four or more stars (or at least could be easily rounded to four) and I'm not including star ratings. That change has more to do with my writing career than anything else, but honestly I always rate on the high side anyway. I can always find things I love about almost any book I choose to read (and I stay away from books that don't appeal to me).
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction