I always try to read books with no biases/expectations. With that being said, it is easier said than done when I am active on BookTok and Goodreads. Additionally, when reading a book from a series/author that I like, it is hard not to compare it to other books from the series or the author’s previous work.
My Rating Rules
- Finish the book before rating it
- Write the review before giving a rating – this helps me go back and really think about what I read so I can give it a fair rating
- If I did not finish (DNF) a book, I’m not going to review it – look for an upcoming post on books I DNF and why
Now Let’s Get to My Ratings
⭐ – The book is terrible, plot makes no sense, not interesting, bad writing, would not recommend.
⭐⭐ – The book is below average, the plot has some holes, there are things that do not make sense, characters aren’t interesting, would not recommend.
⭐⭐⭐ – The book ranges from average to good, I probably won’t read it again but depending on the subject matter might recommend it to a friend, plot is solid but may have some things that don’t make sense or aren’t believable, might recommend. I think of three star books as Hallmark Christmas movies – I have a good time watching them, but we all know that the big-city girl is going to go home for Christmas and fall in love with a small-town guy.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ – The book is great, the characters are interesting, the plot is satisfying, would read again, would recommend.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – The book is phenomenal, the plot is great, I love the characters, and I will read it again while blowing up the group chat to convince my friends to read the book as well. I don’t try and gatekeep 5 star ratings, but I do reserve them for books that really blow me away.
I don’t stick to whole numbers for reviews. There can be 2.5s, 3.75s, etc.
When applicable I give a spice🌶️rating to the books. I won’t go into detail about what differentiates 0 – 5 on the spice scale (you can use your imagination for that).
At the end of the review I’ll let you know if you should “bookmark” (read the book) or “bin it” (skip reading it).
Overall, I promise to always be honest in my reviews! After all, the reviews are my opinions and some people might not agree with them. Feel free to leave a comment on what you think makes a book a five star read!
Happy reading! 😊
