I wanted to ask about star ratings today because I've been having some conversations with others about how hard it is to decipher what other people's star ratings may mean and the fact that I personally have begun thinking that maybe my star ratings are deterring others from picking up books that they might love. I've always been 100% on board with star ratings. I've used them for years and I've said that I love seeing others star ratings for books. Just within the past couple of months I feel that I might be changing my mind and leaning more toward believing that star ratings are most beneficial just to myself. They help me remember what I thought about a book at quick glance. They also help me put all my great loves for the year in one 5 star category that I can see quickly when I'm doing my year end top 10. I find that when I can't remember what I thought about a book from long ago, if I can see that I gave it a star rating of 3, then I know It was average at the time. I do think that I'm leaning toward a new preference of not needing to see another person's star rating anymore. In fact, I prefer not to see any ratings before I read books these days because I've discovered they really do influence my expectations. And I wonder if my star ratings do the same for people? I'm tossing around the idea of stopping star ratings in 2025- I'm curious if you all have strong feelings one way or the other as far as seeing star ratings on my reviews. I feel like I have more to say and contemplate so a bigger post may be coming:)
I am generally not influenced by a book’s star rating, unless it’s from someone I trust, like you. For myself, I have a hard time making fine distinctions so a book that was ok gets 3, a good book gets 4 and a great, truly outstanding book gets 5 stars. But that only helps me decide if I am going to actively seek out more works by the same author.
I recently finished BLACK CAKE by Charmaine Wilkerson. It was frustrating thru probably the first third of the book because there were a lot of characters to learn about and some timeline jumps to follow. It did all come together into a cohesive story, and I did overall enjoy it. I only picked this up because of an online reading challenge I’ve been following in 2024. I’m glad I’ve done this challenge because it has broadened my reading horizons in a good way.
I’m now reading WHIRLWIND by L.T. Ryan. This is book #8 in the Rachel Hatch series, and it’s comfort food for me. Formulaic but to my taste, and an easy read.
My star rating meanings are the same as yours. Sometimes I'll finish a book that ends up at 2 stars and that typically means I didn't like it and don't recommend. I reserve 1 stars for I hated this book- I don't often have those because I dnf. I listened to Black Cake when it came out and loved it. I remember having a hard time getting centered in the story because of the many characters and alternating timelines but I ended up loving it. She has a new book coming out in 2025 called Good Dirt!
I'll be back in the comments soon to share my thoughts and struggles with star ratings.....in the meantime, please tell us yours as well as what you've been reading and enjoying (or not) lately:)
You're the second person in my life this week to talk about reading THE MOST. I have to say that I'm intrigued by the premise.
I read THE LOTTERY decades ago... in junior high, maybe? And it's stayed with me. So unsettling. I've never re-read it. Maybe this weekend is the time to do that!
Star ratings: I find them really difficult because it's all about context, right? Like, am I giving this book five stars because it's objectively great, because I loved it, because it fulfilled the purpose it seemed it set out to... I love some books that are 5 star reads for me that are not 'Great Books,' but I really enjoyed them.
And then the other side of that can be true. I didn't enjoy the experience of reading WUTHERING HEIGHTS or THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE. The were emotionally tough. But I think about both of them a lot. They're objectively well done. Both authors give us well-drawn characters, create a sense of foreboding and claustrophobia, and address meaningful themes alongside page-turning plot. I mean, what more could a reader ask for? But, TBH, I never want to read either one again. I didn't love them, but I can't deny they're 5-star quality.
So... I use stars on Goodreads, and just kind of go with my gut. It's an impractical system. :-)
I'm reading two really fun spooky books right now:
DIAVOLA by Jennifer Marie Thorne - haunted house story set in a vacation villa in Italy. The haunting is running alongside an intense family story. I relate very much to the protagonist Anna; the role she plays in her family, and the way they interact with her, is very similar to my own. The ghostly bits are very, very well done. It's a fantastic read so far. I only have 45 minutes left!
BAD DOLLS by Rachel Harrison - short story collection. She's really good at writing blackly funny horror — comedy-horror is one of my favorite genres. She seems to be working her way through supernatural tropes: She has a vampire story, a werewolf story, a witch story, etc. They're all really smart and have plenty to say about what it's like to be a woman. AND they're super fun. The stories in Bad Dolls are about hauntings with only small touches of the supernatural — they embrace that real life can be pretty darned scary.
I feel very similar to you as far as star ratings go, and you said it so well- I think like you said, they're an impractical system for anyone other than ourselves
I enjoyed Diavola so much! That family will be on my list of memorable characters this year. It was creepy but also funny at times. So good
I still use the ratings system for my reading apps. star ratings still work for me as a measure towards how I felt about that book. I never rate any book below 3 stars because that means I have DNFed it already and I am unable to rate it. 3 is a just okay book but still good. Something that I enjoyed and felt was not a waste of time. 4 star is a really really good book! But a 5 star is just a 4 star book plus something personal that resonated with me.
I love your take on 4 stars, I haven't heard that before and it makes sense. I think a lot of us are using star ratings mainly for ourselves as quick ways to remind ourselves what we thought about a book
I think my main issue with star ratings is that others, people, publishing, or otherwise use them to determine what to read. I see this as an issue because I know how arbitrary I am at assigning stars to books. My ratings are all based on vibes and how I felt about the book at the time, so having people rely on only the rating may lead readers astray. Overall, I’m pro star rating as it helps jog my memory when I review books and it’s a nice quick glance if I’m reviewing how I’m liking my reading over a given period. I equate the stars with general likability categories which I detailed below.
⭐️ = Really disliked it
⭐️⭐️ = Meh
⭐️⭐️⭐️ = Solid read but nothing spectacular
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ = Really enjoyed it
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ = Loved it
My current read is THE SPELL SHOP which has been so cute and cozy.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and your ratings meanings- that's really helpful and I should do that too! My struggle with them is similar to yours, I don't want to keep people from reading a book because I gave it 3 stars. It was average for me but it might be a huge winner for them- it's such a nuanced system
I'm a big fan of star ratings for a couple of reasons: It's the way I record my own enjoyment of a book, and also, when I become familiar with other readers and learn to gauge their ratings, it also helps me when I'm looking for recommendations! I'm stingy with 5 star reads; they have to have been both entertaining and well written; something I couldn't put down and wouldn't change anything about. Often they are books I think about for a while after I'm done or that I save quotes from. Some are 5 star mostly for the writing and some mostly because I had so much fun reading them!
I've had a wonderful month of reading! I had three 4.5 star or more (still deciding) reads this week:
The Small and the Mighty- should be read by every American... a great reminder of who we're supposed to be as our best selves/country.
Here We Go Again- way outside of my typical read and I was shocked by how much I loved it!
The Safekeep- blew me away but there was one section that seemed bogged down so I can't seem to decide on my rating yet.
I think you may have hit on the aspect of star ratings that work best for me and why I'm struggling with what to do with them- I appreciate them greatly from readers I know and trust because it helps me immediately know if I want to add that book to my tbr, sample it, or just keep it on my radar. I pay much less attention to star ratings from readers I don't know - Goodreads ratings don't mean much to me at all anymore. So glad you had some recent winners! I love when an unexpected read is a hit
I just finished BLESS YOUR HEART by Lindy Ryan 3 stars ⭐️ for me. I read it for book club and it was just not my jam. I can see other people that enjoy that genre really liking it though. My latest audio BE READY WHEN THE LUCK HAPPENS by Ina Garten has so gotten me out of a reading slump. I did not know much about her (so don’t let that deter you) and I find this book so so entertaining and inspiring! What a great life she has lead. I think it will be 5 stars ⭐️ for me. She is also hosting Ann Patchett on her show Be My Guest on Sunday and I can’t wait to watch!
I don’t really have a strong opinion about star ratings. I really only use it to keep track of what I have enjoyed and like looking back at it as well as what my friends rate books on Goodreads. I don’t put a whole lot of stock in the overall rating on Goodreads because I think they are generally low and every reader is different. I have really enjoyed some books with lower ratings so I mainly use it for just my own personal tracking!
I’m thinking of picking up IF WE WERE VILLIANS by M.L. Rio this weekend to get one more spooky book in before Halloween. Has anyone read that or have thoughts? I hope everyone had an awesome weekend full of coziness and fall reading! 🍁🧟👻🎃
I recently touched upon my struggle with star ratings. It boils down to the genre for assigning a star rating. I feel guilty giving an ORPHAN X novel a 5⭐️ just because I thought it was the best book in the series while giving books such as THE MIGHTY RED only a 4 ⭐️ just because it wasn’t as entertaining. on the other hand, these are ratings could be switched because it comes down to the order in which I read the books. when reporting to others what I rated a book, I am reporting what I think in general this book is to all readers and not what it meant to me personally. so now I think I’m just going to rate books when they are five star books for my own personal knowledge. My recent books are: THE MIGHTY RED, THE MOST, THE SEQUEL, and TAKE MY HAND BY DOLEN PERKINS-VALDEZ. I read the last book for my backlist challenge for books published in 2022. I absolutely loved THE MOST. I think the difference in taste between you and I on that book is generational. You were correct when you said that THE SEQUEL BY JEAN HANFF KORELITZ was better than THE PLOT. I also had mixed feelings about THE MIGHTY RED BY LOUISE ERDRICH. I gave it 5 ⭐️ because of the story and the writing not because I enjoyed it so much. I definitely did not enjoy it or was entertained by it like I was with THE SEQUEL.
I'm glad you've settled on a star rating system that works for you, I think ultimately any sort of system needs to work for us personally or else it just ends up being a hassle and causing us unneeded confusion. So glad you liked The Sequel, that was fun start to finish. I loved Take My Hand!
I don't really use star rating, except maybe sometimes in my head when I am talking to myself. What are we rating when we use stars? What do they mean? Are we rating the over all book? How it made us feel? Writing style/word choices? Plot? Characters? And does my 5 star mean the same as your 5 stars? If I cannot figure it out for myself, the wider world is certainly no place to look! Star ratings are all over the place and are being used to rate all types of things even whether the book was delivered late or damaged in the mail or they don't like the cover! I usually write a tiny note under each book and my most favorite, I mark with an asterisk. Seeing the asterisk in my list will trigger me to recommend the title but it is generally through conversation that I will recommend a book not a star
rating.
I have been tearing through the Darren Matthews/Texas Ranger mysteries by Attica Locke. I am on the third...they have a bit of a cliffhanger ending so I just headed right into the next. Have you read them? So great! The writing is strong and the character development is great. The mystery will hold your attention while the author does an impressive amount of social justice work in each book. Bluebird, Bluebird (the first of the series) has been on my TBR for years...don't know why I waited so long!
Yes to everything you said about star ratings! You put into words why I'm struggling with them as someone who reviews books in a public way. I did read the Darren Matthews trilogy and enjoyed them. Book 2 was my favorite. Darren and his mom were characters I enjoyed following through all 3 books and I think she's great at creating compelling mysteries with social/cultural issues interwoven
I’m reading and really enjoying PEARCE OYSTERS, a book about the BP oil spill in the gulf and the effects on an oyster farming family. Also reading and liking the new Liane Moriarty HERE ONE MOMENT. Doing a slow but steady read of JONATHAN STRANGE AND MR. NORRELL.
I haven't heard much about Pearce Oysters at all, I'm glad you're enjoying it! How's Jonathan Strange? I've wondered about that book because I loved PIRANESI so much
No star ratings for me. With books, I highly mistrust them from others as well. Maybe it’s because my system for dropping a book I don’t like is finely honed so I don’t have much to lose, especially if I check the book out from a library. When it comes to movies I do use the overall rotten tomatoes or IMdB ratings to guide my choices— I’m unlikely to walk out of a movie in the theater if I’ve paid for the ticket, unless it’s really offensive, so more of my time and $ is at stake.
I feel so flip floppy about star ratings. I myself do use them but find it so difficult (especially in the space between 3 and 4). If my kids see that I have rated a book a 3 on Goodreads they ask me why I “hated” it. That isn’t what it’s supposed to mean but even when I have too many books to choose from I will start culling books based on their GR rating and under 3.5 average rating has often been put in the donate pile.
Sometimes I have had serious regrets using this method because literary thriller/suspense is my favourite and I have learned that these titles can often be rated lower on GR due to the misleading marketing and reader’s expectations of a much faster plot.
So I do still use the ratings but I don’t place as much weight on them as I once did.
As for question 2: I am currently reading NIGHT SHIFT by Stephen King and I am struggling! I feel like a fake fan but I just don’t like short stories that much. Then again, I loved YOU LIKE IT DARKER (but it was longer stories in this collection that I loved). The start of a book when I don’t know anybody is always my least favourite part of reading and I feel like I’m at the start every 15 pages or so in a short story collection.
I’m also reading BECOMING THE BOOGEYMAN by Richard Chizmar and really enjoying it. Reviews criticize it for name dropping Stephen King so much but it’s not bothering me so far. To be fair if he was my friend I would probably be obnoxiously telling everyone whenever I could
I had such big plans for spooky season and I find myself looking longingly over at SAME AS IT EVER WAS and IN MEMORIAM wishing I could read them now but not allowing myself because they’re not spooky lol.
I do have to mention my biggest disappointment this month. I gave a 2 star (which I rarely do) to I WAS A TEENAGE SLASHER by Stephen Graham Jones. Ughhhh. The cover is very cool but that’s about it.
Thanks for your thoughts on star ratings, they really are so subjective aren't they? One thing that has significantly helped my reading over the past couple years is not looking at Goodreads until after I finish a book- I'm so easily influenced by low ratings and like you said a lot of mysteries and thrillers have lower ratings. Funny you mentioned In Memorium, my library hold for that just came in and I also told myself to wait until later this week after Halloween😅 The rules we put on ourselves!
I like star ratings for my own books and also from books read by others. It is a quick and easy way to determine if I want to consider adding a book to my TBR. I am quite stingy with 5 star ratings as these are the books I cannot stop thinking about and want others to read.
I am reading MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT by Riley Sager and it is my first book to read by this author. It is quite good so far.
I especially love seeing star ratings from people who say they're stingy:) That Riley Sager is a good one to start with, it's one of his better books imo. I loved the time period and the mystery - I can never resist a disappearance story!
I’ve recently almost abandoned star ratings - because I’ve been reading so specifically from my wheelhouse and books I already own I’ve been on a 5 star run. I only get less than that when I dip into something random that I’ve gotten distracted by. Also since trying to write a book (albeit non-fiction) I’ve got so much more empathy and compassion for writers and adding a 2 or 3 star rating seems so dismissive of so much work! Especially as a mood reader I find my ratings are more based on what I like, my moods and needs in the moment rather than if the book is objectively good! I’m about to finish the MIRROR VISITOR series and I’m looking forward to diving into Bill Bailey’s new memoir all about animals afterwards! X
Appreciate your thoughts on star ratings, you're not alone in feeling that way about 2 and 3 stars. That's exciting you're righting a book!! How's it going? I haven't heard of Bill Bailey, will look his new memoir up, I love an animal memoir
I wanted to ask about star ratings today because I've been having some conversations with others about how hard it is to decipher what other people's star ratings may mean and the fact that I personally have begun thinking that maybe my star ratings are deterring others from picking up books that they might love. I've always been 100% on board with star ratings. I've used them for years and I've said that I love seeing others star ratings for books. Just within the past couple of months I feel that I might be changing my mind and leaning more toward believing that star ratings are most beneficial just to myself. They help me remember what I thought about a book at quick glance. They also help me put all my great loves for the year in one 5 star category that I can see quickly when I'm doing my year end top 10. I find that when I can't remember what I thought about a book from long ago, if I can see that I gave it a star rating of 3, then I know It was average at the time. I do think that I'm leaning toward a new preference of not needing to see another person's star rating anymore. In fact, I prefer not to see any ratings before I read books these days because I've discovered they really do influence my expectations. And I wonder if my star ratings do the same for people? I'm tossing around the idea of stopping star ratings in 2025- I'm curious if you all have strong feelings one way or the other as far as seeing star ratings on my reviews. I feel like I have more to say and contemplate so a bigger post may be coming:)
I am generally not influenced by a book’s star rating, unless it’s from someone I trust, like you. For myself, I have a hard time making fine distinctions so a book that was ok gets 3, a good book gets 4 and a great, truly outstanding book gets 5 stars. But that only helps me decide if I am going to actively seek out more works by the same author.
I recently finished BLACK CAKE by Charmaine Wilkerson. It was frustrating thru probably the first third of the book because there were a lot of characters to learn about and some timeline jumps to follow. It did all come together into a cohesive story, and I did overall enjoy it. I only picked this up because of an online reading challenge I’ve been following in 2024. I’m glad I’ve done this challenge because it has broadened my reading horizons in a good way.
I’m now reading WHIRLWIND by L.T. Ryan. This is book #8 in the Rachel Hatch series, and it’s comfort food for me. Formulaic but to my taste, and an easy read.
My star rating meanings are the same as yours. Sometimes I'll finish a book that ends up at 2 stars and that typically means I didn't like it and don't recommend. I reserve 1 stars for I hated this book- I don't often have those because I dnf. I listened to Black Cake when it came out and loved it. I remember having a hard time getting centered in the story because of the many characters and alternating timelines but I ended up loving it. She has a new book coming out in 2025 called Good Dirt!
I'll be back in the comments soon to share my thoughts and struggles with star ratings.....in the meantime, please tell us yours as well as what you've been reading and enjoying (or not) lately:)
You're the second person in my life this week to talk about reading THE MOST. I have to say that I'm intrigued by the premise.
I read THE LOTTERY decades ago... in junior high, maybe? And it's stayed with me. So unsettling. I've never re-read it. Maybe this weekend is the time to do that!
Star ratings: I find them really difficult because it's all about context, right? Like, am I giving this book five stars because it's objectively great, because I loved it, because it fulfilled the purpose it seemed it set out to... I love some books that are 5 star reads for me that are not 'Great Books,' but I really enjoyed them.
And then the other side of that can be true. I didn't enjoy the experience of reading WUTHERING HEIGHTS or THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE. The were emotionally tough. But I think about both of them a lot. They're objectively well done. Both authors give us well-drawn characters, create a sense of foreboding and claustrophobia, and address meaningful themes alongside page-turning plot. I mean, what more could a reader ask for? But, TBH, I never want to read either one again. I didn't love them, but I can't deny they're 5-star quality.
So... I use stars on Goodreads, and just kind of go with my gut. It's an impractical system. :-)
I'm reading two really fun spooky books right now:
DIAVOLA by Jennifer Marie Thorne - haunted house story set in a vacation villa in Italy. The haunting is running alongside an intense family story. I relate very much to the protagonist Anna; the role she plays in her family, and the way they interact with her, is very similar to my own. The ghostly bits are very, very well done. It's a fantastic read so far. I only have 45 minutes left!
BAD DOLLS by Rachel Harrison - short story collection. She's really good at writing blackly funny horror — comedy-horror is one of my favorite genres. She seems to be working her way through supernatural tropes: She has a vampire story, a werewolf story, a witch story, etc. They're all really smart and have plenty to say about what it's like to be a woman. AND they're super fun. The stories in Bad Dolls are about hauntings with only small touches of the supernatural — they embrace that real life can be pretty darned scary.
I feel very similar to you as far as star ratings go, and you said it so well- I think like you said, they're an impractical system for anyone other than ourselves
I enjoyed Diavola so much! That family will be on my list of memorable characters this year. It was creepy but also funny at times. So good
I also read The Lottery when I was in middle school and it remains so vivid in my mind. I never read it again, but still loved the story.
I still use the ratings system for my reading apps. star ratings still work for me as a measure towards how I felt about that book. I never rate any book below 3 stars because that means I have DNFed it already and I am unable to rate it. 3 is a just okay book but still good. Something that I enjoyed and felt was not a waste of time. 4 star is a really really good book! But a 5 star is just a 4 star book plus something personal that resonated with me.
I do exactly the same! My stars are really a personal enjoyment meter.
Yes. I do it for personal reference as well
I love your take on 4 stars, I haven't heard that before and it makes sense. I think a lot of us are using star ratings mainly for ourselves as quick ways to remind ourselves what we thought about a book
I think my main issue with star ratings is that others, people, publishing, or otherwise use them to determine what to read. I see this as an issue because I know how arbitrary I am at assigning stars to books. My ratings are all based on vibes and how I felt about the book at the time, so having people rely on only the rating may lead readers astray. Overall, I’m pro star rating as it helps jog my memory when I review books and it’s a nice quick glance if I’m reviewing how I’m liking my reading over a given period. I equate the stars with general likability categories which I detailed below.
⭐️ = Really disliked it
⭐️⭐️ = Meh
⭐️⭐️⭐️ = Solid read but nothing spectacular
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ = Really enjoyed it
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ = Loved it
My current read is THE SPELL SHOP which has been so cute and cozy.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and your ratings meanings- that's really helpful and I should do that too! My struggle with them is similar to yours, I don't want to keep people from reading a book because I gave it 3 stars. It was average for me but it might be a huge winner for them- it's such a nuanced system
I'm a big fan of star ratings for a couple of reasons: It's the way I record my own enjoyment of a book, and also, when I become familiar with other readers and learn to gauge their ratings, it also helps me when I'm looking for recommendations! I'm stingy with 5 star reads; they have to have been both entertaining and well written; something I couldn't put down and wouldn't change anything about. Often they are books I think about for a while after I'm done or that I save quotes from. Some are 5 star mostly for the writing and some mostly because I had so much fun reading them!
I've had a wonderful month of reading! I had three 4.5 star or more (still deciding) reads this week:
The Small and the Mighty- should be read by every American... a great reminder of who we're supposed to be as our best selves/country.
Here We Go Again- way outside of my typical read and I was shocked by how much I loved it!
The Safekeep- blew me away but there was one section that seemed bogged down so I can't seem to decide on my rating yet.
I think you may have hit on the aspect of star ratings that work best for me and why I'm struggling with what to do with them- I appreciate them greatly from readers I know and trust because it helps me immediately know if I want to add that book to my tbr, sample it, or just keep it on my radar. I pay much less attention to star ratings from readers I don't know - Goodreads ratings don't mean much to me at all anymore. So glad you had some recent winners! I love when an unexpected read is a hit
I just finished BLESS YOUR HEART by Lindy Ryan 3 stars ⭐️ for me. I read it for book club and it was just not my jam. I can see other people that enjoy that genre really liking it though. My latest audio BE READY WHEN THE LUCK HAPPENS by Ina Garten has so gotten me out of a reading slump. I did not know much about her (so don’t let that deter you) and I find this book so so entertaining and inspiring! What a great life she has lead. I think it will be 5 stars ⭐️ for me. She is also hosting Ann Patchett on her show Be My Guest on Sunday and I can’t wait to watch!
I don’t really have a strong opinion about star ratings. I really only use it to keep track of what I have enjoyed and like looking back at it as well as what my friends rate books on Goodreads. I don’t put a whole lot of stock in the overall rating on Goodreads because I think they are generally low and every reader is different. I have really enjoyed some books with lower ratings so I mainly use it for just my own personal tracking!
I’m thinking of picking up IF WE WERE VILLIANS by M.L. Rio this weekend to get one more spooky book in before Halloween. Has anyone read that or have thoughts? I hope everyone had an awesome weekend full of coziness and fall reading! 🍁🧟👻🎃
So glad the Ina Garten book is proving to be a hit with you! I love when a nonfiction ends up being a 5 star read
I loved IF WE WERE VILLAINS! I vote you pick it up
I really enjoyed If We Were Villains! It's the closest thing I've found to scratch the itch that reading The Secret History gave me.
I enjoyed Ina's memoir too- I find her so soothing! And I'm really looking forward to her with Ann Patchett tomorrow!
This is also another vote for Villians. It's great!
I recently touched upon my struggle with star ratings. It boils down to the genre for assigning a star rating. I feel guilty giving an ORPHAN X novel a 5⭐️ just because I thought it was the best book in the series while giving books such as THE MIGHTY RED only a 4 ⭐️ just because it wasn’t as entertaining. on the other hand, these are ratings could be switched because it comes down to the order in which I read the books. when reporting to others what I rated a book, I am reporting what I think in general this book is to all readers and not what it meant to me personally. so now I think I’m just going to rate books when they are five star books for my own personal knowledge. My recent books are: THE MIGHTY RED, THE MOST, THE SEQUEL, and TAKE MY HAND BY DOLEN PERKINS-VALDEZ. I read the last book for my backlist challenge for books published in 2022. I absolutely loved THE MOST. I think the difference in taste between you and I on that book is generational. You were correct when you said that THE SEQUEL BY JEAN HANFF KORELITZ was better than THE PLOT. I also had mixed feelings about THE MIGHTY RED BY LOUISE ERDRICH. I gave it 5 ⭐️ because of the story and the writing not because I enjoyed it so much. I definitely did not enjoy it or was entertained by it like I was with THE SEQUEL.
I'm glad you've settled on a star rating system that works for you, I think ultimately any sort of system needs to work for us personally or else it just ends up being a hassle and causing us unneeded confusion. So glad you liked The Sequel, that was fun start to finish. I loved Take My Hand!
I don't really use star rating, except maybe sometimes in my head when I am talking to myself. What are we rating when we use stars? What do they mean? Are we rating the over all book? How it made us feel? Writing style/word choices? Plot? Characters? And does my 5 star mean the same as your 5 stars? If I cannot figure it out for myself, the wider world is certainly no place to look! Star ratings are all over the place and are being used to rate all types of things even whether the book was delivered late or damaged in the mail or they don't like the cover! I usually write a tiny note under each book and my most favorite, I mark with an asterisk. Seeing the asterisk in my list will trigger me to recommend the title but it is generally through conversation that I will recommend a book not a star
rating.
I have been tearing through the Darren Matthews/Texas Ranger mysteries by Attica Locke. I am on the third...they have a bit of a cliffhanger ending so I just headed right into the next. Have you read them? So great! The writing is strong and the character development is great. The mystery will hold your attention while the author does an impressive amount of social justice work in each book. Bluebird, Bluebird (the first of the series) has been on my TBR for years...don't know why I waited so long!
Yes to everything you said about star ratings! You put into words why I'm struggling with them as someone who reviews books in a public way. I did read the Darren Matthews trilogy and enjoyed them. Book 2 was my favorite. Darren and his mom were characters I enjoyed following through all 3 books and I think she's great at creating compelling mysteries with social/cultural issues interwoven
I’m reading and really enjoying PEARCE OYSTERS, a book about the BP oil spill in the gulf and the effects on an oyster farming family. Also reading and liking the new Liane Moriarty HERE ONE MOMENT. Doing a slow but steady read of JONATHAN STRANGE AND MR. NORRELL.
I haven't heard much about Pearce Oysters at all, I'm glad you're enjoying it! How's Jonathan Strange? I've wondered about that book because I loved PIRANESI so much
Thank you! I own a copy of Pearce, Oysters. Glad you reminded me to go look for it on my shelf!
I look at star ratings for everything (including books)! For fear of wasting time or money I think... But, you've persuaded me to think more about it.
I'm still thinking about it too, I think they're useful in some ways and limiting in others
No star ratings for me. With books, I highly mistrust them from others as well. Maybe it’s because my system for dropping a book I don’t like is finely honed so I don’t have much to lose, especially if I check the book out from a library. When it comes to movies I do use the overall rotten tomatoes or IMdB ratings to guide my choices— I’m unlikely to walk out of a movie in the theater if I’ve paid for the ticket, unless it’s really offensive, so more of my time and $ is at stake.
I feel so flip floppy about star ratings. I myself do use them but find it so difficult (especially in the space between 3 and 4). If my kids see that I have rated a book a 3 on Goodreads they ask me why I “hated” it. That isn’t what it’s supposed to mean but even when I have too many books to choose from I will start culling books based on their GR rating and under 3.5 average rating has often been put in the donate pile.
Sometimes I have had serious regrets using this method because literary thriller/suspense is my favourite and I have learned that these titles can often be rated lower on GR due to the misleading marketing and reader’s expectations of a much faster plot.
So I do still use the ratings but I don’t place as much weight on them as I once did.
As for question 2: I am currently reading NIGHT SHIFT by Stephen King and I am struggling! I feel like a fake fan but I just don’t like short stories that much. Then again, I loved YOU LIKE IT DARKER (but it was longer stories in this collection that I loved). The start of a book when I don’t know anybody is always my least favourite part of reading and I feel like I’m at the start every 15 pages or so in a short story collection.
I’m also reading BECOMING THE BOOGEYMAN by Richard Chizmar and really enjoying it. Reviews criticize it for name dropping Stephen King so much but it’s not bothering me so far. To be fair if he was my friend I would probably be obnoxiously telling everyone whenever I could
I had such big plans for spooky season and I find myself looking longingly over at SAME AS IT EVER WAS and IN MEMORIAM wishing I could read them now but not allowing myself because they’re not spooky lol.
I do have to mention my biggest disappointment this month. I gave a 2 star (which I rarely do) to I WAS A TEENAGE SLASHER by Stephen Graham Jones. Ughhhh. The cover is very cool but that’s about it.
Thanks for your thoughts on star ratings, they really are so subjective aren't they? One thing that has significantly helped my reading over the past couple years is not looking at Goodreads until after I finish a book- I'm so easily influenced by low ratings and like you said a lot of mysteries and thrillers have lower ratings. Funny you mentioned In Memorium, my library hold for that just came in and I also told myself to wait until later this week after Halloween😅 The rules we put on ourselves!
I like star ratings for my own books and also from books read by others. It is a quick and easy way to determine if I want to consider adding a book to my TBR. I am quite stingy with 5 star ratings as these are the books I cannot stop thinking about and want others to read.
I am reading MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT by Riley Sager and it is my first book to read by this author. It is quite good so far.
I especially love seeing star ratings from people who say they're stingy:) That Riley Sager is a good one to start with, it's one of his better books imo. I loved the time period and the mystery - I can never resist a disappearance story!
I find the star ratings of others to be a very helpful, although imperfect, tool to help keep my TBR somewhat in check.
I recently read Miracle in the Andes by Nando Parrado. It is nonfiction that reads like an exciting thriller.
I love a nonfiction that reads like a thriller, those are hard to find and I haven't heard of this one, thanks for the rec!
It is great! I highly recommend it.
I’ve recently almost abandoned star ratings - because I’ve been reading so specifically from my wheelhouse and books I already own I’ve been on a 5 star run. I only get less than that when I dip into something random that I’ve gotten distracted by. Also since trying to write a book (albeit non-fiction) I’ve got so much more empathy and compassion for writers and adding a 2 or 3 star rating seems so dismissive of so much work! Especially as a mood reader I find my ratings are more based on what I like, my moods and needs in the moment rather than if the book is objectively good! I’m about to finish the MIRROR VISITOR series and I’m looking forward to diving into Bill Bailey’s new memoir all about animals afterwards! X
Appreciate your thoughts on star ratings, you're not alone in feeling that way about 2 and 3 stars. That's exciting you're righting a book!! How's it going? I haven't heard of Bill Bailey, will look his new memoir up, I love an animal memoir