Mundie Moms

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Thoughtful Thursday: Book Ratings

(I couldn't find a cute ratings graphic, so I took my Mundie Kids one to feature in today's post. Amber with Page Turners Blog made it for me.)

Welcome to this week's edition of Thoughtful Thursday. This week's topic is book ratings. I don't know about you guys, but each year I find myself becoming a tougher judge on books. Even though my star ratings are staying the same, I find I've become pickier and pickier with each new year and the specific rating I give each book. What I rated as a 5 star book 3 years may not hold up to my standards of a 5 star book this year. 

At first I had a hard time with the fact that each year I find myself becoming stricter on 5 stars, until I realized that it was okay. It's okay to become a tougher critic on books, because the more I read, the more I except out of the books I'm reading. This past year is the first year I've realized how very few 5 star ratings I've given out, compared to years past. I guess I should back up and share with you my rating system:
  • 5 stars = I LOVED IT! This book swept me off my feet. These are the books I'll be comparing the other books to I read through out the rest of the year. This is a book I want everyone to read.
  • 4.5 stars = I Really Enjoyed It! I really, really wanted to love it, but I needed just a little something more to give it a 5 star rating.
  • 4 stars = I Really Enjoyed. It's a good, solid read. 
  • 3.5 stars = It was a good read, but I needed a few more things from this book to really enjoy it like I wanted to.
  • 3 stars = It's a Good Read. There are some books I'm going to love, and other books I'm just going to think they are good. There's nothing that can really be changed about them to make me love it. It was simply a good read.
  • 2.5 stars = I'm torn on this on. Usually anything below this rating means that it definitely wasn't my cup of tea. There were a few things I might have liked out this book, but not enough for me to enjoy like I was hoping to.
  • 2 stars = I needed more of this book to really enjoy it like I was hoping to.
  • 1 stars / unrated books (which are mostly on Goodreads) = are books I wouldn't even bother picking up.
What makes a book a 5 & 4 star read? There are some specific things I look for in a book. These elements could be anything, depending on the type of book I'm reading, from the world building, to the romance, the writing, fantasy elements, paranormal elements etc.  For me it depends on the story. Some times I like realism, other times I like the believability of something that doesn't seem possible in the real world, and of course without fail I love a storyline with a rich romance, and a little bit of action.  When I sit down to read I want to read a book that sweeps me off my feet. I want a rich storyline, in-depth characters that make me wish they were real, and I want to get lost in a vivid world that takes me out of all that I have going on around. Essentially I want to get lost in the book I'm reading. 

When I get lost in that book, and feel like nothing else exists during the time I've spend reading that book then that's a 5 star book in opinion. That means not only is the writing flawless, but the world building/setting is vivid and becomes real to me, and the character become people I wish I could hang out with, and the storyline is one I wish wouldn't end. For example, here's a few books I've read this year that have been just that for me:

Here's the thing, just because it's not a 5 star book, dose not mean it's not a good book. It's okay to just enjoy a good read (my 3 star books). This might sound odd, but I don't want to LOVE every single book I read, but I do want to enjoy them and at least like them. It would be boring to love every single book I read. In all honesty if I knew I was going to love every single book I read, I'd probably stop reading. It wouldn't fun any more. Instead I look for things in every book I read to love. Sometimes that turns out to be a scene, a character, a moment etc. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts. What are your thoughts on ratings? Do your ratings change every year? Do your taste in books change each year? Do you find yourself being a harder critic than you were the previous year?

2 comments:

  1. I don't rate books, sorry. But I do find that I've become more impatient for a book to grab my attention since I've been reading more books for my blog interviews and reviews. If it doesn't grab me by page 50, I'll stop reading it and wouldn't discuss it on my blog. I do think our ratings/opinions on books evolve as we evolve as readers and bloggers. I know my blogging is evolving as I go too.

    So I'm not surprised your rating is changing. And you read so much and are so good at reviewing, I don't think it's an issue at all that it's changing some.

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  2. I find I'm getting a little bit stricter with my ratings. I'm giving out fewer of my off-the-menu six-star ratings this year and I'm giving out more four star ratings than I might have in the past. I'm not sure it's that I expect more from a book per se, but as more and more books are being authored and the bar is getting raised, I except everyone to up their game, so to speak. And just because it's a series with characters I know and love, if the plot doesn't grab me as much as the previous, I won't give it a free pass.

    Before blogging, though I was much harsher with ratings, as I'd compare a book by an author with another book by that same author when deciding - I never cross-compared. Now I judge books on their own merit so I rate higher. But I can see myself getting stingier with the five and six star ratings.

    And I do now enjoy a richer plot development, a more expansive world and characters that I can make a connection with whereas in the past I might be okay with just having one of those things.

    The fact is, at least in YA, which is my focus, many of the writers have just gotten better and better at their craft, new writers are going outside of the box, and they're giving more to their readers. With a raised bar, how could I not expect more from all my reads.

    Great topic and thanks for sharing your thoughts!

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