The book ratings - your handy cut out & keep guide...

Many, if not all, of my book reviews come with star ratings. In case anyone was wondering what any of these ratings actually meant, I should probably explain.

I base my rating system on the one I’ve used for years over on Goodreads, as coming up with my own sounds like far too much like hard work. So, books are given stars out of five, with the different star ratings ranking as follows:

1 star – 

I didn’t like it. I possibly even hated it. This doesn’t necessarily mean that it isn’t worth your time as, after all, not everyone’s boat gets floated by the same thing and I’ve been known to give 1 star reviews to as many of the writers commonly accepted as the ‘greatest’ as I have to the amateurs.

2 stars – 

It was OK. There may be some great writing in it, but while I didn’t actively dislike it, it didn’t really do anything for me. This rating however, is nothing to be ashamed of. The book’s just not my bag, baby.



3 stars – 

I liked it. A good book with decent writing, plot and/or characters, that kept me entertained/interested/educated. 

4 stars – 

I really liked it. I’ve probably recommended it to my friends, and wittered about it a great deal whenever given a chance. I will most likely try other books by the same author based on this book.

5 stars – 

It was Uh-mazing. It’s gone on my ‘favourites’ pile and I’m busy making mix-tapes in my head proclaiming my love for it. I will definitely hunt out other books by the same author, and will bore my friends to death telling them how brilliant this is and how they have to stop everything they’re doing and read this now. 

Incidentally, my ratings have been known to fluctuate depending on my mood, when I’m reading, who the writer is (I hold some to higher standards than others, as I’m mean like that) and how much time I’ve had to devote to it (if I’ve had to eke it out over 20 minute lunch breaks, I probably won’t have enjoyed it as much as if I’d devoted a day off to an unbroken reading session) and a book I’ve proclaimed as a wonderful 4 may be downgraded to a 3 if, after some time has passed, I’ve realised it’s barely left an impression on me. Others can get upgraded if they’ve had the opposite effect.

I love to hear others’ opinions so if you’ve either agreed or disagreed I’d love to hear yours too. After all, part of the reason I review books is simply because, whether I’ve loved or hated them, I love talking about them.