Once I read a book that was a 5-star book. But I only gave it 4 stars. Why? Because the book I had read just prior to the deserving book was so awesome that nothing else could compare. When I figured out what I had done, I decided this subjective rating system was not going to work.
I review books, not to overly critique them, but to get the word on out books that I enjoy. So my theory is, every book I read starts out with 5 stars. This tends to lead to a number of highly rated books. Or maybe I just know how to pick good books!
I’ve tried to come up with a somewhat objective scale for rating books:
Five Stars – I really liked this book. I recommend it to anyone that enjoys the genre. No distracting negative elements. Not a cliffhanger unless the book blurb states there is a cliffhanger.
Four Stars – I really liked this book. I recommend it to anyone that enjoys the genre. But it has one or more distracting elements that bug me from the time the element is introduced to the end of the book. Usually, these are character-driven elements, such as inconsistency between the character’s actions and attitudes and words. Not a cliffhanger unless the book blurb states there is a cliffhanger.
Three Stars – This book is likeable and has potential. But it is ultimately flawed in some major way. A common flaw is lack of a discernible major plot line. Some people may still like this book. Undeclared cliffhangers also fall into this category.
Less than 3 Stars – This book is not at all my cup of tea. I could not finish or if I did, it was not fun. Reading should be fun. You won’t see any of these books on Whiskey With My Book.
I will rarely publish reviews with less than 4 stars. The exception occurs when I agreed to do a review either directly to the author, or indirectly through NetGalley. Like I said, I want to celebrate the good books!
Riley
Whiskey With My Book 