How I Rate Books (A really weird way to show whether I like books but okay)

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So… everyone has a different way of rating their books but because I use Goodreads and do use a rating system, I thought I’d share what MY rating system means. It’s very much a sliding scale rather than a fixed number even though so I tend to use decimals every once in a while depending on how I feel.

I like and probably would recommend any book that I rate 3 or more! A 2 star means that it was not good for me or I had a lot of complaints about it (very rare). I don’t think I’ve ever rated a book a 1 star and I don’t tend to rate my DNFed books!

I tend to rate the books based on my overall experience. If I enjoyed the experience and was thoroughly entertained, it will be a higher rating. If I feel confused about a book’s plot or feel like the book isn’t as memorable, I rate it a little lower. Mostly, it’s just about how entertained I feel. This is evident with my Throne of Glass reviews because while I would probably never read them again, I was definitely entertained when I read them.

After the cursed child mishap (I rated it really high and then realized it wasn’t all that great whoops), I decided that I would wait a few days before deciding on my rating for a book. Since then I usually wait a few days before writing my full review of a book (as evident on Goodreads where I always put an “Initial Thoughts” review as soon as I’ve finished and then add a full review later).

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Things I look for when reading a book

I’ve definitely become more of a character person as I read books. That’s the most important thing to me. If I don’t like the majority of the characters, I tend to not want to finish the book… even if the plot is excellent! (By “not like”, I don’t mean if they’re evil. I just mean if they’re boring)

I absolutely love character development and internal turmoil!

Of course, I definitely want to be interested in the plot, but even if it’s just a basic plot but I love the characters, I’ll probably rate it higher. Plot also just depends on my mood. I tend to read more fantasy when I have a clearer head and read more contemporary when I’m stressed (aka: exam season).

Other things I look for: relatability, plot twists, world building. Beautiful descriptions and imagery always appeal to me (but there has to be a perfect balance)!

If I read an ownvoices book I tend to rate them higher. I feel a little biased, but that’s just how it is for me. Of course, there are definitely exceptions (and this is evident with my rant about Love, Hate, and Other Filters). With Muslim representation I tend to keep an open mind but I do have certain pet peeves (aka the “saviour” trope) that will definitely impact my experience and overall review whether I want them to or not! Whoops!

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Anyway, that’s all that I can think to talk about for this so hopefully my rating style makes a bit more sense!