Below you will find my rating scale. Please understand that my reviews are simply my opinion based on my thoughts on the book being reviewed. I have had to change the way I rate books over time as I moved from just giving my opinion in passing on a book to actually writing reviews. I also realize that my reviews may not agree with other people’s opinions and I’m okay with that.
NOTE ON RATINGS: As of 6/10/2022 I have updated my rating guidelines. I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Because of using a 5 start system for reviews I have become very selective about which books I give 5 stars. Since 5 stars is the highest rating, I reserve that rating for books that I absolutely love. Books that make my heart happy.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐AMAZING BOOK! I COULDN’T PUT IT DOWN!— To earn a 5 start rating the book would be a page turner with an amazing story line. The characters would be memorable with distinct voices. The plot of the book would captivate my attention and be unique. The writing style of the author would also contribute to a 5 style rating. Books with a clear and consistent style stick with me. Books that earn 5 starts are books I would reread.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ I’D STAY UP LATE TO READ IT!— To earn a 4 star rating, the book would be very enjoyable. One I really liked with some moments I may have even loved. There may however have been a few things I thought the author could have improved upon to make the story more cohesive. On the other hand, there could have been nothing wrong with the book other than the fact that it didn’t knock my socks off. This is a book I would recommend to most people as most people would likely enjoy it.
⭐⭐⭐ THE BOOK WAS GOOD, BUT...— To earn a 3 star rating, the book would be good, but not great. Definitely a book I liked but didn’t love. There were likely things that bothered me while reading this book such as writing style or the speed of the storyline. I may still recommend this book to others, it just wasn’t my favorite.
⭐⭐ MEH BOOKS. MAYBE THERE WAS SOMETHING THERE I LIKED.— To earn a 2 star rating there were likely very few moments in the book I enjoyed. There were likely other issues for me also such as writing, weak characters, or the plot. Ideally though I could have found a few enjoyable parts of the book.
⭐ PASS.— To earn a 2 star rating I really disliked the book or had several issues with the book. There wasn’t any enjoyable moments for me. There may have been parts of the book I found offensive (if applicable).
DID NOT FINISH-I will not rate a book that I did not finish. I don’t think it is fair to the author to rate a book that I didn’t read to completion.
SIDE NOTE ON ⭐ AND ⭐ ⭐ RATED BOOKS: You will likely not find many books rated 1 or 2 stars. I feel like my time is valuable and as much as I love to read, I have made a commitment to myself to be a quitter on books I don’t love. As hard as it is to walk away from a book, I am gonna stay true to me and read what makes me happy.