The 5-Star Rating System

As we start on this adventure together, I think it’s important to explain my book rating system. I use Goodreads (let’s be friends!) to track what I read, and like most people who spend too much time there, I wish they would just give us a half-star option. Until that happens, I follow the general guidelines below.

1 star
I don’t think I’ve ever actually given one. It would have to be truly unreadable, the kind of book I didn’t finish and couldn’t find any redeeming quality in. That almost never happens. I respect the creative process and the effort it takes to write a book, so if I finish something, it has automatically earned at least two stars. If I stop reading a book, I don’t mark it as DNF (did not finish) or give it a rating because that doesn’t feel fair.

2 stars
This is what I call a “hate read.” I finished it, but I didn’t enjoy it and wouldn’t recommend it. Of the 400-plus books I’ve rated, only about two dozen have fallen into this category, so it’s rare. When I do give these out, I’m usually pretty passionate about why.

3 stars
The book was fine. It served its purpose and we both moved on. It’s not one I would go out of my way to recommend, but it wasn’t a waste of time either. Many books live here.

4 stars
I enjoyed it and would recommend it to friends. It doesn’t have to be the world’s best writing; it just has to do what it set out to do well. A summer beach read and a literary novel can both be four stars if they deliver on what they promise.

5 stars
I loved it. This is the kind of book I’ll talk about and think about, the one I want my friends to read so we can discuss it later. I usually recommend these books for years.

A few caveats: my friends say I’m a tough grader, and they’re probably right. I don’t think a book has to be life-changing to be worth reading, but I do think most fall somewhere in that middle space of “good, not great.” I occasionally change ratings if I think about them too long, sometimes higher and sometimes lower.

I read across formats (audiobooks, Kindle, and physical books) and I’ve learned that narrators can make or break an audiobook. If the voice irritates me, I stop listening. No rating, just on to the next one.

So that’s my system. It’s not perfect, but it works for me. Now that you know how I rate, you’ll have a better sense of where I’m coming from when I start posting reviews and recommendations.