How many stars and why?
I have long pondered the criteria behind leaving a rating of one to five stars for a book that I have read.
Five stars doesn't leave one much leeway, really. I would like to see the system include 0 stars, for books too painfully terrible to finish, and up to 10 stars for exquisitely crafted books that are treasures.
I would also like world peace. So we all know how that will go.
So, here are my usual thoughts on ratings.
1 star is reserved for books that are so poorly written, or clearly lacking in spell check or editing or proof reading, that I either have to force myself to, or cannot, finish them.
2 stars go to books with a good concept, poorly written, edited, and handled. I am shocked at how many 'best sellers' fall into this category.
3 stars are for books that I concede are enjoyable on the surface, but can't really withstand strong examination as far as writing quality goes. I often have to struggle to finish these, and am often yanked out of the story by errors and poor writing.
4 stars are for enjoyably entertaining books that just don't quite measure up to the ones that I buy from authors automatically, without question. These are not difficult to put aside for a while, but I don't mind returning either.
5 stars are for well written, entertaining page turners, that I can get lost in for a time. These books have interesting characters, a plot that keeps you engaged, and often humour. They are books by my favourite authors, whose work I buy time and again.
But herein lies my problem. Sometimes, a book comes along that is head and shoulders beyond what I normally give 5 stars. Such a book that I recently read is "A Brightness Long Ago' by Guy Gavriel Kay. That one I would give 10 stars. It's that amazing. That brilliant. That exquisite.
But there are no 10 stars. I can only give it a 5. Which puts it at the same rating that I have been tossing out like candy at books that were enjoyable, but still not as amazing.
What's the solution? I don't know. Nothing that exists, that's for sure.
So in the meantime, I will rate on how much I enjoy a book. And wish that there were at least one more star that I could reserve for brilliance.
Five stars doesn't leave one much leeway, really. I would like to see the system include 0 stars, for books too painfully terrible to finish, and up to 10 stars for exquisitely crafted books that are treasures.
I would also like world peace. So we all know how that will go.
So, here are my usual thoughts on ratings.
1 star is reserved for books that are so poorly written, or clearly lacking in spell check or editing or proof reading, that I either have to force myself to, or cannot, finish them.
2 stars go to books with a good concept, poorly written, edited, and handled. I am shocked at how many 'best sellers' fall into this category.
3 stars are for books that I concede are enjoyable on the surface, but can't really withstand strong examination as far as writing quality goes. I often have to struggle to finish these, and am often yanked out of the story by errors and poor writing.
4 stars are for enjoyably entertaining books that just don't quite measure up to the ones that I buy from authors automatically, without question. These are not difficult to put aside for a while, but I don't mind returning either.
5 stars are for well written, entertaining page turners, that I can get lost in for a time. These books have interesting characters, a plot that keeps you engaged, and often humour. They are books by my favourite authors, whose work I buy time and again.
But herein lies my problem. Sometimes, a book comes along that is head and shoulders beyond what I normally give 5 stars. Such a book that I recently read is "A Brightness Long Ago' by Guy Gavriel Kay. That one I would give 10 stars. It's that amazing. That brilliant. That exquisite.
But there are no 10 stars. I can only give it a 5. Which puts it at the same rating that I have been tossing out like candy at books that were enjoyable, but still not as amazing.
What's the solution? I don't know. Nothing that exists, that's for sure.
So in the meantime, I will rate on how much I enjoy a book. And wish that there were at least one more star that I could reserve for brilliance.
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