Crime, Mysteries & Thrillers discussion
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Your Rating System
Leigh wrote: "We all know that Goodreads uses a star rating system, but I had a discussion today that got me thinking about what those ratings mean. How do you define a 5 star book, 4 star book, etc.?..."My star ratings are the same as yours with one exception: I don't rate a book if I don't finish it.
Some sites that let you rate books have a special "could not finish" to check. I wish goodreads had that.
I don't necessarily have to give 5 stars to a book I finish very quickly. It just has to be an exceptional book---and those sometimes don't read that quickly.
5 star is a book I insist everyone I know should read.4 star is a book I thoroughly enjoyed.
3 star is a nice book but nothing outstanding.
I've never ranked a book 2 or 1 stars, so far.
Beth wrote: "Leigh wrote: "We all know that Goodreads uses a star rating system, but I had a discussion today that got me thinking about what those ratings mean. How do you define a 5 star book, 4 star book, e..."I agree!! I really don't why they don't.
My ratings are very similar to Leigh's, and I mostly give 4 or 5 ratings because I usually know a book is something I am going to like before I read it.I give a 5 if the book is a Wow! For me, the book is really special.
I give a 4 if I really liked it but it lacks the something special.
3 is for if the book did not live up to my expectations, but I realize it is a good book others will like and appreciate.
Great question - makes us think about our basis for rating books. For me:5 stars if, like Tracyk, it was a Wow!,exceptionally well-written and stands out from other books.
4 stars if it is a really good book, but I might have a few nit-picks, like went on too long.
3 stars - I've given 3 stars to books I've enjoyed but don't have that something special. Some mystery series that I enjoy fall into that category.
I have given 1-2 stars to only a few books. I usually abandon them if I'm not enjoying them (too many books!) and then I don't give a star rating.
5 stars are for books that exceptional – books that I connect to above and beyond what I normally do, books that resonate with me long after I finish them.4 stars are for books that are ‘perfect’ (great writing, great plotting, great characters), books I will re-read many times and enjoy each time as much as I did the first time.
3 stars are for books that fall short of the above in some way – too long or too slow in spots, holes in the plot, characters that act out of character.
2 stars are for books that fall further short of the above, books I finish but only through inertia, not because I have a burning desire to find out what happens next.
1 star is for books that have something fundamentally wrong with them – poor writing, poor plotting, ill-developed characters – or characters I can’t connect with or are so boring I barely finish them. Books I can't finish get one star just to give them a rating.
But I wish, like others have, that there was a 'Could Not Finish' box to check for books I give up on.
A 5 star rating is a book that kept interesting through the entire book A 4 star rating is a book that was interesting but want to make sure that if it's a series that the next one is better than the first or if the book kept my interest or I really enjoyed the characters and the story wasn't that bad.
I give 3 stars to books that were ok with the story but didn't keep my interest to finish the book quicker than normal. I've never given a book 1 or 2 stars because if a book is that bad I will drop it and not even read the book.
Carmen wrote: "I give 3 stars to books that were ok with the story but didn't keep my interest to finish the book quicker than normal. I've never given a book 1 or 2 stars because if a book is that bad I will dr..."
Yes, I agree, Carmen. If a book is anywhere a 1 or 2 stars I find it hard to push myself to finish it when there are so many other books out there and time is precious! I never used to feel like that. I felt a certain commitment to finishing a book I'd started but I've changed my thinking over the years. Think it comes with age!
Interesting thread! My criteria is pretty much the same as Leigh's. I'd add that when I finish a 5 star book I want more. I want to read more about the characters, where they'll go, what they'll do next. It's a book that stays in my head for a few days. A 4 star is one I really like, but indeed some little thing's missing.
5 Star - Best I read this year. Would read again. Keeper.4 star - Loved it. Might read again.
3 star - Average read. Enjoyed.
2 star - Didn't suck. Enjoyed but problems with plot or characters.
1 star - Didn't like, didn't finish, not my style.
I don't bother to list anything where I didn't read at least 1/3.
I wish they had half stars too, it would make rating books a little easier.
My 5 star books are those I loved reading, was engaged in the story and would read again. Most often I am disappointed the story is over and couldn't stop reading the book. My 4 star books are ones I've really enjoyed and would recommend, but they just didn't rise to "best" books for me.I also wish there was the option to do 1/2 stars. I've had many books I'd rate 3 1/2 stars, but need to go up or down since it isn't an option.
I've only finished a couple of books I really didn't like, so there are no 1 star ratings for me since I won't rate what I don't finish.
5* - A book has to be great in some way be it writing, plot or concept.So different book gets 5 from me for different reasons. Example> Stephen King (great writing, good plot), Dennis Lehane (great writing, great plot), Dan Brown (great concept, avg writing). As long a book has something great about it it gets a 5.4* - A book which is a good read & I might even re-read it but does not have that special X factor to push it into greatness. It must have some inconsistencies that brings down rating like weak ending, a minor plot-hole.
3* - A average book that I don't regret reading but won't come back to. Good way to kill time but lacks polish.
2* - A book that had promise but completely fails to do justice to that. Example> An unique & interesting story line let down by awful writing & bland characters.
1* - A book with no redeeming feature whatsoever & that is bad in all respects. The only reason I finished it is because I don't give up on books that I have started reading.
5 star - Any book I will keep and read again. The author goes on my "A" list and I will look for more books by her/him.4 star - A good read. Just lacks that little something special. But still a damn good book. Might get to stay on my bookshelf if I have room. Author goes on my "A" list.
3 star - Average book. Stereotypical characters, worn out plot. Somewhat entertaining but didn't tickle my innards. I give the book away. Author goes on my "B" List - if I can't find something new from an "A" List author I might take a chance on another book by this person. But only if I'm desperate.
2 star - Maybe had one redeeming feature but very little entertainment factor. Finished it only because I had nothing else to read. Trashed it immediately thereafter. If professionally published, author goes on my "Remember This Guy's Name So I Can Avoid Him In The Future" List. If it was written by an indie writer I'll watch for her/his next work - just to see if he/she is improving.
1 star - How the hell did this get published? (Assuming it had a publisher - and I've handed out this rating to many books from established publishing houses). If written by an indie writer - don't give up your day job.
PS. I enjoy "discovering" indie writers that turn my crank. I make it a point to purchase three indie works for every Big Publisher book I acquire. But if I can't give the indie author at least a 3 I don't rate them at all.
Dave wrote: "5 star - Any book I will keep and read again. The author goes on my "A" list and I will look for more books by her/him.4 star - A good read. Just lacks that little something special. But still a ..."
1 star - How the hell did this get published? (Assuming it had a publisher - and I've handed out this rating to many books from established publishing houses). If written by an indie writer - don't give up your day job. ---Love this!
5 star is a book for me that "reads itself." One that I can't put down. One that speaks to me in some emotional way.4 star is good, one that I would recommend, but only for certain, specific reasons. I always finish these.
3 star is a book that I had to fight my way through, because I really like to finish books that I start. Not one that I would necessarily recommend, more like a classic that i feel I should read.
I never rate a book I didn't finish, and have never given a book 1 or 2 stars. What's the point?
5 star - excellent, a keeper, I loved it. Doesn't always mean it's perfect and without flaw but that I enjoyed it that much4 - Really liked it, a good book.
3 - Enjoyed it. Not perfect and I didn't love it, but it's good
2 - Didn't care for it, something about it really bugged me
1 - Rare, I severely hated it or took some huge offense
Leigh wrote: "I wish they had half stars too, it would make rating books a little easier."I second that! The 3.5 star rating would be especially helpful -- it seems like there's a gap between 3 and 4.
Christine wrote: "Leigh wrote: "I wish they had half stars too, it would make rating books a little easier."I second that! The 3.5 star rating would be especially helpful -- it seems like there's a gap between 3 ..."
Yes!! For me, the gap between those two numbers is rather large. The difference between an okay rad an d a good read is pretty big.
Leigh, my rating system is pretty similar to yours. I give five stars to books that I loved, couldn't put down, and insist everyone reads. 4-star books are ones I like, but I might check with someone before insisting they read it. I give 3 stars to books that are kind of meh- I liked it okay, but I don't go shouting its praises on rooftops and telling friends and near-strangers they need to read it. I will give two stars to books where something about them bugged me. For me to give a book one star, something has to be really wrong with it- lack of quotation marks, lots of grammatical or spelling errors, et cetera.
For me, a 1 is a very poorly written book. Most likely, i will not encounter too many of these. These would never likely see publication. A 2 is a fair book. Weak story and weak writing is probably evident.
A 3 is is a good book. A solid effort.
A 4 is a very good book. Very Strong writing and/or story.
A 5 is an excellent book. One that, for me, would be a desert island book. I don't give too many 5, sting yes, but these are near perfection for me.
5 - One of the best books I've ever read.4 - Very good.
3 - Decent read.
2 - Not very good / sub-par.
1 - Horrible.
1 - why have I wasted my time? And I probably didn't finish but it got as read as it is ever going to be by me. Frequently these books are badly written and no one could be bothered to proofread it.2 - this book was nothing to write home about but not so bad that I couldn't bother to finish reading it. Has some redeeming value since I kept reading.
3 -This was an all right book. Nothing spectacular but also not bad. Most books fall under this category.
4 - good book but not quite good enough to push it over the top.
5 - this book was great. Something about it knocked me off my seat, kept me reading all night (although a 4 might also keep me up late). This book just had that something extra. Although I can't say what that something extra is.
Great question! 5 Stars - Excellent book which has that something extra. I have to love everything about it; characters, plot, themes, style etc. Everything has to work together to make for a great read.
4 Stars - Good, solid writing and a good plot. Just lacking that certain magic that makes a good book great.
3 Stars - Not a waste of time, but I won't be purchasing the authors other works. I find this the hardest score to give. Just sat on there on the fence being all noncommittal.
2 Stars - Didn't like it, but still technically sound. Grammar is fine, minimal to no typos etc (You know what's coming next).
1 Stars - I save my one stars for the lazy. Books where the author simply hasn't bothered to get the basics right. Plot, character development and style can all be a matter of opinion and, on some days, typos beat the best of us, but when it's obvious the writer just didn't bother to proofread or copyedit, a single star is the only rating to give. Now, other redeeming factors may raise it to two, but it'd take something impressive to get there.
I rate books like I do movies.5 stars - I really liked it and could see myself reading it again.
4 stars - I enjoyed it bit would probably not read again.
3 stars - Not great but not bad, was worth the read.
2 stars - waste of time
1 star - Didn't finish or hated.
I've never given a 1 star, to be honest I mainly give 4-5 but I know what I like and usually stick to it. I've given some 3s, no 2 or 1. A lot of this is due to me just starting with book ratings and when I was rating books I had read in the past obviously only the ones I like stuck out in my head.
As for how others rate books or not rating if it wasn't finished, I look at it the same way I look at tipping a waiter/waitress. If the service was horrible and I don't tip, it could be seen that I'm just one of those people that never tips. If I tip a really low amount, I'm sending the message that I felt the service was bad and a tip wasn't deserved. Same with book ratings, if I don't rate it, my feelings neither help nor hurt the rating. By giving 1 star I lower the average and get the message across that from 1 to 5 I gave it the lowest possible.
o* and I didn't finish it.1* I finished it, but did not enjoy it and wouldn't recommend it.
2* It was okay, but I wouldn't recommend it, nor would I seek out other books by that author.
3* I enjoyed it, and might recommend it if i knew you enjoyed that sort of book. I might read another by that author if I came across it and had nothing more pressing to read.
4* I really liked it, will probably recommend it, and will keep a look out for other books by this author.
5* I really loved this and am going to actively seek out others by this author and have a readathon!
1 star = So bad that I couldn't finish it2 stars = Finished the book, but it's not worth your reading it
3 stars = Pretty good read. You might read it yourself if so inclined, but it's not a 'must-read.'
4 stars = You must read this book!
5 stars = You must buy this book because you'll want to read it over and over again.
Five star books are the ones that stayed with me. I don't just remember liking them but something about them got to me and stayed with me. For my initial goodreads profile, I tried to go from memory and just list my favorite books of all time going back as far as I could remember (for many decades). Some of these books I don't even remember the plots of. However, I remember the experience of reading them and coming away with something. Many of these are book that I have re-read, sometimes, several times. Many have been huge influences on my own writing. All of them are books that had something to them that made my world feel a little bit more complete.
And just how do you get Goodreads readers to review? I've included little notes in my giveaway books asking for a fair review ---nothing. BITS and PIECES (M.A.R. Unger) is getting good reviews on Amazon. So, what's up with this site?
5 Stars: a book I couldn't put down, excellent characters, fast-paced, intriguing plot, good writing style, one I would recommend to everyone4 Stars: a book I enjoyed reading, good characters, sufficient pace, one I would recommend to a select few
3 Stars: an okay book, plot a little slow, annoying or characters I couldn't relate to, dull writing style, might recommend it to one or two people
2 Stars: one I wouldn't read again, hard to get into, dull characters, too predictable, one I would not recommend to anyone
1 Star: one I was forced to read, couldn't stand anything about it, would never pass it on to anyone
Ok…for me there are only5stars (great plot and characters, compelling dialogue, believable scenes, lack of errors -- a book I'll remember).
4stars (good plot but predictable in part, dialogue that's good but not differentiated between characters, scenes that are not logical, obvious grammatical errors).
The rest I can't get through and don't rate.
M.A.R. wrote: "Ok…for me there are only5stars ...
4stars ...
The rest I can't get through and don't rate."
M.A.R. wrote: "And just how do you get Goodreads readers to review? I've included little notes in my giveaway books asking for a fair review ---nothing.
BITS and PIECES (M.A.R. Unger) is getting good reviews on Amazon. So, what's up with this site? "
You know when you make those two statements you give people a perfect opportunity to say this: Maybe they followed your lead & couldn't get through it & did not rate it.
If I was a writer and nobody rated my book I would not ask what's the problem with a site (that coincidentally is used by readers all around the world) because just maybe a more pertinent question could be 'What's the problem with my book?'
Question .... when you rate a book a 1 or 2, do you ever contact the author to let them know why? Or if you can't finish a book for whatever the reason, again, do you let the author know?
Marie-Jo wrote: "I don't necessarily have to give 5 stars to a book I finish very quickly. It just has to be an exceptional book---and those sometimes don't read that quickly."I agree, Marie-Jo. I have a hard time being able to tell people why I give a 4- or 5-star rating, because it is subjective and more of a "gut" feeling. Its not because the book is a "must read" or an author I will always pick up because there are plenty of 4-star books that I always enjoy the authors works. But 5-star books have a special something that just hits me and I don't expect others to have that same feeling when they are reading the books.
If I don't finish a book, I don't give it stars or a review. If I do manage to finish the book but I hated it, I hope that my 1-star (I'm pretty consistent with that) review comes across as an honest review based on what didn't work for me. I haven't ever contacted an author because I think there are probably plenty of folks who disagree with my taste/likes/needs in a book. There are books I just wouldn't pick up but I know that they are highly popular and have high readership. I agree, it would be nice if we could report that we didn't finish a book on Goodreads and why -- only for others who may be considering the book.
Aditya wrote: "M.A.R. wrote: "Ok…for me there are only5stars ...
4stars ...
The rest I can't get through and don't rate."
M.A.R. wrote: "And just how do you get Goodreads readers to review? I've included li..."
Aditya wrote: "M.A.R. wrote: "Ok…for me there are only
5stars ...
4stars ...
The rest I can't get through and don't rate."
M.A.R. wrote: "And just how do you get Goodreads readers to review? I've included li..."
Aditya. If I am getting great reviews from leaders in their genres and from the public, if I have fans from Australia to the UK, if I am recognized in Vegas….I'd say that my books are not the problem. I have heard from several authors and read comments to the same that getting reviews from Goodreads giveaways is nearly impossible. So, I merely asked how others received reviews on Goodreads. I do have a few excellent reviews on Goodreads, but wondered how to garner more.
By the way, I review books all the time. Giving a poor review that shows up on a public venue is not constructive. With today's print on demand, writers can revise without penalty.If I can't get through the book, I email the writer with suggestions for improvement. Then I will certainly re-read. Recently did this and the authors's rewrite made an OK book into one that's hard to put down.
Aditya. If I am getting great reviews from leaders in their genres and from the public, if I have fans from Australia to the UK, if I am recognized in Vegas….I'd say that my books are not the problem. I have heard from several authors and read comments to the same that getting reviews from Goodreads giveaways is nearly impossible...."I would say Goodreads reviews are inflated anyway, Amazon might be better for getting more balanced reviews. I am not aware of the workings of Goodreads Giveaways however one might argue a really good author need not depend on Giveaways to garner reviews.
I really have never before today heard about writers updating their books after publication, there are exceptions when anniversary editions or limited editions of really famous books come out maybe a decade after their original publication (Stephen King had updated a couple of his famous tales when they were republished). But you are talking about writers making major revisions to their books between prints, the only ones who can do that are the writers whose writing don't pay bills because they only print about 50 copies for friends and families. What you are saying can only be done if an author sends his books for peer review but once he had released a book it is nearly impossible to make major plot changes.
BTW in my humble opinion your comments seemed pretty haughty, "I don't rate books 3 stars as they are not worth my time and my book is not the problem". I can list countless best-sellers that one might argue were crappy so being pretty adamant that your books are not the problem smacks of arrogance especially when you have got about 20 ratings in an year since publication.
Maybe that was not your intention but the way you speak one could be mistaken to believe he was speaking with the latest literary prodigy with a book series & movie rights deal firmly in place, so I decided to point out the problems might very well lie with the book in a tongue in cheek manner. Anyway hope you get the reviews and best of luck with your books.
Linda wrote: "Question .... when you rate a book a 1 or 2, do you ever contact the author to let them know why? Or if you can't finish a book for whatever the reason, again, do you let the author know?"It is impossible to let a big name author know what you think of his book but I did review a book written by a GR friend after he requested me to do so. It was bad in all imaginable way and I gave it a 1 star. I wrote a short review for it on GR and sent a much larger explanation for my thinking to the author in question & I had never heard back since then. After that I decided never again to waste my time on wannabe authors badgering me for honest reviews. The book wasBloody Bess and the Doomsday Games, I am sure if you want you can find out my review from the link.
Aditya wrote: "Aditya. If I am getting great reviews from leaders in their genres and from the public, if I have fans from Australia to the UK, if I am recognized in Vegas….I'd say that my books are not the probl..."Notice I said Print On Demand for authors making changes…not major publishing houses. BTW Stephen King also does POD. I copy edit books in process. Once a book gets to a publishing house, the process is between the editor and writer.
I never wrote "I don't rate books 3 stars as they are not worth my time…" I'd just rather not give low ratings. Let's agree to disagree on the review rating process.
Five stars is not enough for me. So I give half stars a lot. My most frequent ratings are either 4* or 4.5* because I am very picky and research the books I pick before hand. I reserve 5* for my very top favourites I truly love.
To me 3 stars means a good book, 4 great, 5 loved it. Nothing wrong with 3 stars when I mark it that way.
Erin (Paperback stash) *is juggle-reading* wrote: "To me 3 stars means a good book, 4 great, 5 loved it. Nothing wrong with 3 stars when I mark it that way."Three stars is not bad but not good either, four is good, five is great (can't put it down great). Love is personal. :-)
Chris wrote: "Erin (Paperback stash) *is juggle-reading* wrote: "To me 3 stars means a good book, 4 great, 5 loved it. Nothing wrong with 3 stars when I mark it that way."Three stars is not bad but not good ei..."
For me 3 stars is a good book, 4 really good, and 5 great. I see 2 is just okay, and 1 as disliked. I had a friend one time thinking I didnt like a book because I put a 3 star rating on it, and she felt bad because she recommended it. I had to reassure her I liked it since I did.
Erin (Paperback stash) *is juggle-reading* wrote: "Chris wrote: "Erin (Paperback stash) *is juggle-reading* wrote: "To me 3 stars means a good book, 4 great, 5 loved it. Nothing wrong with 3 stars when I mark it that way."Three stars is not bad b..."
You're good, I understand your way. If I don't like a book I just don't rate it, but that's just me.
I read a lot of ARC's (Advanced Reader Copies). Most of them are 3 or 4 star worthy. However, some on them are just plain bad. They get 2 or 1 stars. I feel obligated to finish them as I was given a copy to provide a review. So they get one.
Anita wrote: "I read a lot of ARC's (Advanced Reader Copies). Most of them are 3 or 4 star worthy. However, some on them are just plain bad. They get 2 or 1 stars. I feel obligated to finish them as I was given ..."It takes a lot of coffee for me to finish a book I don't like or plain lose interest in, but I do. I have made it a personal policy to finish a book, no matter how bad, or I can't go on to the next one. I have never given a less than three stars. I just won't rate the bad ones, just give them to a friend or the public library.
Chris wrote: "Anita wrote: "I read a lot of ARC's (Advanced Reader Copies). Most of them are 3 or 4 star worthy. However, some on them are just plain bad. They get 2 or 1 stars. I feel obligated to finish them a..."If we're using the rating system to give people an idea of what a book is like, I do think that we have to rate it and say why we don't like the book. We also have to remember that what we don't like, may be someone else's other cup of tea. But I have to say that I have less patience in reading a book that I just can't keep interested in these days: too many I do enjoy to keep working away at one that I just can't get into.
I am with you on that one, Pamela. I put quite a bit of time into pre-screening the books I read nowadays - mostly through newspaper reviews or book prize shortlists - I only occasionally have a 3* review nowadays. I do have my occasional "guilty reads" where I knowingly read books not written that well for the thrill of it - maybe like a Patterson. So these are the only occasional 2* reads. Can't remember the last time I started a 1* book.
For me a 5 star book is a book that I read very quickly. It takes over my free time and I get that dreamy disconnected feeling. It is a book that I would recommend to anyone without hesitation.
A 4 star book is one that I really, really like but lack that extra something, that makes me need to finish it quickly. I still recommend these to books to anyone, but might ask if they like the genre first.
A 3 star book is one that I like fine, but is nothing special. It might take a while to read.
A 2 star book is one that I do not like or can't even finish.
Now, on to the 1 star books. I don't really give one star review, if I am to be honest. The book has to be really, really bad for me to use this. I think I have only given 1 book this low mark, but it was so poorly written and the premise so dumb I was surprised it was ever published. I believe it was the last book in a trilogy and even her long time fans didn't care for it.