The Perks Of Being A Book Addict discussion

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Do Goodreads ratings/reviews influence your own rating of books?

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message 1: by Olivia (last edited Feb 17, 2014 01:37AM) (new)

Olivia (livvie_simone) I have noticed that sometimes when I finish a book, I will scroll down and look at all of the reviews and ratings for it before I give my own rating. And every now and then, even though I already planned on giving a book, say 3 stars, reading the reviews and ratings pushed me to give the book 4 stars. However, I have been going looking at the ratings I have given on the books I read and I been making sure they reflect my complete and honest opinion of a book so as to fix this little problem of mine. I am going to try to stop reading through reviews after reading books so this doesn't keep happening, hahaha.
Do other people's opinions on certain books ever make you want to give more or less stars that you previously thought?
I'm just curious if I'm the only one who does this.

*edit
An example showing why I would bump of my rating would be from looking at everyone else's reviews and thinking * hmm, maybe it did deserve something higher* ~ that was just my reasoning behind what I'm talking about if that makes any sense


message 2: by Tracey (new)

Tracey | 90 comments I try to avoid it in order to keep my review as my own, but other review definitely influence mine. To counter it, I try to give it a star rating first, write a few of my own thoughts down, and then I'll read a few other reviews because sometimes the other reviews express my thoughts better than I could put on my own. If a review is enough for me to change my stars after that, I must have been somewhat on the fence about my rating.


message 3: by -RininTa- (new)

-RininTa- (rinz) | 39 comments It also happen to me, Olivia. Sometimes, without realize I see other people reviews before I rate the books and yes, their reviews influence me in rating and reviewing then. Moreover when I want to give 1 or 2 stars - I like a little bit uncertain how to make the comment and I tend to see the other reviews. But lately, I try not to see other people reviews before I rate my books then I will see those later and decide whether I want to change the ratings, the reviews or try to re-read the book.


message 4: by N (new)

N | 276 comments I'm the opposite, I think 'seriously have we read the same book?' but I will admit that a book with a higher rating will influence if I read it or not! I do wish we had half starts though because I see 3 as average and therefore you only have 4 being good and 5 being excellent.


message 5: by Puput (new)

Puput (pupuutc) | 5 comments Well, yes. I almost always check people's ratings before deciding whether a book is worth reading. and then after I'm done reading, I check out people's reviews again before reviewing it myself. The ratings from people I consider have a good taste in books influence me more than the average ratings. and it would go like this: like when I'm about to give a book 2 stars but people give it 3 and above, I'd reconsider my opinion and wonder if maybe the book deserves higher. or there's probably a good part that everybody sees but I miss. and when I intend to give a book full five stars but people give it only two, I get all self-conscious and feel like I have a crappy taste in books. But recently, I try to stick to my opinion. After all, everybody has their own things to say, right?


message 6: by Neha (new)

Neha (neha71580) | 29 comments I don't check the ratings to rate the book I read (i'm kind of rebel that way :P). I believe that my own rating of book will be god enough.
But I DO check 'reviews' to write my own review of the book. I first write my review, then check other reviews and add the points on my review if they're strong opinion points and then post on GR. And hey, I'm not copy-pasting anything! I post those points in my opinion.


message 7: by Tracey (new)

Tracey | 90 comments N wrote: "I'm the opposite, I think 'seriously have we read the same book?' but I will admit that a book with a higher rating will influence if I read it or not! I do wish we had half starts though because I..."

Half stars would be very nice to have! There are so many times especially when I'm torn between a 2 and 3 rating or a 3 and 4 rating. I think those moments where I'm debating between two star ratings are the moments my reviews are the most swayable too.


Joer'ct(These battle scars, don't look like they're fading) Phillips (AiodenTheNinjaianHost) | 4 comments Stars do. With me, if it has a rating of 5 or 4 stars I'll read it. Any lower and I'll try it.


message 9: by Diana (new)

Diana Gotsch | 55 comments I don't think it causes me to change my star rating often. Maybe if I'm debating between a 3 or 4 the reviews may push one way or the other. I too wish we could use half stars. The other reviews do sometimes influence my reviews. I tend to scroll down to see what others have said before I write mine. I know there have been times I have read something and thought Oh yes. The thought then shows up in my review.


message 10: by [deleted user] (new)

I never let other peoples rates or opinions influence me. The way I see we are all different and how we feel about a book one way or another should not effect how other people may feel about the same book. There are so many different types of books out there just like there are different types of people that anyone is bound to find something to please them.


message 11: by ally ¯\(ツ)/¯ (new)

ally  ¯\(ツ)/¯ (allykennedy) If I like the synopsis of a book I'll give it a shot regardless of the ratings.
However, ratings do influence the priority I give the book.


message 12: by Patricia (new)

Patricia Hargraves | 94 comments I suffer from this affliction as well. I had to give myself a stern talking to, now I just go with my gut.


message 13: by Jennifer (new)

Jennifer (jpchecko78) The only time reviews affect me if before I read the book. They really shouldn't because a lot of times they get bad reviews and I ended up LOVING the book. But when more than one person says the same thing then I tend to get discouraged. However nothing affects my review after I have read the book. I either read them and agree or disagree.


message 14: by meghann (new)

meghann (megs182) | 11 comments This is something that only recently started for me. I read a series of books that I really enjoyed, but all the recent reviews of it were one star. People seriously hated these books. I'm embarrassed to say that it actually made me question my enjoyment of the books and my four star ratings. But, like you, I am going to make sure I do my ratings first before reading other reviews. How silly of me to let other people's opinions affect my perception. :)


message 15: by Stacy (new)

Stacy  okun (stacyo40) | 111 comments I read the reviews BEFORE i read the book. I still usually read it, unless the reviews are REALLY bad. But when I make a review, no one else's opinion comes into consideration except my own...


message 16: by Chris (new)

Chris I read what I want to read -- but adding new authors is when I am affected by the ratings - if I have never read an author I will check out the ratings and see what others have written in their reviews. Some of the numbers and reviews have put me off of some of the books I may have tried. I have disagreed with some of the ratings on books I have read -- so after I read them, it never affects what I think about a book. And I will read a book that the book club puts up no matter what the rating is -- its the discussion afterwards that matters.


message 17: by Aiysic (new)

Aiysic | 22 comments I usually check the ratings of really popular books before I read them. Just to see if they're any good. But I don't let reviews influence my own. There are times when I think a book is really good and some of the reviews disagree with me hahaha So I just hold on to my opinion. It's mine anyway :)


message 18: by Annie (new)

Annie (anniesmusings) I don't think reviews/ratings influence my own reviews/ratings but they occasionally (sadly) influence whether or not I read a book.


message 19: by Lyanna (new)

Lyanna Honestly, no. I don't let others' reviews influence my own, but I do like to see if mine concurs with theirs after I write the review, especially if I really loved or disliked it.


message 20: by Angel (new)

Angel I always read any bad reviews of a book I'm reading. Mostly to see if I feel the same way, and to see if I find the same flaws. But they don't generally influence how I think or feel about a book.


message 21: by S.C. (new)

S.C. Barrus (scbarrus) | 2 comments Ratings do affect whether or not I'll read a book to some degree. More so for non fiction than for fiction. But when it comes to my reviews and ratings I don't look at what other people wrote until after I've left the review.


message 22: by Peta (new)

Peta (comfycozyup) | 1 comments The ratings on goodreads does not influence my ratings. I've read books on here that I hated that many gave very high ratings and books that I loved that got poor ratings. I am however influenced by whether I would read the book in the first place by some of the reviews by my GR friends.


message 23: by Jessy (new)

Jessy Jessy (jessyzuniga) | 10 comments i am completely agree about this topic..
lately, i have taken the decision for not read the public opinions.. al least the Bad opinions. Cus when i read these my emotions for read the book just down or i start to read this expecting bad things....

i need to work more in my mind!! nobody should influence on me!! jajajaja


message 24: by Sarah-Jane (new)

Sarah-Jane (JaneyHeartsBooks) | 8 comments I usually look through a review before making a choice. I'd say Goodreads does influence me slightly, but I tend to use Amazon or look at the blurb before buying a book in a shop.
There's been times where someone has rated a book two stars but I rated it five, so I tend to go with what I want to read rather then recommendations, although there are a few booktubers' recs that I have taken on board.


message 25: by Melissa (new)

Melissa Eisenmeier (carpelibrumbooks) Sometimes, they do influence me, but more often than not, I'm looking for some little tidbit that I can use in my own reviews.... If I can't decide what to write, I often look for inspiration in other people's reviews.


message 26: by Annie (new)

Annie (AnnieAnnieAnnie) | 9 comments Yes they do


message 27: by Emily (new)

Emily | 68 comments It happens to me usually if I'm between ratings. For example I might be about to rate a book 3 or 4 stars but then I'll see 5 star reviews so that influences me to go with 4 stars


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