How do you decide how to rate a book?

[Michelle]

Hey,

I am just curious, but how do you choose how to rate a book? What determines if it gets 3,4 or 5 stars?

I am asking because I am struggling to determine how many stars to give a book.

Some ratings seem easy - if you absolutely love a book and it took your breath away while reading it and you can't stop thinking about it and you have gone back and re-read some passages over and over - well that is 5 stars.

But, what if you struggled getting into a book and put it down disappointed only part way though. Then realized you could not put it down for one reason or another. You were so drawn to it you would pick it up knowing you only had time to read a paragraph. Ultimately it only took you three days to read. When it book was finished you wished it wasn't and considered re-reading it. That probably is a 5 star book too...

Along with this question - do you ever go back a month or two later and change your ratings? If so why?

[Aaron (Typographical Era) , Opinionless]

For me everything starts out at 3 stars and then either gains or loses points as read. I hate how goodreads doesn't allow half-stars because that makes things really difficult.

5 stars is generally reserved for something I flat out loved. 4 for something that was better than simply okay, but maybe had an issue or two that nagged at me while reading.

[Penny]

Yes, this not allowing for 1/2 stars is something that is commonly heard as an issue for Goodreads. You would think by the number of complaints about it, they would have long since corrected this!

5 stars is like Aaron says, flat out loved. 4 stars is for truly enjoying it, but there was just that something that held me back from really, really loving it.

3 stars is if it's ummm, okay, not bad, enjoyed it, but not earth-shattering. And this is where I would like to see that 1/2 star come in to play - there are probably a few that I would give 3.5 stars to because I liked the book, I just didn't really love it.

I've given a couple of 2 stars out there...recently to the Giller Prize winner, The Sentimentalists. What a terrible book. Another Giller nominee was Fall. Holy cow was that not a good book. Our book club has since promised to stay away from anything Giller. :-)

[Aaron (Typographical Era) , Opinionless]

Wasn't couplands player one long listed for the giller? I liked it, but I love Doug. Sentimentalists is on my to read list....perhaps I'll remove it!

[Penny]

Save yourself - it's imo, and well, in my friend's as well, not worth it. At all.