I Don’t Trust Other People’s Book Ratings
Ratings and reviews are usually the main way people determine if they want to read a book.
Not me.
2 stars? 5 stars? 4.3 stars? It's all arbitrary and meaningless and completely irrelevant in my decision-making process to whether I decide to read a book. Let me explain.
Reading, and consuming media in general (tv shows, movies, etc) is so highly individualized and personal that reviews and ratings, whether from your favorite influencer, blogger, or critic, don’t necessarily translate into whether or not you will enjoy the media as well.
At its core, the reason we watch tv or movies or read books or listen to songs is to experience an emotion. A calming, soothing classical piano piece, the heart pounding thrill of a heist movie, the suspense and intrigue of a detective crime novel. Our preferred flavor of emotions we seek out in our media differs from one person to the next.
Take the genre horror, for example. I absolutely hate horror and will never ever, ever in 5 million years intentionally, on purpose, seek out any movie or book that elicits a feeling of fear. Why would I ever want to feel afraid? Or scared?
I DON’T, ok, and I don’t understand how people think fear is… enjoyable? You’re telling me it's a pleasant, desirable experience to be scared?
Sounds fake, but ok. Could never be me.
Therefore, someone else is out here rating a horror movie like “omg I was terrified the whole time I couldn’t sleep with the lights off for a week! I loved it, amazing, 5 stars”.
Meanwhile, I'm out here like “omg I was terrified the whole time I couldn’t sleep with the lights off for a week! I hated it, terrible, 0 stars”.
You see what I'm saying? For the exact same reasons, our experiences and ratings are completely opposite. That's what I mean by preferred flavors.
“Not my cup of tea” is a common way of discussing the differences in individual preferences, but I like to use the metaphor of a cinnamon roll.
I famously do not like the taste of cinnamon. Never have never will. However, I recognize that most people do like cinnamon because there is nothing inherently wrong with it. It isn’t as if I'm out here hating the smell of skunk and everyone else is like “mmmm love me the smell of some road k*ll” and I’m like…..?? Ok, freaks?? Don't get that at all, but whatevs.
I understand cinnamon has its appeal, it just for whatever reason does not appeal to me. So, it wouldn't matter if I went to a fancy bakery and ordered a cinnamon roll crafted by world renowned bakers using the finest, high-quality ingredients: I’m still going to hate it no matter what.
But, that doesn’t mean I can't distinguish and appreciate the differences between this fancy bakery cinnamon roll and a processed packaged one from the gas station. I can still recognize and appreciate the elements that make a cinnamon roll a delicious one, I just won’t ever find it delicious, personally.
That's how I approach my ratings and reviews. I think of my recommendation lists more like informative suggestions. I don’t know a single thing about your personal preferences and desired flavors so how can I ever really say for certain you will enjoy (or not enjoy) something?
I use a balanced blend of personal reflections and opinions and objective observations to give as much information as possible for you to draw your own conclusions about whether or not a book is for you.
Now, a word on my star rating system.
You will never see me rate anything below 3 stars. I read for pleasure, for enjoyment, for entertainment. If I am not enjoying a book, I will simply quit reading it. Any book that seems like it is going to be a zero, one, or two stars, I won’t even finish.
Also, as I have said, I read for personal entertainment, however, I do try to approach books with an objective appreciation for the author as an artist creating their art. Instead of critiquing their work based on what I want it to be like, I try to appreciate it for what the author is trying to say about their own art; for what they are willing to give me, not what I wish to take from them.
But still, I do have my own preferences. Here is what my stars mean.
3 stars: Just barely enjoyable enough for me to continue reading it. These ones usually don't have anything glaringly wrong with them. Like, I couldn’t even necessarily pinpoint what exactly it is I don’t like about it. They just have a general sense of falling flat, of feeling blah. For whatever reason, I don’t connect to the characters or the story line and am left with a sense of “ok, fine, but I don’t care”.
4 stars: The vast majority of books I read are 4 stars. These are the ones I really like but happen to lack oneeeee teenyyyy tinyyyyy element that could up the wow factor for me. Often this element is nit-picky and highly personal.
5 stars: *Edward Cullen voice* “You’re like my own personal brand of heroine.”
These are the books that butter my crispy flake. It has all the ingredients of everything I like and want a book to be. I feel like the author wrote it specifically for me, with all of my preferred tastes and preferences in mind. These ones are rarer, but when they do happen, *chefs kiss*.
Be on the lookout for the list of my top 5 star rated books coming soon! In the meantime, now that I have explained my rating and reviewing system, be sure to check out my monthly book review and my recommendation lists!
