I've been watching the Olympics every day since it started. My roommates, friends, and I will settle onto the couch and be swept away by the triumph, loss, and drama of the Olympics as nations go for the gold. It's been glorious. And I'm fortunate enough to cheer for both the United States and Canada.
The topic of rating and scales came up tonight as we watched the Olympics, and it got me thinking about how I rate books on Goodreads. I find that I'm pretty liberal, probably much more generous than some of my friends. In some ways, I view books much as I do my friends. Sure, I may get annoyed with some of their quirks, but overall I still love them because they're my friends and have enriched my life. So here's my breakdown:
No star—either I'm too lazy to rate the book or I hated it enough to give it nothing. Most of the time it's because I'm lazy.
1 star—I did not like this book. In fact, I probably detested this book. Not worth reading.
2 stars—It's not my favorite but it had some merit. Perhaps it made a couple of good points or had a interesting story. But it's probably riddled with poor writing, grammar, punctuation, or terrible characters. Whatever the case may be, it means I did not enjoy it.
3 stars—It's okay. Writing is okay. Plot is okay. Nothing too spectacular but nothing too terrible either. So average. C-grade.
4 stars—I like it. I may even like it a lot. I enjoyed reading it.
5 stars—I loved it. I loved it a lot. I'll reread this book in a heartbeat. It moved me. It inspired me. It helped me to see the world in a different perspective. I want to share it with my friends. It moved me. Sometimes it's more about the feelings the book evoked rather than the quality of writing.
As I said, I'm generous. Because I'm interested in a lot of topics, I find myself swept away in non-fiction and fiction alike. And if the book made me happy, I'll give it five stars.
Some books—books that I edit or proofread for work—don't follow these rules. Found under my "Cedar Fort" label, these books help provide my income and I'm super generous with my ratings. I want them all to be successful. Sometimes I write reviews on the books that I absolutely loved. And sometimes I don't. It just depends on how much time I have. If you're ever interested in what projects I've worked on, this is a good spot to check them out. Cedar Fort Publishing and Media has so many good books!
With that said, I'm headed back to the Olympics. Go Team USA! And Canada! :)
