I love my quarter stars! And, not all my 5 star books end up being "favorites" - I do like to let a book sit for a bit after finishing it before I can feel if it's a favorite or not. Does it fade from memory? Or does the opposite happen?
I’ve found I like quarter stars at the top of my rankings but not at the bottom. So, on StoryGraph, I use whole numbers for 1-3 and .25 between 4 and 5. Sometimes I’ll offer up a 3.75 but generally all threes are meh for me so what does meh.75 even mean? But for some reason there feels like a world of difference between 4.0 and 4.25 🤣🤷🏻♀️
That’s interesting to give yourself quarter stars for the books you liked more … to further define how much you liked it. It’s funny, but I’ve never been drawn to quarter stars. 🤷🏻♀️
Since using Storygraph as opposed to GR, I now use quarter stars which feels right to me for the nuance I wanted in rating. The 5-star system works for me and like you, I have a gut feeling for a 5 star. It's always fascinating to me how many 5-stars a reader has in a year... I think I'm somewhat stingy 😆
Oh that’s interesting, Lauren. Both StoryGraph and quarter stars overwhelm me. 🤣 But stingy = discerning, in my mind — I’m also discerning with handing out those five stars.
Strangely, in the last couple years I’ve stopped thinking about star ratings for the books I read. A book is either a new favorite for me, or it isn’t. 😂 I do give them stars on Goodreads, but I never mention star ratings on IG anymore because they mean something different to everyone.
There's a part of me that really finds that admirable...like there's so much freedom in that. It's so funny to me that star ratings are the best attempt we've made at trying hard to make the entirely subjective to a translatable objective.
choosing a number rating usually stresses me out personally (but i do find them helpful and informative when other people use them). the exception is the relatively rare 5 stars which i typically give to a book that i feel VERY strongly about, give immediately after finishing it, and for me means basically "practically perfect, from my perspective". otherwise i'll use the terms "highly recommend" (which i guess would be like a 4.5ish?), "overall enjoyed" (4 ish?), and will give only my thoughts if my enjoyment level was anywhere less than that.
That’s fascinating. I actually struggle to digest people’s reviews when they don’t have a rating. For me, it’s as if there’s no anchor to help me work through people’s thoughts on books they’ve read.
oh yes i agree with you!… it’s like this for me: “i thank you for your star-rating, it helps me out a lot!! i unfortunately can’t really return the favor!”😂
star/number rating or no, i do love knowing people’s actual musings/reflections on a book; ratings without thoughts help me but only in a very limited way.
Star ratings are super subjective. I have a personal, gut instinct that tells me where a book falls on my personal spectrum. And no, a favorite doesn't need to be a 5-star read and vice versa, but I understand how that can be the case for some readers (back to that subjectivity again!) A 5-star read for me is something extra special, I know it when I see it. At the same time a 3-star rating doesn't mean I didn't enjoy a book, it's just mid.
I honestly think it's a wonder we get anything expressed and understood when talking about books *on the internet*. I really think back and forth discussion is where it's at and most of these social platforms really don't facilitate that level of engagement.
Yours sounds very similar to mine — I just *know* the rating or if it’s a favorite. And 2.5 stars is dead center for me, so it has to go below that for it to register as something I disliked.
I've typically used a straight 5-star scale. I didn't feel like I needed the nuance between meh (3☆) liked it (4☆) and loved it (5☆). Then there was 2019--a standout reading year where I was giving 4☆ & 5☆ ratings to every book I read, like I was Midas with a gold touch.
That year prompted me toward a more nuanced rating at the top end of the scale.
Now, I'm still generous with 5☆. If I love a book, it gets 4.75-5☆ as a cue to myself. At the other end, I rarely give less than 3☆ because I'm not finishing those books to award a rating at all.
I was using a very strict five-star system, too — for years. But I would hit the occasional book that was between ratings, and switched fully a few years ago.
I also love my quarter stars because I rarely finish a book if it’s less than 3 1/2 and sometimes I’m very nitpicky, especially between 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 stars. But on the actual topic at hand, I certainly don’t think that favorites have to be five stars. I like to know why people rate books the way they do, because sometimes a I love a book because I’m utterly riveted by it or I’m utterly entertained by it, but I don’t think it’s five star writing or a book that’s going to stick with me forever. Other times, I love a book because I’m blown away by the writing, or the creativity, or the way it made me feel, and those are very different experiences.
I love my quarter stars! And, not all my 5 star books end up being "favorites" - I do like to let a book sit for a bit after finishing it before I can feel if it's a favorite or not. Does it fade from memory? Or does the opposite happen?
Totally! Sometimes I know immediately, but for others it’s after time has passed and I end up thinking, “You know what…!”
I’ve found I like quarter stars at the top of my rankings but not at the bottom. So, on StoryGraph, I use whole numbers for 1-3 and .25 between 4 and 5. Sometimes I’ll offer up a 3.75 but generally all threes are meh for me so what does meh.75 even mean? But for some reason there feels like a world of difference between 4.0 and 4.25 🤣🤷🏻♀️
That’s interesting to give yourself quarter stars for the books you liked more … to further define how much you liked it. It’s funny, but I’ve never been drawn to quarter stars. 🤷🏻♀️
"Meh.75" 😂😂
Since using Storygraph as opposed to GR, I now use quarter stars which feels right to me for the nuance I wanted in rating. The 5-star system works for me and like you, I have a gut feeling for a 5 star. It's always fascinating to me how many 5-stars a reader has in a year... I think I'm somewhat stingy 😆
Oh that’s interesting, Lauren. Both StoryGraph and quarter stars overwhelm me. 🤣 But stingy = discerning, in my mind — I’m also discerning with handing out those five stars.
It makes it more special for me when I have a 5 star read! Then I call my favorites 5 star plus ☺️
Exactly, you know it’s HUGE if it gets to five stars and/or it’s HUGE if it’s labeled a favorite.
What an interesting discussion. I love the idea of a 5 star+ rating. For me a 5 star plus would have to:
Be a great story that packs an emotional punch for me.
Have great character development.
It must have that undefinable something that pushes it up to the favorite catagory.
Strangely, in the last couple years I’ve stopped thinking about star ratings for the books I read. A book is either a new favorite for me, or it isn’t. 😂 I do give them stars on Goodreads, but I never mention star ratings on IG anymore because they mean something different to everyone.
There's a part of me that really finds that admirable...like there's so much freedom in that. It's so funny to me that star ratings are the best attempt we've made at trying hard to make the entirely subjective to a translatable objective.
choosing a number rating usually stresses me out personally (but i do find them helpful and informative when other people use them). the exception is the relatively rare 5 stars which i typically give to a book that i feel VERY strongly about, give immediately after finishing it, and for me means basically "practically perfect, from my perspective". otherwise i'll use the terms "highly recommend" (which i guess would be like a 4.5ish?), "overall enjoyed" (4 ish?), and will give only my thoughts if my enjoyment level was anywhere less than that.
~T.🌿
That’s fascinating. I actually struggle to digest people’s reviews when they don’t have a rating. For me, it’s as if there’s no anchor to help me work through people’s thoughts on books they’ve read.
oh yes i agree with you!… it’s like this for me: “i thank you for your star-rating, it helps me out a lot!! i unfortunately can’t really return the favor!”😂
star/number rating or no, i do love knowing people’s actual musings/reflections on a book; ratings without thoughts help me but only in a very limited way.
Okay, that’s really funny. 😂
Star ratings are super subjective. I have a personal, gut instinct that tells me where a book falls on my personal spectrum. And no, a favorite doesn't need to be a 5-star read and vice versa, but I understand how that can be the case for some readers (back to that subjectivity again!) A 5-star read for me is something extra special, I know it when I see it. At the same time a 3-star rating doesn't mean I didn't enjoy a book, it's just mid.
I honestly think it's a wonder we get anything expressed and understood when talking about books *on the internet*. I really think back and forth discussion is where it's at and most of these social platforms really don't facilitate that level of engagement.
Yours sounds very similar to mine — I just *know* the rating or if it’s a favorite. And 2.5 stars is dead center for me, so it has to go below that for it to register as something I disliked.
I've typically used a straight 5-star scale. I didn't feel like I needed the nuance between meh (3☆) liked it (4☆) and loved it (5☆). Then there was 2019--a standout reading year where I was giving 4☆ & 5☆ ratings to every book I read, like I was Midas with a gold touch.
That year prompted me toward a more nuanced rating at the top end of the scale.
Now, I'm still generous with 5☆. If I love a book, it gets 4.75-5☆ as a cue to myself. At the other end, I rarely give less than 3☆ because I'm not finishing those books to award a rating at all.
I was using a very strict five-star system, too — for years. But I would hit the occasional book that was between ratings, and switched fully a few years ago.
I also love my quarter stars because I rarely finish a book if it’s less than 3 1/2 and sometimes I’m very nitpicky, especially between 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 stars. But on the actual topic at hand, I certainly don’t think that favorites have to be five stars. I like to know why people rate books the way they do, because sometimes a I love a book because I’m utterly riveted by it or I’m utterly entertained by it, but I don’t think it’s five star writing or a book that’s going to stick with me forever. Other times, I love a book because I’m blown away by the writing, or the creativity, or the way it made me feel, and those are very different experiences.
Yeah, I think you and I largely rate similarly, but there’s more of a difference in our midranges, if I’m not wrong.
You’re right, and I’ve figured out if it’s 4⭐️ for you, it would probably be 4.5-5⭐️ for me.