Do Favorites Have To Be 5 Stars?

Your Mileage May Vary

» Objectivity, subjectivity, and shrugjevtivity.

Objectively, reading is a subjective experience. Rating books on any sort of semblance of a standard-ish scale is generally an attempt at leveling the way we talk about books simply because it’s so stinking subjective. How can I convey how much I liked or disliked this book? Throw some stars at it.

What we each take away is so very different. Often I’m surprised when a book reviewer (or book-related website) will say something along the lines of, “If you liked this book/tv show/movie, here are any number of books that are similar,” and I personally see very little correlation. Yet another layer to subjectivity. Hence, why book comps are such a dicey affair. Harumph.

So, why does it bother some people if we declare a 4-star book as a favorite? Does it make them feel as if I’m wrong…or, gasp, they might be? I think objectively a rating must tip into the favorable, the positive experience side of the scale, but there’s nothing that suggests we must…

1. Love all our favorites equally.

2. Stamp a book as a favorite without recognizing its potential flaws.

3. Stray from what our gut tells us is the rating of a book and, plus, also, whether it’s a favorite or not.

4. Elevate a book to the level of favorites directly upon finishing it and rating it.

Conversely, must all your five-star books immediately fall into the favorites bucket? Of course not, silly goose. Neither do you have to up your rating if you declare a book to be a favorite. But I guess that depends on what your scale even means. More damn subjectivity. Do you only dish out 5 stars when the book is a favorite? More power to you; go with God.

Regardless (here’s the best part), you get to call the shots for yourself. As do I. You don’t even have to listen to a word I’ve just said, but please, for the love of Pete, leave me out of it.

Personally, I have a gut reaction that more often than not tells me what I should rate a book…translated as best I can into a star-rating system. I stick with a 10-point scale, slapped between 0.5 (but not really) and 5. On the low end of that scale is varying degrees of “no, absolutely not,” and then more of an “oh my god, yes” on the upper end…with dead center holding up the “meh” books. It’s all somewhere in there. Got it? Right. And aside from that, I usually know if the book gave me the extra oomph to be called a favorite.

Honestly, it’s a wonder we ever get anything expressed and understood when talking books. How do you determine your ratings? Do you care if a book is a favorite but not rated five stars?

—C.