For this week's topic, I thought I would talk about the rating system for my books on this site. I have only been blogging since November so I am still new to the blogging community. When starting this blog, I decided to rate on a scale of 1 to 5, much like Amazon or Goodreads. But lately I have been thinking that maybe a rating system is overrated. It is so hard to think of a specific number to rate a book. There are books I have rated a 5 in the past that I wouldn't necessarily rate a 5 now. And then there is the question of half stars, which I have never given.
Here are the ratings I use know and my barometer for each number:
1 - Hated the book totally or marked as DNF
2 - Had potential, but I really, really didn't like it
3 - Only okay/nothing special
4 - Really awesome book; really liked it
5 - Couldn't put down; awesome; loved it
Do you see the problems with those ratings? They are very subjective and also very similar. I mean, there is a very fine line between 1 and 2 or 4 and 5. Lately I have been giving a lot of fours, but I actually struggle with why I should give them a four of five. I am probably over thinking it way too much though. One example is that I gave The Law of Moses by Amy Harmon a 5, but looking at my Goodreads shelf I also gave a 5 to Wild by Chery Strayed. If I were to rate that book again today, it would not warrant a 5
Obviously I do have to give it a number when I am on Amazon, Goodreads, or NetGalley. But I was thinking about changing how I rate them on the blog. Instead of doing it by the numbers, I can rate them based on whether I think you should buy it or not. I have a feeling that would be a much easier system. I could do a recommendation based on whether I think you should buy the book, borrow it, or skip it. There are some books that I only feel so-so about and I regret spending money on them. Or maybe I won't have any system and I'll just tell you what I think about the book and that will be the end of it.
What kind of ratings system do you use for your blog? What do you think about not using one?
OOOOH this is very interesting indeed. Good on you for giving up the whole number shebang. You're right, it's a very subjective thing, ratings. I have a really comprehensive explanation of every rating, down to the halves and whatnot which I keep to myself and I go back to whenever I'm a tad confused. They're quite similar but there are little things that separate the halves. But yeah, the rating system is also quite restrictive, which I hate. But I'm kind of attached to the thought of having a number, and I think a lot of people are as well, which is why I'm keeping it around!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your input Jess! I have been attached to it also and I know I have to give a number with other sites as well. But I just don't like it for my blog. I do understand why others like it so much though.
DeleteFor the first two years of blogging I stuck to the 1-5 rating scale, however like you, I found it a little too restrictive, so I've since added .5's. Amazon & GoodReads haven't adopted them yet, but I find it works better for those 'in the middle' reads.
ReplyDeleteCarmel @ Rabid Reads
Yeah I have thought about that too Carmel. Sometimes a book just doesn't deserve a whole number. Ha
DeleteThe main thing I look for, when reading book reviews, is some sort of "at-a-glance" rating. That could mean the classic star rating system or something else... I just dislike it when reviewers bury the lede and I can't tell immediately whether they actually liked the book or not.
ReplyDeleteYour recommendation idea sounds a bit like Book Riot's "Buy, Borrow, Bypass" feature: http://bookriot.com/category/buy-borrow-bypass/
I like that style of rating! Maybe give that a try for a while and see if you like it any better than the star rating thing?
Yes, you are so right about that looloolooweez. I forgot about that, but sometimes I do that when I am reading reviews from other bloggers as well. And I do go to the BookRiot site all the time, but I completely forgot they do that feature. I guess my subconscious remembered though. :) I may start doing that. Thanks so much for your input!
DeleteThat's an interesting question--I rate books based on a 5 star system with half-steps. When I write about books on my blog, I don't rate the book, I save that for my Reading Pages.
ReplyDeleteKwizgiver, thanks so much for your input. Yeah we have to give numbers for Amazon and Goodreads, but I think for the blog maybe I will stop that kind of system. At least for now.
DeleteGreat post...I do ponder how to rate books, especially what differentiates a 4 from a 5. And it is totally subjective. I guess that I distinguish between those numbers by how I feel: did I like it or love it?
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing...and here's MY MUSINGS POST
Thanks for your input Laurel! I know some people do like the numbers. :)
Deletefor me, i actually have another rating after 5, called all time favorite. It isn't on goodreads obviously, but that is reserved to only the best books.. also, i give a ton of half stars too, they seem to help! :)
ReplyDelete- Juhina @ Maji Bookshelf
Ha, that's a great idea Maji Bookshelf. I did just create a new shelf on Goodreads for my all time favorite books that I want to read again.
DeleteWhat a great topic and one I nearly chose myself for today's post! I admitted for my top 10 of 2014 that I don't put an awful lot of thought into my rating system, I go with my instinct and hope that other's read my reviews and work out based on the words whether they will like it or not - after all what we get out of a book is subjective. I do rate 1-5 because it's easier to have everything the same but like your proposed rating system which would work well on a blog. Here is my MM https://cleopatralovesbooks.wordpress.com/2015/01/19/musing-mondays-january-19/
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your input Cleo. Numbers are a lot easier and I see why some people like them. I still like them on some level. But I think I want to try something else for now. :)
DeleteGreat minds think alike! How funny that we both wrote about the same topic. I like your concept of sticking to a recommendation (buy, borrow, etc) rather than a number. I'm in agreement, obviously, that the difference between different numbers on a scale can be really hard to pin down, and the nuances change from person to person. For now, I'm sticking with pure narrative, but I understand why people like to assign ratings of some sort. I'm going to be thinking about this for a while, although I don't think I'm going to make any changes just yet.
ReplyDeleteYes it is really funny that we both did this topic today! Ha, I loved your insights and I like that you just do a narrative. I do know though that some readers like to have some kind of rating pinned down. Actually I like that too. I may decide at a later point to just do the narrative, but right now I kind of like the buy, borrow, or skip. I am thinking it would be easier to assign ratings based on that instead of a number. :)
DeleteI'm in a similar boat. I started blogging about six months ago and used 1 to 5 ratings. I've recently been trying out how I feel - loved it, liked it a lot etc - and it feels much better but I'm still putting numbers with that for now as its an experiment. Numbers don't always seem to cut it do they?
ReplyDeleteEmma, thanks so much for your input. No, numbers don't always tell the whole story. There is so much more to a review than a number!
DeleteI don't rate. I have some of the same issues you do with rating systems. I can see why they are helpful for readers, but I just have a hard time using them. In my reviews I try to give a sense of what the book is like so that people can decide if it's for them or not. But I've had people leave comments asking for a number rating.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by! Jen @ YA Romantics
Thanks for your input Jen. I do know some people do better with numbers or at least some kind of rating. I just have such a hard time coming up with a number sometimes.
DeleteRating is difficult, I have tried going to half marks but not really sure it is any better. I find it helps when for example I don't want to give a book a 4, but a 3 is not quite right either. Whatever we rate, it is so subjective and a 5 for one might be a 3 for someone else. Hard...
ReplyDeleteThanks for your input Kathryn. Numbers are very subjective, you are right. I know some readers like them. But I would like to do what I feel most comfortable with. :)
DeleteIt is hard, especially with blogging since everyone has breakdowns that are varied. I tend to ignore the rating and look at what the review said.
ReplyDeleteThanks KImba, I also look at what is said. But sometimes I will admit that I scroll through to find what the number is. Very ironic I think considering the post. Ha.
DeleteI loved when you said ratings are overrated! I see what you mean about the fine line between 1 and 2 and 4 and 5. Maybe "don't bother," "borrow from the library," or "buy it now" would be good for me. Haha! I also use Goodreads, and I love it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Forgetfulone! I am glad you like that suggestion. I think that one may be a bit easier than a number. I am so addicted to Goodreads!
DeleteI've been struggling with this one as well. An example: I rated Station Eleven and The Chocolate Touch 4 stars. Two equally enjoyable books, but let's face it: Station Eleven has a bit more literary merits than The Chocolate Touch. Since I rate purely on the basis of how much I enjoyed the book, I'm finding it a bit hard to swallow.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right Joyous Reads! I actually have been thinking that same thing. I was looking at my GR ratings and realized I rated Station Eleven and The Chocolate Thief the same number: a 4. But is The Chocolate Thief really on that level? When I am reviewing a book, that's what makes it so hard. I start to compare the number I am giving it with other books of that same number. It's so tough!
DeleteThat's exactly how I feel about the rating system and that's why I haven't really rated the books I review on my blog. I still rate them on Goodreads, but even then I feel like the ratings aren't 100% accurate because we all have different tastes.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the input kmn04books. I am thinking that going forward I will just give a number on GR or Amazon. But I may skip it for the blog.
DeleteI think I need to come up with a more reliable method for rating books I read... Rating books can be difficult.
ReplyDeleteYes Captivated Reader, I think this may be one of the more difficult things about book blogging!
DeleteThis is a really interesting topic. I use a 1 to 5 rating system on my blog but its more of how I liked it, so I have to say that I'm going to keep using it. :D
ReplyDeleteThanks for the input Breana. I do know some people like doing the numbers. When I am reading blogs I like it as well. I guess we all have to do what we feel comfortable with. :)
DeleteInteresting topic, I think you should definitely pursue a rating system that your'e comfortable with. I prefer to stick to a 5 star rating even though it is quite subjective, but I guess it's more universal as well.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your input Jeann. Yeah I think I will end up modifying my ratings a little bit because I have to feel comfortable with it. I do get why some people like the numbers. :)
DeleteI've been mulling this over for as long as I've been blogging, too. I'm a "rater" by nature, so I feel I need a system, but I'm not entirely happy with mine. I used to give half-stars, but I decided that was too messy. I've wondered if I should limit it to three stars--great, average, poor. I know I give fours when I should be giving threes and threes when I should be giving twos. I tend not to finish a book if I think it's a one or a two, so why have it on my scale? And I know my ratings change over time. I almost always like a book more right after I read it than I do looking back. So in short I hear you loud and clear, and I haven't figured it out either!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your input Carrie! I like your idea too of just doing three stars. It would take away those very subjective points in between.
DeleteThis is such a hard topic, because it IS so arbitrary. Everyone's system varies somehow (half stars, extra stars, or some people are simply more lenient or harsh than others), and it DOES change over time. It is one of the things that plagues me the most on Goodreads, because I HATE that I have given some very undeserving books the same high rating as one that deserves it. Though I have to admit, as a review READER, I need the number. I DO like when a reviewer explains the number a bit, but I need the number, just as a gauge. Great topic!
ReplyDeleteShannon @ It Starts At Midnight
That's interesting. I have a 5 star rating system with half stars. I've never had that not knowing what it's going to be feeling. For me it's just a gut feel with what it's going to be. I just know reading it that it feels like a 4 or nope this one's a 3.5. I rarely give 5s. Those are the extra special ones for me and I'm stingy. lol
ReplyDeleteI do like the not rec, borrow or buy idea. That's a good plan if actual numbers aren't your gut thing.