Austen Lovers TBR Challenge 2021 discussion
Questions??? And, Maybe Answers
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Rating Questions
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It sounds like you are a very thoughtful reviewer, Adele, and authors can’t ask for more than that. We all have our own idiosyncratic methods for choosing a star rating, and some people feel that authors in the genre shouldn’t even review other people’s books (though I personally disagree). A lot of people rank simply on feelz and you’ve gone way beyond that.What I did when I started reviewing on Goodreads was, I wrote a blog post on my profile page explaining my criteria for ranking books. Nobody has ever challenged one of my reviews but if they did I could simply refer them to that post. You could probably do something similar, just post a note explaining what each star ranking means to you. And you’re kinder than I am—I once gave an Austenesque author a one-star rating! (Though I explained my reasons in a review.)
Abigail wrote: "It sounds like you are a very thoughtful reviewer, Adele, and authors can’t ask for more than that. We all have our own idiosyncratic methods for choosing a star rating, and some people feel that a..." thanks Abigail. I see no reason why an Austenesque author shouldn't review their peers work. I am an economist and frankly the review of my work from other economists means much more to me than others. I like the idea. of posting my reasons. on my blog and will do that.
I have given a few 1 ratings. they were for. some books that I just couldn't even finish. They also get shelved on my "Didn't Finish" shelf instead of my read shelf.
I only give 5 stars to books I am willing and/or hope to reread at some time in the future. Some authors are able to write in the language of that era (the cant) so well that they rate in the five range also. If there are lots of errors and/or missing words or the language seems too modern they usually get a 3 star rating. 4 stars are the majority of my ratings. But I read other reviews before I select a book usually and don't usually select books that are below a 4 star review to begin with. However, the exception are ARC's which authors honor me with. There I am extra careful to try to be honest as I know many readers will read my review before many others are posted. Some authors I just expect great books from. Then there are those that come up with original ideas for which I give them more credit. But you have to just be honest with yourself. Be comfortable with your own opinions. I began writing reviews after I retired as a way to exercise my brain. I don't want to offend but I do want to be honest. I think I only gave a 1 star rating one time and 2 stars maybe 2 or 3 times. Sometimes it is 3.5 rounded up or 4.5 rounded up which I state in my reviews. I do try to always finish what I started.
Sheila wrote: "I only give 5 stars to books I am willing and/or hope to reread at some time in the future. Some authors are able to write in the language of that era (the cant) so well that they rate in the five ..."I've just retired and I was thinking this would be a good hobby to add for the same reason.
Mod
For the five-star rating system, I see the three as middle of the road- both for so-so stories, but also a book that has positives and negatives in equal amounts. I see it as a decent story, but a like rather than a love. I give mostly four stars. Fours are books I love and would recommend, re-read, and kept my interest all the the way through. Five being for books that were amazing for whatever reason. Two stars are for a book that has some good element/s going for it, but has a pretty big flaw like with editing, characterization or plotting. I don't think I've given a one star b/c once it's that bad, I usually DNF.
I don’t know if I can add to your discussion, but I find so few titles anywhere that are below about a 3.75 average. When Goodreads and Amazon were brand new, and I do remember that, I attempted to use 3 to mean I liked it. But, it appeared so many people seemed to see a 4 or 5 as a minimum for a book they enjoyed rather than one that wowed them. So, a 3 was a disappointment to an author and turnoff for a reader. I had many people question why I gave so few 5’s. Since then, I have found myself bumping up my ratings.Anyone find themselves doing this?
I find that 5=LOVE, 4=LIKE, 3=FINE, 2=NOT GOOD, 1=HORRIBLEI also start with 5 stars and decrease the star rating by 1/2 star for each issue.
--Marlene
I think I may be a “tough grader”, but I hope that I’m a fair and respectful one as well. I try to rate everything I read honestly and review as many as I can because I read so many books that the only thing more frustrating than investing a lot of time in a book I don’t really enjoy, is investing that time twice because I didn’t remember reading it or forgot I didn’t really care for it the first time. I rarely give a 1 or a 2, but when I do, I try to state my reason for the low rating and try not to make it personal attack an any way.
Most often I give a 3 or a 4.
A 3 to me is a book that has merit and that I like, but not love and probably won’t choose to read again.
A 4 is a book that I really enjoy, and would definitely read agin.
I don’t give a ton of 5 stars, because that’s the only way I have to set a really special book apart from the rest. To me, 5 stars are the rare gems that are not only well written, but touch my heart and stay with me long after the I close the book. They are the ones that stand out and deserve to have a distinction that is uncommon!
Just my two cents worth!
This is such a great discussion. I love reading the different approaches everyone takes. I hope it's okay that I'm weighing in as both an author and a reader. Adele, I think your approach sounds quite fair and reasonable. But even if I disagreed, you absolutely should rate and review as you see fit. I think it's fabulous that a place like Goodreads (and this group in particular) exists. I love that you and so many others are excited about reading and discussing books! That's what really counts in the end.
Sure, there are a few people out there who abuse the system by rating a book low or high without really reading the book (or even trying to read the book). But that's the price of having an open system for sharing thoughts about books. I want to believe most readers and reviewers are writing about books in the way that feels authentic to them. That will look different for each reader, but still, it's engagement with reading and writing that matters to me.
None of this is to say that I don't feel a little low when I get a one or two star rating or a particularly critical review, but that also is part of the way this works. I try to remind myself that what I write is not for everyone, that I have lots of room to grow as a writer, and that we all have different perspectives. I also try to keep in mind that higher ratings do not mean I'm a great writer -- only that something I wrote seemed to connect with that particular reader (which is always gratifying).
Sometimes, those low ratings tell me I missed something important for a reader, and I can consider that as I continue writing. And sometimes, I realize that I may have disappointed readers, but I still wrote the book I wanted to write (as best as I could; I'm a very flawed writer -- and person!). In those cases, I wouldn't change what readers didn't like because when I write, I need to write for myself, as well as for others -- just as readers need to read and review for themselves, as well as for others.
In any case, I'm always incredibly grateful that a reader took any time at all to read something I wrote. Time is precious, and there are so many books to be read!
As a reader who is also a writer, I've certainly struggled with ratings and whether I should be reviewing here at all -- but I so enjoy talking about books, so I keep coming back to this community, even if there are some conflicts of interest!
I've come to use the following questions as a guide when I rate and review: what do I think the author was trying to accomplish with this book, and how well do I feel the author accomplished that goal? Using these questions means my ratings are often very dependent on the genre I'm reading, as I think genre shapes the goals an author may have.
If I think the book did something particularly well in the genre and was well written, I will often give it a 5. If I really enjoyed the book but had some quibbles with a concept or writing (all personal preference, of course), I will usually give it a 4 or 3, depending on how much those quibbles got in the way of accomplishing the author's goals (as I perceived them).
So, I may rate an independently published romance 5 stars because it really did something cool within the genre, but then give Dickens' Oliver Twist a 3 because some of his characters, including Oliver himself, are really pretty flat (and since the book is called Oliver Twist, I at least expect Oliver to grow as a character! Also, it's hard for me to read a character like Fagin today without cringing at the anti-semitism.)
Does that mean I think the self-published author is "better" than Dickens, whatever that means? Not necessarily; it just means they were each trying to reach readers in a different way, and one of the authors, in my opinion, was more successful at reaching this particular reader (me!).
I will be honest here and admit the following: if a three or below will pull a book's overall rating down because there just aren't many ratings or reviews for the book, I would rather not rate it at all than give it a three or below. (If the book has thousands of reviews and the author is traditionally published, well-established, long dead, etc., I am less concerned about giving a lower rating. This is likely unfair, but there you are.)
Sometimes, I run out of time and don't rate or review a book, even if I enjoyed it. And sometimes I'll write a review without a rating because I do want to get my thoughts out, if only for myself. But I often can't tell if my problems with a book are because of the book itself or because of how I'm feeling as I read the book, so I try to avoid giving low reviews, out of fear that I'm doing so in part because I was in a bad mood while reading! (The fact that I don't worry about my good moods inflating my ratings is proof that I'm biased as an author who receives ratings, as well as gives them.)
So yes, all of this does lead to inflated ratings of books. I will acknowledge that openly, and there's not much I can say to defend myself on this point, except perhaps that I love reading and writing, and I want people out there to continue reading and writing, so whatever system we each use, I hope we use it in the spirit of engagement. Beyond that, to each her own! :-)
Happy reading, all! (And thanks for putting up with my really long response!)
I found your really long response interesting! I want to mention one other thing that I really go by. I refuse to reduce my rating just because I wasn't the right audience for the book. It REALLY frustrates me when I see a review that pretty much says, "I didn't know this was a Christian book" or "I didn't know that this was a smutty book" and then they follow that up with a one star rating, I think that's just unfair.
By that token, I could pick up a book with a misleading cover that for some reason, looks like something that's up my alley, but then it turns out to be a genre I'm not at all interested in - say a horror story, or a science fiction book - I think it would be utterly unfair. If I think that a cover is misleading, I would probably lower it by half a star. (Yes, I know that an author does not always have a say in the cover, but I consider the cover to be part of the complete package. Authors SHOULD be able to make their own decisions about covers, even if they ARE being published by a publishing house.)
Instead, I might consider starting off the review by saying, "Don't be fooled! This is not a historical romance, but a Sci Fi story!"
I start with 4 stars and then if i loved it it stays the same to 5stars, if i like it but was so so with some parts due to being in the story etc its between 3-4. if i really coulndt stand it or not finish i rate 1-3 stars
Fantastic thread! Clarifies a lot for me too
Thank you all for your responses. I guess my philosophy is that I. think of the 1 through 5. much as I see F though A for grades. Everyone starts at 3 (Average or C) and then works away from that. I will never reread a 1 or a 2 (unless there has been a huge edit) I have often re read. 5s sometimes 4s, rarely 3s.
I try not to rate a book downwards because I dislike a character or disagree with the author's ending. In order to write a despicable character. you. must be a pretty good writer.
I don't like books that have flat characters or confusing plot holes. I don't grade downwards for too sexy/not sexy enough, too religious/not religious enough.
I grade up for an author that has written so well that I. can hate or love the characters, or has touched me so that I can cry or laugh. In order to do that I have to have been able to enter that world that writer has created and somehow empathize with those characters.
I have so much respect for any author that has tried to create something. I have zero talent in that area and enjoy the fruits of other's labors.
I certainly have to agree with your last paragraph.
Christina wrote: "what do I think the author was trying to accomplish with this book, and how well do I feel the author accomplished that goal? .."I try to take the same approach, but I try not to decrease my rating just because it wasn't to my taste. There are really great books that are just based on a premise or a version of a character that isn't my favorite- but if it was executed well (consistent, well written, etc) that should be honored in reviews.
I'm always trying to balance my ratings with multiple audiences in mind1) myself, i read a lot of books, the ratings help me remember what I loved and what stories/authors i want to revisit
2) future readers- give them a heads up on what they are embarking on this book before they invest time/$$
3) publishers- i might not like a book, but that doesn't mean it wasn't well done. An author should be recognized for good execution even if it wasn't too my taste.
Sometimes its a tough balance, this is why i think the narratives are important (though those don't aggregate into a summary rating).
I often wish goodreads gave the option to rate on multiple scales, one rating for writing, one for story, and one for personal taste. Oh well, I dare to dream.
Here's what I use as a first cut:
*****- I'll be back to re-read this again and again
****- Better than most, standout books
***- Solid contributions.
**- Barely made it through
*- DNF
I would like to be fair to the authors and to potential readers and to. myself ( sometimes I am looking for something to reread)
I tend to assume a book will usually get a 3 from me, and that is where I start. I am sympathetic to folks who are writing as a hobby/ or second job when it comes to typos and. small grammar errors. I am harsher on books. that have a real publisher assuming that the author has paid (even by sharing royalties ) a publisher to edit and assist the author. If the. production errors are egregious enough to interrupt the flow of reading or. make me want to stop and comment I will likely just leave it at a 3.
If i struggle to get through the book or give up because of the plot, character development or crazy bad typos i will. down grade to 2 or 1.
If I. enjoy the book and what ever small errors. are barely noticeable I will probably move up to 4 and if I love it or am willing to reread it will. probably get a 5.
This seems like a very capricious system and normally I wouldn't care so much but I have begun to notice that many of the authors are also in these groups and I feel a bit more responsibility to be a good rater.