Quote:
Originally Posted by VydorScope
I think this is very apporaite to this thread...
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Awesome and appropriate!
In a response to the OP, the way I see it, these websites have a 5 star rating system for a reason, so why not use the full scale rather than using it as a binary Facebook like button? Having an informative and detailed review is more important than the rating system, but still, I'd like that rating to correspond more closely to the professionalism of the book and the reader's enjoyment. Just my POV.
I think have rating systems a lot because I'm a book blogger, and if I have an arbitrary or not helpful system for my readers, then I don't as many readers--simple. I use a five star rating system without half stars (because the review itself will say plenty about why I use that particular star rating):
5 stars
A masterpiece. Truly enjoyable, no or minimal errors (10 or less super minor errors like backward quotation marks), and there is really nothing I'd change about it. The full package and more. It's a book I'd plug at any given opportunity just because I think it's worth sharing.
4 stars
Great to excellent. Enjoyable and highly recommended. May have some errors, but doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the book. I mention any errors in my review if it exceeds 10 minor errors, and I also mention my nitpicks just so the readers have a sense of the scale of professionalism and who is more likely to enjoy it.
3 stars
Okay to good. It's enjoyable and recommended, but I was looking for something a little bit more.
2 stars
I didn't enjoy it and I don't recommended it. But perhaps others would take an interest.
1 stars
No one will enjoy it, it's a waste of time in its current form.
Looking at my Goodreads profile (
http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4...e-book-blogger), my ratings do seem to follow the bell curve as most books fall into 3s and 4s, and less often 2s and 5s. 15% are 5 stars, 37% are 4 stars, 37% are 3 stars, 11% are 2 stars, 0 are 1 stars. I don't give books 1 star ratings because I sample books before I read them, and being picky at the moment of selection usually helps with finding stuff that's worthwhile for me to read. My toughest problem is with the books that fall between 3 and 4 stars. Other reviewers will stick at "3.5" but to me, that's still 3 stars. Then I decide on how much it engaged me while I was reading it, and to what extent I was looking for something more.