My Rating System Explained

July 17th, 2024

Hey there, friends! 

One of my favorite things about being a reader is having conversations around books. I think, on average, I might spend more time consuming bookish content than actually reading (which I find hilarious). But I believe that if an author spent years working on this chronicle of their imagination, putting a piece of themselves in it in order to share what life has taught them, then the least I can do is spend a little more time with it, let it linger, try to share their story and what I loved about it. The irony is I am somewhat selective of how I spend my limited free time, and I am also a mood reader, so I am not afraid of DNFing a book (perhaps a bit of a controversial opinion!) if it isn’t my cup of tea. For that reason, other’s reviews are super helpful when choosing my next read. If you’re like me, I hope my thoughts and conversations surrounding my favorite (or not-so-favorite) books can help you find your next adventure.

In order to make my reviews more comprehensive, I’ve created a breakdown of my rating system based on what I evaluate in a book after I read it. It goes like this:

Vibes: This is not scored, but rather a sentence describing the reading experience, based on tone and writing style, without analyzing details like plot or themes too much.  

Notable characteristics: Things that the book does really well, or very simple notes I’ve made about the book that, regardless of if I liked the book or not, you might enjoy or want to look out for. (Also not a rating system but kept in this section for your convenience) 

Things that made me pause: Here I add brief notes on elements I didn’t like as much, to make my rating make sense (Also not scored).

“Moon Rating” 🌙 : Scored out of 5. My new indicator for how well I think it lives up to its genre, as well as its description and marketing. It is somewhat detached from whether I enjoyed the book or not. 

Overall star rating ⭐️:  Scored out of 5 stars. How much I would recommend the book, as well as how I think the book holds up against other books I’ve read. This is what each rating means:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 = Would recommend and re-read. LOVED the book. YESSSSS! 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5= Really liked the book, but perhaps had some minor issues *thumbs up*

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5= Not a bad experience, but does not stand out to me. Middle of the road. 

⭐️⭐️/5= Not my cup of tea. Would not recommend it, but hope you pick it up if it’s your thing! 

⭐️/5 = This is reserved for books I deem offensive, hateful, or disrespectful in some way. Not a very common rating for me and the books I choose to pick up, but just in case. 

Before you go, I would like to make clear that I am not a fan of overly critical reviews. To me, that does not include  explaining your grievances or issues with a particular book, but rather using phrases like “THIS BOOK IS TRASH" with no empathy or mindfulness of the beauty of enjoying different things. I know how much care and courage goes into writing, editing, and publishing a book to reach others' hands. I don’t think respect has to be sacrificed for the sake of integrity! They are not mutually exclusive. 

So if you’re into good vibes and great conversations, snuggle up with your favorite beverage and snacks and follow along! 

Thanks for reading,

Val :)