My Rating System

A quick run down on how I rate the books I review.  I want to make it clear, from time to time I find a book that I just really don’t like.  For those books I will not review because I don’t see the need in giving an author negative comments.  The wide range of why a book didn’t interests me usually involves it wasn’t my taste, NOT that the author or book wasn’t good.

Emotion (Photo credit: rexquisite)

One Heart means it was a book that I finished.  I wouldn’t highly recommend it to others unless someone told me this was their kind of book.  Usually these books are the ones I can stop reading in the middle of it to start another book or do my other work and not rush back to.  There was no connection for me with any of  the characters and I wasn’t interested in the story line.

Two Hearts means I finished it, I did it in more than two or three attempts and I did find some good times in it, but I wouldn’t be quick to recommend it to others. I didn’t connect with any of the characters, but I was able to be interested in the plot, just not on an emotional level.

Three Hearts means I finished the book without taking breaks to read other books, I was able to find interest in it, but after I was done, I was more than ready to move on. I was able to connect with a few of the characters, but I wasn’t able to emotionally invest myself in the story.   I would tend to recommend this book to people but with a disclaimer that it isn’t intense or thrilling, more of a pass the time till something better comes along.

Four Hearts means I read this book in one sitting and I am still thinking about it days after.  I regretted that I was getting to the last chapter, I wanted more but I was able to move on to another book quickly.  Four hearts does mean the book stirred some emotions in me and I was able to connect to the characters and invest myself in it.  I found it interesting and I will be telling everyone I see about this book when the topic of reading comes up.

Five Hearts means this book rocked my world.  It gave me something that other books have not been able to achieve.  I connected with each character, the story was interesting and kept me glued to my seat.  It was one of those books I will stay up late at night to read and leaves me breathless.  If I can cry during a book it instantly has five hearts, if I catch myself chewing on my bottom lip or laughing out loud without  realizing I am not alone, it is a five heart book.  You will not get me to shut up about a five heart book because it becomes part of me and I go through withdrawal before I can start a new book.

By the way, with my deep appreciation for Jon Bon Jovi- he’s going to be a part of my every rating system.