Mostly, I think it's mood. I've had a few things going on the past few months in my personal life that could easily be affecting the way I rate. I want to be blown away and completely lose myself in a book and I'm less forgiving when it doesn't happen. Is this a bad thing? Not necessarily. It's the circle of life. Or something. But it does bring me around to a post Amanda wrote a while back about how ratings are completely subjective. Quite shockingly, I agree with her. (hush, you guys, we don't always agree on everything.) But really, if I'm in a mood, I'm liable to rate a book lower than I normally would unless it blows me away.
This same issue has also led me to DNF a couple of books recently. I read fast enough that I usually push through on books I don't love and finish them no matter what. I mean, it's just a few hours of my life, right? And, who knows, maybe the ending will rock my socks off. But lately? I've had a good five or six that I've dropped like a hot potato. I just didn't care enough to finish. The reasons range from anything to unrealistic dialogue right on up to characters acting like complete douches and/or acting so unrealistically in the framework of the story that I can't get behind them.
What does this mean? I have no idea. It's possible it's just a phase and I might snap out of it and go back to cheerfully dispensing 5 stars on any book that makes me smile. On the other hand, maybe this is the new Kelly. She's a little more hesitant about giving out those coveted 5-star ratings. She sometimes puts aside books that fail to capture her attention right away.
We'll just have to see.
My questions to you are: Have you ever experienced a shift in the way you rate? Did you shift back after a while or has this shift become the new normal?
I think it's just a natural thing especially the more you read. I was thinking about just this very thing this week. I used to give A+ ratings all the time....and now it's becoming super-rare....just because I'm aware of how rarely I read a book that completely blows me away.
ReplyDeleteI admit, it makes me a little sad. Now a LOT of really good books get only 4 star ratings from me which hurt those author's overall ratings on Goodreads. I know, I know....a 4 star is still a good rating, but think about it. When you go to GR, you don't think twice about a book that has over 20 ratings and the overall is 4.4 or higher, but if that rating is only 4.04...you consider it a lot harder.
Is there a solution? No. Is it subjective? Absolutely (BTW, I have those weeks where I feel like I'm DNF'ing a ton too.) That's just the way the rating system works, but I still love books, reading, and sharing them with others so hopefully, they find some new books to love too. AND I won't give it up for that reason alone.
Great discussion question, Kelly! smiles...
I'm looking at it as evolution after reading your comment. Things DO change and that's not a bad thing. I'm not thrilled with the DNF-ing but I can live with not finishing every book I start. I think.
DeleteThanks for chiming in, Christi. You've given me some good things to think about!
I'm actually in the same boat right now but I think, in a way, it makes sense! The more we read, the harder it is to really blow us away with a book. I know those are the books I give 5 stars to. Although it's still tough for me to accept, I think it's a natural thing.
ReplyDeleteI think I agree with you. No, I don't think, I DO agree with you. And it's nice to know that I'm not alone in this. As I said to Christi, it's like evolution. My 4-star rating is growing in direct proportion to the number of books I read! Lol!
DeleteThank for your thoughts!
I'm kind of stuck in a 7-8 (or, 3.5 to 4 stars) rut with books. I generally like the books I read, but I never get really excited or really annoyed by them. I don't know if it's the books I'm reading or the mood I'm in.
ReplyDeleteEither way, I think a shift in ratings is completely normal. WHY we read books does affect our overall enjoyment. It's just something to keep in mind. And perhaps it's a good reminder that ratings are subjective and we should always take them with a grain of salt.
(It almost sounds like you're in a reading rut. Not in the books you're reading, but in how you feel about them.)
I tend to round up so, 3.5 to 4 stars sounds about right to me. Maybe I can blame you for this shift. Now that we're sharing a brain, you're influencing me somehow. *thinks about it* Nah. I think it's just something that happens to everyone if they read long enough.
DeleteI do agree that ratings are subjective and can be heavily influenced by outside sources (mood, things going on in RL, reading slumps, etc), so I'm just going to go with it.
(I'm tempted to agree with you. The last time this happened was when I glutted myself on UF and simply couldn't look at another UF book after my 50th one in a row. That was not nearly as fun as you might think.)
To be honest, most of my books are 4s and the 5s I have given have all been because the right book came across at the right time and my mood was there along with it. Ratings are subjective and for me I use them to gage where I person was while reading. Since I know most of the people I look at, I can gage what their ratings mean to them which is super helpful (at least to me). If I don't know a person then I just go with the assumption of anything higher than a 3 (or 5) is good to them.
ReplyDeleteYes. YES YES! The right book at the right time. When you're in a mood, a great book can lose something because you're not fully engaged in it.
DeleteFelicia, you rock. *blows you kisses*
I think that my mood can really change my rating of a book ... whereas I might LOVE it, my mood might not make me love it as much. I also think that reading too many bad books in a row can lower my rating of a good book. This is why I like to take some kind of break between reading books -- I don't like my thoughts of a bad book to drag into something that I could really love.
ReplyDeleteI'm the opposite with bad books. If I read a bunch in a row, I'm so excited to have read a good one that I tend to up the rating. Which goes back to the mood thing... books and ratings are SO subjective, aren't they?
DeleteI've experienced a similar shift; I remember writing a post about the elusive 5-star review and commenting on how many MONTHS it had been since I'd given one out. I think a lot of it has to do with the amount I'm reading and the five star reviews I have given out - in retrospect I realize that some of them don't deserve it. As my expectations for five star reviews go up, the amount I hand out decreases.
ReplyDeleteMood also plays a huge role. I know for a fact that I gave Die For Me 5 stars because I was in a great mood when I read it and it made me smile. With a re-read, the things that usually bother me would probably knock it down to a 3 or 4.
Mood is HUGE for me. I think that's a big contributing factor with this shift. I am intrigued (and happy) to see that this is normal and everyone seems to experience it to some degree. *thumbs up*
DeleteMy mood really can color my reading experience. But I am way more apt to give 4s. 4s are most excellent. My weirdness are those books I plow through because I can't put them down and they get 3s. There is something about the characters or story that makes flip away, but enough in it to totally annoy me. Still a good read BUT nothing grand or maybe formulaic.
ReplyDeleteI love how mood can color so much of our reading. Btw, you're weird, Amy. That's why I like you.
DeleteThis was definitely a permanent shift for me. I used to give 5 stars to anything I found enjoyable. I find I'm much more picky about that rating now. If it is AMAZING and I want to shout out my love for it from the rooftops of every building, it gets five stars. Otherwise, it gets three or four stars depending on how much I liked it and any problems I had with it. It's so strange to look through my reviews from when I started my blog to now.
ReplyDeleteI will admit that my mood sometimes has an effect. I can usually tell while I'm reading though and I'll just set it aside until I'm more in the mood to read that particular book.
Great post!
I've noticed this shift for me lingering over the past several months. I expect that mine is permanent, as well. Not that I'm complaining about it. Just making an observation.
DeleteRatings are SO subjective, aren't they?
My ratings have changed too, but I mainly chalk it up to the length of time I've been blogging and the amount of books I've read. I still give out 5 star reviews, but they pretty much have to be phenomenal. I actually gave a freebie a 2 star review today.... I don't think that has ever happened - but the book honestly deserved it so I had no qualms about giving it that rating. I wasn't mean about it and I gave solid reasons for it. The point is, I don't think that a year ago I would have even considered giving a book that low a rating.
ReplyDeleteWe grow, we change, our taste changes and yes, sometimes our mood chimes in on how we react to what we read. Sounds kinda normal to me.
As far as DNF books? I'm too stubborn to not finish a book that I start. It may take me a very, very long time to read it... maybe a chapter or two a day, but I will finish the book. I just won't make it a priority to finish.
Great post Kelly!
I saw your 2 star rating today! I was surprised! Lol! But honestly, there are books out there that aren't good and you have to rate them with what you feel they deserve.
DeleteOne of the DNF books I dropped was because the main character was okay with the fact that his Alpha had raped his wife but he wasn't okay that he had killed her without asking permission first - which he would have given. I'm not going to read a book that promotes that. That's one book I don't feel guilty about letting go. In fact, I don't think I've ever deleted a book as quickly IN MY LIFE. There are some books that aren't WORTH finishing, in my opinion. That one was one of them.
I see your point there... I don't think I could have finished that one either. Guess I've gotten lucky.
DeleteIt wasn't enjoyable. Here's to hoping that future books aren't quite so... icky.
DeleteI've noticed a shift twice in my blogging career. I started out giving a lot of high ratings. A LOT. And then it tapered to the point where I wasn't even giving out many 4's (and a ton of 0.5 and 0.75 ratings). Even now, coming back to blogging, I find myself more critical. I want to be swept away by a book. In order to get 5 stars, you have to make me forget I'm reading and open my mind to something new. If it was merely entertaining (but worth reading), I give it a 3.
ReplyDeleteNow for the dumb part, I will sometimes pass up a 3 rated book on another blog. I *KNOW* that it means they most likely found it worth reading, but it's not "special" enough for a higher rating so I have to really be sold by the review. My fear is that people do that with my 3 star ratings too. It's a lot of why I like the way Amanda set up her scale.
It goes back to Amanda's post about ratings being subjective, doesn't it? For me, 3 stars means it was enjoyable but it didn't blow me away. I also tend to round up on GR -- so a 3.5 becomes a 4 and whatnot. Which I find amusing for some reason.
DeleteLately, I've been questioning my own rating, lol. I feel like I used to scrutinize books more but since my blogging has taken a back seat to life and the books that I've been reading have been for ME, I've been a bit more generous with the 5-stars! Weird? Most people go in the other direction! lol
ReplyDeleteWhen I finish a book, I always ask myself "would I change ANYTHING about it?" If the answer is no, then it's prob gonna get a 5-star ;)
My personal rating system is:
1- is basically a turd
2- are we there yet? *counts pages* WHEN WILL IT END? *push through*
3- is good, not great!
4- very good but I would tweak a few things
5- don't change a word!
Isalys / Book Soulmates
I think it sounds like a mood thing you've got going on. When you're reading the book for pleasure, you just expect to be swept away. If that happens, you're happy. Happy is good! *thumbs up*
DeleteI definitely have felt a shift since I started blogging, I find my self more critical and I too am DNF'ing a lot more books than I used to. I feel like I have no time to read something I'm not enjoying.
ReplyDeleteBut I also feel like I'm giving out more 5 star reviews, only because if I love a book I let myself indulge. I used to hardly give any 5 star ratings and mostly when there was only something small I didn't liked.
Sometimes even I don't understand my logic haha.
Miss J @ Miss Book Reviews
The DNFing is a new thing for me. I'm not thrilled with it just because that used to be my *thing*, you know. I finished all the books I started. However, I've decided to embrace the new me!
Delete