A Word on Ratings

I do like to rate the books that I review here, but these ratings only reflect by own personal enjoyment of the book. They are not meant to categorically define a book's true worth. Honestly, I don't think anyone can give a book an absolute rating. We all judge books based on how we interpret them, from our own life experiences and preferences. For example, if I give a book a one star rating, I'm not saying that it's a terrible book; it simply means I didn't enjoy that book. If someone else wants to give the same book a five star rating, I won't argue with them.

Anyway, here is my scale:

5 Stars: Loved this book. One of the best books I've read this year.
4 Stars: Great book. Very enjoyable.
3 Stars: Good book. Glad I read it.
2 Stars: Okay book. Although I didn't like it as much as other books, it had some redeeming qualities.
1 Star: Did not like this book. Wish I hadn't read it.

The majority of my ratings are 3 stars, with a fair amount of 4 stars and 2 stars thrown in. I'll rate a few books a year 5 stars, and I'll rarely rate a book 1 star.

I've noticed that I'm a bit harsher in my ratings than most people. Even if I enjoyed a book somewhat, I still might give it 2 stars, if it just doesn't meet that 3 star standard for me. Again, it's probably a perfectly fine book. I just don't see the point of have a 5 star rating system if I don't use all of the ratings.