Book & Film Rating System

This page is a breakdown of my rating system for books and film.

For Books

I've tried various different ways to rate things but for the most part I rate based on my emotions with the book. I do take into account of the writing, plot, characters and other technical aspects, but for the most part if I'm emotionally invested my rating will show just how much I cared for the book.

I very rarely give out 1 star ratings. This is because I don't often stick to a book if I'm hating it. I'm very much pro DNF and I don't rate books that I don't finish, I feel like rating a book I did not complete is unfair to the book when something in the section I didn't read could have been a factor to my rating. That being said if I give something a one star rating I truly did not like it but something kept me going to finish the book.

Like 1 star books I very rarely make it through a book long enough to give it a 2 star rating. For me, 2 stars means that I really disliked the book but I didn't completely hate it. 2 stars means there was something in the book that kept me going and warranted a slightly higher rating.

A 3 star rating is kind of tricky for me. 3 stars is very neutral and could mean I enjoyed the book or it could mean I was indifferent and didn't care for it. When it comes to 3 star ratings I try to be clear when writing my review if I enjoyed the book of if I didn't. A 3 star rating could also mean that I really enjoyed the book but I can see the flaws in the writing or plot and that is why I knocked the rating to 3. On the other hand a 3 could also mean that I didn't like the book but the writing was phenomenal! So in every since of the term a 3 star rating is very neutral and could mean a number of different things.

When I give a book 4 stars it's because I really enjoyed the book but there just wasn't enough there for me to give it a perfect 5 star rating. This could be because I had issues with some of the technical aspects but it could also be that I just didn't fully love it. Overall a 4 star rating is a book that I might potentially read again and could very well end up as a favorite.

I give 5 stars to books that I completely loved! These books are often favorites and books that I am more apt to reread. I probably give more 5 star ratings than one should but I'm an emotional reader and as I mentioned my ratings express how I felt reading the book. There are often times where I will go in and change a rating after having time to think about the book.

For Films

I'm still trying to figure out a more precise way to rate films but for the most part I rate them like I rate books: emotionally. I'm very much a did I love or not rater when it comes to films. Unlike the 5 star rating system for books I've started using a 4 star system which is more correct with critique reviews.

 1 star for me means I really did not like the film and would probably never watch it again. This does not mean that it was done poorly but simply that it was not for me. I know what types of films I enjoy and try to avoid those that would typically get a 1 star.

2 stars for film is almost like 3 stars for books. This is mostly for films that I was indifferent to but didn't necessarily enjoy. These films are somewhat forgettable and ones I would maybe watch if I stumbled upon them on TV.

If I'm giving a film a 3 star rating it means that I thoroughly enjoyed the film. These are films that I would watch again but maybe not buy to add to my collection.

A 4 star rating means I completely loved the film and would watch it multiple times. There is a high probability I would add the film to my collection and would definitely stop to watch if it came on TV.