Friday, May 3, 2013

Newbie Blogger Diaries #4

Today the Newbie Blogger topic is... Rating Systems!

So, some book bloggers use a rating system, others don't. I feel that reviews should never depend on a rating to get the point or the bloggers feelings across. I do believe, in some cases, ratings help. Also, they can add an amount of creativity to the review.

What I Use, and How I Rate

I do use a rating system... wait for it... I use bookcases! (Bet you never could've guessed) Now, here come the tricky part. What does each number of bookcases mean? Here is a little key that can also be found in my policies section:


1/5- This book went straight into the trashcan after reading. Others may enjoy it, but I definetely did not. 


2/5- This book was okay, I won't be reading it again. Weak, but a little bit enjoyable.

3/5 I liked this book. I may reread it. Enjoyed it quite a bit, but not extremely memorable in any outstanding way.

4/5 I really, really liked this book! Really!

5/5 This is an absolutely 100% amazing book!!! Buy it right now!



Honest Ratings

This will just be a little note. I love all rating systems in reviews... except for when the reviewer isn't stating what they feel and lies a little. Readers expect 100% honest ratings and reviews. Bad reviews may be hard, but at least they are honest. I want to feel like I can trust all ratings. I am sure you do too.

My First Attempt...

Okay, here was my kinda pathetic first attempt at creating a rating system... My artistic skills are stunning. 



The Challenges

Every rating system is different. Is it out of 5? 10? Does 4/5 mean "really liked" or "just okay"? I tried to create a rating system that made sense. (At times I used the goodreads system to help guide me.)

Also, there is a challenge to find a good figure for your system. I came up with bookcases pretty easily. (Ahem. See my blog title above) But I do know finding something to use could be tricky for some bloggers. I do know that stars are popular though.

Do you use ratings? What system do you use? What challenges have you come across?



4 comments:

  1. thanks for showing the ratings! I need to say what my ratings are for my book reviews so people understand mine as well! Love the newbie blog diary idea. Gives people a good way to get to know ya better. I might have to spin the idea for my own blog :)

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  2. For me, my ratings are used for me to give a quick "This is what I thought." because my last paragraph always ends up talking about why I gave it a certain number of stars. I haven't come up with anything creative for my ratings yet, but they're really just basic. I have a page explaining my ratings system to make things easier. :D

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