I’ve recently noticed a lot of (digital) ink being spilled on social media over the subject of book reviews.

Well, I’m certainly not here to tell anyone how they should feel about a review their book has received, nor am I interested in telling other book reviewers how many stars constitutes an insult but given how often I review books on this blog I felt I should at least clarify exactly what I do when I review books.

I’ll be honest, I find the traditional five-star system pretty darn infuriating. It’s woefully inadequate as a measurement of how good or bad a book is, since books are such complex things that they often excel in one area while lacking in others. If you’re ever reading a review I’ve written on this blog, the words I have written will give a far more precise impression of my feelings than the number of stars I’ve given.

Even when I give a low number of stars, it is seldom the case that I experienced nothing but hatred for it. Even the books that appeal to me the least tend to have some redeeming qualities, and I try to be as balanced as I can be whenever I write reviews. On the rare occasions I have come across a truly awful book that I have no kind words for, I tend to just give up on reading them; and I never, ever review a book that I did not finish reading.

Having said that, here is a handy-dandy breakdown of what I (roughly) mean whenever I do give out stars:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – I loved it

⭐⭐⭐⭐ – I liked it

⭐⭐⭐ – It was okay, if you like that sort of thing

⭐⭐ – I wasn’t keen on it

⭐ – I hated it

Speaking of reviews, if you’re an author and would like me to consider one of your books for review, please do drop me a line. Due to time constraints, I can’t promise exactly when I’ll get around to it and I do reserve the right to politely decline to write a review but if you’re willing to gift me a copy of your book than I will certainly consider it 🙂.