I use a five-star rating system. I include half stars because I find that there are many elements in reviewing books and having only five choices cannot cover everything, in my opinion. I prefer half stars to a ten-star rating system to keep reviews free of clutter and to avoid half stars in a ten-star system. Please note that some books on this shelf have less than five stars because they are a part of a series. The “I would die for these books” sentiment is regarding the entire series, and not just the books I rated five stars.
While reading, I consider the following aspects:
- Characters: I generally tend to gravitate toward characters that are compelling with a solid amount of depth. Character development is critical, but I consider development differently depending on whether the book is a standalone novel or part of a series.
- Coherence: Everything about a book makes sense—a characters’ choices, the order of events, consistency, etc.
- Dynamics: I like relationships with a lot of history, providing a solid foundation. A compelling relationship does not necessarily mean a slow burn romance or a family reconciliation does not occur until the end—it just means the relationship makes sense for the characters/narrative and the dynamic is believable. There does not need to be drama for a dynamic to work.
- Engagement: Whether a book keeps me on the edge of my seat or not.
- Pacing: How quickly the events unfold throughout the novel. I do not have a preference for shorter or longer books. A book can be 100 pages or 1000 pages—as long as the pace fits.
- Quality: The writing style.
- Storyline(s): If the book has a well-written, intriguing plot. I also consider secondary storylines as well, but not as critically.
- World-Building: I consider this aspect more critically if the book is fantasy or science fiction. With contemporary novels, I consider the setting more.
You will also find a complete list of my book reviews according to how I rated them. Under each rating, my reviews are sorted by alphabetical order of the author’s last name. If there’s an asterisk next to the book, it means the review was part of a book tour.
★★★★★
Five stars. I reserve this rating for my absolute, all time favorite books. Five-star books changed my life in every single way. All the elements of what makes a novel amazing can be found in these books. You can always find five-star books on my favorites shelf, my “I would die for these books” shelf, or both. These books have compelling characters, exciting relationships, unique world-building, an engaging plot, and excellent pacing. I found the writing impressive and there were no faulty spots (i.e. everything made sense). I thoroughly enjoyed these books, and I adore them with all my heart.
Adler, Dahlia.
♥︎ Cool for the Summer (May 13, 2021)
Donne, Alexa.
♥︎ The Ivies (May 26, 2021) *
Shakespeare, William.
♥︎ The Winter’s Tale (August 9, 2019)
Stone, Nic.
♥︎ Dear Martin (September 7, 2019)
★★★★☆
Four and a half stars. These books are near perfection; usually only one or two things are missing. Sometimes a novel is wonderful in every way, but a plot twist or a relationship is not everything I hoped for. These books are what I consider four and a half stars—almost five stars, but there were one or two things that could have been better. However, these issues are minor, and they do not significantly impact my love for these books.
Clare, Cassandra.
♥︎ Chain of Gold (November 17, 2020)
♥︎ Chain of Iron (March 22, 2020)
♥︎ Ghosts of the Shadow Market (September 25, 2020)
Forna, Namina.
♥︎ The Gilded Ones (February 28, 2020)
Shuttleworth, Ashley.
♥︎ A Dark and Hollow Star (February 23, 2020)
★★★★
Four stars. I still really liked these books, and they are also close to perfect. However, the difference between four and a half stars and four stars is an issue of fundamentality. A four starred book also only has a couple of problems, but it does not have the extra half star because its issues are pivotal. For example, a four and half starred book might have a slow beginning, but otherwise, I have no complaints. Meanwhile, a four starred book has issues that affect the entire novel, such as inconsistent pacing, cringe-worthy writing moments that affect characters or dynamics, etc. However, there are not too many issues, and I enjoyed the book overall.
Clare, Cassandra & Wesley Chu.
♥︎ The Red Scrolls of Magic (March 30, 2020)
Mafi, Tahereh.
♥︎ Defy Me (September 4, 2019)
Ritchie, Krista & Becca Ritchie.
♥︎ The Last Hope (November 30, 2020)
Shakespeare, William.
♥︎ King Lear (August 7, 2019)
Stone, Nic.
♥︎ Jackpot (December 22, 2019)
Thomas, Angie.
♥︎ Concrete Rose (February 1, 2021)
Wollstonecraft, Mary.
♥︎ Letters Written During a Short Residence in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark (August 13, 2019)
★★★☆
Three and a half stars. These books are above average. I like them better than ordinary novels, and there are several aspects I loved. However, these novels lack too much substance to earn ratings higher than three and a half stars.
Tooley, Adrienne.
♥︎ Sweet & Bitter Magic (March 31, 2021)
★★★
Three stars. This is my average rating. The books that fall under this rating weren’t superb, but they were not awful either. I like these books, but there is nothing special about them. Everything is more or less ordinary, but there still might be a couple of aspects that I really loved.
Equiano, Olaudah.
♥︎ The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano (December 21, 2019)
King, Stephen.
♥︎ It (December 14, 2019)
Montagu, Lady Mary Wortley.
♥︎ The Turkish Embassy Letters (August 8, 2019)
Picoult, Jodi.
♥︎ Salem Falls (January 18, 2020)
Shepard, Sara.
♥︎ Pretty Little Secrets (February 18, 2020)
Swift, Jonathan.
♥︎ Gulliver’s Travels (June 15, 2019)
★★☆
Two and a half stars. These books are just below average. By now, I am starting to dislike these books—I am no longer indifferent. Below average means there a couple of elements I dislike, but not enough to genuinely hate the book. However, please do not expect me to read these books again.
N/A
★★
Two stars. I do not like these books, and there are several elements that make them unpleasant. I still find these books decent enough to read, but for the most part, I really did not like them.
Royal, L.E.
♥︎ Blood Echo (September 15, 2019)
Smollett, Tobias.
♥︎ Travels through France and Italy (December 17, 2019)
★☆
One and a half stars. I genuinely dislike these books, and I borderline hate them. There is one or two elements that saves them from being one star, but otherwise, they are awful.
Ritchie, Krista & Becca Ritchie.
♥︎ Sinful Like Us (December 13, 2019)
★
One star. I absolutely loathe these books. They are the worst of the worst, the most awful books I have encountered. I do not recommend them at all, and there is absolutely nothing redeemable about them.
N/A