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-rba- t1_j6osz7u wrote

More than 5 and you start to get hung up on distinctions that aren't very meaningful. Sort of like in science class when they teach you about significant figures.

What I think would be cool would be a 2-dimensional scale. Something like separate ratings for "How much did you enjoy this book?" and "How good is this book as a work of literature?" Because there are plenty of books I've read that are high in one or the other of these but not both, and that's where I struggle with a simple 5 star scale.

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-rba- t1_j6otuyt wrote

FWIW, here's my mental definition of the 5 star levels when rating a book such as on Goodreads:

1 star = Bad. Didn't finish, or finished but really hated it.

2 stars = Not good. Maybe didn't finish. Had a lot of issues.

3 stars = Fine. May be entertaining but poorly written, or well written but didn't work for me. Had some issues.

4 stars = Good. I really liked it. Not perfect but strengths greatly outweighed the flaws.

5 stars = Excellent. I would read this again. This book has earned a place as a physical copy on my bookshelves. Few or no flaws.

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