My Rating System
Overall, my aim here is to write an honest review that will give a reader an idea of how much I liked/disliked a book in comparison to other books I've read in the same genre.
I am an emotional reader, therefore my emotional response to a book might take some precedence over technical details. If a book makes me giddy with happiness while reading, I'm more apt to rate it higher even if there are a few flaws present. A book can be technically perfect, but if I can't feel an emotional connection to the characters or the story, then I'm more likely to give it a lower rating.
Here is a very basic rundown of how I rate the books I read (as of June 2014):
DIK
(Desert Island Keeper)
I loved it beyond reason!
5 Stars
I absolutely loved it!
4.5 Stars
I loved it!
4 Stars
I really liked it.
3.5 Stars
I more than liked it.
3 Stars
I liked it.
2.5 Stars
I almost liked it a little bit.
2 Stars
It was okay, I guess.
1.5 Stars
Didn't like it much.
1 Star
Didn't like it at all.
Unrated/DNF
(Did Not Finish)
Declined to rate for reasons stated in the review.
I set my rating system up in this way because I am used to the way the Goodreads ratings are, but I wanted some of the flexibility that comes from using 1/2 stars.