Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Good Reads

I resisted joining Good Reads because I didn't want to admit that I don't make a lot of time to read, because I didn't want another thing on the internet to interest me, and because I like to think that I'm not that nerdy. But, when I got the invitation from the right person, someone I was really interested in what they thought of the books they read, I joined. And here I am to say that I like it.

Since I've joined I haven't had a problem deciding which book to read next. I have friends who I know I share similar interests and taste with, and most of them are fast readers, or insomniacs, so they have a huge book list. But my favorite part is that it makes me think about a book once I finish it. I love to rate it, think of a short review. It makes me feel productive and smart, whether or not I am.

I'm finding though, that I'm harsh star giver. I think five stars means I really really liked it, when five stars to almost everyone else means they liked it. So I get the feeling that when friends look at my list they think I never like anything because most books have three stars (which means I liked it, just not really or really really liked it). I think I've always been a rater like that, and that is why I was always okay with getting B's when most of the other nerdy people needed A's.

At the risk of having a cluttered blog, I added the good reads widget so you can easily add me as a friend, and I can decided if I trust your opinion of books.

6 comments:

Jessica said...

I think I'm a harsh star-giver too, but when I go back and look at my list, I can see that it also depends on my mood at the time. I very rarely give 5 stars, but there are a lot I gave four stars to that would probably have gotten fewer in retrospect, and some that got 3 stars that probably should have been higher. If I start analyzing it too much, I'd probably spend all day adjusting my ratings. Anyway, I like goodreads because it's a place for me to keep a permanent list of what I've read and my massive list of books I hear about that I want to read. I used to have a hard copy on my computer, but the website is better.

Dani said...

people totally misinterpret 3 stars. 3 stars means I liked it!

Mindy said...

Sometimes I have a hard time rating a book because I think I missed important parts of it...that I would gain in a book club. Also, my star ratings would change in time...might LOVE a book when I finish reading it and two days later wonder why I did. Either way, I see some people's star ratings are inflated and some are not. It's what make your better than three stars so much more.

sallysue said...

My ratings are probably a bit inflated, but I tend to like most anything in print. I have tried to give descriptions more often give a little more info as to why I rated something the way I did.

What I like about your ratings, is that even if they are tough, you have a key to what the different ratings mean.

Sandy M. said...

Thank you so much, Brecken! I have just spent a very happy couple of hours exploring the book site and I love it!
I'm with you - most of my ratings are three: 'I liked it'.
:)!

charrette said...

I noticed you're a pretty harsh star-giver...but that makes your opinions all the more valuable. I don't usually even finish a book if I don't like it a lot...so 3 would be the minimum for me. I give a lot of 4's. And the life-changing ones or the ones I don't want to end? They get 5s.