Let’s Talk Bookish // The Ominous 3-Star Rating
Hello everyone! Happy Friday. Better yet, happy September!! Fall is almost upon us.
Today, I’m mixing it up a bit and participating in Let’s Talk Bookish – a weekly meme hosted by Rukky at Eternity Books and Dani at Literary Lion. Each week, they post a discussion topic that prompts conversation on a certain aspect of reading/blogging/engaging with the book community/etc!
This week’s topic is on 3-star ratings, and if they’re considered good or bad. Without further ado, let’s jump in!
Of course I do! I personally think these are the most common rating for me. Not every single book you’re going to read is going to stick out (either in a negative way, or a positive one), which usually leaves it in that weird, 3-star range.
This is such a subjective thing. Like, nobody else is in your head when you’re reading a book, and nobody can look at it and judge from the exact same perspective. It’s such a unique experience, reading.
In my case, a 3-star book is a book that I feel very “meh” about. It probably had qualities that I liked, but it isn’t something that I ever see myself hyping up in the future, or even rereading. It’s not bad, but it didn’t hook my attention.
This could be because it didn’t hook me plot wise, I thought the world-building was sub-par, something about the character annoyed me, or maybe I was just plain old bored! However, if it gets a 3-stars, there’s usually something somewhat redeemable about it that lead to me, well, finishing it. I can usually tell when I finish that it’s going to land in the 3-star category when I just feel…happy that I finished a book. I don’t feel like the story impacted me in any big way, but I do feel a sense of accomplishment for finishing it!
I can’t speak for anyone other than myself, but I think my criteria for ranking a book 3-stars is probably pretty similar to others. I’ve seen more people argue that a 3-star book is “good, not bad” than that it’s a negative rating.
I also think as readers we inherently want to like the books we read. I mean, reading is a hobby that takes an immense amount of time. You spend 5 hours reading a book, you want to like that book. I’d bet that, when on the fence about a rating, the majority of readers lean towards the positive rather than the negative. We rate up: if I’m on the fence about a 4-stars, I’ll go ahead and rate up, even if I might have had the same reaction to it as a 3-star book. Later, when we’re mindlessly scrolling through our Goodreads “read” list, we’ll reevaluate. If I see that I ranked a book 4-stars that I literally have not thought about in years, I’ll change it to a 3.
In the end, this is a conversation that doesn’t have any real impact on your reading other than to better understand your own ranking system and maybe help make it a bit clearer for you to later reflect on. But in the end, you’re reading for your enjoyment, so rank books however you want! If you have thousands of books sitting in the 3-star range, more power to ya!!
What do you guys think of a 3-star ranking? Good or bad? What’s your most common reaction to a “meh” book?
Thanks, loves! xx
16 Comments
April Lee
great post! for me 3 stars is also a pretty average rating. it’s not necessarily good or bad but there are just some aspects i feel meh about
erin
Yes same!! Like good, but kinda forgettable
TheGeekishBrunette
Great post! I find what others think about 3 stars fascinating, haha. I always find them to be good and will give a book a try even if it is a star for some.
Mani
I consider 3 star ratings to mean the book was good. It’s a bit problematic but still worth reading.
erin
Totally agree!! Glad I read it but probs won’t do a reread
Amber
hello!
I also look at 3 stars are meh books. They’re not bad but I wouldn’t say they’re amazing either. A lot of times I forget about the story when I rate a book 3 stars because it doesn’t leave any kind of imprint on me. I have a lot of the same views as you! I don’t think 3 stars are bad. I think they’re just kind of well, meh, LOL
-Amber
erin
That’s exactly it!! Like they’re good and in the moment I think “Oh this was pretty good!” but I know that I’ll forget about it soon after!!
Ali
This is exactly how I feel about 3-star books. I usually rate them 3 stars of I didn’t super dislike them or didn’t super love them. If it’s not my style but I can appreciate the story despite its flaws, it usually ends up being a 3. “Meh” is definitely the vibe of a 3-star read for me. Sometimes books that are rated 3 stars on goodreads end up being some of my favorite books though, so I try not to let that stop me from reading a book I’m interested in.
erin
Hmm thats a good way to put it – if it’s not my thing but I can see how others would appreciate it! I’ll admit I am pretty influenced by goodreads 3-star reviews, but I should try to take a page from your book and give them a try regardless!! (:
Margaret @ Weird Zeal
I completely agree with this! I always find the question “is 3 stars good or bad?” strange, since like you, I consider 3 star books neither good nor bad, but just kinda meh. They’re the books that I didn’t dislike reading, but they didn’t leave a lasting impression.
Bernadette
I totally agree! It’s that middle rating for a book you don’t “hate” but also don’t “love”. And honestly feel like there’s room for books like that? I don’t feel like every book I read has to be the best book ever.
Ruby Rae Reads
This is such a great discussion!! I’ve had such a weird time with ratings bc for a while I felt like I was giving too many 4 star ratings when they were actually more 3 stars?? And I’ve been changing that a lot recently. Though on the other hand, I feel like I know my taste very well and can predict what I will like and not like. I’m also not that critical of a reader so like…. still such a weird thing (for lack of a better word lmao I can’t English today haha).
erin
Oh completely, it’s nice that the more you read, the more you know what you’d enjoy and what you wouldn’t! It’s also just so convenient to have the book community there for when you’re not too sure so you can see what others said (:
Molly @ Molly's Book Nook
A 3 star rating for me is a “I can’t make up my mind” rating. Even though it’s technically NOT in the middle (if rating with 5 stars), it’s a mid rating in my head lol 2.5 stars just seems so mean if I didn’t actually dislike the book? Honestly, my ratings make no sense. The criteria changes for each book lol
erin
RIGHT I totally agree, I feel like 2-stars for me is so harsh even though it’s sometimes so necessary š But hey, that’s what’s so great about reading – nothing has to make sense!! ā„
Lais @ The Bookish Skies
i completely agree that to me the three star read is mostly positive, but i do also agree that us readers always want to *enjoy* the books we pick up. like, to feel a lot of things when we read them, and thatās why three-star books typically get such a bad reaction, because theyāre mediocre and donāt make us feel as much. we also end up not having enough to talk about it, because they donāt even fit in the like āworst books you readā questions in tags or stuff like that, so itās just a very weird middle ground, hahah.