Goodreads has many features that have proven beneficial...and others...not so much, such as the limitless amount of books that I can add to my TBR, which has resulted in a monstrous list which is quickly becoming the tame of my existence as a reader
One of the things that I appreciate a lot about this site, is the fact that it provides an average rating for each book. For some of you, this may not mean a thing. Personally, and for the other half of you, the average rating on each book influences the decision on whether or not it is worth to be read.
My decision whether or not a book is worth my time is usually made based on a few factors.
I suppose it begins by who recommends it to me/from whom I hear about the book. If the recommendation is coming from someone who's opinions I trust, or someone who has a similar reading taste to me, I will most likely take interest in it.
This usually leads me to searching up the book on Goodreads...The very first thing that my eye is drawn to, besides the cover, is the average rating. While I have gotten over my chronicle cover judging...judging books by their ratings is something that is rooted very deeply within me as a reader.
And at points, such as now, I have come to question whether that is a good thing for me, or whether that is another prejudicial habit that I should diminish from my reading life.
Before you make your adjudication and judgement, let me present my case...
5 Reasons Why Size Ratings Matter To Me:
- I'm not going to lie...I'm quite a "yes-man", and I tend to agree with the 'generally accepted' opinions...Therefore, if the average rating is at 3 stars, and most reviews point out endless flaws of the writing, then why should I read something I know I will hate?
- However, sometimes I do find myself thinking 'Hmm, this summary sounds really interesting...maybe I'll like it despite all these people who have hated it!'...I have read books with unimpressive ratings and reviews, and I'm disappointed to report that I've ended up hating 99% of them.
- 'So many books, so little time' !!!!! For this simple reason, I will obviously prioritize books of 4+ stars rating, over books that are getting poorer ratings and reviews. And the problem is, there are so many of good books, you will never run out of them to have to turn to lower-rated ones.
- Many books, especially in YA, tend to be over-hyped and glamorized by, admittedly, us bloggers and publications that talk books. However, ultimately, that hype has to be lived up to...And if the book fails to do so, the ratings will reflect that. Often, I wait a month or two before picking up a hyped book, just to observe the ratings. Is it worth the crazy hype, and more importantly: is it worth my time? The ratings help me distinguish the reality from the hope.
- Who wants to read bad books, right? Half the time, if I end up reading a book that bores and annoys me, I will go into reading slump, and I will regret all of my life decisions...So ultimately, ratings help me avoid that pain of bad books and readings slumps.
God bless!!!
However, I do admit that it does seem a bit prejudicial and sometimes I think...maybe I'm missing out on something great because of it?
I guess the aim of this post, is to get some answers from you guys, on whether or not ratings matter to you? Do they affect your decision on whether you read something or not? Are ratings trust-worthy?
Let me know in the comments below!
All the love,
Samanta.
