Some of our written reviews include star ratings while some do not… what is the story with that? Well, the great debate regarding the validity of assigning a star or number rating to reviews aside (how can “X” classic book AND random “Y” book get the same rating of 4 stars when “X” is clearly a greater work?) the reviews are written by different reviewers, each with their own style.
The podcast hosts themselves write most of the reviews but also occasionally feature guest bloggers. We want each reviewer to feel at home and bring their unique writing style to their articles, that is why we ask them to write for us. So we don’t require star ratings from each reviewer. If you are a listener of the podcast you will know we don’t assign ratings to the books we discuss on the show either.
Keeping in mind all reviews are opinions and therefore subjective. We consider the good, the bad, the entertainment value, and as most readers do, gut reaction. When we do assign star ratings they are typically based on the “Did I like it?” system (for lack of a better title).
0 Stars – Worst Thing EVER
1 Star – I Hate It
2 Stars – I Don’t Like It
3 Stars – I Like It
4 Stars – I Really Like It
5 Stars – I Love it!
We also include half star ratings because sometimes things fall somewhere in between Hate, Like, and Love. For example. a book may fall in a neutral “I can take or leave it” zone which would be a 2.5 stars. In the end, a star rating is just a generalization and we don’t put too much stock in boiling a book (or movie, audio play, whatever) down to a single number… Sometimes it is fun though.
