Barbara DeMarco-Barrett's Blog

I'm going into the hospital tomorrow for surgery and a short stay and I'm contemplating reading material. Do I bring what I'm reading now (Orhan's Inheritance, which isn't dark but it's serious fiction and I love it), something light and perky (though the lightest and perkiest books on my shelf are by Elinor LIpman and I've already read them), or magazines?

The ARC for Abigail Thomas's new memoir just came in, and her writing it light and the chapters are short, so maybe I'll bring that. And I'm reading the screenplay for Thelma and Louise so I could bring that.

Maybe I'll bring them all.

What does everyone else do in a similar situation?

I have a problem with the rating system, so I don't always rate books. How I feel about a book changes, and often. When I start a book, I feel one way. As I get into the book, I feel another, and right after I read a book, I feel yet another. I'm curious how y'all rate books and how much attention you pay to Goodreads ratings. Does a friend's ratings sway you one way or another, or do you simply look at Goodreads reviews to see what people think?