Witches, Weres, and Vamps, Oh MY! discussion

I've had a string of books I've really enjoyed and I'm starting to think I'm really easy to please. I have to hold myself back from giving a lot more books 5 stars (and I give a lot already). My average rating is 4.01 with 35% of all ratings being 5 stars. It is possible that I'm a little out of control on sharing the love... I'd like to say that my high ratings are due to being a picky reader - but I'm not sure. Usually the books I do read are highly rated by other like minded readers.

Do you think you're a reader that is easy to please or are you a critical reader?

What's your average rating & 5 star percentage? You can find this info under your picture on your profile page. Just click on your average for the percentages.

Oh... and would you trust an easy pleaser's rating (like myself) when there are so many 5 stars?

188 ratings; average 4.02
Though I'm confused. It says 1 rating for 5star, but I've given more 5 stars than that..

I'm reasonably easy to please. For me, I don't give 5 stars unless I'd reread the book. 4 means I was very happy with it, if its a series I will definately continue with the series. 3 stars go to books I enjoyed but I'm not desperate to get the next book in the series. 2 stars means I have no interest in any other books in the series and was disappointed with the book.

This is a very interesting question you pose Shanon!! I think I am like you and am pretty easy to please.... so I had a total of 96 ratings; avg of 4.60 with 65% being 5 stars.... But I don't think that's all I've marked as read, guessing I need to go back and make sure I'm rating everything... but I tned to give a book 5 stars if I loved it and would recommend it to everyone I know!:) I'm sure on most of them a 4 would suffice, but I'm not a picky reader I guess you could say...

And yes I think I would trust an easy pleaser's rating, since I'm an easy pleasing reader ;)

That's a really good scale Jessica. I can't think of any books that I've reread though so I would never have a 5 star book. But it makes a lot of sense.

Susan - you've got an even higher average than ME! I wasn't sure that was possible. :)

LOL, yeah I was surprised when I saw that myself Shanon!!! I'm think I might need to re-evaluate all my 5 stared books!:)

Hmm...I apparently am easier to please than I thought.
189 Ratings; 3.84 Avg
41% of them were 4 stars and 40% were 5 stars. I'm definitely going to re-evaluate mine!! lol

My average rating is 4.66, so that may indicate the I'm easy to please. However most of the books that I have added in Goodreads are books that I like. The ones I have issues with are residing at Half Price bookstore. Though I think I am on the easy to please side.

There nothing wrong with high ratings and a high average. Maybe it's because you're a picky reader and don't start books you don't think you'll enjoy... right??? That's the excuse I'm using anyways.

I rate books right after I read them. I wonder if I waited a while longer (maybe over an hour HA - or better yet a whole day) if my ratings would've changed been different. I'm usually pretty excited about a book right after I finish it... maybe I should sleep on my ratings/reviews...

Shanon wrote: "That's a really good scale Jessica. I can't think of any books that I've reread though so I would never have a 5 star book. But it makes a lot of sense. "

I haven't reread any of the books I 5starred, but I think all of them are fabulous enough that I could reread them and thoroughly enjoy them.

I will be rereading Storm Front for a book of the month read.

Shanon wrote: "Do you think you're a reader that is easy to please or are you a critical reader?

I think I'm somewhere in the middle. Most of my ratings fall in either the 3 star or 4 star range though. But if a book is either really bad or really great I'll rate it as such. I try to be educated when picking out my books, whether that means reading reviews or talking to people that have read the books already. I don't impulse shop all that much anymore. I think that's why I've read fewer books that I didn't enjoy.

What's your average rating & 5 star percentage?

822 Ratings | 3.75 Average
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ - 25%
★ ★ ★ ★ - 37%
★ ★ ★ - 29%
★ ★ - 7%
★ - 1%

That's about what I figured. I have a harder time giving a book 5 stars than 4 stars. I really wish we had half-star ratings! A book has to be really super special to get 5 stars from me.

Oh... and would you trust an easy pleaser's rating (like myself) when there are so many 5 stars?"

Most of the time I ignore people's 5 star ratings, it's the 1 and 2 star rating that are more telling! If someone hated a book that I loved I'd think twice about trusting their taste!

I really don't like people recommending books to me though, I've got way too many books on my to-read shelf as it is.

Shannon wrote: "Most of the time I ignore people's 5 star ratings, it's the 1 and 2 star rating that are more telling! If someone hated a book that I loved I'd think twice about trusting their taste!"

That's SO true. Low rating speak more to a person's reading tastes than high ratings do.


Though one time I told a friend to keep reading a book based on the fact that I liked it. She HATED it but we still have LOTS of books in common. There's always going to be a book people don't agree on no matter how similar their reading tastes are.

Shanon wrote: "Though one time I told a friend to keep reading a book based on the fact that I liked it. She HATED it but we still have LOTS of books in common. There's always going to be a book people don't agree on no matter how similar their reading tastes are."

Very very true. I have a friend at work that basically reads all the same books as me but there's a good handful that we can't agree on.

What book did your friend hate?

1443 ratings, average 3.89. 50% have been 4 stars and 29% have been 3 stars. Only 16% have been 5 stars. When I grade my books on my yearly spreadsheets I grade on a 1 to 10 scale. Over the past 7 years I have only ranked 5 books a full 10. Have ranked at least 10 per year a 9.5, with a select few getting a 9.75. They have to be REALLY good to get a 10. The last one I ranked a 10 was Time it Was Bobby Kennedy in the Sixties last year. The book struck just the right chord with me at the time. If I really don't like a book I don't finish it, so it doesn't get a rating.

My friend (who forever shall remain nameless ;) ) didn't like Marked. Though since then I've learned that the House of Night series is one of those you either really like or hate or as others put it have a "Love-Hate" relationship with it.

Great question Shanon!

I do not think of myself as easy to please, even considering my ratings.

3.86 average, 43% 5 stars, then 33%, 12%, 6%, and 3%.

I think that my average rating is higher than I expected because I also keep track of the books me and my kids read. Mot of their ratings are 4 and 5 stars so my average is a little skewed.

Something I have noticed is that many people do not have any 1 star ratings. Unless they are new to goodreads, then that kind of makes me wonder. I have no problem rating a book low if I do not like it. But as long as I have books in common with them, I do not mind.

A book gets 5 stars from me for a number of reasons but it basically all comes down to how I feel right after reading. I rate based on my emotions. I have many 3 star books that I appreciated but that's it. We all know what each rating means (5 stars = amazing) and I wonder how many people stick to that in their heads. I dont really. For me, 5 stars = amazing, 4 stars = very good, 3 stars = ok, 2 stars = I didn't like it, and 1 star = equals I hated it.

As far as trusting other readers, I'll trust anyone if they feel strong enough about a book. I love recommendations. Most of the books I read are recommendaions and I can usually tell when a friend is providing a thoughful recommendation and I value that.

That being said, I did delete a friend because of their ratings. They did not have a single 5 star rating out of over 200 books and most of those read were rated 1 or 2 stars. I can handle easy to please people. Hard to please people drive me nutts.

Shanon wrote: "My friend (who forever shall remain nameless ;) ) didn't like Marked. Though since then I've learned that the House of Night series is one of those you either really like or hate or as others put it have a "Love-Hate" relationship with it."

Ah ok, that makes sense. I've also noticed that Marked is one of those books that you either like or you don't, not a lot of gray area. It's weird because I liked it enough but I can't imagine why anyone would hate it, I can't see it on either end of the scale really. But to each their own I suppose.

Shanon wrote: "My friend (who forever shall remain nameless ;) ) didn't like Marked. Though since then I've learned that the House of Night series is one of those you either really like or hate or a..."

Haha, I dont mind Shanon, unless you have another friend who disliked Marked as much as I did. :) I could not stand that book, with a passion, but every single one of my friends who has read it enjoyed it so I know it's just me but it's all good:)

Kathryn wrote: "That being said, I did delete a friend because of their ratings. They did not have a single 5 star rating out of over 200 books and most of those read were rated 1 or 2 stars. I can handle easy to please people. Hard to please people drive me nutts."

Makes you wonder if they'll ever read a book that they think is worthy of 5 stars. Seems really snobby to me, I'd probably delete them too!

I appreciate low reviews... but every rating was really 1 or 2 stars. I'm not sure that's even possible! If I only read books I didn't like I wouldn't keep reading that's for sure. Sounds like that person needs a new hobby!

Kathryn wrote: "Shanon wrote: "My friend (who forever shall remain nameless ;) ) didn't like Marked. Though since then I've learned that the House of Night series is one of those you either really li..."

Kathryn, we must have been separated at birth because I loathed MARKED with a passion,too. We probably have completely different reasons for hating it as much as we did, but we hated it nevertheless! Oh, and it is one that I actually did finish even though I hated it.

Melodie wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "Shanon wrote: "My friend (who forever shall remain nameless ;) ) didn't like Marked. Though since then I've learned that the House of Night series is one of those you ..."

Ha, that's funny Melodie! I actually finished it too!

Shannon wrote: "Makes you wonder if they'll ever read a book that they think is worthy of 5 stars..."

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. I felt bad for them but I also felt that in the end we had nothing in common as far as book tastes went. I love books with a passion, as I'm sure most of us here do, and I love it when someone feels strongly about a book. If someone only ever complains, then I get down and that's not why I'm on this site. :)

Stats first...
530 ratings - 3.32 avg
5 stars - 0% (67 books)
4 stars - 25%
3 stars - 41%
2 stars - 16%
1 star - 16% (16 books)

Obviously the actual star rating percentages are off if I have 67 books rated 5 stars and it shows up as 0% and 16 books show up as 16% for 1 star. However, my overall average of 3.32 is probably accurate. I started being pickier about which books I gave a 5 star rating too. They are basically books I'd reread again (or have reread) and would recommend highly to others. If I enjoy a book it's rated 3 to 5. If I don't like it, it's rated 1 or 2. To me, 2 was very iffy like not a total waste of time but close, lol, but would never recommend to others. I only rate it a 1 if the book was so bad I'd like to burn my copy rather than finish reading it! lol (Although I have finished a couple books rated a 1, those our hours of my life I'd like to get back! lol). So I guess I'm more hard to please than easy based on my overall rating average compared to the rest of you.

Oh jeez you're right Briangirl. My rating percentages are all messed up too but I think my rating avg. is correct. Wonder if it's always been like that or if there is a problem just right now.

My percentages look correct but it's missing the one book I've rated 1 star... I had it on it's own exclusive shelf so it makes me think it's only going off your 'READ' shelf. hmphf!

Wow... I am REALLY easy to please, granted I've only rated 70 books. My average rating is 4.60... and 78 percent of which I rate is 5 stars... I guess I only read what I really like, or I am just easy to please when it comes to books. I try to like everything, and it shows!

Evangeline, did you add most of your books when you first started on Goodreads? I know the first few months on here I added a bunch of books and those were all my favorites so they tended to be higher ratings. Even if not, I agree with you. I think I would rather have many books rated high than low. It just means you know what you like and are able to find it. :)

Also if you're into series you'll probably have a higher rating. You like the first book, rate it high, read the 2nd and most likely rate it high... and so on. There's series out there with 15+ books now - that's a lot of high ratings!

That is very true. Series are probably why my fantasy shelf has the most high rated books. And most of those I read before I started goodreads, I've just slowly been adding them when I think of them or find them around my house.

I didn't have too many to add when I first joined good reads, only three series. And that explains a lot too. I feel wrong if I like a book and don't give it the stars it deserves. May be I should go back through my 'read' list and rethink some of the 5 star ratings.
But with my series books, which is most all, I don't rate all the books high. There are some of the Anita Blake books that I didn't like at all, and I didn't rate them high just because they were in the same series. I don't know. I guess I just know what I like!

Perhaps my rating average is lower because I read a real mix of books, both fiction and non-fiction in alot of genre's. Yeah, certain authors I buy alot of because I am fairly certain I'll like their stuff. But I've been doing monthly reading challenges in another group and to find stuff to fit certain categories, I'm having to stretch farther to read stuff and some of it was terrible. lol I was rating more books 3s and 4s to save my 5s for the really good stuff. I know we all rate differently though.

I guess I am kind of tough, but it's mostly just because of how I think about the scale.

1292 ratings (3.67 avg)
5* 9%
4* 44%
3* 40%
2* 5%
1* 1%

I'm pretty close to Briansgirl in my rating decisions. To me, 3 stars is a book that I quite enjoyed, either a nice light read or an average amount enjoyment involved, or perhaps one that isn't quite as well written but still enjoyable. Nothing wrong with a 3 from me! A 4 star is a little more special, either especially well written or really engaging that captured my attention more than the average book. I bet you guys are right and a lot of books from series are in this category for me. 5 stars are for classics or books that I would recommend everyone should read, something very, very special.

I have 134 ratings with a 3.78 average.
rating frequency %
5 22%
4 60%
3 14%
2 0%
1 2%


I think I'm fairly easy to please. It takes a LOT for me to put down a book, because I'm a completionist at heart. That's one reason I have such a hard time with challenges - once I read the 1st book in a series, I want to go ahead and finish the series right then. LOL

I only give 5 stars for books that are really special. Like if I am reading a series that I love, generally the books have 4 stars, but if one of them is way better, I give it 5 stars.

I have an average 3.71 from 173 ratings.

5* - 7%
4* - 46%
3* - 38%
2* - 0%
1* - 7%

I research most of my books before I buy them so I guess my pickiness has made me seem easy to please. I only give a book 5 stars if it was absoulutely brilliant, something I would highly recommend and I have either re-read it or it's one intend to read again soon. 1* books are ones I couldn't finish or just plain hated.

I wish we could rate a series as a whole as well as individual books. There are a couple of series I would give 5* to even if the individual books didn't receive 5*.

Amy wrote: "I wish we could rate a series as a whole as well as individual books. There are a couple of series I would give 5* to even if the individual books didn't receive 5*."

That would be an awesome feature! I read a lot of series before joining GoodReads and I just rated them all the same because I couldn't remember which books would've been 3 vs. 5 stars.

That's a great idea Amy! I've done the same things as you Shanon, rating a series as a whole. Robert Jordan's big thick high-fantasy series comes to mind. I know that not all of the books deserved 5 stars but I really wanted to include them so I just gave them all 5 stars to represent the whole series since I read them before joining this site.

So far this year I think I've been much harder on books than I have in the past. I've only given 3 books a 5 star out of the 17 I've read. My average is 3.5 for 2010 compared to the 4.01 when we first started this discussion.

I think I've read some really good books in the last few months that totally deserve 5 stars and others don't quite compair.

How have your ratings changed and morphed over time?

My average from my previous post in Sept '09 was 3.71 now it's 3.62. For 2010 it's only 3.33 - ouch!

I've been reading a lot of authors that are new to me and first books in a series and they aren't usually high-rated books but saying this I think I've raised my standards. I'm giving out more 2 and 3 stars and fewer 4 star ratings, I rarely give anything 1 star. Out of the 18 books I've read this year I've given two 5 stars.

I also seem to be going against the grain lately, thinking popular books are really just rubbish.