Book Chat Thursday #5

The book chat is an ongoing blog series where we can all chat about books with prompts given weekly. It is open to everyone, there are no obligations, and you can join in whenever! So basically this is how it works…

*Every Thursday we will post the answer to last weeks question and a new topic question will be given.

*Answer the question on your own blog on the next Thursday & Link back up on here!

That easy! It can be a picture, summary, review or just gushing about the book. Anything you want. No obligations of course.

All I ask is that you link back up to me in your post (so other people can join in the fun). Here’s a pretty button for you to use (but don’t have to).

Today: How do you rate a book?

What a fantastic reason for a book chat!! I actually have a post about this… the 10 ways I rate a book for review.

This may sound weird but all books start at a 3. If they really do something at the beginning, they get a point. If the characters are engaging and the plot is moving, there’s more points. Of course these things can make the book lose points as well. But the basic idea is they all start at the same place, in the middle.

I do come away from a book with a feeling, whether good or bad. Now that’s not to say if the book is emotionally disturbing that it would get a low rating, actually it’s the opposite. It’s how engaged I feel. How welcome, how engaged, how stirred and if all of those fabulous things are there and then the author drops the story dead. ACK! What happened, points taken away!!

I really like to feel connected to the characters. I like to understand why they make the choices they do. Some good guys can go bad and vice versa but did it make sense as to why?
Did the characters learn from mistakes (character arc of some kind that fits the story).
Writing style! This is huge for me! If I can’t even get into the book because of the writing style, then it’s going to be hard to finish the book!
Is the world or background of the story, understandable?
Beginning, ending, middle… basically the plot! How did it work with the characters?

All of these things are intangible. You can’t literally FEEL these things, but I can. I love it when my heart races or I unconsciously gasp or cover my mouth, or throat, with my hand. Great books bring these reactions out in me! Great characters make these reactions turn into tears and laughter, resentment, pain and happiness!!!

So, although that’s probably not the best answer, that is how I rate all of my books. With the way I feel.