TIL I was rating books all wrong until my club got into a screaming match over a 3 star review in Portland
Never thought a star rating needed defending until 9 of us spent 2 hours at Bookies in Portland arguing whether a 3 meant "fine" or "bad." So what number do you all actually give a book you liked but would not reread?
My sister keeps a spreadsheet with half stars, which is its own kind of madness. She gave The Goldfinch a 3.5 and then spent 20 minutes explaining that 3.5 means "good but too long." For me a 3 is a book I finished and felt okay about, like a decent airport sandwich. I save 4 for books I would push on a friend and 5 for the ones I still think about a year later. A 2 is where I start feeling like I wasted my evening. So a book I liked but would not reread is a solid 4, because liking it and wanting it again are two different tests.