Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 280 – Read

12 Jul 2020 40 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

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“Reading is to the mind, what exercise is to the body.”

Joseph Addison

Thanks, Spidey! I always appreciate your quote selections, and I love that you chose to think about reading today. This quote makes me happy that my brain is being exercised as much as the rest of me at the moment, perhaps even more so!

I love books.

I definitely have an addiction.

I try not to buy too many physical books, because – space. But somehow they still end up in my basket. My Kindle is groaning with the amount of books I hvae waiting to be read.

I’ve even started adding ones I’d like to another list, on Amazon, so I don’t get them, just yet, as I must do justice to the ones I already have! (Unless they go on sale, in which case, it would be foolish to not!)

And as I read, I always review. I have done for the last few years, since I started blogging, and getting to know authors. The importance of reviews stretch beyond just letting other readers know what you think.

Well constructed reviews are also crucial for authors too. It’s not just about the ratings and getting five stars across the board. A good review will give the author food for thought. There may be huge praises involved for the writer, but sometimes there is constructive advice within reviews too, things that may help an author refine and hone their skills for the next book.

Since I started doing my monthly review posts, I realised that initially, I wasa automatically giving any book I read 5 stars, because I felt I should. And to be honest, I rarely read books that I wouldn’t like. Tried and tested authors.

But my range changed as I began blogging, and I found my preferred genres widening. Becoming a member of NetGalley further expanded my reading and reach, and I realised that blanked 5 stars were no good for anyone!

So, over the months, I honed my ratings to the meanings below. I shall be including this in all my round up review posts, so you will know what the ratings mean to me!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - loved it so much, I need ALL the books this author has ever written!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - great read, something I'd read again
⭐⭐⭐ - enjoyable storyline and characters
⭐⭐ - an okayish read
⭐ - really wasn't for me 

And please remember, your reviews and ratings mean a lot to all authors!

If you’ve read Marriage Unarranged, and haven’t quite got round to reviewing… pretty please do!

So tell me, how do you rate books you read?

40 Comments (+add yours?)

  1. robbiesinspiration
    Apr 30, 2023 @ 20:21:17

    Hi Ritu, I also use a rating system and it’s similar to yours. I never used to review books but started after it began my blog. I realized they are important to readers and authors.

    Liked by 1 person

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  2. robbiesinspiration
    Jul 14, 2020 @ 18:24:42

    I enjoyed your thoughts on reading and reviewing, Ritu. I also never reviewed books until I started blogging.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  3. Trackback: Re-blog: Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 280 – Read – by Ritu Bathal – 🐝 The Bee Writes…

  4. Rishika Jain
    Jul 13, 2020 @ 05:06:36

    Reading is something that seems to bring me home. 💜
    I love how you have rated it:))

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  5. petespringerauthor
    Jul 13, 2020 @ 02:42:22

    First off, the explanations that go with the number of stars is an excellent idea. Everyone’s standards are going to be different, but stars without any summary is a fault in the system. One person’s definition is not going to be the same as everyone else’s, but I like your suggestion.

    It is human nature to want to be liked by all, but that isn’t a realistic standard. I never was a school principal, but I know there were plenty of times when I could see that regardless of the administrator’s decision, people on either side of an issue were bound to be unhappy.

    I think we make the most growth when we’re open to constructive criticism. I welcome and invite it each week when I meet with my critique group. If we genuinely want to get better at our craft, than we have to accept the idea that there is always room to grow.

    Liked by 2 people

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    • Ritu
      Jul 13, 2020 @ 06:27:43

      Definitely, Pete.
      There was a time I just 5 starred almost everything, then I realised that there was no real value in the rating, then.
      So, I figured that I would try and work by a sensible system whereby it shows that 4, and even 3 stars, are still valuable, positive ratings, in my eyes at least, and that it’s the words in the review that really matter 🥰

      Liked by 1 person

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  6. thereluctantpoet
    Jul 13, 2020 @ 01:45:38

    Reblogged this on The Reluctant Poet.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. OIKOS™-Publishing
    Jul 12, 2020 @ 23:09:01

    I have to apologize for the late revisit, Sis! Thank you for the great advice, and i will write a review for “Marriage Unarranged” asap. I was really a wonderful reading. Hope you had a beautiful weekend, and you will start in a sunny new one. Best wishes, Michael

    Liked by 1 person

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  8. Jennie
    Jul 12, 2020 @ 21:00:28

    I love how you breakdown your star ratings. Perfect!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  9. Shweta Suresh
    Jul 12, 2020 @ 19:52:05

    I find it difficult to fit reading into my schedule. I have to find a way to work it into the schedule ❤️

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  10. Invisibly Me
    Jul 12, 2020 @ 18:56:38

    I love that quote – I fully believe it, too. I love reading & I think I’d be lost without books. As for reviews, I’d find it hard if I were gifted books to review to be more critical, but the most helpful are those reviews that do just that, whether it means giving 3 stars or 5 stars. And everyone finds things differently, so we can only take reviews with a pinch of salt, appreciate what the reader thinks, then decide whether to give the book a whirl for ourselves. I love reading reviews sometimes almost as much as I love the books themselves! While I do have a genre I’m rather stuck in – American crime thrillers – I’ve found I can weave in different ones from time to time and I come to appreciate them all the more for being a little different and refreshing.

    I hope you have a great week ahead, Ritu!
    Caz xx

    Liked by 2 people

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  11. johnrieber
    Jul 12, 2020 @ 18:29:24

    A 1-5 scale is great…I tried a 1-10 scale once, but once you get to a 7.3 versus a 7.5 then you are really getting into the weeds, right?

    Liked by 3 people

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  12. D. Wallace Peach
    Jul 12, 2020 @ 16:29:54

    I rarely, rarely read/finish books that I don’t enjoy, Ritu, so my reviews tend to get high ratings. When I share reviews on the blog, I don’t post 3 stars and below. One thing that I will do is try to evaluate a book based on how I think it will appeal to others. For example, I can barely tolerate romances, but it would be ridiculous to give them all one star. So, on the chance that one crosses my kindle, it might end up with 5 stars if it is well-written, has interesting characters, and an engaging plot (even though I skimmed all the romance stuff). I figure romance readers will enjoy it.

    Liked by 3 people

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  13. Erika
    Jul 12, 2020 @ 12:10:00

    I can only agree. Without reading so many books of Wayne Dyer, Virtue, Hicks, … I would not have had my breakthrough in the way and in the time I had it. In the long run, it was not only a blessing for me but for everybody around me, led to all my books and this blog, has improved the quality of treatments for my patients, and made me look at life in a more distanced way while appreciating and embracing its beauty. Also, since I am studying again, reading is a big part of it. And I cannot wait to pick one of my books today (finally) which had to wait for too long and learn more of the healing ways nature provides.

    Liked by 4 people

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  14. willowdot21
    Jul 12, 2020 @ 10:08:58

    I do not read as much as I should even now while I am a captive audience I can seem to settle down to reading 😔💜💜

    Liked by 4 people

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  15. TanGental
    Jul 12, 2020 @ 09:16:44

    You’re very generous with your time. I find I read less than I should. I need to develop a space when i include reading in my daily diary

    Liked by 4 people

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  16. April Munday
    Jul 12, 2020 @ 09:07:05

    When I review books on my blog, I don’t use a rating system at all. I prefer to say what I think in the review and anyone who reads it should be able to tell from my level of enthusiasm (or lack of it) what I think of it. In the case of the book I’ve just finished reading, there will be a definite lack of enthusiasm.

    Liked by 4 people

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