1DebiCates
Does not rating a book when you review, translate to zero stars in the site analytics or is it ignored in the calculations?
2keristars
I believe it's just marked as "no rating", and the lowest star option that gets recorded as a rating is 1/2.
I often review without rating recently because my feelings are mixed.
I often review without rating recently because my feelings are mixed.
3DebiCates
>2 keristars: Thank you. That answered my question.
4lilithcat
>2 keristars:
I often review without rating
I never use the star ratings. I don't think they're very helpful. Not only do people attach different meanings to the number of stars, they really don't tell me anything about what the person actually thought about the book.
I often review without rating
I never use the star ratings. I don't think they're very helpful. Not only do people attach different meanings to the number of stars, they really don't tell me anything about what the person actually thought about the book.
5keristars
>4 lilithcat: Yes, the different meaning people attach to them is a big reason they're not very useful. I have generally used them as a quick indicator of, basically, if the book was a good use of my time, or to quickly find my favorites. But I don't put much stock in them, unless a popular book has a very low rating - and then it's a sign to look at the reviews.
I've changed my star ratings over the years, too. Now, as I write this, I'm thinking maybe I want to remove most of them altogether, just leave my extremes for the usefulness of sorting.
I've changed my star ratings over the years, too. Now, as I write this, I'm thinking maybe I want to remove most of them altogether, just leave my extremes for the usefulness of sorting.
6DebiCates
>5 keristars: I'll go ahead and weigh in with my now much-simplified system:
1= it was awful, rare because I DNF long before the end and won't rate a DNF.
3= fine, but probably forgettable, I'm DNFing some of those too now, time is ticking at my age.
5= I'm glad I read it, food for thought, I'd read it again if I had another lifetime. Or, it was a good experience, a buddy read likely.
Like you suggested, Keri, I could easily get away with just noting the 5 star ones. The 3s and 1s just serve to tell me, yeah, you may not remember, sweetie, but you read it before, move along.
By asking about zero star I wanted to make sure I didn't ding a book's analytics which isn't my intent. I have reference books that I want to make comments on for possible others to see, but not rate.
You might enjoy this, member RichardDerus cracked me up with explanation of his rating system recently. His system is down to 0.125 fractional star! Used as demerits for words used that he personally hates, multiple uses add up...no, down. And that'll work, too. ha
1= it was awful, rare because I DNF long before the end and won't rate a DNF.
3= fine, but probably forgettable, I'm DNFing some of those too now, time is ticking at my age.
5= I'm glad I read it, food for thought, I'd read it again if I had another lifetime. Or, it was a good experience, a buddy read likely.
Like you suggested, Keri, I could easily get away with just noting the 5 star ones. The 3s and 1s just serve to tell me, yeah, you may not remember, sweetie, but you read it before, move along.
By asking about zero star I wanted to make sure I didn't ding a book's analytics which isn't my intent. I have reference books that I want to make comments on for possible others to see, but not rate.
You might enjoy this, member RichardDerus cracked me up with explanation of his rating system recently. His system is down to 0.125 fractional star! Used as demerits for words used that he personally hates, multiple uses add up...no, down. And that'll work, too. ha
7mnleona
I may not like a book but it was well written, I tend to give it a higher star and explain in my review.
8Charon07
I find stars a handy gauge for whether a book is worth investigating further. For instance, if I’m looking at recommendations or a LT list and a title catches my eye, if the average star rating is 3.5 or lower, I usually don’t bother visiting the work page. If it’s higher than 3.5, I might go to the work page and read some reviews.
9purpleiris
>6 DebiCates: The 3s and 1s just serve to tell me, yeah, you may not remember, sweetie, but you read it before, move along.
This exactly. I use the full scale, but mostly so I remember what I thought about a particular work or author, especially since I don't review every book I read.
This exactly. I use the full scale, but mostly so I remember what I thought about a particular work or author, especially since I don't review every book I read.
10DebiCates
>8 Charon07: Like you, I confess I do look at star ratings, and below 3.5 does make me look closer. Since I don't browse books for something to read, I usually come to a book having read a friend's review. So, the average reviews do mean less.
I keep meaning to remember to also look at to the optional published reviews that are available here on LT.
I keep meaning to remember to also look at to the optional published reviews that are available here on LT.
11DebiCates
>9 purpleiris: ....especially since I don't review every book I read.
I'm beginning to age, so I appreciate my younger self doing stuff like that. I often say out loud to myself (yes, another sign of aging) about any number of things, "Thank you, Debi of the Past."
I'm beginning to age, so I appreciate my younger self doing stuff like that. I often say out loud to myself (yes, another sign of aging) about any number of things, "Thank you, Debi of the Past."
12keristars
>9 purpleiris: This may be a "weirdly" thing, but I tend to use tags to remind myself of a book/that I read it.
If I haven't read it, the tags are very basic (if any), and then as I read, I plug in helpful plot or tone tags that can trip my memory later, or help me get the right book if I can't quite recall which one had the "got on the wrong train (not) to Venice" storyline, or whatever I'm trying to recall.
So often, I think highly or poorly of a book immediately upon finishing, but months or years later, I still think of the book - but the opinion has shifted! Like Everybody's Doin' It: Sex, Music, and Dance in New York, 1840-1917 I thought was fine, but not great, at first. But years later, I reference it a surprising amount and find that it may have been more useful or informative than I originally expected of it. Upgrade the stars? Let it be?
If I haven't read it, the tags are very basic (if any), and then as I read, I plug in helpful plot or tone tags that can trip my memory later, or help me get the right book if I can't quite recall which one had the "got on the wrong train (not) to Venice" storyline, or whatever I'm trying to recall.
So often, I think highly or poorly of a book immediately upon finishing, but months or years later, I still think of the book - but the opinion has shifted! Like Everybody's Doin' It: Sex, Music, and Dance in New York, 1840-1917 I thought was fine, but not great, at first. But years later, I reference it a surprising amount and find that it may have been more useful or informative than I originally expected of it. Upgrade the stars? Let it be?
13DebiCates
>12 keristars: That happens to me too, Keri! I love your tags and how you use them beyond mere classification. That's cool and I just may implement that myself.
I, too, fret over an old rating that after some time no longer accurately reflects my feelings. When it's important to me, I go back and change it, usually putting a quick note in the review that I did that. But that's rare, else I could spend a goodly amount of my life re-evaluating my old ratings.
I, too, fret over an old rating that after some time no longer accurately reflects my feelings. When it's important to me, I go back and change it, usually putting a quick note in the review that I did that. But that's rare, else I could spend a goodly amount of my life re-evaluating my old ratings.
14keristars
>13 DebiCates: I have fun with the aide mémoire tags.
After someone got the song from "The Happiest Millionaire" (Fred MacMurray, "What's wrong with that?") stuck in my head - the one that starts "I got bit on my finger, it could've been my leg, it could've been my head, I might have died!", I started using "I could have died!" for events that are a bit over the top and dangerous but ultimately worked out. But it's very different from a near-death experience or a serious, tragic nearly-died.
And "for the first time in her life" is another one I've used a few times, regardless of pronoun, where there's an element of new and strange for protagonist that gets a lot of focus.
I thought I'd been using "murdered to death" as a tag for a certain tone (gratuitous, maybe comic, like a Hong Kong action flick), but I was mystified when I tried to look it up the other day and didn't find it.
Sometimes nothing particularly memorable occurs, but it's fun when I can use that kind of tag. 😄
After someone got the song from "The Happiest Millionaire" (Fred MacMurray, "What's wrong with that?") stuck in my head - the one that starts "I got bit on my finger, it could've been my leg, it could've been my head, I might have died!", I started using "I could have died!" for events that are a bit over the top and dangerous but ultimately worked out. But it's very different from a near-death experience or a serious, tragic nearly-died.
And "for the first time in her life" is another one I've used a few times, regardless of pronoun, where there's an element of new and strange for protagonist that gets a lot of focus.
I thought I'd been using "murdered to death" as a tag for a certain tone (gratuitous, maybe comic, like a Hong Kong action flick), but I was mystified when I tried to look it up the other day and didn't find it.
Sometimes nothing particularly memorable occurs, but it's fun when I can use that kind of tag. 😄
15purpleiris
>12 keristars: This sounds like a very cool use of tags. I feel like I'd have to do too much work with my collection to implement it myself at this point, but I love the idea!
16DebiCates
>14 keristars: LOL. You are having personal fun with your tags I see. I am beginning to feel quite infected. I need to finish a book...see how the disease might manifest itself. ha
17DebiCates
@keristars "I got bit on my finger, it could've been my leg, it could've been my head, I might have died!", I started using "I could have died!"
Gave me such a laugh. New to me but hit my funny bone good.
Gave me such a laugh. New to me but hit my funny bone good.
18keristars
>15 purpleiris: Oh, I rarely go back to add new tags like that! Maybe if I come across the book later, or a sort on my catalogue brings it up, I might think to, but I don't make it a priority. I just start with my current (or recent) reads and going forward.
I always intend to someday go in and improve my tags, or write reviews... but there's always something new I'm reading that's more interesting! lol
>17 DebiCates: Here's the recording! https://youtu.be/w5wmlD_oXm8
It's one of those live-action Disney movies from the 60s, with music from the Sherman Brothers. It's not a particularly *good* movie, but it's watchable, and the early scene with this song is amusing - he gets bitten by the pet crocodile, by the way.
I always intend to someday go in and improve my tags, or write reviews... but there's always something new I'm reading that's more interesting! lol
>17 DebiCates: Here's the recording! https://youtu.be/w5wmlD_oXm8
It's one of those live-action Disney movies from the 60s, with music from the Sherman Brothers. It's not a particularly *good* movie, but it's watchable, and the early scene with this song is amusing - he gets bitten by the pet crocodile, by the way.
19DebiCates
>18 keristars: I love that "by the way"....ha ha oh my. I'll watch that recording later and get back with you.
I keep trying to pull myself away from multiple fun convos going on, to get my Saturday stuff done around here.
LT is a heck of lot more social than I heard it was. Goes to show you how once a rumor, someone's impression, is started and released into the wild, it rarely gets updated.
I keep trying to pull myself away from multiple fun convos going on, to get my Saturday stuff done around here.
LT is a heck of lot more social than I heard it was. Goes to show you how once a rumor, someone's impression, is started and released into the wild, it rarely gets updated.
20keristars
I just got to use "i could have died!" on the book I'm reading right now, and was so excited to tell y'all. 😄
The contrivances in the plot are ridiculous, and I adore it. The cranky old lady took "Nux Vomica" when she was constipated, but instead of a homeopathic dose, she swallowed a spoonful. I wasn't familiar with the name, but a quick google told me it's strychnine! oops!
The contrivances in the plot are ridiculous, and I adore it. The cranky old lady took "Nux Vomica" when she was constipated, but instead of a homeopathic dose, she swallowed a spoonful. I wasn't familiar with the name, but a quick google told me it's strychnine! oops!
21DebiCates
>20 keristars: LOL. I'm happy for you, that is thrilling. Not sure if I should be happy or not about the cranky old lady. She didn't die (?) so that's good (also ?), ha
22keristars
>21 DebiCates: Right, she didn't die! It's a convoluted plot where she's one of the main characters' long lost family, and a countess of Hungary, but they don't know the connection yet. It's really a rather funny book so far, or I might not have used the tag.
