My rating system

Since I’ve started my blog, I’ve posted a good handful or two of reviews, but I’ve never shared the way my mind works when it comes to rating those books. Everyone has different standards when it comes to their rating and two people might have four stars on the same book, but for completely different reasons. So today I’m going to share with you my reasons.

The above graphic is pretty straight forward, but I just wanted to further elaborate for you guys. So let’s start from the bottom.

• 1 star
  – I rate every book I read, so obviously this is the worst it could get.
  – It’s not that I necessarily hated the book or thought it was horrible. It could have been an extremely well loved book with many high ratings. But all in all, it’s just my opinion.

I base the rating of the books entirely on my enjoyment, to be completely honest. I know some people take a critiquing approach, but there’s often times when I close a book and automatically think, this is an average three stars for me. Sometimes I have to sit on it and decide what to rate it a few days later.

• 1.5 stars
  – I wanted to touch on the half stars because there was no space on the graphic.
  – It may seem obvious, but half stars are basically a mix between the two ratings, I like to think.
  – So a 1.5 star rating means I’ve probably finished the book, but it wasn’t very memorable and I didn’t enjoy it. I might recommend it if I think there’s something someone else might enjoy or be able to take from it.

You get the idea. It’s quite apparent, but as I’ve already stated, everyone rates differently. I just thought a little different post today would be nice for a change and decided to share my system. So in the comments, how do you rate the books you read? Do you rate every one or are there any you’ve left undecided?

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Thanks for reading!

 

Do you prefer physical copies, ebooks, or audiobooks?

Hello! So to start off: I feel like there’s been more than enough discussion posts about this topic and who knows, there probably has been, but I’m going through with it and discussing it on my own blog as well.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately specifically because of a new app I found called Overdrive. You can use it to link up to your local library so long as they have the option available to you and all you need is a valid library card to read any titles that’s available. It’s been pretty great so far and I can’t believe I’ve only just now found it.

When asked the question of which format I prefer to read, I would have always said physical books because I just like to hold them as I read and I read a lot faster. Now with this app, I’m able to take my book with me wherever I go and I suddenly understand everybody’s love for ebooks. It is so much handier than a thick hardcover. So while I do still love physical copies, I have a new appreciation for the format of ebooks.

Overdrive also provides audiobooks. I’ve never tried listening to any and I’m still skeptical about them only because I feel like it won’t keep my attention for very long. I’ll be listening to it and then a few minutes later my attention would probably avert to something else and I’ll have to go back and listen to it over again. Of course, I won’t know until I try so this gives me the option to do so whenever I’m ready. I have heard many good things about this format and it definitely has my interest, but said problem is the only thing keeping me from experiencing it. Maybe one day soon, though!

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Do you use Overdrive? What’s your favorite format? Do you have the same problem as I think I would when listening to audiobooks? Thanks for reading!

Reply Post: Do authors have control over their characters after they’re introduced to the public?

Hey guys! Mishma over at ChasingFaerytales made a discussion post about a week ago questioning whether authors still have control over their characters once they’ve been introduced to the world. I highly suggest you head over there and read about her thoughts on the subject! Meanwhile, let me tell you my opinions.

So, once books are released to the world, do the writers lose control over the characters?

I don’t think so! Not completely, at least.

Yes, of course readers are going to portray the characters and world differently than the writer. No two persons have the same mind/imagination. While the writer might have hated that one character, a reader might adore them. But that’s not exactly related to this question, is it?

When you love a book so much, specifically their characters, it’s obvious you go get as much more information out of that author about the characters as possible, right? Or is that just me? Particularly speaking about The Raven Boys. Once I read those books and rated them, the first thing I did was go seek more information about those characters because I wanted to get to know them better.

Sure, readers form opinions and thoughts and assumptions about the characters, what they might like or what their future holds. But as I did, I went to see what Maggie Stiefvater had to say, what she has in store for them.

Am I even making sense right now?

Basically, what I’m saying is everybody has their interpretations, but the author still has that control over their characters because even though many others have pondered the future for them, the author could one day publish a short story/sequel with their own idea and it could be completely opposite of yours.

So, in review, the authors still have control over their characters but many others still have their interpretations until further notice. 😊 Do you agree or disagree? What are your thoughts on the subject?

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Do you like to multi-read?

Hellllooo! Today I bring to you a discussion post in which I challenge the abilities your mind is capable of. In which I mean, are you able to read more than one book at a time?

Since last month was NaNoWriMo, I wanted to get as much reading done in October as possible (which I only read slightly more than usual but oh well). Anyway, I wanted to get other people’s opinions on it because I think it has both it’s pros as well as cons.

So, here are my lists of them.

PROS:

1. When you’re a writer and your mind is a little drained of inspiration, reading two or more books could bring that little spark back, AMIRIGHT?
2. You’re knocking two+ books off your TBR sooner than you would have later on!
3. I imagine most people might do this during readathons? Well, doing this on your own time will help prepare you for those readathons.
4. You get the best of all worlds; when you’re feeling up for that light, fluffy read you started the other night, go ahead and pick up that contemporary! Maybe you’re in the mood for some fantastical beasts, you’ve got that option, too.
5. Say you have a long ride ahead of you but you don’t want to lug that hardback novel you’re in the middle of… no problem! Just go grab those couple of shorter book you’ve been meaning to read.

CONS:

1. It might slow you down a bit. (And by a bit, I mean a lotttttt)
2. You might get scenes/books mixed up and think something happened in this book when it actually happened in that book. Oops.
3. Or if you’re pretty good with keeping the events straight with each book, you might miss smaller details which can lead to confusion in the end.
4. More interest in one book might cause you to put down another book for a while, and then gradually, just… not pick it up again.
5. Maybe you just finished one book and it leaves you in a wrecked mess? Then you have no motivation to continue any of these other books you were in the middle of. Just great, right?

Although I’m guilty for all of the cons and for reading three, sometimes even four books at once, my opinions on the subject are still quite mixed. Have you experienced these things while doing so? Do you have anything to add to these lists of pros and cons? What are your opinions on multi-reading? Are you a fellow multi-reader?

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Authors I haven’t experienced yet

Hey friends! Once again I’m gonna apologize for my lack of activity. I’ve just been so unmotivated to do things. Anywho, happy Thanksgiving to you!! And if you don’t celebrate or aren’t celebrating today, then I hope things are good and you’re having a nice day! 😄

I’ve seen this topic floating around recently on Youtube and thought it would be a fun post, also since I haven’t been participating in Top 5 Wednesday I thought it would be acceptable. So let’s get on with it, then.

“Don’t write what you know, know what you write.”

Hi friends! Today I wanted to talk about something that’s been on my mind for a couple weeks now. When I started this blog, my first post ever was a monthly wrap up that included mini reviews. In that post, I talked about Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley. Now, first and foremost, I have to say I absolutely love that book. I hadn’t expected to love it as much as I do, so this is in no way close to being a negative discussion where I bash the author or story, etc.

A couple weeks ago, something reminded me of what I said in that mini review. I’d said the fact that Robin Talley is white and writing a black character dealing with racism may be problematic to some people. Now that I think about it, I don’t know why I said it and feel ultimately stupid for ever typing those words out on the page. It’s not my thoughts — it’s just something I know some people would be picky about.

When I got to thinking about that, I’d realized that I’m doing the exact same thing. With much research, as Robin Talley and I’m sure many other authors have done, I’m attempting to write an asexual transgender character. Both of which I am not.

So the moral of this post is to just believe in yourself when you’re writing. Don’t worry about what others will say or think, don’t worry about what kind of criticism you’ll get, don’t worry about anybody else but yourself. If there’s something that you feel passionate enough to write about whether that’s, in my case a person completely unlike yourself, or something entirely different then just go for it. Do your research, get the facts straight, make it as realistic and believable as you can, and when everything’s said and done you can only hope people will like it.

Old school vs. Technology

Hi friends! Today I bring you a slightly different post. A writing post. Since the very beginning of this year, I have been planning and planning for a story that I could bring to life. I’ve brainstormed and researched and wrote only to come to the point of having to do it all over again. In these past two days, I’ve written 2,432 words for this story that I’ve put so much thought and work and love into. And while that may not seem like much, that is approximately 2,432 words more than I have written in these past few months.

So you’re probably thinking now, “Okay, Ember, what exactly is the point of this post?”

Well, remember how I said I’ve already wrote something for this story at some point during this year? It took me three months to get double the amount of words as it did in just these past two days.
“Why?” you ask.
“I don’t know.” I shrug.
Perhaps it was my lack of motivation. My lack of inspiration. My lack of confidence. Or maybe it wasn’t any of those reasons. What I’m trying to point out, is that during those three months, I was writing by paper and pen. During these past two days, I’d been writing on my laptop.

When I write by paper and pen, there is something real to that and something about it that comforts me — maybe it’s because it reminds me of school and it’s bittersweet — but writing that way, I feel like I’m not writing to my fullest. It’s a much slower process and I feel when I’m writing, my brain goes much faster than my hand can so I lose most of my thoughts.

When I’m writing on my laptop, there’s no losing my train of thought because I’m already caught up with the speed of my brain. I type way faster than I write, so when I’m typing as fast as my thoughts come. There’s no time for my brain to wander off track and forget that minor detail that I may never have thought of during planning. It speeds up my word count because as I said, writing with pen and paper is a much slower process and I can only get half the writing done than I would on a computer in one day.

So I leave you with a question: Which do you prefer?

Top 5 Wednesday || Favorite things about blogging

Hey! Today I’m back with another t5w and I’m sharing my top five favorite things about blogging 🙂 I’ve only just started my blog last month, but I’ve already found so many things that I love about it.

This meme was created by Lainey @ GingerReadsLainey on Youtube. You can find the Goodreads group here.

Popular books I’ve yet to read

Hey guys! I’ve been wanting to post another review, but I’m currently in the middle of reading three books so I don’t have anything to review yet. Once I finish one though, you know what to expect! In the meantime, I decided to share ten seven popular books/series I haven’t got to read yet, purely out of reading something else and not so much disinterest. There’s just too many books and so little time.

5 possibly odd reading habits

Hey! Everybody has their own habits, even when it comes to reading, so I’m sharing five of mine with you today! I seen someone else’s post like this, but I forget whose it was so I can’t link them unfortunately. I don’t know who originally started it, but I seen Precious’ post last night @ Clockworkdesires and thought it would be fun to make my own 🙂

1. Checking how many pages there are
   Like Precious, I always check the number of pages a book has before starting to read it. Also, checking the number of pages a chapter is before continuing. I don’t know why exactly I do it, but I do with every single book.
2. Judging the book by the cover
   Now what I mean by this is that I decide what to read next by the cover. I feel like this is such a ridiculous thing to do because most people choose by what they feel like reading and because of this I’m left in a reading slump quite often. I really should break this habit.
3. Reading aloud
   Alright, I don’t really mean aloud, but if I’m alone while I’m reading I sometimes whisper to myself. I don’t know if I just get tired of reading in my head, or if maybe it’s too quiet at the time or it could just help to slow the pace down when I think I’m reading too fast. I do it often though, to be honest.
4. No bookmarks
   I hate using bookmarks. No matter how cute they are or whatever, I hate using them. I always have for some reason. So I just rely on Goodreads to remind me, but since I always stop at the end of a chapter, I’m usually good with remembering what page I was on.
5. Skimming the pages
   This might go along with why I read aloud to slow the pace, but I often find myself skimming the pages and while this doesn’t mess up reading for me, sometimes my mind can drift off and I’m still skimming but not actually taking the words in. Which that could lead to going back and re-reading.

Does anyone else have these habits? Do you have any that are unlike mine? Let’s talk in the comments!

Have a great day,
Ember ♥