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What's Your Book Rating System?

Rating new image
I spend so much time every day reading posts and book reviews on Fable, and I love seeing how other people use our star system for ratings.Personally, I fearlessly Do Not Finish books that aren’t working for me. So that means most novels that would be rated 3-stars or lower get DNF’d. Since I never rate a book that I haven’t finished reading, most of my ratings hover around 4-stars and 5-stars, with the truly exceptional books getting a 5-star. Beyond that, I write out the rest of my more complex thoughts in the text of a review (like what I wrote about “No One Is Talking About This” earlier this week).

Fable readers share their rating systems

But that's just me. Other readers have completely different systems!Fable reader BurntToast recently started a great conversation about this very topic, collecting the full range of rating scales in our community. Here are just a few ways readers use the star rating system.

“One star for Flow, One star for Predictability/originality, one star for Enjoyment, one star for Immersion, one star for Plot. Does anyone else rate like this cuz... I feel like I go pretty hard... but also I am a hardcore” — BurntToast

“I rate fully on vibes and the way the book made me feel. I’m mostly a 4-5 star girl. If it’s anything below that I won’t even put it. I feel bad it’s because it’s someone’s art and story, I will let someone else that is more qualified do it.” — Shelby

“I’m doing the CAWPILE system this year … For anyone who doesn’t know what cawpile stands for: characters, atmosphere, writing style, plot, intrigue, logic/relationshos, enjoyment. Every category is rated on a 0-10 scale, then added up. That is divided by 7 and the total is the star rating (such as 7-8.9 is a 4 star).” — Raquel G

“Directly after the book, I rate for vibes, start at a 5, then take off .5 stars for each issue I may have with it. Also I would take away a whole star if at points I was just ready for it to be over. Then a week later, I go back and change my rating after ruminating more... and may possibly even change it again.” — Jaidealexandra

“I don’t have a specific rating system because it just depends on the book and how I’m feeling. I tend to like very quirky books that aren’t necessarily widely popular.” — SLH

5-Star books

There's a most rare kind of book, the stories that earn the 5-star rating from readers. Fable community members have many different standards for this highest quality rating. Here are a few of my favorites!

"⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ That hits the plot: Going to be living with this one in my spirit for a bit! I learned, I felt, I saw myself, I was entertained.— Bookworm82

"⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ : LOVED, the book will stay with me always, frequently think about it even after finished." — Nicole

"A five star would be if the book makes me cry or at least if it dose not make me in a reading slump and it is very fast paced or it is a masterpiece."— Izzy

"⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Perfection. I book I already look forward to reading again, even so I just finished it. Parts of it will stick with me, forever."— Lumi

Keep reading on Fable

The Fable app is built for social reading, with tools for sharing highlights, comments, insights, links, pictures, and videos. With our platform, you can host every aspect of an online discussion at a single destination to reach readers and build safe online communities regardless of location or time zone.
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You can also discover the best audiobook by exploring thousands of book lists on Fable, decoding your personal taste with our guided recommendations. It’s easy to make your own list as well!
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Just finished reading an audiobook and have the urge to share your thoughts with the world? It’s time to write your review and highlight your favorite sentences! You can also import your Goodreads reviews to your Fable account!
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It's easy to organize your reading aspirations and track your progress on Fable. Use our app to set the number of books you plan on reading this year and share your progress with our supportive community.  

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