In October 2011, I decided to scrap my rating system, which involved using grades that were loosely based off the Goodreads star system*, and put an enjoyment scale in its place.  And while the enjoyment scale can be translated into a 5 star system, I have developed my own explanation for each number on the scale.  I believe that ratings are merely reflections of how much a person enjoyed (or didn’t enjoy) a book, and I wanted a rating system that would best illustrate this belief.  And thus, the enjoyment scale was born.

10 = This book goes beyond mere enjoyment.  It blew my mind, shook me up, spit me out, and changed something important about me or my life.  It affected me, and I will continue to think about this book long after I finish reading it.

9 = I started this book for enjoyment, and it blew me away.  It’s not life-changing like a 10, but it will probably end up being one of my favorites.

8 = A damn good book.  It probably made me happy, made me sad, made me breathless, and kept me coming back for more.  Will definitely want more of the series or author.

7 = Caught between damn good and just good, a 7 is likely to have engaged me the majority of the time, but not tumbled and played with my emotions like an 8 or 9.

6 = Good.  There were some things about the book that didn’t resonate with me, but overall I liked the book.

5 = I really wanted to like this book, but there are some elements that I just couldn’t get behind, which caused me to not enjoy the book.

4 = Average.  I feel a vague sense of accomplishment for finishing this book, but it is very “meh.”

3 = Below average.

2 = The best thing I can say about the book is that I finished and it’s over now.

1 = Awful, terrible.  I’m questioning why I even bothered to finish it.

DNF = Did not finish.  This one is pretty much self-explanatory, but I don’t believe it is fair to rate books that I don’t finish.  All the above ratings only apply to books that I have read.