I rate.

I finished reading Wavewalker 4 days ago and gave it a 4.75-star rating. Ed, who recommended Wavewalker, suggested that I read The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel next. But because it falls under the same genre as Wavewalker and I like mixing things up, I opted instead for Ed’s favourite book, East of Eden by John Steinbeck.

Yesterday, Ed messaged me: “My hot take: you don’t have to finish a book.”

I figured his message pertained to my rating system, as Zoée had also taken issue with how I rate books, specifically Feeding Ghosts.

A few exchanges later, it dawns on me that Ed was referring to East of Eden. My initial response, when Ed asked how I was enjoying it, was, “It’s picked up with the introduction of Cathy.”

Cathy is a character that shows up 80 pages into the book, which is a little over 600 pages long. Ed seemed to believe that because I wasn’t rapt from the get-go, it might not be the book for me. I got defensive:

“…also, I started East of Eden three days ago, and I’m already 1/3 of the way through the book. What gave you the impression I might not be into it anyway?”

This morning I told him about an exciting part that I’d gotten through last night.

“You’re not even halfway through the book.”

“40%”

“Exactly.”

“It’s only been four days.”

“10% a day.”

“Are you trolling me?!”

The face I’m making in this picture sums up our friendship:

Although our tastes in bicycle frames and opinions on bicycle components (the monster likes Avid BB7 brakes) might be rather different, we both agree on what makes a good story. (So far!) I happen to be far more particular about how I rate books.

For starters, my lowest rating is 2.5 stars. This indicates that the book was acceptable enough for me to finish reading. Overall, the book would have had some good bits that wouldn’t have made it a waste of my time. There are some exceptions, such as Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey. While beautifully written, Abbey ultimately just pissed me off.

A five-star rating is reserved for my favourites. I don’t hand out five-star ratings like candy on Halloween. The book would have definitely kept me awake way past my bedtime. I probably finished those 5-star books within 2-4 days. Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing is my Book Of All Time (BOAT). I’d award it an entire constellation if I could. Still, All Fours by Miranda July and What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown were also deserving of their five-star ratings.

A four-star rating means I definitely enjoyed the book, but got through it at a more moderate pace. A four-star rating is still high enough for me to recommend the book to most people. Some examples of books that I gave a solid 4-star rating: Feeding Ghosts by Tessa Hulls, Everyone in my Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson, and ‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King.

A three-star rating means I liked the book. There might’ve been some aspects of the story that I didn’t enjoy as much, or the writing style wasn’t to my preference. I probably also went a few days without picking it up. Despite these criticisms, I might still recommend it to specific individuals. Examples: Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain, Heartwood by Amity Gaige, and Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann.

Then, I use existing ratings as a benchmark to award fractional stars eg. I loved Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, but enjoyed Wavewalker a bit more; therefore, I must rate it below Wavewalker’s 4.75 stars.

Ed pointed out that because we come from the world of retail, a 2.5-star review is considered terrible. It is a fair point, but not one to which I subscribe. So, if you find that I’ve given one of your favourite books a 4-star rating, as I did for Zoée’s beloved Feeding Ghosts, it doesn’t mean I was meh about it.

Ok, it’s time for me to read the next 10% of East of Eden and wait for Ed to accuse me of getting bored with the story.