PART 2 (2/3)
To see part 1 of this discussion click here
How much do the star ratings depend on whether you buy a book?
Positives of star ratings
Fast opinion
Like l said above, it is a very quick way to find out the general feel about a book without spending 30 minutes, which you may not have, on reading reviews.
.
Yiota said - I check the rating when i want a fast opinion on the book.
Undecided
Mel said - (Star Ratings) can sway me if I'm undecided about giving a book a go.
.
More likely to read a book with higher rating
In some way l just think this is pretty natural. If your looking to buy a laptop and one has 5 star rating and another 3 star rating then your more likely to pick the 5 star. For me, if l can only afford to buy one book at that time, l am more likely to pick the higher one.
Ricki said - If a lot of people rate it high, I am more likely to try it.
Stephaine said - I may be more inclined to read a book that has a lot of high star ratings on Goodreads/blogs
Jackie said - Star ratings do somewhat influence whether or not I buy a book. Of course if I find several 2 or 1 star ratings, I am not going to waste my time. Any rating 3 or above is a possibility for me.
Miss Page Turner said - 3-5 stars ratings are always ok. 1-2 I start thinking why a book got that rating and if I really want to read it.
They are important to me
Mickey said - Star ratings are very important to me. I check Goodreads for the stars, blogs of the stars, and those make a difference when picking a book.
Karen said - If I've not seen a lot of reviews for a book I fancy, I will go off the star ratings on Goodreads - for instance, if I've been offered a self-published book for review and I can't make my mind up whether to accept it, I will check out the star ratings on Goodreads if there are some there already. I very rarely purchase a book with a star rating of less than 3.5, so yes, they mean a lot to me.
.
Lisa said - I glance at them and they do play into my decision just not as much as the blurb.
.
Jules said - I do think that star ratings are important, if a book has quite a low rating I may still read it but I would be more likely to try and borrow it before buying it.
.
Liz said - A lot. I use the ratings system on Goodreads frequently; I usually read all the 1 star reviews first, then work my way up.
.
Debz said - . Of course, if the average rating is 2 stars it probably isn't as good as something that has an average of 4.5 stars.
Negatives of Star Ratings
Different standards
This is the main issue l think with star ratings. Some people will give a 5 star rating much easier than others might do so.
.
Yiota said - Everyone have different standards.
.
Booketta said - I don't take much notice as I think a view is subjective.
Judge book by other ways
Well, l think everyone does this before looking at star ratings anyway. I mean your looking at the star ratings because you have already read the blurb or seen the cover, right? But l know some people let the book speak for itself, which l think is great because you may just love it even though other people haven't.
Ricki said - I try to let the book speak for itself (although I do greatly judge a book by its cover).
Just because others love it ..
doesn't mean your going too! This has been proved a few times for me, l have read a few books which are really popular and l haven't enjoyed. Everyone has different tastes and sometimes you just don't connect with the characters.
Booketta said - I have read highly rated books and been disappointed.
Phanee said - If I like the story, I'm not that easily influenced by a few negative reviews! It works the other way too. If a book has got fantastic ratings and I am not particularly drawn to the story, then I won't rush to read it.
Stephaine said - If the reviewer has explained well why they liked/din't like a book then I use this to make a judgement because their likes and dislikes may be different to mine.
Jackie said - If there is a book that is rated a 2 that still sounds interesting to me, I still might take a chance on it.
Miss Page-Turner said - I mainly focus on what the reviewer listed under positive and negative aspects.
Don't care for star ratings
Ria said - The star rating doesn't change for whether I've bought a book, borrowed it or been sent it.
