I think that my ratings confuse people. I know they do. I continue to keep my ratings the same as they have always been because I want to be different, I can't be bothered to change them and I'm stubborn. So, instead of changing them I wrote a little description on the right-hand side bar about what the ratings mean and occasionally I decide to write a post where I waffle on about that for a bit. Today I want to explain the 4.5 star ratings in more detail and mention a few books that are worth the read (and maybe even the reread) even though they weren't favourites.
According to the little ratings glossary a 4.5 star book (out of five stars) is a book that gets this reaction:
"I really liked it, but something wasn't quite right."
To expand on that a little more I'm going to say that the majority of the 4.5/5 star books that I've read and rated are books that were really intriguing, really exciting, possibly a bit unusual and lacking on the story-telling part. Whether it be because the author changed between POV a little too often without any sort of indication of this, whether the story lacked in explanation or whether some of the story used a little bit too much detail. In some cases I think the book is just a little bit out-of-my-league and I don't enjoy it as much as I should because I'm not THAT smart.
So Why do I have 4.5 star books? Why do I have all these half-ratings with point-fives in them? I've done this because I originally started rating books on an out-of-five scale and decided after rating some books 4/5 and others 5/5 that some books were a bit in between and I didn't want to rate them incorrectly. I tend to rate books highly (according to my goodreads my average rating is 4.5), but I still want to be able to articulate which books are worth more than others.
FIVE 4.5 STAR BOOKS I'D RECOMMEND:
-'The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox' by Maggie O'Farrell
I haven't "favourited" a book by this author yet, but I do really like her work and can't wait to read more of her books. I love the detail and the way the author handles important social issues in her books, but find that I'm always hoping there was a little more to the story; just a little bit more explanation or conclusion when it comes to the big reveal.
-'Eve' by Anna Carey
A dystopian story that I really enjoyed. It kept me on the edge of my seat, but the ending wasn't what I hoped. Still quite enjoyable and I can't wait for the sequel.
-'Fallen Angels' by Tara Hyland
A very enjoyable piece of historical fiction. I think the reason I didn't enjoy it, is because I've read some fantastic historical fiction before this that set the bar really high. That and the ending wasn't very conclusive. I think I'd like to read a sequel so I could know for sure...
-'Imaginary Girls' by Nova Ren Suma
Amazing. Really Amazing stuff. Except, for this one part where the protagonist just skips over a few important parts of her life like they weren't even that important. However, doesn't totally kill the story and the whole underwater town thing is pretty rad.
-'Born Wicked' by Jessica Spotswood
Again with the ending! This one does have a sequel coming out next year though, so hopefully I get what I want and the right stuff happens!
Your Favourite Blogger,
Natalie
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