I live my book life by the mantra: “Life is too short to read bad books.” I’m not afraid to DNF a book I dislike, though I will give more patience to authors and publishers I’m familiar with or have enjoyed before.

My Rating Scale:

5+ Stars or Infinity Stars: This is a book I really, really loved. Something made this book mean more to me than just a normal 5 star book.

5 Stars: This was a wonderful book and I really enjoyed it. Highly recommend.

4 Stars: This was a good book. It wasn’t perfect, but I recommend it.

3 Stars: I probably barely finished this book. Something kept me interested, though, so there’s something good here. It might not be for me, but it could be for you.

2 Stars: Either a DNF, or one I finished but disliked.

1 Star: Almost certainly a DNF.

I like to keep Back Shelf Books positive, so I try to reserve 1 and 2 star reviews for my Goodreads and not this blog.