Word from the Herd: Why isn't it a 5 star read? Well...because it isn't.

A couple weeks back someone read one of my reviews on Goodreads and then messaged me...

I can't see anything in your review that would, given the rest of it, cost a star. Why 4 instead of 5? 

It's always a little odd to me when someone questions one of my review ratings like that. I enjoyed the book in question and gave it a four. There was nothing wrong with the book but it was a four star read. Personally, I think people give 5 star ratings out WAY too liberally. If you've been around the blog for a while you know they're super rare for me and, really, I think that's how they should be. So today I'm gonna explain what a 5 star rating means to me. 

Why wasn't this particular book a 5? Well, simply, because it wasn't. A solid, enjoyable read that made me smile doesn't necessarily mean it was a 5 star read.

A 5 star read for me is a book that I couldn't put down.  If I had to step back into the real world for a while it's one that I rushed through everything else to get back to so I could dive back into the world created. 

It's a book that left me floored in some way emotionally. 

A read that changed something for me. A thought, or an emotion or a concept.

It's in some way incredibly unique or is a tried and true storyline that was delivered in a way that left a lasting impact. 

It's a read that will stay with me for days, weeks, months, years and that makes it hard to move on to the next read because I'm still so caught up in the story even after closing the last page.

Very few books will have that impact on me so very few books will get a 5 star rating for me. They're books that hit me hard and left me breathless. 

Just because something wasn't a 5 star read it doesn't mean that that book wasn't wonderful. Or that I didn't love the book to bits. There's nothing wrong with a book getting a four star rating (or a 3 star for that matter). They're books that made me smile, laugh, sigh in girly bliss. That'll have me eager for the next book in the series. But they aren't 5 star Pick of the Litter books. And that's okay. 

If you're curious which books have gotten Pick of the Litter ratings you can check them out HERE.

So. What makes a 5 star read for you?
Are you stingy with them or are you more liberal with handing them out?
What was your LAST 5 star read?

To submit a topic go HERE!