MembreYaaresse

Reading mix: Probably 70% nonfiction to 30% fiction. As of the last few years, 100% ebook. That I can fit on one tablet what used to take up entire rooms still amazes me.

I go through reading stages: the sci-fi/fantasy stage, the woo-woo stage, the classics stage, the psychology stage, the micro-history stage.... There was even a brief flirtation with (non-sparkly, non-insipid) vampires and an even briefer time spent with thrillers. I'm more discerning now than I used to be, but I sometimes still like reading mindless fluff. Unlike in my younger reading days, I no longer feel compelled to finish a book just because I started it.

Here's the thing: I don't care if anyone reads my reviews. I don't care if anyone agrees with my opinions.  I make these notes for myself.

Any rating system is subjective and arbitrary.

That said, my purely subjective, arbitrary system is loosely based on what I thought of the book at the time I read it. In some cases, that was years (decades!) ago. If I read the same book today, my rating might be completely different.  

For me to rate a book five stars, it must have a magic made of grit, spit, and faerie dust that spellbinds it to my psyche in some mystical way. Nothing (and no one) gets a gold star--and certainly not five of them--for simply showing up.

Loosely translated, my ratings run as follows:

• Five Stars - Thorough enjoyment. Not only did it appeal to my mind and emotions, it made me dinner, brought the good bourbon, loaded the dishwasher correctly, and gave me a back massage. 
• Four Stars -- Really liked it. We had a meaningful time together.  It's not perfect, but it has so much to offer that I can overlook its minor foibles.
• Three Stars -- Liked it. We got along well, but I don't see anything long-term coming from our time together. Average isn't a slur.
  
• Two Stars - It was "meh". I mean, I'm not interested in seeing it again and probably wouldn't recognize it on the street in a month, but it wasn't horrible.
  
• One Star -- Well, that was a mistake. I don't think I'll need a restraining order, but am definitely blocking its number.
• Abandoned/DNF -- New phone, who dis? I read more than 49 pages or 20% (whichever is more). Like a dud first date, sometimes the best thing to do is just admit that it's not going well before investing any more time on a lost cause. Knowing I deserve better, I suddenly had something - anything - better to do.
  
• Sampled, not interested -- I read the first chapter or 10% of the book (whichever is more), and it obviously a) wasn't a good fit, or b) not what I expected based on the synopsis. Thanks, but no thanks.
  

An omnivorous reader from as far back as I can remember, I was the kid always asking "why" and "how" until the adults told me to stop pestering them and go look it up. I was also the kid who seldom accepted at face value what I was told. 

Still an omnivorous reader.
Still asking questions.
Still deciding for myself.