Why 3 star books are sometimes better than 5 star books

[@saintdonoghue]

The quintessential CriminOlly thumbnail!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

😂 true

[@carolinec3951]

I read many "good for me" books when I was younger, Shakespeare, Voltaire, Marcus Aurelius. Now I consistently read garbage. There is a lot to be said for something that just gives you pleasure or makes you laugh. I very much enjoy the low-brow humor of Piers Anthony's Xanth books. LOL.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Completely agree - enjoyment in reading is the most important thing

[@akeleven]

The problem with five star books is the motive of the raters. Seeing many books rated by fan clubs or perhaps by paid personnel to be pushed into five stars when they don't deserve it. For instance a book that has 45 five-star reviews when it was just published yesterday on Audible.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Completely agree! I think the same is just as true for 1 star revews

[@tofusandwich9701]

Great topic! The more fundamental discussion should be how books are not inherently three-star, five-star, or any-star. I’m always amused/irritated when reviewers treat star ratings like they possess some level of scientific precision. Was that a 3.76 or a 3.77? GET THE CALIPERS!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Ha ha that's a great point. I refuse to give even half stars for books, but you're right that even giving a 1 to 5 rating is a bit daft. I do think it's a useful shorthand though

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Oh man. I get SO Many judging comments.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I think that’s one of the things that comes with having a video the algorithm loves, but that doesn’t make it not suck.

[@cafecryptic]

It is definitely tricky navigating rating a book for what it is vs rating a book for how much you liked it. I agree that timing also plays a big part in how much enjoyment you can get from a book.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah I do think ratings are a minefield, but a useful one!

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

That thumbnail! 💙 ratings can be tricky. Sometimes I remember a book being so good and I’ve been surprised when I go back and see that I only rated them 3 or 4. 😊

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah, I think it's a good idea to revisit your ratings later on. Not that I actually do that!

[@odothedoll2738]

FOR SOME REASON I READ THE TITLE AS “WHY 3 STAR WARS BOOKS ARE BETTER THAN 5 STAR WARS BOOKS” I was like what do you have against Star Wars series with more than 3 books 😭

[@CriminOllyBlog]

😂😂😂😂😂 I’m dying at this

[@michellesmelancholia]

Your thumbnails keep getting better and better 😂 I almost always rate based purely on personal enjoyment so trash books can definitely get 5 stars from me. The only exception I make is for public reviews of independently published or not-so-well-known authors who heavily rely on good reviews to sell books... in that case I try to be more objective and separate my personal preferences from my assessment of the quality of the book... (which is not 100% objective in itself but that's a separate issue)

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thank you! 😂 Yeah I think for small press/indie books I tend to take more time phrasing bad reviews constructively rather than just going “this was rubbish”

[@patto423]

I really like the cabinet behind you with all the books in it, looks very satisfying. Are you filming in a new room or was it added to your office.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

It’s an addition to the office - got rid of my tatty old shelves and got these new ones - they’re just IKEA Billy bookshelves with added doors

[@angelaluz405]

I feel the same. I sometimes feel the need to read 3 star romantic comedy novels in the same way you crave adventure books. They aren't great and I know it, but that's what I need at the time. They also make good palate cleansers between books on heavier topics or that have more flowery language.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah that’s it exactly. Sometimes you just need a low effort book

[@ITCamefromthePage]

I don't believe in Objectivity in reviewing art, I mean sure we can give stats, page numbers, etc etc but art is an format that for me is entirely built on emotion. Now in all honesty my format of reviews almost always resemble how most people separate objectivity/subjectivity anyways lol because yeah I give most Longarm/Lone Star books 3 stars BUT there are books in that pulpy set that I'd give 5 STARS, as within in that frameset you CAN kill it. I gave Predator: South China Sea 5 stars for example and that is 100% a pulp fest executed perfectly for my tastes. I also give classics (YES OLLY I HAVE READ A FEW) 5 stars but like if I hate it, I won't let cultural significance change my personal rating. This is a great topic and discussion!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah I do agree that it is possible to do something pulpy so well that it deserves 5 stars (SLUGS!). I really want to read that damn Predator book!

[@headlessspaceman5681]

This is how I feel about Richard Kadrey's Sandman Slim series. It's not high literature but I love the crap out of it and find my mind going back to many of his scenes and themes. Exuberant horror noir. You haven't reviewed him yet? This is a great channel I just started a couple of weeks ago and it's quickly zooming to the top of my under-viewed favorites (Georg Rockall-Schmidt, StichedTogetherPictures, Atun-Shei Films, etc) as I've been digging into the videos, and the stacks.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I'd not heard of the Sandman Slim books but they sound really fun, thanks for the recommendation! In a similar vein, have you tried the Dead Man books by Lee Goldberg (and others)? Really glad you're enjoying the channel!

[@Arven8]

Late comment here, but I wanted to let you know that your channel has helped me to rediscover the joy of reading. Formerly, I was someone who read mostly serious non-fiction. Occasionally, I would dip into serious literature. Although I would sometimes read a bit of fantasy or science fiction, that was pretty rare. For the most part, I read to *learn*. There was an upside to that, of course, but the downside was that reading often felt like labor. It felt like a chore. Watching your channel (and MKV's) over the past couple of months, I've started breaking out of my reading ruts and trying new things. I've been experimenting with reading westerns, "disturbing" literature, and "trash." It's been great! Reading doesn't feel like work anymore. I am enjoying it again. I used to enjoy reading when I was a kid, but somehow I lost that as an adult. Thank you for helping me to rediscover the joy of reading just for fun and entertainment. 😃

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thank you for leaving such a lovely comment! Really glad I've helped you get back into reading for fun again!

[@Kerunou]

Very valid topic here. You glance at goodreads and there’s so much snobbery there, the ratings are horribly skewed. If a reader is looking there exclusively for reviews and what people think, they will be absolutely misled. My general rule is that you should tack on 0.5 to any score on goodreads. A 2.5 becomes a 3, a 3.5 becomes a 4, etc. I find that’s far more “correct” in terms of what you may get out of the book. Your mileage will vary of course, but this allows for the snobbery and outright ignorance to be taken out of account.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thank you - and yes I think there is often another agenda at play when people rate books, even if they don't know it themselves. Thanks for watching!

[@DDB168]

It's not nonsense, I totally agree. Goodreads and Amazon have rating inflation anyway. DDB knows the secret to wading through the 'ratings' 😉

[@CriminOllyBlog]

That's true - I think rating inflation is a very real problem

[@emcdonald496]

This is such a great explanation. I feel like I’ve had the same thoughts, and you expressed them so eloquently, I never could have expressed it so thoughtfully. Very true. Great video. I really needed to hear this

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thank you! Really glad you found the video useful. Thanks for watching!

[@stephennootens916]

Oddly enough it is more often not reviews that I find that are two or three stars that convince me to read the book.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah, I'm always suspicious of 5 star ratings, I think lower scores give a more balanced view of things

[@bookssongsandothermagic]

I often rate books on goodreads, and I am always very subjective with the rating. I have awarded 5 stars to books that I imagine, from your video, should be getting 3 stars. If 3 stars is good, 4 stars being very good, and 5 stars being brilliant, to me those are all subjective accolades to be given as a personal take on the book.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

That's probably a better way to do it than my method. I think 5 for me is great and 3 is good, but 4 could either be nearly great but had a flaw or good with something a bit extra

[@maxwashingtonmusic7000]

Interesting vid! These days, I go by enjoyment only. If someone creates very entertaining trash, I give it 4 stars. I rarely give anything 5 stars. Years ago, I pushed my way through respected literature, but then I realized that I prefer genre stuff. Movies too. I recently watched Trancers 1-3 and Psycho Goreman. I told my friend that I give them all 4 stars. He was like: what?!! Lol. But they were soooo enjoyable. Not depressing. Anyway, I just discovered your channel and I’m enjoying it! I’ve already discovered lots of new books from your vids 👍👍👍👍📕📖

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Now you've made me want to spend all day watching Charles Band movies! Really glad you're enjoying the channel :)

[@jimsbooksreadingandstuff]

My ratings are subjective on my enjoyment, I gave 5 stars to We Need to Talk about Kevin, a disturbing book but it had me gripped and I still remember it well many years after reading it. Police Procedurals I often rate highly because I enjoy them at the time, but a couple of months later I have forgotten most of what they were about... Sometimes a book, which I can see is written well didn't work for me like The Remains of the Day, beautifully written, well drawn characters but I was a little bored with the story.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah I was reflecting that sometimes it would be good to go back say 3 months later and see if the rating you’d given a book still held right. Some books do fade from the memory very quickly

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah I was reflecting that sometimes it would be good to go back say 3 months later and see if the rating you’d given a book still held right. Some books do fade from the memory very quickly

[@lewiscarty5517]

A very interesting subject on books getting three star rated being better than five star rated books. I feel the same about music too, even though it's a different medium to reading, but it has a similar thing. I have an eclectic taste in music from mostly rock music and subgenres of rock including Classic Rock, Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Heavy Metal, Acoustic Rock, Folk Rock, Punk Rock, Pop-Punk etc, and to Pop Music as well, and even throwing Country Music and Classical Music in as well for what I listen to. I don't like to give full marked ratings on every album I own, like 5 stars or 10/10 ratings, because I think that my albums I own, all have different ratings, and I very rarely give 10/10 Ratings, to my albums, and I also don't count Compilation or Greatest Hits albums or even Live Albums from many artists to give ratings to, as they aren't necessary to give, and I sometimes think as being eclectic music listener, on my shelves, CD Racks and in boxes, I like to put comfortably a metal artist like Slipknot next to a Classic Artist like Iron Maiden, or an Indie Rock artist like Keane, I put them comfortably next to Contemporary Folk artist like First Aid Kit, and I love the idea of mixing between genres of music, whether it's heavy or soft, it doesn't matter, and I also think ratings on music isn't always relevant to every Artist in my opinion, because most people's favourite artists may even evolve and create something new on each release, or never change their sound and release the same sort of album every time, (AC/DC for example) however, I think some mid rated albums can be better than full rated albums, depending on which artists you like and to listen to.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Great points Lewis - completely agree that the same is true for music - sometimes it's just about what you're in the mood for.

[@knapalo]

We need to talk about Kevin , was made into a great movie.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I still haven’t seen that but I need to

[@Priscilla_Bettis]

I have to admit that whatever I'm working on non-book-wise (or thinking about or stuff going on) affects my enjoyment of a book. I may think about the book months later and realize how good it is. So now when I'm stuck between 3 or 4 stars for a review, (or 2 and 3, or 4 and 5), I bump it up to the higher rating knowing I may admire a book more a few months down the road.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah I tend to err on the side of generosity too. I do sometimes go back and amend ratings once I have had time to reflect though!

[@superblomper]

The THUMBNAIL! ! ! LOL

[@CriminOllyBlog]

lol glad you liked it

[@danielmarlett1421]

best thumbnail

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thanks :)

[@royreadsanything]

Totally agree with this 💯

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thanks Roy!

[@dianne7250]

So true, sometimes your brain needs a good cleansing before replenishing !

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Definitely! Thanks for watching!

[@thefisherking78]

TLDR, guilty pleasures are a thing I've loved quite a few books (and songs and movies and other works) that I know are trash He kinda says the same thing around 1:06

[@jeremyfee]

Nice meme-thumbnail. I think it's all subjective; I give star ratings based on how much I enjoy a book, not based on the long-lasting literary quality of it.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thanks Jeremy!

[@TheBookclectic]

Your thumbnail on this one!! 😂😂😂

[@CriminOllyBlog]

LOL - thank you

[@marsrock316]

With the amount of review bombing and trolling in today's culture wars, I almost entirely disregard ratings. I've seen a few authors have meltdowns if their new book comes out to anything less than 5 stars. Conversely, some books come out with 5 star ratings on day of release, even though they can't possibly be that good. Assuming anyone's even read it yet... Take Trek tie-in novels as a tiny example. The built in audience gives a kneejerk positive rating because they like the author or want to give the book a boost. So mediocrity thrives on Amazon and other sites using star ratings. Always look beyond the rating and, if possible, ignore it entirely.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I do agree, I think ratings are a useful shorthand but are best treated with caution.

[@seanfaherty]

Because 6 star books are written for reviewers and academics. 3 star books are just good stories

[@CriminOllyBlog]

That’s a great way of putting it

[@parlabaneisback]

Luckily for me, I don't believe there are 'objective measures of quality' for literature - so the dichotomy addressed in the video doesn't apply to my reading.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Excellent!

[@anneworks]

I always like your thumbnails but this one had me go 😂😂😂 to the point that my partner came upstairs to check if I was alright, lol.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

😂😂 sorry about that

[@anneworks]

Having watched the video now, I heartily agree. I was once saved from a major reading slump by Neil Gaiman's View from the cheap seats that begs adults not to judge the reading choices of children. So why do this to myself? Since then I read what I want in the moment. I exert myself regularly, but I never force myself anymore. Am a much more happy reader these days

[@CriminOllyBlog]

@@anneworks I’ve not read that book, but that sounds like great advice!

[@lizardking6343]

While I understand what you're getting at here, I disagree with the mindset wholeheartedly. There is no "objective quality" when it comes to any form of art. Art is totally subjective, so your own personal taste is the only thing in question when assessing a work. When you say you're judging the objective quality of a work, you're actually speaking of parameters set by another group of people who were also only judging these works by their own opinion (the scholars and critics who taught you whatever quality you're assessing) so what it ends up doing is perpetuating a mindset in which readers value the opinions of others above their own and all criticism becomes a stagnant repetition of the same core tenets. We should be striving for the opposite, with each of us crafting our own personal taste and ignoring the guidelines of what makes something "objectively" good or bad. Just because you are taught that something is the right way doesn't make it the good way. When it comes to the great works of literature, we see them as great because a group of people long ago felt that they were great and decided to impart that opinion on those who followed. When making our own evaluations we must be careful to assure our critiques are actually our own, and not a case of our opinion being led astray by those who came before. An author with the ability to write a thousand pages of flowery text is not automatically a great writer. It just shows that they understand what somebody taught them was the correct way to write. I also understand that it's totally possible for your personal opinion to fall completely in line with whatever you're taught, but if that were the case we wouldn't be making a distinction between personal enjoyment and objective quality, would we? Just by understanding there is a distinction between the two, you're halfway there. It just seems a mistake to take either one into account with the other. And I'd like to point out - people want to hear what YOU think about a book, not how well you feel it aligns with the tenets of great literature. Anybody with decent schooling or experience in reading can look at a text and tell you whether it is written well, but only you can tell us how you actually felt about it, and that's what we're here for.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Those are really good points. I think what is high art and what isn't is very much a product of the culture at the time. And following on from that I think (based on the idea that quality is determined by the culture rather than being an absolute) that there are some objectively good books and some objectively bad books - say 10% of each. And then 80% of stuff in the middle. However, I do completely agree that we shouldn't be led by preconceived notions of what is great literature and what isn't - if we don't try and resist those we end up getting stuck and nothing ever changes.