Hi Reader,

We took our homeschool spring break last week. We spent Monday afternoon playing at the park in the sun and sand. Besides the 200 mph winds, it seemed like Mademoiselle Spring was on the brink of making her 2024 debut.

Then, on Wednesday, Madame Winter swept onstage and said, "One more thing before I go," and she sprinkled an encore of snow flurries that have continued on and off ever since.

It's a textbook spring.

Besides the weather, here's another thing that's been erratic: my star ratings for the books I review.

Giving a star rating on Goodreads or Amazon is hard because what do those stars mean?

I like to review different aspects of the book separately and then roll those into an overall average.

But when I review books on my website, I don't include the breakdown—just the average.

Do you know why?

Me either.

Doing a rating breakdown is harder than one overall rating. Just like breakdancing is harder than regular dancing. 🫠 Often, I intuit this breakdown—you know, feel it with my feely feelings—and I never write it down.

I'd like to change that.

Here's my star rating breakdown for novels:

• Character
• Plot & pacing
• Writing craft
• Moral value

Here's what I mean by each of those.

• Character: Real, round, or memorable characters get a higher star rating. Here is where I assess the story's internal and emotional scope and the protagonist's inner journey.
• Plot & pacing: A well-conceived plot with a pace that's suited to the story, whether fast or slow, gets a higher star rating. I love plots that support character and theme.
• Writing craft: A book with literary merit gets a higher star rating. Is the writing readable or distracting? Does the writer achieve a measure of transcendence?
• Moral value: Does the book reinforce truth? I'm not rating how clean the book is. I'm rating how well it conveys a message of truth, even if the picture it paints is fraught and conflicted. Does it offer more meat than bones?

I'd love to start including these star ratings in my end-of-month reviews.

Do you have a star rating system that you use?

Book Lover's Grab Bag

🏀 I love the literary versions of March Madness that happen around this time each year. Close Reads has a fun one. Which book has the best first line?

📊 I've let my StoryGraph account go quiet for a while, but I'm thinking of clearing it out and using it to keep track of the books I own. StoryGraph is like Goodreads but with way more data, and it's great for finding mood reads.

🪐 I saw Dune 2 and, even though it was interesting, I was troubled by how dark it was. Redeemed Reader has a nice book-to-movie comparison in case you're thinking of adding this sci-fi classic to your TBR.

As always, I'll leave you with one irresistible indulgence—a perfect transition piece for winter to spring.

Your devoted,

Michelle

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