Intermissions: The Fault in Your Stars

I have 5 STARS to give out for each review. The first star is there by default, for the writer's effort. If I give another star, that means I find some of the things in the book (plot, characters, dialogue, etc.) okay. I can still swallow them. The third and fourth stars are my personal feelings for the book—if it's up to my taste or not. I usually know if I should give those stars upon reading the book for the first time. Then I read/scan it for the second time to decide whether I'll give the second star or not. If I add them up, this is how the ratings can be interpreted:

★                CREDITS FOR THE EFFORT (`Cause writing is not easy)
★★             I SEE POTENTIAL (Keep on working hard, Mr/Ms Author)
★★★          I ENJOYED IT (It's worth reading)
★★★★       I LOVED IT (I recommend it)
★★★★★    IT'S A KEEPER (I'll hide this book so it can't be borrowed) 

Sometimes, the reviews do not match the ratings. That's just how it is. It's also why I stick to five stars only—to keep the review as brief and as spoiler-free as possible. We are busy people, aren't we? For all I know, only writers consume what's on this blog in order to find something useful for the improvement of their craft. 

But that's the goal. I'm hoping to see some really good novels in the future.