Bad book ( in myOpinion )

[Paranoidandroidmarvin]

After all these years I have my first two star!!!

if u rate books on Goodreads. Do u actually give that kind of rating. Feels mean to me. As the author spent years writing it.

Well yeah, if I really think a book is bad. Reviews are mostly for readers not writers.

Yes, of course. It isn't personal. It isn't the purpose of reviews to placate authors.

I do.

Do you mean two stars for a book you wrote or one you read?

I've read more than a few books that felt like the author had spent a week writing it, got bored and finished it mid thought. I don't feel bad about giving them a low rating.

if u rate books on Goodreads. Do u actually give that kind of rating. Feels mean to me. As the author spent years writing it.

I've given worse than 2 stars. I really wouldn't take it personally OP. If you've only had one 2 star rating after years then you're obviously doing something right

Yes, absolutely - if you can't rate books honestly when they're bad, what's the point of rating them at all? My system is that 5 stars is wonderful, 4 is good, 3 is OK, 2 is pretty bad and 1 is awful. Despite my best efforts, I find myself sometimes reading books that are not good, so that's what they get. I've given two 2-star reviews on Goodreads this year.

I don't think I have ever given less than 3 stars. If I really hate a book I don't read beyond the first few chapters and I don't think it's fair to review a book when I didn't read all of it.
I wrote and self published a book myself and got everything from 5 stars to 1, (mostly 4 and 5 thank goodness) and it does feel personal and quite hurtful when you get a nasty one, but you can't let it get to you.
Whenever I get a particularly mean one I read the one star reviews awarded to my favourite book, Pride and Prejudice, and comfort myself that there is no accounting for taste.

That's pretty much the system I use too cabbagey

Sure, I give books one or two stars if they are poor.

I look at my friends’ ratings for recommendations and they look at mine. If I give something a 3 star review when I hated it, how is that helpful?

Reviews aren’t for authors. They are aide memoires for me and an opinion for other readers should they want it.