How This Works

Hello, and welcome! There are two things that I love to do more than anything: reading and baking! With that said, I'll be using this blog to review books and recipes alike.

Each book that I review will have a rating out of 5 stars; the ratings will be based on points earned in categories that I believe are critical to the success of a book. Here are explanations of these categories:

Character Building: Are the characters fleshed out? Are they believable within the realm of their stories? 

Characters play an important role in any story. Their actions and voices generally carry a story forward along an author's plot, and if the character building feels disjointed, the reader may never feel any connection to the book.

Plot Strength: Does the book have a story line that can be followed? Is the story consistent?

There are a multitude of books out there that thrive on tangled plot lines, but let it be said that this approach does not work for every story. If plot points are contradictory and the story can't be understood on a basic level, the book will ultimately turn readers off.

Sincerity: Is the story plausible in the world built by the author?

This category can seem a little vague at times, but it goes hand in hand with plot strength. Many books are based in the reality of today's world with minor tweaks; it is up to the author to make sure that these tweaks (think vampires, hidden aliens, magic, etc) mold in seamlessly. 

Editing: Can I read the book without cringing? Does the author/editor wield basic grammatical knowledge?

Honestly, this category is always big with me; I find it difficult to finish a book when I have to maneuver around numerous errors. If there's one thing that I mourn, it's a book with a stellar story to tell that can't find its way out of grammatical hell.

Pacing: Does the story progress at a reasonable speed? 

I look for stories to have a good balance in its speed. It's important to note that this does not mean that I think that all books should have the same set speed; different books require different tactics. Overall, if a story progresses too quickly it can gloss over important plot points. On the other hand, if a story progresses too slowly it can get caught in the act of telling instead of showing. It's a fine line to be sure, but pacing is just as important as any of the other categories.

The above five categories can receive one of three ratings:

1 star=Excellent

.5 stars=Average

0 stars=Failing

Add all the points together for a rating out of 5 stars.

There is one additional category:

Bonus!: Examples: Originality, Satisfaction, etc

Not all books are the same, and some books have qualities that, while not reflected in the main categories, are worthy to bring to light for appreciation. This category can boost a rating by .5 points

I haven't quite decided how I'll rate recipes just quite yet, but I will post up my method of madness when the time comes.

Happy reading!