Karma♥Bites’s Mercurial Reads

I may have to tweak the following so to accommodate the half-stars available on BookLike.  But my existing info should do for now.

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”
     ― Charles William Eliot

The above quote perfectly describes why books are precious to me.  Aside from the fact that I love languages, I personally learned as much, if not more, from reading as from formal education and believe that reading books throughout one’s lifetime is akin to continuous education.

For me to enjoy a book, no matter the genre or length, it should (at the very least) be relatively well-written (meaning, follow basic rules for English and fiction writing) and have a reasonably coherent plot.  For better or for worse, it takes an exceptional storyline/storytelling to get my mind off sloppy writing. My enjoyment of any book is directly tied to how hard I have to work to overlook writing errors.  Thus, proofing/editing is a near-definite must; otherwise, a DNF tends to be the usual result.  If all of this make me a demanding reader, then so be it.

★★★★★: Something unique and memorable, whether in the story itself or its execution (and usually, but not always, very well-written).  Pretty much becomes a fav/re-read candidate.  Would definitely rec to others and read more of the author’s other works.

★★★★: Well-written & really liked it; exceeded expectations (possible 5-star candidate but missing that extra & elusive “oomph”).  Would rec to others and read more of the author’s other works.

★★★: Either enjoyable/met expectations or really liked it but a bit too many plot holes/errors/flaws to rate as 4 stars.  Possible rec to others, depending on their reading standards/quirks.

★★: Story overshadowed by critical errors or other flaws (usually poor writing, plot failures, and/or weak world-building).  Sometimes, though, it’s more a matter of me vs. the book (e.g., I’m not the right audience or something in the story hits a trigger or a personal “wha—??”).

★: Deficient to border on insulting and/or requires a PSA.