Looking for a good book? Check the list of my reviews to find your next great read (or avoid your next great disappoint)!
To get the most from a review and make an informed decision on whether to pick up the book (or not) I suggest reading the full review, as well as any comments left by others. If you’re short on time, you can just view my rating. However, ratings are highly subjective and therefore I don’t believe they should be used alone. My rating system is pretty simple:
I rank books on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the best. Here’s a rough breakdown on how I determine where a book falls on the scale:
5 – I loved everything about the book – the characters, the writing, the thoughts it provoked. If it got a 5, I finished the book and immediately wanted to re-read it just to get back into it’s imaginary world.
4 – A great read. I enjoyed the book and could potentially read it again in the future. It’s well-written and has great characters that take me on their journey with them.
3 – I enjoyed the book, but probably won’t read it again in the future. Basically, an average score.
2 – I tried. I probably wasn’t able to finish the book. If the story is good, but there are a bunch of editing mistakes to the point that I just can’t read it anymore, it will get a 2. It’s almost impossible for me to finish reading a book I feel falls under this ranking.
1 – I didn’t make it through the first couple of chapters before putting it down and walking away forever. (WARNING: You probably don’t want to pick up this book!)
Since my reading tastes vary widely, you’ll find reviews on books from many different categories. Everything ranging from the newest children’s story my foster kids are currently loving to the random books my middle-schooler feels EVERYONE should be reading, to my latest pick in fantasy, science fiction, mystery, drama drama drama (my own category rank), to women’s and literary fiction… I’ll basically read anything with characters that make me feel as if I know them and we’re going on a journey together. (I often talk about characters from my favorite books as if they live next door.)
If you don’t agree with a review, let me know why. If you read a book based on my review and loved it, I’d love to hear from you! If you’re an author and would like me to review your book and/or would be interested in doing an interview for the site, please use the Contact Me page and send me details about your book.
Thanks and happy reading!
Jess Combs 