Tell Me Something Tuesday is a feature hosted by Rainy Day Ramblings (in case the picture above didn’t tip you off,) and it’s sharing your thoughts on a topic that the blogger has come up with in regards to reading and/or blogging. If this post gets your creative juices flowing, feel free to respond in the comments, or adopt the topic and write about it yourself! And don’t forget to visit the maker of this feature by clicking on the image above.
This weeks topic is:
Do you give out one star reviews?
You know, I don’t think I do this anymore. But not for the reason you might think. I will always give an honest review of a book, and if I’ve finished it, I will rate it. But here’s the thing – until recently I have always been a trooper and forced myself to finish whatever book I’m reading. But in the past few years, I have embraced DNFing. It was something I had to really work myself up to, but when I finally did it, it improved my reading life by leaps and bounds. As most readers will tell you, there’s nothing more painful to your reading life than sitting through a book you aren’t enjoying. Now I don’t feel the need to do that. However, I also don’t find it fair to rate a book I’ve not finished, as one of the things I rate on is the overall story and how things were wrapped up. So if I’m reading a book and it’s just not grabbing me once I’m so far in, I’ll let it go. That’s not to say there are some books that are such train wrecks that I can’t walk away from them, but those are really few and far between. So…long-winded blogger much? I rarely give one star reviews anymore; I do a DNF quarterly instead listing why I walked away from a book (which reminds me, I am overdue for my June installment,) and hopefully that helps my reader buddies decide whether or not a book is for them. BUT if I was still a finish-every-book-I-start-reader, I am sure I’d have more one star books under my belt.
How about you? Do you ever give out one star reviews, or are you like me and nip it in the bud before it’s finished?
Books & Beauty Are My Bag 
I DNF books regularly, I have no problem with it, but I don’t rate those books, either. If I finish a book, I’m inclined to give it at least 2 stars. I figure if I made it to the end, there was something about the book that I must have liked, even just a little.
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I feel like I DNF a lot now. But sometimes a book is just so bad I have to finish, but I can’t always find two stars worth of things to like about them. I wish I could!
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I really is the worst feeling forcing yourself to finish a book. I am so glad I learned to dnf
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Oh my word. It has changed my reading life forever! DNFing is probably the best thing I’ve ever conditioned myself to do as a reader.
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I’m in the same boat. If the book really isn’t working for me, I DNF, so I don’t have a lot of 1 star reviews. I do have quite a few 2 star reviews, though.
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Yeah, DNF is the way to go. I’d rather do that than sit through a 1 star read for sure!
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I rarely 1 star books anymore, its only happened a couple of time when I had too many issues with a story that I couldn’t be okay with it, but I will always put in a review and explain my reasons and I try to not put down the author who write it. I will 2 star books more though.
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I don’t think I give many 1 star reviews. I tend to give mostly three to three and a half stars, I think. I try to explain, too. I know it’s helpful to me when a reviewer lays out what didn’t work for them!
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Thanks for doing TMST, Angie. I was just like you, I couldn’t stop reading a book, too stubborn, but I finally learned. I quit trying to slog through books I was dreading reading, and that has alleviated a lot of low ratings. If you want all the TMST questions coming up, shoot me an email. I have them written out through the end of the year, no pressure, if you want them to plan ahead more than happy to send them.
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Thanks for hosting it!
I’m so glad we’ve mastered DNFing. Here’s to better reading lives!
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I give them. But I also rate DNF-d books if I’ve made it to the 50% mark. If it’s so bad I can’t finish it it’s getting a 1 star.
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I rarely make it to the 50% mark. If I’m going to DNF, I usually know within the first 30%. But sometimes a book does take a turn for the worse later in the story. I hate when that happens.
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Same here, Angie. It’s not that I won’t give a one-star, but I end up DNF-ing long before I manage to finish and offer a one star.
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Yes, DNF is the way to go if you’re not enjoying it.
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No, don’t. I rarely give out 4,5 or 5 stars but I don’t give 1 or two starts. My lowest ratings are 3 stars. If I don’t really like a book I’ll DNF it.
Great post, Angie. Love this. 😁❤️👍🏻
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Thanks, Geybie! 🙂
Luckily I’ve had a lot of 4.5 and 5 stars recently. I love for those!
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Happy for you. 😁
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I don’t give out a lot of 1’s really. If I hate a book, I usually stop reading it like you.
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Yes, it’s the best way to go. I’d rather move on to something I might like.
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