How I Score Book Reviews

⭐ Personal Taste

This metric reflects my personal, subjective enjoyment as reader. Each item below is worth 1 star, for a total of a 5 stars.

• ⬜ The book completely held my attention without boredom or skimming.
• ⬜ The stories, characters, or ideas personally resonated with me.
• ⬜ The content engaged my emotions or piqued my imagination.
• ⬜ The book offered me genuine insight or perspective.
• ⬜ I found myself thinking about the book long after reading it.

📐 Craft

This metric evaluates the book’s overall composition, including writing, structure, clarity, originality, and execution of intent. Each item below is worth 1 point, for a total of 10 points.

• ⬜ Author's voice is distinct, and memorable.
• ⬜ Writing is clear, natural, and unadorned by inflated language.
• ⬜ Organization aids in reader comprehension and momentum.
• ⬜ Pacing is consistent and appropriate to the material.
• ⬜ Content is focused and deliberate—no fluff or repetition.
• ⬜ Context needed to fully understand the work is included.
• ⬜ Storytelling or logic is convincing and error-free.
• ⬜ Complexity is articulated without loss to depth or momentum.
• ⬜ Conclusion brings the book to a natural and satisfying end.
• ⬜ Stands apart within its genre, reflecting a clear personal vision.

💥 Reading Bandwidth

This metric measures how much effort this book demands from the average reader. It ranges from easiest (1) to most demanding (10).

🟢 (1/10) Effortless
This read is effortless, asking little from the reader.

🟢 (2/10) Easygoing
Light, easy reading where distraction rarely costs you much.

🔵 (3/10) Casual
Casual, straight-forward writing and ideas that only need light attention.

🔵 (4/10) Active
Books where an active focus will keep the read clear and enjoyable.

🟡 (5/10) Engaged
Genuine engagement is needed to navigate the writing and ideas found in this book.

🟡 (6/10) Commitment
This book requires commitment, so you must be engaged and consistent to fully understand.

🔴 (7/10) Dense
Dense and light on scaffolding, full concentration and effort is required to absorb the material.

🔴 (8/10) Deliberate
Reading this book is work—true comprehension demands chunked reading, annotations, and rereading.

⚫ (9/10) Heroic Effort
Strenuous concentration and veteran-level reading experience are required.

⚫ (10/10) – Hellish
Simply put, a nightmare to read.