Hello everyone!

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Bionic Bookworm! If you’re interested in participating, check out her wonderful blog to get the details and the prompts for each week!

This week’s Top 5 Tuesday topic is reasons why I rate a book 5 stars. This was an interesting topic to write about because it’s not something that I’ve given much thought to before. I don’t give out 5-star ratings very often, I give out lots of 4- and 4.5-star ratings, but to get 5 stars, the book must meet the criteria listed below.

I Love The Characters: When I read a book, I tend to focus on the characters more than the plot. If a book has a boring plot but interesting characters, I will most likely finish the book; but, if a book has a boring plot and boring characters, I’m going to give up and stop reading. I like characters who are relatable and who have actual flaws, I don’t like characters who are quote-unquote perfect. I like characters who evolve throughout the story, who I can root for, and who I want to succeed. If a book has at least one character who fits these criteria, I’m more likely to give it 5 stars.

I’m Emotionally Invested: This point is tied to my previous point; I like books that I become emotionally invested in. This usually means that I’m emotionally invested in the characters’ lives and that I want the character to succeed. If I’m reading a book that I’m emotionally invested in, I might end up talking/yelling at the characters because I don’t want them to do the wrong thing. When I’m emotionally invested in a book, I have a hard time putting it down, which can lead to a 5-star rating.

It Gave Me a Book Hangover: This point is linked to my two previous points; if I like the characters and I’m emotionally invested in the story, the book will likely result in a book hangover. I’ve seen a lot of definitions of this term on the internet, but I always think of it as the feeling of not knowing what to do with yourself once you’ve finished a really good book. If a book leaves me with a book hangover, I’m almost guaranteed to give it a 5-star rating.

I Want to Reread It: I don’t reread books that often because my TBR is out of control, and frankly, I don’t have time to do many rereads. However, there are some books that, as soon as I finish it, I know that I want to reread it at some point. My usual reason for this is that I know I’ll want to visit the characters again, but sometimes I have this feeling for other reasons. This feeling is usually tied to the book hangover and it often results in a 5-star rating.

It Made Me Laugh: This point is less important than the others, but I like books that make me laugh. The book doesn’t have to have me laughing the entire time, but I appreciate it when there are one or two well placed humorous moments in a book. If a book doesn’t make me laugh, I might still give it 5-stars, but it’s not as likely.