Highly Rated!
Once again, I am going off topic. This is something I have been seeing around the blogosphere, and I have been wanting to do for quite a while.
I went to my YA read-shelf, and looked at books with the highest average ratings (for books with over 500 reviews). I was curious as to how my rating compared to the average, and this is what I found.
What I Found Out
SFF books dominate: Hmmmm, I am not that surprised to see that he bulk of the books are SFF. I always feel like YA fantasy books are far more hyped than YA contemporaries. It is odd that so many SFF books are on MY list, as I don't read that many SFF books in general.
Repeat Offenders: Each author in my top ten appears more than one time. So, essentially, the same 5 authors make up my list. I didn't quite expect that, though, when you look at the titles, they are very, VERY popular books, and with the exception of the two contemporary entries, all part of series.
My ratings fall in line: For the most part, I rated slightly higher than the average, and all ratings are 4 stars and up. Not only did the vast majority of people find these books great, so did I.
- Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo (avg 4.60 stars, me 5 stars)
- Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare (avg 4.58 stars, me 5 stars)
- Obsidio by Jay Kristoff, Amie Kaufman (avg 4.53 stars, me 5 stars)
- Gemina by Jay Kristoff, Amie Kaufman (avg 4.51 stars, me 5 stars)
- Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare (avg 4.50 stars, me 4 stars)
- Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo (avg 4.48 stars, me 5 stars)
- Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (avg 4.46 stars, me 5 stars)
- Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare (avg 4.45 stars, me 5 stars)
- Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare (avg 4.42 stars, me 5 stars)
- The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (avg 4.42 stars, me 4 stars)
How do your ratings compare to the average?
Let us know in the comments!
Let us know in the comments!
It is hard to steer away from authors you love for sure! I know once I find one I love I check out all their books! I hope you are doing well!
ReplyDeleteI am a very loyal reader, but I guess I didn't expect all the same authors to be the top rated by everyone else too
DeleteI actually agree. YA fantasy seems to dominate over YA contemporary and I would have thought they'd be on equal footing but they aren't... I do like YA fantasy a lot but I think I see it as equal to YA contemporary to me... It's interesting that your rating is a bit higher overall but mostly lines up. And yes, we tend to have top YA authors and then their books are always at the top.
ReplyDeleteI have heard, from other readers, that YA fantasy has great appeal across age groups. Many do not find adult fantasy as readable as YA, and more readers, more hype? They also tend to be series, so that builds a sort of loyalty too. Remember, those are averages - we have whole stars. I think I started half-starring more once I was blogger, but back when, I whole starred
DeleteI'm also surprised to see so many SFF books on your list! I tend to be that one person that ends up not liking the hyped books!
ReplyDeleteWhen I started pleasure reading again, I was reading all my daughter's books. She LOVES the Shadowhunters books, and I ended up liking them too. If a series is really good, I will read each and every book. She talked me into reading Illuminae and SoC too. I trust her a lot, and so far, she has not steered me wrong.
DeleteI’ve found that my ratings are usually lower than average. I’ve always been way too critical a reader. ��
ReplyDeleteOr maybe you just like different things than other people, and it's good to have high standards. I KNOW there are books out there that everyone loves, and I do not agree.
DeleteCool idea!! I just checked and not one of books on my read list is rated over 4.4. I also pretty much rated the same as the average on mine too-- except A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. It's rated 4.36 and I rated 3.
ReplyDeleteIt was an interesting activity for me. There were all super hyped books, so the ratings didn't shock me, I just was surprised that the highest avg rated books on my shelf were mostly SFF books.
DeleteOh this is definitely an interesting post. I'm not at all surprised that fantasy/sf seem to dominate. I think a lot of YA fantasy books are great but I find that they require much more brain power on my part which I don't always have especially in the last few years of grad school.
ReplyDeleteI was only looking at my YA shelf. I don't think there are too many non-romance books on my adult shelf, so I would not be able to compare much there. But, yeah, people love that YA fantasy. I have heard that YA fantasy is easier to read than adult fantasy. If that's the case, I don't think I would be up to the challenge.
DeleteWhat an interesting way to look at your reading! I guess I'm not surprised that the highest rated YA books are SFF--I agree that it's probably the most popular YA genre.
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I have seen a lot of people doing this, so I thought I would see what I found, and it was somewhat surprising. Those are some pretty heavy hitters on my SFF/read shelf, so no shock. Though, I was pleased to see two by Acevedo hit the list. Those are the only stand alones on the list.
DeleteI can definitely see how fantasy would be more popular than contemporary. I feel like the reviews I read are usually for fantasy.
ReplyDeleteMy ratings tend to be pretty in line with other readers, unless I have some kind of nostalgic love for the author or series. I seem to always rate James Patterson novels higher than the average reader, for example.
I often feel like the lonely YA contemporary reader, but I know there are others. I think I might favor some authors too. I expect something great, and I make that happen for me.
DeleteI've never really compared my ratings against the averages but it's an interesting idea. Like Angela, I often feel like the lone wolf who doesn't love some of the super hyped books... or just ones that seem to be loved be everyone who reads them. (I'll Give You the Sun and Words in Deep Blue are two prime examples. I disliked both of those so much and they seem beloved by everyone else.)
ReplyDeleteThere have been a few hyped books I didn't go with the flow with, but I can honestly say, I really loved all these books. The two books you mentioned are favorites of mine.
DeleteI loved SoC's and I'm on hold for Clap When You Land. Acevedo can do no wrong so I'm hoping for another 5.
ReplyDeleteI always thought I rated more harshly but my average was a 4.2 but I haven't looked at specific books.
Karen @ For What It's Worth
Karen @ For What It's Worth
I thought Clap was amazing! The ending was a big surprise, and it made my heart explode. I hope you like it too. My avg rating is on the high side, for several reasons. I don't rate DNFs, and I don't normally finish a book that gets under 3 stars. I also am the queen of half stars, and I tend to round up. Some inflation there, but I can sleep at night.
DeleteOOh nice topic change! And picks! See a few that I've read too! Lol.
ReplyDeleteHere's my Tuesday Post
Have a GREAT day!
Old Follower :)
This list is definitely more your speed with all the SFF books.
DeleteOooh, this is a great topic for a post! Very interesting. I love looking at how the ratings I give a certain book compare to the rating my friends give it, but I haven't paid close attention to my ratings vs. the average. I do know that I tend to "rate up" on GR, partly because there are no half-star allowances. Also because if I read a book all the way to the end it means I liked it in general. Interesting.
ReplyDeleteHappy TTT!
Same. I am a lover of half stars, and tend to round up, unless there is something specific that really irked me (which is rare). It was an interesting activity for me, because I don't really look at what the top books I read are or how I fall in line with other reviewers. I tend to notice, and remember, when I am out of line, higher or lower.
DeleteCan I just say I'm proud that I actually have read a couple on your list? I so rarely read anything in this genre.
ReplyDeleteI really don't read much in the SFF realm, but those are the big books, and they seem to be highly rated all around.
DeleteI remember how hyped the Twilight books were and how I avoided them because of that. Then I read and loved them and now I've read some great hyped books. I've read and very much enjoyed almost every book on your list!
ReplyDeleteI never read Twilight. I think the movies were made not too long after the books came out, and once I see an adaptation, I won't read the books. I don't think I avoid hyped books, but the hype doesn't necessarily make me want to read them any faster either. All those heavy hitters up there, aside from the Acevedo books, were recommended by my daughter. I trust her judgement, when it comes to books, and they were hits for me.
DeleteI haven't read any of the books on your list except the Cassandra Clare books. I loved the first two, but I was so disappointed with Clockwork Princess. I didn't read any of the books after that. I gave it 3 stars and that was generous for me considering my feelings. I think I enjoy the YA contemps more nowadays when I happen to pick them up.
ReplyDeleteI was always more a contemporary reader, but I have had great success with fantasy books. I like being late to the game with them, because they always seem to be series, and I hate waiting a year to find out what happens next.
DeleteInteresting! I’ve also noticed that YA fantasy and sci-fi get higher ratings than other genres. It always makes me question my sanity when I feel “meh” about books in those genres.
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
My thinking is that they tend to be series, and to dedicate that much time to reading all those pages, you have to really be invested. They also have big fandoms too, and you know, fans show a lot of love
DeleteRepeat offenders is a thing for me too! If I LOVE one book by an author, I'm highly likely to love their other works as well.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. I have been let down, here and there, but more due to genre changes.
DeleteI'm still getting the hang of rating stuff - never sure how to rate things when I don't enjoy them much, but I can tell they're 'good', just not my thing? Or when I love reading them but can also appreciate they're badly written, or cheesy or whatever.
ReplyDeleteMy ratings are based solely on my experience. How it made me feel, and how well it entertained me. I am not there to critique the writing structure and stuff like that, because I am reading for pleasure. My star ratings just pop into my head after I read something. My reviews give the reasons for my rating.
DeleteThis is such a nice tweak of the topic Sam!
ReplyDeleteThanks. It was actually pretty interesting for me
DeleteVery interesting topic! I'll have to keep this one in mind whenever I want to change the TTT prompt... :D
ReplyDeleteI seem to be changing the topic more and more, but it was a fun exercise.
DeleteThis was a cool idea! It is interesting that YA SFF took over the top of the list... but then I think you're right, they are far more popular than contemporaries. And those three series are huge, I feel like everyone has talked about them. I'd be interested to see how my ratings help up to everyone else on some popular books too.
ReplyDeleteThose books had so many ratings, and they have fandoms. If I had read HP, I am sure those books would dominate my list.
DeleteThis is so cool! And I think everyone has a ton of Repeat Offenders on their lists -- so you're in good company :)
ReplyDeleteI expected more variety, yet, was not that surprised, if that makes any sense
DeleteOooh, I've actually read some of these! Probably because they're SFF and not contemporary YA. 😉
ReplyDeleteSix of Crows is one I've still not got to though... I'm not sure I want to read it if I'm honest but it gets a lot of hype and love and with the tv show inbound I'll probably give it a try!
I've never thought to compare how my ratings compare to the average but now I've curious!
SoC was really as good as everyone made it sound. I don't even really like those types of books, and I was fangirling over it. This was an interesting exercise. I wouldn't mind doing it again, at a later date.
DeleteI don't read a great deal of YA these days but most of the ones I did come under fantasy, dystopia and SF of some kind-The Hunger Games, Extinction Trials, The Testing, Harry Potter, Twilight, Wicked Hunger, Raven, The Moon Dwellers, Sign of the Throne, Life First etc
ReplyDeleteThere are some HUGE books on that list, yet, I have not read them, but at least I have seen some of the films.
DeleteI've read most of these and I think I fall in line with the average for the most part. I'm pretty sure Bardugo, the duo of Kaufman and Kristoft,and probably V.E. Schwab would all be repeat offenders on my list.
ReplyDeleteI guess it's not so odd, because series tend to develop fandoms, and those people are loyal
ReplyDelete