My Grading System

GRADING SYSTEM

I use the A-DNF system. I interpret the grades as follows:

A = Fan-effing-tastic! I want to recommend this book to everyone I know. I’ll definitely re-read it.

A- = A great book, despite one or two very minor quibbles. Highly recommended. I’ll probably re-read it.

B+ = A very good book, but not a Keeper. I’d recommend it but I probably won’t re-read it.

B = A solid example of its genre/subgenre. Not stellar, but worth reading.

B- = Flawed but still readable. A qualified recommendation.

C+ = This book didn’t quite work for me but it’s not entirely without merit.

C = This book was a “meh” read. I had several serious criticisms of it and/or I was bored.

C- = I struggled to finish this book. At times, I considered throwing it against a wall, but I persevered.

D = This book sucks, but it has a middle, a beginning and an end.

F = This book is so bad I wanted to ceremoniously burn it upon finishing. I’m amazed I finished it.

DNF = This book failed to engage my interest/annoyed me within the first fifty pages, and I did not finish it. I’m an impatient reader with less time to devote to books than I would like. For this reason, I’m more likely to toss a book to the side and declare it a ‘DNF’ than I am to persevere with a book which I’d ultimately grade a ‘C-’, a ‘D’, or an ‘F’.