10 - A Masterwork. It feels like it is or should be a major contribution to human society. There are probably a lot of things about this book that I don't like, but that are also completely necessary for it to work. It probably has critical acclaim, and the author is probably dead already.
9 - Affects who I am on a day to day basis. I feel like I understand myself better after reading, or like the world is more complicated than I had previously thought. It opens my mind. Characters are real; the world is real; the conflict compells me. People who read these books will understand me better as a person.
8 - I can't stop thinking about it. It emotes irrational emotional response. I'm pissed if they turn it into a movie, but they probably turn it into a movie. This is also for books that open up my thinking to something new, or make me think about the world differently. I'm probably going to have to explain ask Becca to sit and listen to me talk about this at some point while I'm reading it - whether she gets it or not.
7 - Supremely entertaining. I probably laughed out loud, cried, or found myself looking like an idiot at some point while reading. Also for really intreaguing books. I have to chew on them for a while when I'm done with them.
6 - A great read. I would recommend it to anyone. Would make a fantastic movie. The characters are real, the conflict is coherent.
5 - I struggled to make it through the whole book, but it had redeeming qualities. It was somewhat entertaining. Like binge watching old TV shows - you're almost embarrased to be doing it, but it beats whatever else I'd be doing at the time. When I think back on the story and characters a few months later, I probably can't remember the title of the book or the author.
4 - I tried to read it, but I gave up on it. I literally didn't finish the book. It was better to commute home in silence than to finish that garbage. If I didn't actually give up on the book, I wish I had in hindsight.
Below a 4 - I don't read garbage. I've got a particular taste in what I like and everything else is a waste of my life. I'm assuming this is where crappy romance novels and teen fiction go. I love a lot of people who love those kinds of books...I'm just not one of them. Everything below a 4 doesn't get a score.