how I review and rate my books

2024/2/19 Edited to

... Read moreReviewing and rating books is an essential part of being an engaged reader. Using a book journal can significantly enhance your experience, allowing you to document insights, memorable quotes, and personal reflections. This practice not only helps you articulate your thoughts better but also aids in developing your unique rating criteria over time. Start by including essential elements like the book title, author's name, and genre. Additionally, consider incorporating overall ratings along with specific details such as a spice rating for genre-related content. Sharing your reviews on platforms like Lemon8 can connect you with other book enthusiasts who are eager to discuss similar genres and recommendations. Participating in trends like #booktok or #lemon8bookclub can further enrich your reading journey. As you explore different genres and styles, always remember to revise your evaluation approach; adapting your criteria can lead to more nuanced insights as you grow as a reader. Happy reading and journaling!

17 comments

See more comments

Related posts

An overhead shot displays three books on a dark surface with a plant, featuring "My Year of Rest and Relaxation" and "A Certain Hunger." The image is overlaid with the text "books with UNHINGED WOMEN," introducing a selection of books about female rage and unhinged characters.
The book "My Year of Rest and Relaxation" by Ottessa Moshfegh is shown on a white bedsheet, accompanied by text describing it as a raw depiction of depression where a young woman attempts to sleep for a year. It is rated 4.5 stars.
The book "A Certain Hunger" by Chelsea G Summers is displayed on a white bedsheet. Text describes it as a story about a food critic who is a serial killer, leading to her conviction, and calls it "the most unhinged book."
books with unhinged women🤪
books about female rage and unhinged women? sign me up!!! 🙋🏻‍♀️ these are probably my top book recommendations of that topic! these are all super different and unique from each other plot wise and I enjoyed all of these in different ways. Something about reading about an unhinged, unapologetic m
Alli Beachy 🤍

Alli Beachy 🤍

2795 likes

A collection of popular BookTok books, including 'Beach Read', 'Bad Girl Reputation', 'King of Pride', 'The Final Gambit', 'The Darkest Forest', and 'The Song of Achilles', are stacked on a bed, accompanied by heart emojis.
The book 'Six of Crows' by Leigh Bardugo is rated 5/5, with reactions describing confusion, appreciation for characters like Nina, and intense plot developments, including a Netflix adaptation mention.
The book 'Icebreaker' by Hannah Grace is rated 5/5, featuring reactions praising the chemistry, banter, and romance, with comments like 'I WANT WHAT THEY HAVE PLEASE' and 'Oh we love therapy'.
How I felt while reading popular Booktok books
#boktok #books🫶🏼 #review #lemon8bookclub #myopps
Torre

Torre

899 likes

A hand holds several books fanned out on a gray textured surface, with the overlay text "books that could be A24 movies." The Lemon8 logo and user handle "@mollz.y" are visible in the bottom left.
The book "Lost in the Garden" by Adam S. Leslie is displayed with keywords like "surreal horror" and "fever dream." A plot summary about three women going to Almanby and five purple stars indicating a "six star read" are also shown.
The book "One's Company" by Ashley Hutson is featured with keywords such as "literary fiction" and "mental health." A plot summary about Bonnie Lincoln recreating a TV set and four yellow stars are also visible.
books that need to be adapted into movies NOW!!
SOMEONE CALL ARI ASTER I HAVE THE PERFECT BOOK FOR HIM TO MAKE THE NEXT BEST BLOCKBUSTER FILM Honestly, any of these books would make for a fantastically weird, trippy a24 movie. I absolutely LOVE surreal weird literature and i LOVEEEEE surreal weird films and if someone could give any of these
molly

molly

1775 likes

A stack of books with numerous colorful tabs protruding from the pages, illustrating the method of tabbing books. The image features the title 'How I Tab Books' at the top.
An open book displays a color-coded key for tabs, categorizing them by emotions like 'Cute,' 'Funny,' and 'Deep/Dang.' A handwritten note indicates 'This is my 1st time Annotating so yea!'
An open book shows pages filled with colorful tabs marking various sections. The title 'HIGHLIGHT CUTE MOMENTS' emphasizes the purpose of the annotations, with some text visible on the right page.
How I Annotate Books! 🌸
Generally it depends on the genre. I tab a lot for romances whenever I do tab. - I base it off of the emotions I tend to feel when reading. 🎧 I don’t bother using a ruler or anything because it helps me to view the book as a work of art, rather than something that has to be super perfect with no
Leyah

Leyah

1485 likes

A hand holds a stack of books, with pink text overlay "BOOKS I WILL ACCEPT ZERO CRITICISM ON" and "Lemon8 @mollz.y" in the corner.
The book cover for "Young Mungo" by Douglas Stuart is displayed with five white stars. Overlays provide a Goodreads summary and details like "416 pages," "literary fiction," "LGBTQ+," and "heartbreaking," along with a trigger warning.
The book cover for "The Spear Cuts Through Water" by Simon Jimenez is shown with five white stars and "six star read!!". Overlays include a Goodreads summary and details such as "576 pages," "epic fantasy," "LGBTQ+," and "quest plot."
molly’s must read books!! 📚
5 standalone novels and 2 trilogies you HAVE TO READ!! I’ve read almost 50 books this year and these are some of my favorites so far. You’ll notice that not all of them are 5 stars and yet I still classify them as a must read. That’s because I don’t just rate books out of 5 stars, I rank them ba
molly

molly

551 likes

A spooky-themed image with a tree, an open book, a lantern, and a skull, introducing a post about book ratings from a fall TBR list. The text reads "BOOKS & RATINGS from my Fall TBR" and includes a "SWIPE" prompt.
The book "Noctucadia" by Keri Lake, featuring a dark cover with a skull and butterflies, is displayed on open book pages. The book is rated 4 stars, with the Latin phrase "MORTUI VIVOS DOCENT. THE DEAD TEACH THE LIVING" on the cover.
The book "Assistant to the Villain" by Hannah Nicole Maehrer, with a purple cover, is surrounded by fall-themed decor including ferns and quills. The book is rated 5 stars.
Books & Ratings
Here are the books I’ve already read from my TBR and what I rate them 📚 #booktok #BookReview #bookrecommendations #spookyseason #witchbooks #witchybooks #tbr #fall
Arlyn

Arlyn

11 likes

Books I’ve read recently❣️
All these books were worth reading! I love cowboy romance books #cowboyromancebooks #bookrecommendations #reading #BookReview #books
Shelbs💋

Shelbs💋

65 likes

A collage of thriller and suspense book covers, including 'Beautiful Ugly,' 'Keep It In The Family,' 'The Family Upstairs,' and 'Home Before Dark,' with the title '7 Thrillers & Suspense Books To Read On Your Next Trip.'
A person holds Alice Feeney's 'Beautiful Ugly' book, featuring a stormy sea cover. Text describes the plot: a man searches for his missing wife on a remote island where nothing feels right.
A hand holds John Marrs' 'Keep It In The Family' book, showing a dark staircase on the cover. Text summarizes the plot: a couple renovating their new home uncovers disturbing secrets.
Thriller and Suspense Books For Your Next Trip!
If you’re looking for thriller book recommendations that will keep you hooked on your next trip, these suspense books seriously deliver. From fast-paced psychological thrillers to slower creepy mysteries with huge plot twists, every single one of these had me saying “just one more chapter” before b
Khadija | Solo Traveler

Khadija | Solo Traveler

70 likes

Books I’ve Read w/ Ratings!
Y’all can obviously tell who my favorite author is! I’m trying to branch out some so if there is any recommendations please lmk!! #books2024 #bookrecommendations #collenhoover #kristinhannah #anahuang #rating #spicybooks #bookaesthetic #bookwormsoflemon8
Jazmyn Horil

Jazmyn Horil

78 likes

Books I’ve read recently 💓
All these books were good, the last two were definitely my favorites #books 🫶🏼 #books #BookReview #bookwormsoflemon8 #bookreccomendation
Shelbs💋

Shelbs💋

38 likes

Books I’ve read recently✨
All these books were good! #books 🫶🏼 #reading #bookrecommendations #BookReview #bookwormsoflemon8
Shelbs💋

Shelbs💋

63 likes

An overhead flat lay of several literary fiction books on a gray textured surface, with the text 'literary fiction (for the weirdos)' and a cat peeking from behind the books. The books include 'Monstrilio', 'The Devil and Mrs. Davenport', 'Biography of X', 'Natural Beauty', and 'I'm Thinking of Ending Things'.
A close-up of the book 'The Devil and Mrs. Davenport' by Paulette Kennedy, featuring a cracked house on the cover. Text overlays provide a Goodreads summary, page count (351), and genres like historical fiction, horror, and thriller.
A close-up of the book 'Monstrilio' by Gerardo Sámano Córdova, with a dark, horned creature on a colorful, abstract background. Text overlays include a Goodreads summary, page count (336), and genres such as horror, magical realism, and LGBTQ+.
books that’ll leave you like “????”
If you know me or this page, i love weird books. Give me weird, give me unhinged women, give me mind bending stories. I think a lot of readers, specifically those who mainly read popular booktok books, haven’t really delved into the world of literary fiction. And i want to change that!! There ar
molly

molly

133 likes

A smiling woman holds the book "Same Time Next Summer" by Annabel Monaghan, standing in front of a white bookshelf. Text overlay reads "book review time."
A hand holds the book "Same Time Next Summer" with a bookshelf background. Overlays highlight themes like "second chance," "summer romance," "self discovery," and "childhood friends to lovers."
A hand holds the open book "Same Time Next Summer" to a title page, against a bookshelf. Overlays mention "new favorite author alert!!," "beautiful but simple quotes," and "LOVED the past chapters," with four stars.
BOOK REVIEW: Same Time Next Summer ✨⛵️🫶🏼
guys! dare i say, i found a new favorite author this month??!! i fell in love with @annabelmonaghan writing style from the get go. not only does she write some beautiful but simple quotes, i absolutely adore her commitment for short and sweet chapters aka my bread andddd butter!! going into thi
Grace 📚💖

Grace 📚💖

49 likes

If you love fairy tales-these books are for you! 🍎
Who else is a fairy tale fan? Right now kindle and Amazon books have come in clutch with these 3 (and more) fairy tale inspired books. Above I listed some tropes for each one. And here’s what good reads had to say: Snow so white➡️ rated 3.7 stars Grimhilde➡️ 0 stars (it looks like this book
Ashlie

Ashlie

112 likes

Book Review 🖋️📝📖❤️
Book Review! 📖🖋️📝📚 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I absolutely loved this book. I loved how it looked at the lives of women in the 60s and how unfair things were. Each woman in this book had a different story to tell and have their own struggles. Margaret helped bring them all together by forming The Book Club (
Kaitlin James

Kaitlin James

8 likes

books i gave five stars
have you read any of these? i get so connected to characters it’s hard for me to rate books below 4 stars lmao, but these are some of my favs <3 #lemon8bookclub #readwithlemon8 #BookReview #bookrecommendations #booksbooksbooks #bookwormsoflemon8 #letschat #readersoflemon8
mads

mads

114 likes

A hand holds the book 'One By One' by Freida McFadden, featuring a dark house cover. Overlays read 'Done Reading' and 'Worth the Hype', indicating a book review.
Mystery Book Review!
I will rate this a 4/5 👌🏽👌🏽 Freida Mcfadden has not disappointed me yet with her books! The twists and endings always leave you like... 😮 I was trying to figure out who was doing what the whole time and was so wrong lol. I definitely recommend this book! Any of her books really! I'm
Epiphany

Epiphany

48 likes

A hand with light blue painted nails holds an open book, with a pink overlay featuring the title "How I annotate my books" and a red book emoji.
A white background with a pink gradient displays text detailing how to use sticky tabs and notes for summarizing, making notes, and using highlight tape.
A white background with a pink gradient displays text outlining what to highlight in a book: key points, plot lines, and occurrence points to refer back to.
How I annotate my books 📕
Tips on how I annotate my books but I mostly ready thriller books. I sometimes annotate my books but different I like to highlight clues or makes so I could refer to back. -make note help remember when write your review - quotes you like Materials - ballpoint pen - pastel or highlighter
Ashley

Ashley

58 likes

A person with dark hair sits at a desk, writing in a notebook with a tablet displaying text. The image has an overlay text "3 Books That Rewired My Brain for Success" and the Lemon8 logo with username.
A review of "Psycho-Cybernetics" by Maxwell Maltz, rated 4.5/5 stars. The description highlights its core idea of the mind as a goal-seeking mechanism, best for students with self-doubt, but notes its dated language.
A review of "Ready, Fire, Aim" by Michael Masterson, rated 4/5 stars. It emphasizes starting messy and perfecting later, ideal for aspiring entrepreneurs, though some business growth advice might be less relevant initially.
My Honest Review of 3 Mindset-Shifting Books
1. Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz 🧠 This book is the foundation for almost every modern success book, and for good reason. It teaches you that your brain is a powerful "goal-seeking mechanism" steered by your self-image, a concept I found incredibly powerful. I give it a ★★★★☆ (4.5/5)
emilie.studygram

emilie.studygram

25 likes

A flat lay showing a book, a rosary, and a lit candle, with a pink overlay text that reads 'Spicy books I'm Dying to read' and a red chili emoji.
The book cover for 'Ambition' by K.V. Rose, with a text overlay 'Predicting: 5/5⭐️' and a caption explaining the user's interest in the dark romance novella.
The book cover for 'Stolen Heir' by Sophie Lark, with a text overlay 'Predicting: 4/5⭐️' and a caption explaining the user's enjoyment of the series' first book.
Spicy books I’m Dying to read🌶️✨
I absolutely love reading dark romance and I’ve been dying to read more lately. I’ve been reading a lot of romantasy but the type of spice and tropes are completely different so I miss it. These are just a couple of books I’m dying to read. Ambition by K.V. Rose Predicting: 5/5⭐️ I saw one of
Spookyrevioos

Spookyrevioos

2658 likes

A stack of books on a wooden surface, with torn paper labels reading "banned & challenged Books on my TBR." Book titles include "China Rich Girlfriend," "Severance," and "The Leavers." The background shows blurred greenery and white flowers.
A yellow background with text explaining "the perks of being a wallflower" was banned for sexually explicit and LGBTQIA+ content, rape, drugs, and profanity. The book cover and a quote by Stephen Chbosky are also displayed.
A yellow background with text explaining "ALL BOYS AREN'T BLUE" was banned for explicit sexual content and profanity. The book cover by George M. Johnson, featuring a person with flowers and butterflies, and a quote are shown.
banned books on my TBR!
#bannedbookschallenge #lemon8challenge #bannedbooks #booksonmytbr #trending
Autumn✿

Autumn✿

23 likes

A stack of books with blue tabs on a pink floral bedspread, with a gray tufted headboard and a Kermit the Frog plush in the background. Overlay text asks, 'Witch book should I review next'.
The book 'Twisted Love' by Ana Huang, featuring a light blue cover with glittery effects and dark blue text, lying on a pink floral bedspread.
The book 'The Love Hypothesis' by Ali Hazelwood, featuring an illustrated cover of two people kissing in a lab setting, lying on a pink floral bedspread.
✨Witch book should I review next✨
💧twisted love-Ana hung 🧬the love hypothesis- Ali Hazelwood 👙Duff-Kody Keplinger 🌊the summer I turn pretty- Jenny Han 💋A million kisses in your life time- Monica Murphy 🏀Night shift-Annie Crown Comment what book you want me to review/rate. #Lemon8Diary #lemon8review #books #lemon
Illyana 🎀🌷🍓

Illyana 🎀🌷🍓

38 likes

The book 'Magicka: Finding Spiritual Guidance Through Plants, Herbs, Crystals, And More' is shown on a patterned blanket, with a 'BOOK REVIEW' text overlay.
The 'Magicka' book rests on a patterned blanket, with a television playing in the background. A '9/10' rating is overlaid on the image.
An open page from the 'Magicka' book displays illustrated entries for Cinnamon, Sugar, Lily, and Nettle, detailing their medicinal and magical properties.
Book Review
Magicka by Carlota Santos This book was almost a 10 out of 10, I’m going to rate it a 9/10. Just because it used the words smudge sticks a little too much for my liking. For those of you who don’t know using the term “smudge stick” is appropriation. If you wanna use bundle herbs for cleansing y
JustaWitchandHerDog

JustaWitchandHerDog

85 likes

A hand holds the blue cover of Emily Henry's 'Funny Story' book, surrounded by red and yellow tulips. Annotations highlight themes like 'forced proximity,' 'fake dating,' 'failed engagement,' 'healing traumas,' 'community building,' and 'daddy issues.'
The blue cover of Emily Henry's 'Funny Story' book stands upright in a garden bed, surrounded by vibrant red, yellow, and pink tulips with green foliage in the background.
A hand holds the blue cover of Emily Henry's 'Funny Story' book, viewed from above, surrounded by red and yellow tulips in a garden setting.
FUNNY STORY | BOOK REVIEW 💜📖
Funny Story has great romance, but the best parts of this book are arguably all the other relationships in the book combined: family, friends, self. This book met me in a lot of the feelings I have: I really connected to Daphne’s familial situation, relationships changing with age. For romance,
amanda ✨ 📖 🐭 💅🏼

amanda ✨ 📖 🐭 💅🏼

32 likes

A collage of several book covers from the Shatter Me series, including 'Shatter Me', 'Unravel Me', 'Ignite Me', 'Restore Me', and 'Imagine Me', with the text 'MY OPTION ON THE Shatter Me series' overlaid.
The book cover for 'Shatter Me' (Book 1) by Tahereh Mafi, featuring a blue eye with tree-like branches. A review rates it 3/5 stars, noting it sets up the series but isn't a favorite.
The book cover for 'Unravel Me' (Book 2) by Tahereh Mafi, featuring a blue eye with ice-like shards. A review rates it 4/5 stars, stating it's more enjoyable than the first with action and new characters.
Shatter Me Review
✨Spoiler Free✨ Here’s my simplified opinions of every book in the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi. Overall i’d rate this book a 4.5⭐️/5. I love this series with my whole heart. I’d love to continue the conversation in the comments. Drop your opinions, questions, or comments below!! #bookre
elyssa🎀📚

elyssa🎀📚

348 likes

The front cover of the book 'ENIGMA A Tale of Dark Romance' by RuNyx, featuring a castle under a full moon, with text overlays indicating 'Book Review' and a '4.75 Out Of 5' rating.
The dark blue spine of the book 'ENIGMA', showing its thickness and pages.
The back cover of the book 'ENIGMA', displaying blurbs and praise for the author RuNyx and her book 'Gothikana'.
Book Review # 25
Book Review # 25 🐦‍⬛ I was extremely excited to read this book! Something about it intrigued me and once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down! The first 250 pages or so were full of excitement, super vivid descriptions of the setting, super spicy romance, and left me thinking about the
Lomasi Marshall

Lomasi Marshall

15 likes

A flat lay of several 'Shatter Me' series books, including 'Unravel Me,' 'Restore Me,' and 'Imagine Me,' with 'series review shatter me' text overlay. The books are arranged on a textured surface, with one book highlighted by a yellow outline. Lemon8 branding is visible.
shatter me review (maybe spoilers?)
yallllll this series was a whirlwind. there are so many books (they aren’t long, thank goodness) and it took me awhile to get through them. i needed MORE from this. for this many books i thought there would be a lot more action. i’m not gonna lie i got bored. the first 3 books really had me loc
madisson boothe

madisson boothe

89 likes

Two books by Allison Saft, 'Down Comes the Night' and 'A Far Wilder Magic,' are displayed on a bookstore shelf, with text indicating they were added to a 'to be read' list.
A hand holds up the book 'A Fragile Enchantment' by Allison Saft, featuring an illustrated cover of a couple dancing amidst flowers.
A hand holds the book 'Her Dark Wings' by Melinda Salisbury, which has a dark, mystical cover with snakes and a woman's face.
more books I didn't buy at B&N
I may not need to own them all, but I DEFINITELY want to read them all. #readreadread #barnesandnobles #booktok #tbrbooklist #thingsididntbuy
Mel3ficent

Mel3ficent

11 likes

Books I’ve read recently and what I rate them✨
All these books were so good. Burning Daylight was amazing! #books #bookwormsoflemon8 #reading #BookReview #bookrecommendations
Shelbs💋

Shelbs💋

49 likes

Thriller books I can’t wait to read
I love a good thriller! It’s what definitely helped me get back into reading the beginning of last year! All of these were recommended. Can’t wait to get started on reading them and can’t wait to rate them and give a review.☺️💛 #thrillerbookrecommendations #thrillerbookreview #thrillerbooklov
Lex

Lex

49 likes

A person holds 'The Martian' book in a store, with vinyl records in the background. Text overlay states, 'I have NEVER seen a negative review of these books,' introducing a list of beloved books.
A person holds 'The Martian' book on a beach, with text highlighting its scientific accuracy, humor, and inspirational story. The book is described as suspenseful and gripping.
A person holds 'A Man Called Ove' book in bed, with text praising its humor, life-affirming message, and heart-wrenching moments. It describes Ove as a lovable curmudgeon.
I have NEVER seen a negative review of these books
My top 5 “Zero-hater” books: seriously, has ANYONE disliked these? I have a confession: I'm that person who falls in love with books HARD 💖📚 The kind that keeps me up way past my bedtime, makes me forget to eat, and leaves me an emotional wreck (in the best way possible). I'm constant
Meredith Jao

Meredith Jao

88 likes

A mauve-themed '2024 BUCKET BINGO' grid displays various personal, financial, and career goals, with the overlaid text 'How to Effectively Review Your Goals (In Google Sheets)'.
The '2024 BUCKET BINGO' grid shows several goals highlighted in mauve, indicating accomplishments. Text states, '1. Celebrate your wins' and 'Everything in mauve is what I have accomplished in the 1st half of 2024'.
A partial 'BUCKET BINGO' grid is shown alongside a 'PROGRESS' section detailing '8 Goals Completed' and a quote by Benjamin Franklin. Text reads, '2. Figure out what processes/habits I like to cont. doing'.
How to Review Your Goals Effectively📍
I started my Goals Bingo at the start of the year by adding 24 financial, personal, and career milestones that I want to achieve!! almost 6 months in and here's how I review & reflect so the 2nd half of the year is equally successfully: 🥂 1. Celebrate what I’ve achieved no matter how smal
TheHappyPlanner

TheHappyPlanner

75 likes

See more