Goodreads Was Wrong Book Tag

It’s undeniable that Goodreads is the most popular book review platform, despite its many flaws, and until now, it’s still my go-to reading tracker and source of titles, even though it’s far from perfect. So when I read this tag post from The Corner of Laura, it seemed like an exciting tag, and of course, debunk some of the flaws of Goodreads (in my very humble opinion).

This tag is originally created by GabsAboutBooks, so make sure to check it out as well!

What is the highest rated book that you gave a low rating? (Sort your books in Goodreads based on Average Ratings and find the highest rated book you gave a low rating)

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston is a very contemporary popular book, and has received 4.24 ratings on Goodreads. However, when I read this last year, I only gave it a solid 3. Sure, it does have some very sweet and hilarious moments, but there were just some aspects in it that I found lacking and wished to have seen more of. Though I still recommend this book to any readers who like a fun and enjoyable romance book.

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What is the lowest rated book that you gave a high rating? (Sort your books in Goodreads based on Avg Ratings, in reverse order, and find the lowest rated book you gave a high rating)

Cross Talk by Connie Willis is a recent read of mine last month (read my review here), and on Goodreads it has a 3.52 rating, but I gave it a really solid 4 stars. I really had a fun time reading it because of its unique sci-fi satire and even quirkier characters, so I was really surprised to see it get a lot of low ratings. While there were obviously some flaws with it, the good things about it definitely made up for it.

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What is the most popular book you disagree with the avg rating? (Sort your books in Goodreads based on number of Ratings, and find the first book you disagree with the avg rating)

With over 630,000+ ratings and a 4.04 rating, Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard is pretty popular among the readers, especially within the YA space. I remember really liking this first book when it came out, and even gave it a 5 star rating, but when I reread it again after many years, I have seen a lot of problems with it that I didn’t notice the first time. I think I gave it a 3 stars after that reread, and I never really finished reading this entire series. It wasn’t a YA fantasy series for me.

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What is the least popular book you disagree with the avg rating? (Sort your books in Goodreads based on number of Ratings, in reverse order, and find the first book you disagree with the avg rating)

First Semester by Q.B. Tyler is an age-gap college romance novel I read last year that earned 734 ratings with an average of 3.91 ratings. I was actually surprised that it almost had 4 star average rating when I gave it a 2.5. Until now, I still remember how much and why I didn’t enjoy this book, despite it having a really interesting premise that I like seeing in my romance novels.

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Choose two books that have an average rating of 3/5 stars but you gave a higher rating

The Magicians by Lev Grossman is probably one of the few books that got me hooked into adult fantasy, and it was a book that I really enjoyed so I gave it a 4 stars. I was definitely surprised when it only has an average of 3.53 stars on Goodreads, but I do get that this book has some flaws that I may have overlooked before.

Another surprise is Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge. This is still one of my most favorite YA fairy tale retellings that I often reread when I’m craving for my dark fantasy stories. It has never left its 5 star ratings in my shelf, but apparently it has only received a 3.69 rating among others.

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Choose two books that have an average rating of 3/5 stars but you gave a lower rating

I’m pretty generous about giving book ratings, but sometimes exceptions need to be made. Among these are Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves (3.33) and Matched by Ally Condie (3.65). I gave both of them 2 stars and haven’t really bothered to continue on with the rest of the books in their series.

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Choose two books that have an average rating of 4/5 stars but you gave a lower rating

If you’ve been following me on my Bookstagram, you probably know my new love for The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. I’m currently at Book 10 already in this mammoth urban fantasy series, and really been enjoying it a lot. However, the first few books of this series weren’t the best that the author has offered by then, and many loyal Dresden fans will agree. My least favorite Dresden Files books is Fool Moon (Book 2) that had a 4.00 rating, but I only gave it a 2 stars. But the next books have greatly improved after that, and I’m currently on place of greatness in this series.

R.S. Grey’s romance novels are a few of my guilty pleasure reads, and it’s always hard to keep track of her books because she releases new material frequently. While the books I’ve read from her backlist are often a hit or miss, Make Me Bad is probably my least favorite book so far, and I gave it a 3 star rating despite its solid 4.00 average.

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Do you tend to agree or disagree with GR average rating and do you use GR as a guide for books you want to read?

When I started using Goodreads back in 2012, I thought it was a heaven-sent online platform for any reader because it was the only book-based website available, and I do admit that I’ve used it to look at the reviews and ratings of books I want to read. However, as time went on and I’ve discovered the many flaws of the system, I’ve mostly been using it just a tracker of the books I read and my progress, and also to log the books I have my eye on.

Until there is a permanent, more developed and reader-centered book review site, I wouldn’t be making any quick changes in apps (and just because I’m too lazy to do so now lol)

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Tagging a few friends to do this book tag! Feel free to do this tag too, if you want to.

Just make sure to credit the right person and tag me into it so I could see your answers!

Jaed @ The Bibliophile Thoughts

Jon @ Wander with Jon

Lenn @ Dusty promises

Mark @ Alpheus Remarks

Rovie @ The Caffeinated Rareder

Lou @ Lou’s Book Stuff

Leo @ Leosthetics

Mae @ Mae The Dreamer

Star @ Esmescuppabook