I struggle with this a bit. Even if the book is 3.98 stars, i view that as not passing lowest bar. I consider most 4 stars books to not be there time, but rather the number of stars is how i filter out bad books
Also, how do you use your stars? Do you change your rating often?
For me, it generally goes like this:
- 1 Star -Either its so bad that its offense or i dnf it
- 2 Stars - Either bad or mediocre, not really work any time
- 3 Stars - An okay book with a couple of redeeming points
- 4 Stars - A great book with some flaws that bother me
- 5 Stars - An excellent book, i am jumping in my sits.


I just finished a two book series that was objectively awful. It had some of the worst writing I’ve read, although the world building was great. It has a 4.2 rating on goodreads. If you read the reviews, though, you can see that the 5 stars are just “I liked this fun book!” The negative reviews delve deeply into WHY it was so damn bad.
My favorite series also has a 4.2 rating. The difference is the 4 and 5 star ratings have deep reviews saying why the series is so good.
Going by ratings is a terrible way to go through life.
Also, you view a 3.98 as not good enough? You are missing out on a world of great experiences, even if somewhat flawed.