When it comes to reading, I wouldn’t describe myself as terribly picky. I enjoy both fiction and nonfiction. I read with various intentions. Sometimes to learn something new, and other times simply to be entertained. If I’m borrowing from the library, I tend to be even more open. There, I tend to be more adventurous, happily grabbing something unfamiliar off the shelf just because the title or cover speaks to me. A title I’ve never heard of. A cover that catches my eye. A book I wouldn’t normally choose, but for some reason, I feel drawn to it.

Still, there are certain times when I want something very specific. A book that feels good to read. One that lifts my mood and gives me the kind of satisfaction that lingers after the last page. When I find myself in that kind of reading mood, I have certain ‘requirements.’

The Goodreads Rating System I Used to Trust

For years, I thought I had cracked the code on how to find such books. I relied heavily on Goodreads ratings. A score of 4.0? That’s generally a good sign. Between 4.2 and 4.5? Most likely a gem. Below 3.9? That’s where preferences start to play a bigger role. And anything under 3.5? Probably a pass for me.

The Book That Changed Everything

But that entire system started to crumble the day I stumbled upon Orbital by Samantha Harvey. I picked it up impulsively from the “most-rented” shelf at my city library, without checking anything. I hadn’t read the description. I didn’t check the reviews. I just took it home.

And wow, I was in love.

From the very first pages, I was completely pulled in. The writing had this quiet brilliance. It was luminous, almost otherworldly. The perspective felt strangely intimate. While reading it, I kept thinking, “The author must have been in some elevated state to write something like this.”

When I finished the book, I was still holding onto that feeling. Out of curiosity, I looked up its rating on Goodreads after I finished. To my surprise, the numbers didn’t match my soaring opinion. Not only was the average rating lower than I expected, but many of the top reviews on the front page weren’t glowing either. It felt jarring, almost unjust.

That experience shifted something for me.

A New Way to Choose What to Read

I realized that the way I had been judging books based on ratings and aggregated reviews is no longer aligned with the kind of reader I’ve become. Now, I take a different approach. I still occasionally check reviews, but I no longer give them the final say.

Instead, I turn to something more intimate: the quotes.

What I Look for in a Quote

I search for passages from the book on Goodreads, through a quick search, or directly in the first few pages. I want to see if the words resonate with me. If a quote stirs something inside me, if the writing style feels like a melody I want to keep listening to, then I know I’ve found a potential favorite. It’s like testing the chemistry before a first date.

These quotes build anticipation. They spark a connection even before the first chapter. And sometimes, they keep me going when the story starts to slow down, reminding me of why I picked it up in the first place.

I don’t ignore ratings completely. But they’ve stopped carrying so much weight. What matters more now is the writing. Whether it speaks to me. Whether it stirs something, even in just one line.

So no, I don’t judge a book solely by its rating anymore. I judge it by its voice. By the way it speaks before I even begin.