Book Enthusiast

Book Enthusiast

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AMA: My Book Rating System & Outrageous Partnership Requests

AMA: My Book Rating System & Outrageous Partnership Requests

Plus, the single most unhinged (in a fun way) question I’ve ever been asked

Aug 21, 2024
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Book Enthusiast
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AMA: My Book Rating System & Outrageous Partnership Requests
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Hello,

I’m excited for something new and different today: an AMA! 

Historically, Q&As have been super popular on Instagram, but I get asked many of the same questions over and over. I thought the newsletter might be a better place for them, so answers are easier to search and link as opposed to stories that disappear in 24-hours or asking you to weed through my (admittedly poorly kept) highlights.

The first question is free for everyone, but the rest are behind the paywall. Think of this as a virtual pick-your-brain coffee—the asker always pays! Let’s be honest, is this the reason you should become a paying subscriber? Probably not. But I like the idea that everything behind the paywall doesn’t have to be so serious. We can have fun, too.

What are we chatting about today? Keep reading for:

  • My book rating system

  • Outrageous partnership offers

  • What’s in my podcast queue

  • If I have plans to add anything new to my portfolio career

  • The single most unhinged question I’ve ever been asked (in a good way!)


Q: How does your personal book rating system work? Like what is 3-star vs 5-star?

Here’s how I’d explain it:

  • 5 stars: I ALL-CAPS LOVED THIS BOOK! I busted out the highlighter and tabs while reading (or if I read a digital or audio copy, I bought a hard copy so I can do it next time). I want to shout about this book from rooftops and buy it for a friend who would love it, too, so we can discuss. I’m probably going to be really weird about loaning you my copy because I want to have this on hand.

  • 4 stars: I liked this book. Will I remember it in a month? three months? a year? Maybe not. But I enjoyed the time I spent reading it. You can borrow it and I don’t need it back. Pass it along to another friend who would enjoy it after you’re done. Most books I read fall into this bucket.

  • 3 stars: Taste is subjective—I didn’t really like this, but I can see how others might.

  • 2 stars: There was something wrong with this book. Maybe the plot stopped making sense for a while, the ending was a total let-down, or a main character annoyed the hell out of me. If we were friends, I’d give you a heads up if you told me you were about to read this, but wouldn’t actively rip the book out of your hands.

  • 1 star: I thought this book was awful all the way through or problematic in some way. I’d freely talk shit about it on the internet. There are very few of these, because I probably DNF’ed this book after 50 pages.


Q: What is the most outrageous partnership request you've ever been asked to do? (Ex. total lowball financially, totally against your values, anything juicy!)

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