LOS ANGELES, June 9 — A new sub-site on Lithub.com has been created to encourage professional criticism and increase visibility for literature gaining positive feedback. The principle is the same as that for the site Rotten Tomatoes except the media being evaluated is literature, not film.

Book Marks launched this week and currently has a library of around 500 titles. John Freeman, executive editor at LitHub, explains that “Book Marks will help readers find books they will love by giving them access to the critical discourse that is an essential part of our ecosystem”.

How does Book Marks differ from other book review sites?

Setting itself apart from other book review sites such as Goodreads and BookPage, Book Marks only features books which have already been reviewed by at least three outlets from a list of American sources like The New York Times and the Los Angeles Review of Books. A team at LitHub, acting as human content aggregators, searches for these reviews and then attributes a grade to the book based on the critics’ reception.

An “A” grade book is described as containing “compelling content. Does something new/profound with form. Reviewer enthuses.”

A “B” book has “compelling content and competent form, or vice versa. Flawed in a way that brings the book down but doesn’t destroy it.”

“C” is a book that “has some good points either in content or in form but flawed in a way that is distracting.”

“D” books “may be structured around a decent idea but be deeply flawed.”

An “F” book (no “E” grade exists) has received “entirely negative” reviews.

Can non-critics participate?

Visitors to the site are invited to submit their own thoughts and contribute to the discussion on Book Marks via the “What Did You Think Of...” comments section of each book. LitHub has also published a call-out on the Book Marks website for feedback about the new project. — AFP-Relaxnews