Where to discuss and review books: SMASHBOMB.

Hey, everyone! I often get asked where I talk about books, or where I find books to read, so I thought I'd write a few entries to answer those questions. This entry is the first in that series.

So I'm always looking for places to chat about books or discover new book recommendations. I'm also a fan of discovering new websites. Smashbomb is a newer site that allows me to do all these things. I love joining an up and coming site because you get a lot of interested people who are invested in the site's success. You can provide actual input into how the site is run, laid out, and more. And you get to interact with a bunch of people who are interested in the same things as you. While some sites--think Goodreads--are dedicated to one topic, Smashbomb is a fun place to discuss apps, books, movies, music, tv, games, and more. Of course, since it's me, my favorite part is their book reviews section. You can upload reviews, comment on others' reviews, create book lists, and recommend books to others. What's not to love, right? It's a great way to learn about new books and to share your reviews with a new audience.

One of my favorite things about Smashbombs is, well, the badges. I love to collect badges, I won't lie. At Smashbomb, you can collect "kudos points" for a whole range of things--everything from signing in (hey, I can do that!), posting a review, getting likes for a review, leaving others' kudos, and more. The more kudos points you earn, the more badges you get. Maybe it's just me, but there's just a sweet satisfaction in leveling up and earning a badge. I'm a simple soul. Plus, the Smashbomb folks have set it up so that the more kudos points you have, the more likes (kudos) you can dole out to other reviewers.


And... the more kudos points you have, besides badges, the more you are eligible to enter Giveaways. There's a whole host of cool items eligible for giveaways at Smashbomb. Like books? They are giving some away! Like technology? Enter for an Amazon Echo Dot or a Tile Pro. The more kudos points you have, the more contests you can enter. You just have to review what you win (and thereby earn more points - I love it)!

You can also enter groups (called Orbs) on Smashbomb, where you can discuss books (or anything else). You can even create your own Orb, which is really cool. Users can create polls, lists, and more on Smashbomb, thanks to its user-friendly interface. It's one of my favorite things about the site: how much the users are involved and how easy it is to use. You can scroll down your feed to spot recommendations and reviews from your friends--spanning a variety of topics. Depending on who you follow (book lovers, movie lovers, etc.), you'll see items that trend in a particular way. But I've found some great book reviews this way!

So, there you have it. Entry #1 in covering places where I discuss books and find new book recommendations. More to come & happy reading!

If you're interested in checking out Smashbomb, head to Smashbomb here. And if you join, please don't forget to follow me, here.