Happy Birthday to Us!

One year ago today, Sarah and I posted our first official Smart Bitch entries, to wit: A review of The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann and a review of Angel-Seeker by Sharon Shinn.

Here are some statistics for our site at the time of writing, pulled off the little Statistics sidebar provided by ExpressionEngine:

  • Number of page views for the front page: 778,474 (according to my calculator, that’s an average of just under 2133 page views a day)
  • Total combined hits for all pages: 1,781,187 (average of just under 4880 hits a day)
  • Total number of comments: 10,757
  • Total Smart Bitchery Members: 245
  • Most visitors ever: 163 on 11/23/2005 at 11:40 a.m.

HOLY SHIT.

If you’d told Sarah and me that a year from now we’d be looking at statistics like those, we would’ve laughed. HARD. Especially in those early days, when all our referrers were basically porn spambots, when the “most visitors ever” counter showed something like 5 people, and the only regular readers were probably Sarah’s sister and my best friend from Malaysia, Sooks.

So, Happy Birthday to this site. This first year has been a motherfuckin’ blast, and thanks to all of you who drop by, post comments, send Sarah and I hideous covers to make fun of, nudge our way towards interesting stories and developments, and give us love and snark in equal measure. You’re the wind beneath our wings. *happy tear*

Sarah Adds:

Thank you also to everyone who has sent us recommendations of books to read, and actual books to read, from backlist editions to ARCs – we read the past and future of romance? Boo yah!

This site came about because we had an entirely tangential conversation about our love of romance novels, and how hard it is to find people who like to talk about romance as if it were a genre worthy of critical examination and review, just the same as any genre. So I want to thank you, our Bitchery readership, for affirming my faith that there are people out there who are snarky and smart, intelligent and witty, AND who like romance novels. It’s a pleasure to read your comments and interact with all of you!

Categorized:

News, Random Musings

Comments are Closed

  1. Shannon says:

    Happy Birthday, Smart Bitches!

    And are you really going to make us all go look ourselves to see what was going on 11/23/2005 at 11:40am?

  2. HelenKay says:

    Congrats!

    11:40am on 11/23/05 – sounds as if everyone needed a heavy dose of Smart Bitches before heading out for Thanksgiving family time.

  3. Jennifer says:

    Happy Birthday Smart Bitches, and may you have many, many more!

  4. E.D'Trix says:

    Happy happy birthday, from an early, early fan!

  5. runswithscissors says:

    So I want to thank you, our Bitchery readership, for affirming my faith that there are people out there who are snarky and smart, intelligent and witty, AND who like romance novels.

    Thank YOU, Smart Bitches.  When I first found this site I was so excited I had to tell my mother, my sisters, my friends – each conversation went like this.
    Me: There’s this website called smart bitches who love trashy novels.  Pause. 
    Mother/Sister/Friend: You mean there are more of you. 
    Me: Yes, yes, yes!

    Happy birthday! 
    xxx

  6. Meagan says:

    Congratulations!  Just de-lurking long enough to say thanks for such an entertaining site.  Snarkiness makes me happy.  Now, I must re-lurk.

  7. katyli says:

    Coming out of lurkdom to say Happy Birthday! (and today is my birthday too!! Turning 27)
    I guess the best stuff is born on Jan. 30th.

  8. SandyO says:

    Happy Birthday to Smart Bitches!!!!!

  9. Jeri says:

    Happy Birthday!  Only a year?  How did we live without you? 

    Can anyone even remember what it was like living in a pre-1/30 world?  We were so innocent then, so foolish, so…deprived.

  10. Russell Grant included the following passage under “body” in his horoscope for a 30th January birthday.

    Sensuous January 30 indulges in perfume, drink and food while making love, which can go on for a whole day and night. For them the body should be a varied feast of scent, neroli on pubic hair, vetivert on thighs, jasmine at the navel, sandalwood for the genitals (safe). Myrtle is slightly rubefacient, which means it brings heat to wherever it is applied, so dab in on the inside thigh – or higher – appropriate because it was the Greek goddess Aphrodite who used myrtle to hide her nakedness, Pre-prepare snacks, keep in fridge. Try fresh bread and smoked halibut. Plus prawns, diced veg and lemon mayonnaise.

    smoked halibut???

    Smart Bitches website also shares a birthday with Dick Cheney, Phil Collins and Christian Bale. The mind boggles.

    Happy Birthday guys.

  11. Happy birthday, SB’s, and thank you for all the joy you’ve brought us through your tireless efforts pursuing covers to snark, and saving us from reading the books that would make our eyeballs explode.

    Here’s to many happy returns!

  12. SB Sarah says:

    If I follow that dude’s suggestions, EAP, my eyes will water I will stink so bad!

    Smoked halibut? Ugh.

    But… Dick Cheney? The mind, it does indeed boggle.
    *shudder*

  13. Candy says:

    On one hand: RRROWR Christian Bale! *sproing*

    On the other hand: Dick Cheney. *boner death*

  14. Happy birthday bitches.

  15. Eddie Adair says:

    This site makes me want to come to work every day. Happy birthday to the original Countesses of Mann-Titte.

  16. jmc says:

    I can’t remember what the Internet was like before the Smart Bitches.  It is all just a hazy memory.  I don’t even want to remember, really, because I was nothing before I received my SB title 🙂

    Happy Birthday!

    jmc
    Duchess of Ehnel-Pfiston

  17. emdee says:

    Happy Birthday you Bitches!  I hadn’t read romance novels for a long time and I discovered you just about the time I rediscovered romance as a genre.  I was looking for recommendations and there you were.  Sometimes I have to restrain myself from laughing too hard and spewing soda through my nostrils onto the computer screen here at work.  Not very professional, eh? I had read your blog once at my sister’s house and she backtracked to you and now is also an avid reader.

  18. Stephen says:

    Happy birthday to the site that has probably sent more readers my way than any other. Thanks, and keep on doing what you do so well (all of it, not just the feeding traffic my way bit).

    I am celebrating by signing with a real live agent this very day.  Woo hoo!

    Here’s to many more years of Smart Bitchery, and let’s hope there is even more to celebrate next 30 January, and each one after that.

  19. Happy Birthday SBs! And many more!

  20. Shari says:

    Happy Birthday to the two people who make me giggle and gasp at work – however inappropriate it is for a security officer 🙂  Although the guys at work don’t visit the site themselves, they usually come running to see what you’ve posted when they hear me start laughing!

  21. SamG; Countess of Dieppe-Throtte says:

    I didn’t find you that long ago, but am happy you’ve had such a successful year.

    Happy Birthday Bitches

  22. DebR says:

    HappyHappy Birthday!

    Where’s the cake?

  23. desertwillow says:

    Happy Birthday!! Before I found you and your snark I languished in a sea of pink bubblegum.

    Dick Cheney??? Ewww

    Back to lurk mode

  24. CindyS says:

    Happy 1st Birthday!!  Like everyone else, I don’t know what I did before I found your site.

    “neroli on pubic hair, vetivert on thighs, jasmine at the navel, sandalwood for the genitals (safe)”

    I mean, where else can you find valuable information like this?  Then there are the ass-pirates, butt monkeys and donkey kocks.  Please let the joy never end!!

    CindyS

  25. KariBelle says:

    Happy Birthday, Bitches!  I can’t believe you guys have only been around for a year.  I only found you a little over a month ago and just de-lurked a few days ago.  I love to come here and have a safe outlet for my very wide streak of pure evil bitchiness and to bask in the bitchiness of others.  And also to discuss my passion, books (especially the trashy ones.)  I hope you are around for a long time.  I plan to stick around for as long as you will put up with me.

  26. Darla says:

    It’s only been a year?  But you seem so much

    older and wiser

    more mature

    .  It seems like it’s been much longer. 

    Happy birthday, and may there be many, many more.

  27. Happy birthday! 

    LOL the other day I looked at a real picture of a celebrity.  And all I could think was that he had mantitty.

  28. Maili says:

    Yay! Happy birthday, SMs!!

  29. Amanda says:

    Happy first birthday! Hope you had lots of chocolate & champagne!

  30. Wooohoo!! Happy Smart Bitch Birthday! 🙂

  31. cw says:

    Happy Bday, SBs! I can’t believe it’s been a year. 😀

  32. beejay says:

    Happy Anniversary!

    On the pointing to new books, if you haven’t read Gennita Low’s, Facing Fear, it’s worth the time.  It has its flaw, could have used some polishing, but hot damn the sexual/sensual relationship between the protags is smokin’.  They’re both very much damaged, but their love story is of the good old fashioned variety, the feelings, I mean.  Nothing old fashioned about this book.

    http://tinyurl.com/8kz2n

  33. Alyssa says:

    Happy birthday, Bitches!

Comments are closed.

By posting a comment, you consent to have your personally identifiable information collected and used in accordance with our privacy policy.

↑ Back to Top