Happy 12th Anniversary to everyone! The site started on 31 January 2005 with a review for Angel-Seeker by Sharon Shinn and for The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann, and what a long strange hot pink journey it has been over the past twelve years.
WOW. I’m sort of stunned by that, and I’ve been working on this post for a few weeks now. Twelve years! That’s a long, long time. Thank you for hanging out with us for so many years!
As has become tradition, I went and had a look at the traditional gifts for a 12th anniversary, and behold! Linen! So I played online and shopped for several hours (SUCH A HARDSHIP MY GOSH), and came up with some fun prizes to celebrate our anniversary with a giveaway.
This year, my goal is to accessorize your favorite reading location with adorable pillows that include linen or a blend thereof, and that celebrate reading the books we love.
Ready? We’ve got six to give away!
Have a look!
A typewriter pillow! How cute is that?
But wait, more pillows!
This one has embroidery to make it look like looseleaf paper – I love it.
When my house was staged and it looked like stylish chevron-obsessed aliens lived there with us, this pillow was added to a small grey sofa, and I loved this pillow like mad. I am so excited I found it online and can give one away! The alphabet is embroidered on the front, and it’s just adorable.
Do you read past your bedtime? Of course you probably do. We’re all members of The Bad Decisions Book Club.
It’s always Book O’Clock, right? No question.
And of course, one more pillow:
Can’t leave out The Ladies, right? The front of this pillow has The Ladies – Original Recipe, and on the back it says, “You should be reading.” Because obviously.
To enter to win, leave a comment and tell us your favorite thing about hanging out here at SBTB. HaBOs? Cover Snark? Reviews? What’s your favoritest thing?
Standard disclaimers apply: We are not being compensated for this giveaway. Void where prohibited. Open to international residents where permitted by applicable law. Must be over 18 and ready to lounge and read. Pants are always optional. To keep with the theme of twelve, we recommend reading in two twelve-hour blocks to most efficiently fill your time. All blankets and all readers welcome. Keep books and read on. Comments will close Monday February 6, 2017 around noon ET, and winners will be announced shortly thereafter.
Whatever it is that keeps you coming back to Smart Bitches, thank you. It’s an honor to hang out with all of you from each part of the globe each day, and I’m so glad you’re here. Happy anniversary to us!
Update: Here are our winners in order!
Thank you all so much for being a reader of Smart Bitches! You’re what makes this community great!
I just love stalking the site for the reviews !!
How to pick a favorite? I think it’s probably being part of a community that is unashamed to love happy endings. Our optimism in Romancelandia is one of the things that keeps me going during hard times. Thanks for all you do, Smart Bitches!
Not gonna lie, my favorite thing about your site will be about the book discount news. I was able to buy some books I wanted with lower price thanks to you. And of course, the DABWAHA … because OMG that was fun!
My favorite thing is the monthly reading posts — I get so many books to covet and buy and read from the posts and comments!
My favorite parts of this site are HABO and the podcast. 🙂
Happy 12 years of Bitchery! Thank you! I stalk for the comments on all posts. Seriously. I rarely engage anywhere anymore but I love reading and learning what other people think of ~things~. I also binge on the podcast every so often. So fun.
That typewriter pillow is adorable. I’d love it if Dvorak is available, but haha.
(Not entering the giveaway.)
Happy 12th anniversary!
Your reviews are always informative.
My favorite thing is the well written reviews, and the lovely community of SB readers and commenters. It’s a treat to visit and indulge in some reading and chatting about reading 🙂
And those are FABULOUS pillows! Fingers crossed!
Oh, and a very happy dozen years, Smart Bitches! So looking forward to the next dozen 😉
My favorite part are the Ladies! And by that I mean Team Smart Bitches!
After you ladies, then it’s HABO, DABWAHA, and figuring out how I can buy all the books and still buy groceries. LOLOL.
Congrats on 12 years! That’s amazing!
I like the reviews an the podcasts (after which I usually buy at least one book which was recommended)
I have to admit, my favorite things are the rants… simply hilarious!
I love the sense of community you have created here. I’m out and proud about my romance-reading habit in large part because of this site.
I love so many things, I don’t know that I can pick just one favorite. There is the sense of reading community, the romance-positive attitude, the sale posts to snap up bargains, the mystery of HaBO’s…happy 12 years!
I love the reviews, the new releases posts (hide your wallet), and what everyone is reading posts.
Happy 12th!
My absolute favourite thing about this site is the acceptance and wide array of views and ideas. I am OBSESSED with the podcast too 😀
I love that you’ve created a community that accepts everyone’s tastes and likes. If I say I disliked a book that was rapturously reviewed here, one that 99% of the community adores, I know I won’t get hit with a dozen replies saying, “That’s because you are stupid.”
I love the acceptance and lack of judgeyness about whatever we all enjoy reading. Thank you all!
The choking-on-my-coffee-at-the-table/bus/train/wherever part. Starting the day with laughing is important. Keeps me sane in this mad world 😉
So thank you for that!
while I enjoy and appreciate the book reviews, I love the cover snark. The cover snark pretty much takes the cake 🙂
lots of reasons!
-i like the reviews. at e time i discovered sbtb The reviews were refreshing to read these after all the gushy gush stuff available other websites.
– the reviewers explained objective reasons for liking or disliking the book not just making squee noises all over the place, and otoh, not attacking the author in personal terms if the book was disliked.
– reviwers were humerous and deperciating.
– snark covers/habo/ taking on plagerism
Happy Birthday !
I love the site for the monthly “Hide your wallet” posts and the posts about the Historical women or couples.
I would say the reviews, because recs are how I find virtually all my books, but to choose one – rants. I love the rants, I need the rants, the rants make me feel like I belong. And they are entertaining, as well!
Thank you for being here – I love this site.
I came for the reviews and stayed for the snark. I love your respect for books and your sense of humor.
Congratulations! I love the Cover Snark and the F+ reviews!
Happy 12th birthday. I love the feeling of being part of a reading community, and the podcast.
I would have to say reviews. And Elyse’s The Bachelor reviews in particular right now! Also, the comments. Oh, and the Cover Snark. I guess all the stuff.
Personally, My favorite thing is the snark. You guys always make me laugh. Professionally, it a great resource for collection development to improve my libraries’ selection.
I have always loved the name and attitude of this website–it puts it right out there. We are smart women who aren’t ashamed of what we love to read, and refuse to let anyone put us down for it.
I’ve discovered I don’t know how many authors thanks to this site, and for that, thank you. Here’s to another twelve years!! 🙂
I’m torn, habo is so fun and interesting and builds a community, but the reviews ate a necessity! They are the best way to find books I would have read already.
The fun-to-read reviews that provide enough detail I can almost always tell if I’ll like a book. And the sense of community.
The reviews help my ‘to read’ list for home and my ‘to buy’ list for work, but I always cheer when there is a new Cover Snark.
I love the cover snark. It reminds me of hanging out with my friends at the book store.
I love everything about the site, but my favorite things are the reviews. There are so many authors I’ve become exposed to through SBTB! Happy anniversary!
What don’t I love about SBTB? I guess my favorites would be reviews, because you guys always have something interesting and usually funny to say. I love the podcast too, very, very much, especially the ones where you’re talking to one or more of the bitches. I wish I had a community I could talk to about books (aside from the comoments here of course, which is another thing I love about the site). Thanks for all you do, and happy anniversary!
I love habo for the great reading list but moreso than that, I love the sense of community and open arms here, and the emphasis on inclusivity.
I love that this site and community are so welcoming and accepting!! I feel comfortable chiming in (although, not often).
I love the reviews and the deals and especially, the news.
Happy anniversary!
I love getting recommendations for books to read – from the reviews, from the daily deals, from the monthly What’cha Reading, from the Rec League…
And of course, I get excited every time Cover Snark pops up in my Blogger feed 🙂
There’s not much about SBTB that I don’t like. You all always make me smile. My favorite thing is your humor, friendship & joy in bringing the romance community together. It shines through in all of your posts no matter what the topic is. That is why I like to come here. I hope it continues indefinitely. Happy Anniversary!
What keeps me checking in on a mostly daily basis are the books on sale. You guys are bad news for my budget 😉 and reviews. I also look forward to cover snark.