Bitchin' Blog Posts
The TBR
by SB Sarah | by SB Sarah | May 05, 2010 | Wednesday at 10:57 am | 40 Comments
Hooray, it’s here! The TBR, an iPhone app for the romance reader looking for the latest reviews, content, and free romance reads.
The app is a first for romance readers and romance bloggers, and is a joint venture of Smart Bitches Trashy Books and Dear Author. The app features the most recent reviews from both sites, as well as a feed of the full content.
Best of all, it includes free reads from some of the best writers in romance fiction. We’ll be kicking off our free reads section with a full length Harlequin novel from Jill Shalvis, which we’ll serialize and release chapter-by-chapter.
You’ll have reviews, essays and free romance to read - whoever you are. You can download the app for your iPhone or iTouch. Or app is currently not optimized for the iPad.
We are so excited about this project, it’s hard to believe launch date is actually here. We started working on this app months ago, and we have big plans for the future as well - which is where our sponsor comes in. Our bi weekly sponsor will help us eventually provide a more fully featured mobile app. But the ad isn’t just an ad, either: if you tap the ad space, you’ll get an excerpt, links to buy, and options to spread the word about the featured book.
If you’re interested in advertising, or being featured in the free reads section, please email me at sarahATsmartbitchestrashybooksDOTcom with The TBR in the subject line.
We have some amazing things planned for the app in the future, but we cannot wait to share it with you. All our projects are showcased at The TBR.com, including the DABWAHA and Save the Contemporary. We have more features planned that will highlight romance fiction. We want to allow the conversation that is part of romance reading and reviewing to grow and become portable - so you and we can grow our TBR piles even higher than they are now.
sweetfa said on 05.05.10 at 12:46 PM • [link]
Oooooh! Sounds fun!
Will it work in the UK, do you know? I suddenly found my e-book purchasing options sadly reduced when I was forced to admit to living in the UK :-(
Word: always23 -if only!
Ebony McKenna said on 05.05.10 at 12:48 PM • [link]
ZOMG! I am so getting one of these.
Might have to get an iphone too.
Sarah said on 05.05.10 at 12:53 PM • [link]
App looks pretty cool, downloaded and checking it out now. :)
Aleyna said on 05.05.10 at 12:55 PM • [link]
Is this available for Android? Or possible in the future?
Katie Ann said on 05.05.10 at 01:24 PM • [link]
Another individual here with the slightly neglected Android OS. My phone has pretty much replaced my iPod Touch in functionality, might have to dig it out to download this.
Heather Holland said on 05.05.10 at 01:47 PM • [link]
Awesome. DLed and syncing to iPod Touch now. :) I do so love my iPod.
Cara McKenna / Meg Maguire said on 05.05.10 at 01:53 PM • [link]
Wonderful! What a brilliant idea, bitches.
SB Sarah said on 05.05.10 at 02:00 PM • [link]
Yes, we’re definitely aware of the desire for Android apps as well. Yet another reason to play, “Where’s my Venture Capitalist?” :-)
Sarah L said on 05.05.10 at 02:16 PM • [link]
Yay! I just downloaded and it’s awesome!
Thanks, bitches!
gypsydani said on 05.05.10 at 02:58 PM • [link]
awesome! another excuse to get an iPhone!
Laura (in PA) said on 05.05.10 at 03:00 PM • [link]
This is all kinds of awesome.
Melissa said on 05.05.10 at 03:15 PM • [link]
I downloaded the app, it looks great. I have one question though: is there a way of seeing the comments on the SB and DA posts? Right now I can read the original post but I can’t see any comments.
Great idea! I am looking forward to using the app because I use my iPhone most of the time I am online.
Kristin said on 05.05.10 at 03:24 PM • [link]
Huge congrats! It’s almost enough to make me want an iPhone.
MFred said on 05.05.10 at 03:50 PM • [link]
Hoorrraaayyy!
My iPhone will never be the same again.
Jane said on 05.05.10 at 03:51 PM • [link]
We eventually want to develop a web app that is compatible with all mobile platforms. (part of what we will use the ad money for).
I’ve sent an email to see if we can add comments on the end of the post threads. Thanks for the recommendation
Anna the Piper said on 05.05.10 at 04:29 PM • [link]
Right on! I’m downloading this today. :D
LisaA said on 05.05.10 at 05:01 PM • [link]
Congratulations!!! Such a cool idea. Now..if I only had an iPhone!!!!
~B said on 05.05.10 at 05:35 PM • [link]
Another vote for Android when you get the chance.
MamaNice said on 05.05.10 at 05:43 PM • [link]
Oooh that sounds great! Unfortunately, my husband is all about the Droid here…he’s written some apps for it as a “hobby.”
Peronally, I haven’t managed to advance that far technologically speaking! Just got a new phone in more than 2 years…and it’s not a full-fledged “smart"phone…maybe in another 2 years!
Kalen Hughes said on 05.05.10 at 05:54 PM • [link]
Yet another reason I must get a smart phone when my current contract is up . . .
Jonie said on 05.05.10 at 05:58 PM • [link]
Chiming in for an Android app for those of us in the boonies where AT&T and thus the iphone are next to useless…
frannie said on 05.05.10 at 06:21 PM • [link]
Brilliant idea! One of the few things that have really, really tempted me to get an IPhone. But I don’t really NEED one - sigh. And a free Jill Shalvis read…bonus.
TKF said on 05.05.10 at 07:31 PM • [link]
You have converted me to the contemp! I’ve tried them randomly over the years, but they never clicked for me (mostly because the heroines always seemed far too old fashioned; just nothing like me or anyone I knew). I’ve been loving the ones you’ve recommend though! Of course I bought them all before the cool discount codes came out . . .
Lisas said on 05.05.10 at 07:33 PM • [link]
I’m adding another vote for an Android version of this. I’ll be the first in line when it’s available.
Dayna said on 05.05.10 at 07:41 PM • [link]
I love it! I love having my two favorite sites in one app. It looks great. Congrats.
Courtney Milan said on 05.05.10 at 08:23 PM • [link]
I really, really like it. Feature request: I’d love to be able to star reviews, so that when I’m in the bookstore I can whip out my iPhone and say, “Now which book was it that I wanted to get again?”
Can’t tell you how many times I’ve been standing in bookstores feverishly paging through either SBTB or DA, trying to remember what THAT ONE book was.
Heather Massey said on 05.05.10 at 08:55 PM • [link]
Congratulations on another exciting venture!
Melissa said on 05.05.10 at 09:46 PM • [link]
I have been looking at the app and it’s great! I finally read the Lover Mine reviews since I am almost done with it.
One future feature suggestion: add a search feature to the book reviews. You never know when you might want to show a friend the review for The Sheikh’s Virgin Stable Girl (in case they don’t believe such a title would ever be published or be so awfully bad it’s good)
Christina said on 05.05.10 at 11:08 PM • [link]
Hmm, maybe I’m missing something here, but I don’t see a way to actually make a TBR LIST in the app. Having all the reviews in one place is great and all, but if you can’t actually use it to make a list of the books you want to get…. Well, what’s the point?
Job52: 52 more things to correct/add before this job is done :D
Lizabeth S. Tucker said on 05.05.10 at 11:15 PM • [link]
Nice for those who have the capability for apps, not so good for those of us who like a phone to just do phone stuff.
Problems37 - I hope I don’t have that many problems!
JayceeKaycee said on 05.06.10 at 02:24 AM • [link]
Just downloaded your app. It’s all kinds of awesome.
KimberlyD said on 05.06.10 at 06:12 AM • [link]
I don’t know if you have a place set up for questions, suggestions, etc (or even if you want such a place!) But I was reading the latest SBTB entry (the one after this) and the blog entry cuts off at “Have you read…” So I thought maybe the app can only hold so much text per entry and used the option to view in a web browser. Same thing. I don’t know if that’s where the rest of the entry is hidden under the “More…” link (though I doubt it since you don’t usually do that mid-sentence that I recall). But I did want to mention it in case it was a bug. Love the app, btw!
KimberlyD said on 05.06.10 at 06:12 AM • [link]
I don’t know if you have a place set up for questions, suggestions, etc (or even if you want such a place!) But I was reading the latest SBTB entry (the one after this) and the blog entry cuts off at “Have you read…” So I thought maybe the app can only hold so much text per entry and used the option to view in a web browser. Same thing. I don’t know if that’s where the rest of the entry is hidden under the “More…” link (though I doubt it since you don’t usually do that mid-sentence that I recall). But I did want to mention it in case it was a bug. Love the app, btw!
KimberlyD said on 05.06.10 at 06:12 AM • [link]
I don’t know if you have a place set up for questions, suggestions, etc (or even if you want such a place!) But I was reading the latest SBTB entry (the one after this) and the blog entry cuts off at “Have you read…” So I thought maybe the app can only hold so much text per entry and used the option to view in a web browser. Same thing. I don’t know if that’s where the rest of the entry is hidden under the “More…” link (though I doubt it since you don’t usually do that mid-sentence that I recall). But I did want to mention it in case it was a bug. Love the app, btw!
The Caustic Git said on 05.06.10 at 06:52 AM • [link]
Another drooling vote for Android!! Damn Apple for getting all the shiny stuff first…
jessi said on 05.06.10 at 12:48 PM • [link]
Voting for the Android OS! Of all the useless apps out there, this is one I’d love—and use!
SandyW said on 05.06.10 at 02:28 PM • [link]
Just to make sure - the blog entries and reviews are (of course) available on both the app and the web, but the free fiction is only for folks who have iPhones?
SB Sarah said on 05.06.10 at 02:32 PM • [link]
Hi SandyW: Yup, the free fiction is a feature of the app itself.
romance junkie said on 05.08.10 at 04:21 AM • [link]
just got my iPhone. Can’t wait to try out this app.
shelleyrae said on 05.10.10 at 05:05 AM • [link]
Love this app - just added it to my ipod.
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