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 come for the reviews, the cover snark, and the news. Reading this and listening to the podcasts have kept me sane these last 11 years during times when my life was falling apart.
P.S. Your disclaimers always make my day. I’ve learned to never have any coffee when I read them because I have fried a laptop that way.
Happy Anniversary Bitches!
I don’t think I can pick just one thing! Love the reviews and deals, though my wallet doesn’t. I guess just the sense of community and knowing I will read something interesting/funny whenever I go to the site, be it a post or a comment. Podcasts are great too, especially when all the Bitches assemble!
Keep up the great work, we ❤️ you!
I love how unapologetic you are about the love of romance. It used to be so stigmatized for me, because it’s not ‘serious’ literature, but reading this site has made me completely fine with what I enjoy spending my reading time on. And that there is no wrong way to enjoy romance, or what you like to seek out in books.
I love romance novels but I come here most of the community and the humor. You are all funny, awesome ladies.
I’m here for the reviews, especially the “F” ones or DNF, those give me life. Then I have to hide from the newsletter with the books on sale.
So much keeps me coming back but my favorites are HABO, sales post, book cover snark and the podcast
Happy 12th anniversary!
I adore “Cover Snark” and “What are you reading?” Really any posts or comments that lead me to great books. Also anything featuring Dewey.
Happy twelfth! I have said this before, but the thing that keeps me coming back is the thoughtful, social-justice oriented reviews; being critical of things that are so easy for so many of us to miss/take for granted as normal is REALLY important to me. I also love that y’all are so thoughtful and respond to criticism so well! Plus, everyone is just so kind and enthusiastic.
Thanks for all you do, and cheers to another twelve years.
Omg I love it all! I religiously read the daily deals so I know which kindle 1.99 books to buy. I love the rants, the bachelor reviews, the random books I end up reading and loving like captive prince. All of it ❤❤❤ congrats!!!
Congrats on turning 12! I read SBTB as a fan, and now I use it to find rad books to buy for the library. I am all about making our romance section the best it can be, and your site helps me with that every week.
I love your reviews, and cover snark makes me laugh so hard I think I peed myself once. My favorite book review site by far!
I love HaBOs and the reviews (both the good ones and the F’s/F+’s)! And I appreciate the inclusiveness in this feminist, hot pink corner of the internet.
Happy anniversary! This is one of my favorite sites, and it has seen me through a lot of changes (two major moves and several big career changes). While I enjoy almost everything, I especially love the reviews (particularly the snarky ones), the cover snark, and the HABO feature.
Reviews, snark, and a fantastic community!
(…I can’t pick just one)
So many reasons to love SBTB! The gift guides & Hide Your Wallet are A+ but the snarky reviews, whether book, movie, TV show, etc. are a treasure ❤
12 years! amazing! I come here mostly to see what was talked about in the podcast and to check out reviews while I’m at it. thanks!
It is the honesty in the reviews, the wonderful Snark and the kind community.
HAPPY 12TH!!
It seems fitting that one of the first reviews was Unsung Hero–the book that follows it in the series, the Defiant Hero, was one of the first *sexy* romance novels I ever read, way back in high school.
My favorite things here are finding new authors and reading the comments on the sale posts, where readers either cheer for their favs or commiserate about the awfulness of the most awful billionaire werebear series.
a lot of things, they reviews, the sale alerts, the snark… but mainly just the community of like-minded bitches <3
The reviews, the rants, the links, but especially the feeling of community, the acceptance of everyone’s opinions, and the understanding that, while we may not have the same taste in literature, we are all sisters in literacy.
Everything!! Its hard to pick just one thing but Cover Snark and HaBO are probably my favorites!!
I love seeing Cover Snark, I love hearing the podcasts, I love reading the posts and the community’s comments, but most of all I love knowing that I am only one of many in the BDBC. Happy Anniversary. Wishing you many more.
My favorite thing is Books on Sale, actually! It’s a good way to be able to try out some things I might not buy at full price. I also really enjoy the podcast. I’m fairly new to romance, and listening to the podcast is a really good supplement to just reading lots of romance – I get to hear the thoughts of more experienced readers and writers, and that’s pretty cool.
I love many things about SBTB – the cover snark, the book reviews, the books on sale, the links to other pages, links to awesome shops on Etsy that sell cute book jewellery, HaBO, Elyse Watches the Bachelor…
But what I especially like is the fact that romances are seen as worthy of being read. It is lovely to read reviews where books with Happy Ever Afters are not considered to be unimportant compared to “literature”, which is too often depressing, boring and poorly written (in my opinion).
SBTB does not look down on books based solely on their genre and a large variety of books are reviewed and discussed.
Thank you for years of happy reading.
I love Cover Snark! (And the books on sale feature.)
The reviews, the books on sale and, of course, the snark 🙂
Happy Anniversary!
I love the podcasts! It is such a wonderful lift to my Fridays to hear people talking about books.
But I also just plain adore the site and I have to visit every day because I find something new or something I haven’t seen before. Just awesome Bitches!
Cover snark and HaBO are my favs. Basically snark because I too am a sassy judgemental woman who doesn’t always quite understand these…creative..covers. and HaBOs because one day I will know the answer damnt!
the fun reviews and snark
Congratulations ladies! I just love coming here to read reviews and get book deals. You guys are so witty. In a time where life can be terrible you ladies are a constant happy place for me. Books are the ultimate escape in the darkest hour. Romance books give women a chance to shine. Just keep up the good work.
Of course it’s 12. Because my son is 12….
Regrets of that one question… “do you want to help with..” 😉
I enjoy YOU the most my friend!
Getting to have/read discussions about one of my favourite genres… because I haven’t found anyone I can do it with face-to-face. And it’s so much better when you talk about it with other people!
I absolutely love HaBO! And how I read a request ends up so different from someone else and then I end up finding so many more books for my TBR list.
Love the reviews!
The reviews keep me coming back even if my tbr pile wishes I wouldn’t.
LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! Cover Snark and having so many like minded, sleep deprived, online reader “friends!”
It’s like hanging out with a group of great friends. What I really love is how there is always something new that I hadn’t thought of – either a book I wouldn’t have otherwise known about, a genre I never imagined, a rant, a creative product, etc. I first found SBTB by way of a knitting pattern…
Everything. I love everything about this site. But mostly the sarcasm.
I love coversnark and the podcasts. however my recent favourite is Elyse’s Bachelor reviews, definitely a do not read whilst drinking time.
I love the bad book reviews and the podcast!