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!
ELYSE, ELYSE, ELYSE, ELYSE, ELYSE!
Now, don’t get me wrong, I love ALL the women at the Bitchery, but Elyse does hold a special place in my heart. Her reviews (Seriously, HER REVIEWS). Her Bachelor recaps. Her general snark. I adore her.
Maybe she feels kindred because I know she doesn’t live all that far away from me (NO, I’m not stalking her but she mentions Wisconsin. Hey, I live in Wisconsin!). And maybe I’ll confess to thinking we could hang out over coffee or Kraken (whatever) and talk about women’s marginalization issues and whether watching football is a feminist act. I mean, we are talking about serious HYGGE potential here.
And MAYBE…she could get me started with some YouTube videos teaching me how to knit. Seriously, with Elyse’s intervention, I could have made my own pussy hat without having to order it from Etsy.
Or maybe not. I think all the women who make up the Bitchery are cool and smart and thoughtful and basically everything I love about the romance community.
(But especially Elyse).
Thanks so much for the last twelve years. And may there continue to be many, many more.
Kat Faitour
I’m fairly new to the site, but I love Cover Snark and the Bachelor reviews. I’m not even watching it, just reading the reviews is great! Happy Anniversary.
Oh my goodness, how to pick?!?! I came for the reviews, which introduced me to so many new authors and tropes (I thank you, my TBR pile does not), and then I was drawn in further by the cover snark, and the reviews of movies I was already interested in and some I’d never heard of.
Now I come back for a daily dose of community, whether it be Amanda’s comments on the books on sale, Elyse’s reviews of books that are way too scary for me, RedHeadedGirl’s awesome cooking, CarrieS’s focus on sci-fi (yay!), or Sarah’s general awesome leadership. And of course, all of the kind, smart, HEA-loving people in the comments. Every interaction I’ve had on SBTB has been courteous and thoughtful, which is a rare thing in life these days!
Whatcha Reading and the Rec League – even though I have tons and tons of TBR books, a fair amount I already own, most on Wish Lists, I still love love love getting book recommendations from the SBs and other readers of the site!
Much as I love the cover snark, it’s the reviews I come back for.
Here’s what I like: having a community of people who take romance seriously as a genre. Thank you for all you’ve done in the last 12 years!
Habos are a must read!
I love the SBTB community that you’ve built and cherished, SB Sarah.
Recommendations and opinions and encouragement and snark and book rage and sales and laughter and tears and crafting and movies and schooling and safe space and reality TV and scholarship and book talk and podcasts and music and feminism and all the stuff under the sun. You guys are the absolute best! Thank you!
Bitchery rules!
Community, happy endings, and snark. Perfect! Happy anniversary!
I love looking at reviews on the site, and finding new authors that I’d love. Lately, I’ve been coming to this warm little nook of the internet to escape the news.
Cover Snark!
I started coming here due to funny reviews and stayed for the snark. Being able to laugh at ourselves keeps us young!
I the love podcasts and RedHeadedGirl’s Historical kitchen is a favorite as is Cover’s and Cocktails. I spend a small fortune with the Kindle ebook sales and though I don’t watch The Bachelor, I never miss Elyse’s recaps. I read those recaps to my husband and he loves them and they usually has us laughing hysterically. Though I have missed the live event of Sarah’s Live Scream, I watch it in rerun and love, love it. I check every Tuesday’s for the HaBO’s because frankly I love a good mystery. This site is awesome, you ladies are awesome! Keep up the great work!
I love SBTB because it always makes me laugh. The reviews, recommendations, readers – I love them all! Plus all the great book deals keep my collection growing. I especially love finding new authors due to the many awesome recommendations. And also hearing interviews from so many great authors. SBTB is one of the only sites I visit daily. Thanks so much for all you do ladies!
The snarky reviews! Shameless adoration of “trashy” books! And my favorite is probably the reviews of the awful, awful books.
Happy 12th anniversary!
I’m found of all that you offer but I really enjoy the reviews. Looking forward to your next twelve years.
I came for the cover snark. I stay for Elyse watches the Bachelor. No lie.
Pretty much everything on this site is awesome, but lately, my favorites have been any snarky/humorous posts, and it doesn’t take a genius to know why we all need more laughter right now.
Happy Anniversary!
It’s hard to narrow it down but I started coming here for the reviews and I have stayed because of the intelligence and camraderie!
Cover snark is probably my favourite, but the reviews are some of the best ones out there and that is what keeps me coming back.
I just love SBTB, man. It’s like the cool book club for grown-ups that I couldn’t find at my local coffee shop! But, because I’m a Petty Bitch™, my absolute favorite content on the site is reviews of kinda garbage-y books. There’s nothing as cathartic as reading someone else’s BookRage and no one does BookRage like SBTB. Wishing you guys another 12 years!
Hmm, that should have said ‘fond’ above.
I love pretty much everything about the site, but my absolute favorite thing is that this is a safe place both in the posts and the comment sections that has restored my faith in humanity online on more than one occasion.
I discovered this site in 2006 or 2007 when I was searching for reviews of romance novels to buy for my SIL for her birthday. I had not read much romance in years (not since the early 90s) and had no idea of the depth, breadth and quality of books in the genre. I also discovered a whole community of women (and some men) dedicated to the romance genre and to reading in general. For me, the best part of SBTB is the community it continues to nurture. Thank you!. Happy 12th Anniversary and many, many wishes for your continued success.
The best thing among all the amazing things – recommendations, wherever they appear. So many books I didn’t know I needed in my life.
It would be easier to tell you what I don’t like. There is nothing I don’t like about the site
I am always finding great new to me authors to read!
OMG I LOVE cover snark, and also the hilarious reviews of terrible books!
I love learning about new authors who’s backlists I can binge read!!
Even though my bank account doesn’t enjoy it, I love the New Releases and Hide Your Wallet posts. The reviews are great with amazing snark and wit. And let’s not forget the wonderful podcasts with all the animal guests.
the great reviews
Cover snark for sure, I love the humor and silliness.
Well, I adore Hide Your Wallet even if I bleed money afterwards. I also wouldn’t miss a HABO. I’ve yet to be fast enough to answer one but the Bitches have helped me find my own HABO! congratas on the 12 years and many more.
I have found so many books I love here – both through the reviews and the Bitchery. I came for the Jewish recs, I stay for the group. My secret favorite is when authors pop up and comment.
Happy anniversary!
Finding awesome new books to read 🙂
Happy 12 years of being some seriously Smart Bitches!
If I had to pick one thing as my favorite it would be your book deal posts. I’ve one clicked soooooooo many books based on those posts and the reviews/comments included in them.
Of course once I’ve checked on the sales I have to read every other awesome post too!
Keep up the great work. I look forward to coming home from a long day of work and I know I can always count on you awesome ladies to brighten my day and provide at least one good laugh…usually more!
I love the sense of community found here!
Cover Snark for sure!
I love the reviews and cover snark but my favorite thing are the comments! Happy 12th anniversary!
Happy 12th. I guess I have two favorite things. One is the amount of laughter from the great reviews, general discussions, cover snark, podcasts etc. And second is the wealth of information/really great discussions to be had about life that begin with “a book”. Thank you for it all.
Happy 12th Anniversary!
I lurk for the reviews, the book sales, the cover snark, the humor, the feminist sisterhood, the shared love of ROMANCE, and the bitchery!
Thanks for being a place for real romance readers of every kind!
Best, Jocelyn