Once upon a time, long, long ago, on an internet both similar and different from the web we browse today, Smart Bitches was born. The site launched on 31 January 2005 with a review for Angel-Seeker by Sharon Shinn and for The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann, and here we are.
FOURTEEN YEARS LATER.
FOURTEEN! That is a lot.
And yet we have so many books on the TBR, so many thoughts to share about the genre, and so many things to talk about. And so very much absurdly-waxed quiescent man-titty. Can’t forget that.
Thank you for being here, for keeping the site going, and for being part of the Smart Bitches community. We wouldn’t be here without you. It’s no small thing to keep a site thriving for fourteen years, and I try never to take your presence and our existence for granted. Each anniversary is bittersweet, with so many websites shuttering, and the fact that we are still here, and still growing, is a wonderful and deeply affirming thing.
Seriously. Thank you. Thank you for every HaBO email, every request for recommendations, every piece of fan email, and every moment you spend here. I can’t tell you how much it means that you’re with us each day.
So, let’s celebrate!
Each year I try to find items that you might like which fit the traditional or modern anniversary gifts. But the 14th is gold, and ivory. Ivory?! Oh, hecketh no. So I’m mixing it up a little. Literary jewelry!
I have five different bookish, wordy, or otherwise Smart-Bitchy necklaces and a pair of earrings here, and I’m so excited to give them away!
A kate spade gold plated enamel necklace with a miniature pair of glasses!
How cute is that? The chain is 16″/40.6cm, and the necklace weighs 3.61g.
A book terrarium necklace (with an owl because owls are nifty) from Bijoux Malou
A paper rose necklace made from a page of Pride and Prejudice from Artsy Heartsy Boutique
Book End earrings from JezebelCharms
A bar necklace that reads “She is too fond of books and it has turned her brain,” from Jezebel Charms. I have one of these necklaces and I love wearing it – and it receives a lot of compliments, too.
To enter:
Leave a comment and tell us your favorite discovery from here at Smart Bitches. A book? A cover? A story you’d thought you’d imagined but no, it was real? A series? An author to glom and auto-buy? We want to know! Tell us your favorite thing you discovered through SBTB in the comments and you’re entered to win.
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 help us get our learner’s permit next year. We’ll take it easy on the brakes. You’ll also need to celebrate with us in style by (of course) reading something great. Comments will close at noon ET on Monday 4 February and winners will be announced shortly afterward.
Thank you for being part of Smart Bitches, and thank you for celebrating with us. Happy Anniversary!!
Update: Before we get to the winners, all of us at SBTB just want to say thank you to all of you. Whether you comment or just lurk, we so appreciate your presence and we love being able to give back to everyone.
Now, onto the prizes!
- Kate Spade necklace: flchen1
- Book terrarium: Janiec
- Paper rose necklace: Amanda Carter
- Book End earrings: Susan
- Bar necklace: Jen McKernan
We hope to see you all again to celebrate our 15th year!
I want to thank you for introducing me to Alyssa Cole and Tessa Dare- you also inspired me to do a Romance Trope Bingo with my book club!
My favorite was what first brought me to this site – the ‘how writers SHOULD respond to criticism’ post (or something like that). SOOOOO glad I found all of you!
I love the HaBOs. It always feels great when I now when an I often discover something I must read. Also, Elyse’s Bachelor recaps always hit the spot. Thanks for taking one for the team. You watching means I don’t have to.
I love the variety found here, along with the good snark.
I discovered Courtney Milan on this site. Enough said!
Sorry – should be “know one, and”
So many wonderful things have been discovered here. One in particular that sticks out was the mention of Level Up by Cathy Yardley on a lit wicks post. It sounded great! Once I read it, I discovered there was a whole podcast ep discussing it. Such a great find!
This one is going to be serious… a number of years ago Elyse wrote about having fibromyalgia and how she used reading to alleviate the stress of managing a chronic condition. At the time I was going from dr to dr to find out WTH was wrong with me with no hope in site. I remember reading Elyse’s article and a HOLY SHIT THIS SOUNDS JUST LIKE ME lightbulb went off. That article helped give me the language and a jumping off point for research (ergo Googling). A year later, I had a diagnosis and an action plan to manage the condition. I just found my “thank you” email from 2015 to SBTB and I can’t believe it’s been that long!
PS the moveable hymen is a personal LOL fave of mine.
My favorite discovery will always be the one that brought you to my attention: your investigation of Cassie Edwards. I was fascinated by the exhaustive work put into it and was so impressed by this site’s moxie, intelligence, and morality. I’ve been a pretty regular reader since, whether it’s for reviews or a good Cover Snark laugh. I don’t always agree with you opinions, but I know they are made from intelligence and passion. Kudos on your fourteenth, and here’s to many more!
My favorite thing is the Whatcha Reading? post. I’ve found a lot of new books/authors to try through that, and it’s always fun to see what other folks are reading.
Happy anniversary! 🙂
I am came for the book reviews by grade and stayed…well for everything else! I love the fact that there is a place for women to not only share their love of books but also a place to share all our wide varied likes, hobbies, and thoughts. Thanks for everything and I look forward to many more years to come!!
Too many to name! But probably Courtney Milan, one of my favorite “auto-buy” authors.
My favorite thing about this website is the discovery that other people love romance books as much as I do. I don’t have to feel ashamed for liking romance. I am now loud and proud about my reading choices. You’ve empowered me.
My favorite thing is knowing a little bit about the reviewer so that I can gauge if I’d feel the same way she would about the book. It’s hard when a book is reviwed negatively or positively and I know nothing about the reviewer…does she not like this bc she hates historicals..likes the virgin/billionaire storyline
.whayever it is..it really helps to know where the critique is coming from so I can make give it more/less weight..
I came for the reviews, stayed for the humor (and have long bemoaned the lack of an analogous site for mysteries).
Favorite discoveries: Ilona Andrews, Loretta Chase, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries.
Happy birthday! My favorite thing about the site is the respectful commenters. I can read the comments without worrying everyone will turn jerky at some point. Respectfulness for all is evident on this site from the contributors through the commenters, and it brings me great joy.
I also love the F+ reviews. I’ve gone through the archives and read so many of those.
Finally, the reviews of new books are wonderful. I have learned about so many books that I have gone on to read. I even enjoy.
Thank you for all you do!
There have been many discoveries, but I would have to say the best is the discovery of some “new to me” authors who have become favorites, like Sarah Morgan.
Happy Anniversary to my favorite book site!
So about 13.5 years ago I typed in romance novel reviews into a search engine and came across this site. I was tired of the old school romances offered by the library and wanted to find something different. This site is the reason I subscribed to BooksforFree and before kindles were a thing and got six paperbacks in the mail every month. I have read so many more authors and tried many more new areas of the genre (and bought so many books on sale) because of this site.
I’ve discovered SO MANY great books and authors here, but my very favorite (so far!) was ACT LIKE IT (and Lucy Parker as an author).
Happy birthday!!! And OMG that jewelry is gorgeous.
I’ve found so many books and gotten many laughs from cover snark. My favorite find though was Genevieve Cogman. It was something I needed and came at the perfect time. I feel like that happens often when I search through current and past reviews on this site.
I discovered my people, along with some really great authors. This place rocks.
Oh Smart Bitches Trashy Books – how do I count the ways?? The things I have discovered here, the places you’ve taken me, the new authors I have found, the driving around looking for a hotspot to vote for my DABWAHA picks… I can’t remember how I found you, but I’m never letting go
At this point I don’t remember whether it was the site or the book Beyond Heaving Bosoms that I discovered first but both have led me to new authors and genres I never would have tried otherwise. So thank you for the crazysauce and the worlbuilding and especially for the expansion of my reading horizons.
And a special thank you for Ilona Andrews, an author who never fails to surprise and delight me.
I would say 90 percent of the authors I read now I have found through the podcast or through the site. Absolutely love the community you have built here!
You helped me rediscover romance. I was in a major reading slump and couldn’t figure out what I even liked anymore and then somehow I came across you and a sales post feature the Cinderella book from Eloisa James and the rest is history.
My favorite discovery has to be the podcast and Joanne Shupe books. Talk about book crack I love them!
Happy Blogoversary!
My happiest way-back-when discovery on this blog was Meljean Brooks. She was a gateway drug to so. many. others. Thank you for being a gathering place for those who love romance, and being a place for those of us who were shamed for it to recover.
Happy Anniversary! I love this site and have recommended many of its features to friends and family. But my Mondays get so much better when there is a new edition of Cover Snark. I love a good cover snark!
Besides The Bachelor recaps, I would have to say this website has really opened my mind and encouraged me to think intellectually about the books I read. Because of this site, I now see stereotypes, racism, sexism, and general assholery that I night have skipped over before. It’s not cool, never was. But now I have the rageeeeeeeeeee to do something about it!
90% of my reading now comes from what I see on this site. My favorite author discovery is Lyndsay Sands, favorite series her Argeneau vampires. (Her other stuff is great, too!)
My favorite weekly (in season) pleasure – The Bachelor/ette reviews. Poor Elyse. There’s no way I could do that job! (Hope you’ve given her a case of Kracken for Xmas 🙂
I really enjoy your site. I listen to the podcasts, I read the HaBO posts, enjoy browsing the cocktails… the first author I discovered on your site was Amanda Bouchet. I always read your reviews! Happy Anniversary!
I really love the podcast! I like hearing interviews with authors and other folks I might have known about otherwise, and I love the background cat antics and the bad jokes at the end.
I have read outside of my comfort zone thanks to SBTB, and I’m so grateful for that. I’ve found books that I otherwise would’ve missed out on, and I’ve added so many new authors to my shelves. Thank you for helping me branch out with this amazing community of readers. Congrats on your anniversary!
I love the site in general, but I so appreciate the coverage of the dinosaur erotica. Now I never ever ever ever ever have to read it! 🙂 Keep up the great work, and here’s to the next 14 years and beyond!
I love the book reviews, but Cover Snark is the wine to my cheese. I go through my life not LOLing about much unless said by a live person. Then Cover Snark hits me and I’m on the floor. Laughter is good for the soul, thank you!
My favorite thing about SBTB is not one specific item but the existence of communities that celebrate reading romance. I first found romance novels when I was pretty young (like, 11? or so?) and my mom didn’t forbid me from reading them but she has basically shamed me for it ever since. And discovering things like Smart Bitches (and shout-out to the Ripped Bodice, too) has just been really wonderful. The daily sale e-mails have also kept me reading – I’ve read so many more books since I started subscribing!
I pretty much found my voice when I found Smart Bitches. I learned it was ok to be proud of reading romance and I found a like minded community. I also really have loved discovering new authors and books I had never known existed. I think the best author I discovered here was Stephanie Laurens. I don’t know if I would have tried her books if I hadn’t seen someone recommend one on here. Thank you Smart Bitches. Here’s to many more amazing years!
I found you by mistake when I was searching for a book I was trying to find. I was elated to find out you had great reviews, funny posts and great giveaways. I actually won my first kindle here. I love the snarky covers and April fools posts. I love the humor and brutally honest reviews.
Happy anniversary!
There are so many wonderful discoveries I made thanks to this site (like Courtney Milan’s novels) but I think the best was “Beyond Heaving Bosoms”. That book had me drawing curious looks on the subway because I was trying not to laugh aloud.
I came to SBTB recently, within the last year. I’m pretty young, and when I started getting into romance, I was kind of ashamed, for reasons that, now that I have a better perspective (which y’all helped me find) now seem a little silly.
More than embracing my romantic heart, though, you helped me look at what I was reading with a more critical eye. When I read, I tend to completely immerse myself in the world of a book, including the rationales of the characters within, and I realize that I spent far too long dismissing or glossing over some very significant flaws, things that made me pretty damn uncomfortable when I stopped to think.
So, thank you for helping me learn how to think about what I read objectively and in the context of reality.
This too- Thank you for Elyse watches the Bachelor, Cover Snark, and all the F+ reviews. It makes my day every time.