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!
Very soon after I found SBTB I found a review of Only Beloved by Mary Balough. It was probably one of the first reviews I’ve read and it’s still my favorite book after… how long has it been? 3 years? 4 years? I’m extremely grateful for that!!! I go back to that book at least once every year, and it always makes me feel better
And SPTB got me into podcasts, it’s still my absolute favorite and now I’m making my own podcast! (So thank you, Sarah for being the perfect role model) This never would have happened without this site! So thanks so much and happy birthday!!!
Congrats! has it been so long already?!?
I found SBTB by accident (around the same time as “Dear Author…” and loved it. I especially love HABO and all the smart remarks.
Insightfully review by smart women are always welcome reads to make anyone come back for more.
Congrats! has it been so long already?!?
I found SBTB by accident (around the same time as “Dear Author…”) and loved it. I especially love HABO and all the smart remarks.
Insightfully review by smart women are always welcome reads to make anyone come back for more.
So many things! But especially anything & everything Courtney Milan!!!
I discovered that I (and my mother) wasn’t the only smart bitch who loved romances of all flavors. That there are other people who validated my love of romance novels and the belief that there is no shame in that. (Also, Cover Snark – because some of those covers…)
Discovering HABO. It helped me figure out the name of a romance I read as a teen. I had been trying to recall the name for years. HABO didn’t have the title, but it sparked a search that had me find it.
Discovered a wonderful community of romance-reading terrific folks whose comment I enjoy reading and learning from! Thanks for all your posts and thanks to the commenters for wonderful discussions!!
Discovering HABO. It helped me figure out the name of a romance I read as a teen. I had been trying to recall the name for years. HABO didn’t have the title, but it sparked a search that had me find it.
Happy Anniversary! I am new to the site but I have enjoyed the book reviews very much. They are thoughtful,to the point and talk about a book’s warts as well as it’s good points. I haven’t listened to a podcast yet, but look forward to them. I am glad I discovered you!
Now to list my favorite things about the site. I think that might be the whatcha Reading posts and the Reader Recommendations posts.
Sooooooo much. Cover snark. Words like “alphole”. Interviews with Beverly Jenkins. And the constant reaffirmation and validation that you can be smart and read whatever the eff you want!
My favorite discovery was the post asking for suggestions of books with strong female protagonists. I found so many series I wound up loving through that post. I still scroll through the comments from time to time when I’m looking for something new.
So much to love about this site. Caring, literate conversation that shows we don’t read romances without thought or discernment, we are conscious about how we feel when we read them, and what triggers us due to lack of research, sensitivity or WTFery. I just realized one of your greatest gifts is you create a feeling of inclusiveness as demonstrated by my instinctive use of ‘we’ in that first sentence. You are my people!
Your thoughtful reviews about many topics incuding race, fat-shaming and slut-shaming etc. are timely and your work is a valuable learning experience without being preachy. I also love that people who are drawn to this site don’t take themselves too seriously, since we come for the Cover Snark and witty and incisive reviews and comments as much as the insights. Love that this site is also about supporting romances where woman are exploring and claiming sexual empowerment, without shame, whatever their catnip is. (Big thanks for adding ‘catnip’ as a metaphor to my vocabulary)
My favourite review is probably Passions of the Wereshark that demonstrated Elyse is a master at GIFting with the shark fanny pack – OMG fell over laughing! I love that your laughter is not cruel or demeaning. Thank you so much and very, very Happy Anniversary.
Came for the snark, found intelligent and funny women, and have been reading posts and comments for years. Thanks, SBTB!
Oh so much to love here at SBTB. But, my favorite recent discovery is the reading list spreadsheet! I had started something in a word document and it was not going well. I don’t know why it never occurred to me to use a spreadsheet!
I also adore the comments section and the total respect everyone is granted for their opinion. Comments sections elsewhere are just too depressing for words. Thanks for being an uplifting space where everyone can be respectful and still have differing opinions!
My favorite discoveries here have been Elyse’s bachelor recaps & knitting posts and so so many books and authors that it’s impossible to name them all.
How do I narrow it down? Mary Balogh which has turned into looking for old war time Mills and Boon novels to collect.
Patricia bRiggs.
Kelley Armstrong.
So many hours of reading for which I cannot thank you enough!
My favorite discovery is a community of ladies who understand that the stories about boner led men are NOT compelling AT ALL.
And also introduced me to many diverse subjects and authors, for which I am very grateful. Thanks!
I discovered a whole community of readers who understand that stories about boner led heroes are NOT compelling at all.
And I was introduced to diverse subjects, authors and stories, for which I am very grateful.
The site helped me find new authors and books in romance when there were very few sites that covered romance. So SBTB and All About Romance were lifesavers when I needed some advice on where to start after not reading romance for a number of years. I started with Sarah and Candy and have been here the entire fourteen years. My absolute favorite thing, after being able to find new books and the community, is when the reviews are funny, snarky & ranty. Thanks for the great work!
Authors like Tessa Dare, Courtney Milan, etc!
I remember Sarah’s first posts were so much fun, so very insightful about romance and romance readership. I’m here for everything but the podcasts, since I prefer transcripts. Happy anniversary!
I remember Sarah’s first posts were so much fun, so very insightful about romance and romance readership. I’m been here for everything but the podcasts, since I prefer transcripts. Thank you so much and Happy anniversary!
Can’t say for certain, considering source amnesia, but what springs to mind, for me, are:
“The Heavenly Twins” by Sarah Grand (CWs),
Mina V. Esguerra and
“A Crown of Bitter Orange” by Laura Florand, from the Child of Narcissist Parent(s) Rec League.
And the Real Crime Profile et al rec, which led in turn to textbooks by Don Hennessy, Evan Stark, Joelle Casteix, Lisa Aronson Fontes, John Douglas, Roy Hazelwood and rereading Gavin de Becker.
(CWs for them too. And for RCP, be aware before seeking out their whole back catalogue everywhere and following the hosts that, elsewhere, the male presenter took a – I’d say – minimising stance toward the special Supreme Court hearings. And if I was triggered merely with a short history of physical abuse in childhood, stumbling on that would be uglier for victims of sexual victimisation.)
And there is lighter fare that’s very important on a practical level, things that are relaxing for me to re-read/hear before sleep, eg more recent Amy Andrews than I had read.
For others, I’ve recommended Emily Nagoski and described coercive control, a central concept in RCP podcast.
In a more general sense, I have been steered in directions fruitful for my development. This can be as simple as finding a gem in the “buyers also bought…” section, though the book highlighted on the site didn’t grab me.
And I have been alerted that I have to find something customised because it wasn’t available here AND that wasn’t consistent with the general messaging of the site around self-care, sensitivity to lived experience etc. (If it’s lacking here, it’s lacking in the mainstream; the difference is you don’t get such of a one-two punch routine here: “you don’t get to have that”, whack, “because you don’t deserve it”, bam.)
Eg with this impetus, I sought out SENG et al; Virginia Sybert, http://www.skinema.com/, etc.
This has probably been the most fruitful avenue of inquiry/interest. I do like to touch base and see what’s catching the attention of others, and it gladdens my heart when I like the same things or just have a similar focus; however, I guess by analogy with “making lemonade from lemons” (a phrase I actually hate btw), when a gulf opens between me and not only the norm, but the niches handy, I approach it as a rabbit hole to explore.
It often leads somewhere habitable, even for someone with mediator personality. Either to a private no-go zone for me alone, or harmless fun, or ‘necessary evil’ speaking up and sharing an unconventional opinion.
Harmless fun is the simplest. Hence my fondness for Cover Snark.
I think about 90% of the books I read are smart bitches recommendations. So there are too many discoveries to list them all!
I will mention my 3 favourite things on the site:
– the podcast (so much love for this! You do an awesome job, Sarah!!),
– deals posts by Amanda (majority of my books on my kindle are through this post. I especially love that Amanda adds a few words about her take of the book. That really sets it apart from other deals lists)
– bachelor recaps from Elyse (oh man. I could never watch this show myself. But watching it through the Elyse lens is so much fun! I feel terrible that she has to go through it. But it’s so good! I cannot give it up Lol)
My all-time favorite discovery is the Chanukah novella!! Until I read that I don’t think I’d really noticed how few characters in the romance novels I read are Jewish. I bought a copy for me and one for my best friend!
Happy Anniversary! Through my time here I discovered the great romance book “The Windflower” and the lovely “Miss Buncle’s Book” which I have gifted to many friends. This site introduced me to authors Suzanne Brockmann and Loretta Chase. Thank you for sweetening my life!
I have discovered so many great books and authors here! I have learned more about the fine art of book reviewing and especially book ranting. I love, love, love The Bachelor and the fact that I don’t have to actually watch it. But I think the important thing I have taken away from this site is that I do not need to let people shame me for reading romance.
Elyse’s side-splitting Bachelor recaps. I die every time.
Torn between the Podcast which is a serious highlight of my podcast listening and the DNF and F reviews!
Very cute, and thank you for gifting US on your bday! I love that bar necklace, I will have to check it out for my daughter. /
I can’t even remember when I started reading but it was years ago! Lately, I love the Bachelor recaps, and also the smaller mini-reviews. It’s nice knowing when my fav authors come out. Love this site!
Scarlett Peckham! I saw a post with ‘submissive hero’ in the title, making The Duke I Tempted an insta-buy, but the book completely exceeded my expectations. I don’t know how I would have found Peckham otherwise, and now she’s one of my favorite authors. Happy birthday, and thanks for all you do!
I love the podcast. I’ve found several authors I’ve enjoyed through the podcast, but none quite as much as Lucy Parker.
I was never a romance reader apart from some paranormals that I came to from urban fantasy. When a friend told me I had to check out SBTB, I found out how much romance had changed since teenage me checked out a few crazysauce bodice rippers for beach reads in the 1980s. I’ve found some serious comfort reads here, and upped my knitting game, and laughed so hard I’ve cried. Thanks for the good times, even when times aren’t good!
“I’m in ur ass, saving ur life”!
but i love everything about this site. thank you and happy birthday!!
Just a safe, welcoming, unabashedly romance loving community! No one does it better than SBTB!!!
Meredith Duran. I never would have read her books, if not for you.
The Kiss Quotient – would never have tried it on my own.
There are so, so many authors and books I discovered because of you, I can hardly count them all.
The laughs, from bachelor recaps, cover snark, great reviews, or comments and the sense of comfort in a kind, like minded community. Thank you!
You all convinced me to read Nalini Singh even though I’m not a PNR fan, and I’m forever grateful for that!