Sixteen years ago, the site began.
Smart Bitches launched on 31 January 2005 with a review for Angel-Seeker by Sharon Shinn and for The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann. We’re still here, discussing romance and everything around it, sixteen years later.
In many states, the site is eligible for a driver’s license. (We won’t discuss how my older child, born the same year as the site, may also be eligible for the same. Shhhh. SHHHH.)
This year, as always: Thank you. Thank you for being part of Smart Bitches.
Our community is still growing, still talking about everything, and still hilarious, welcoming, and warm and wonderful. None of that would be possible without you.
So thank you for hanging out with us each day, for sending us so many great covers for snarking, for telling me bad jokes, for telling us about books you loved, and for being part of our community.
As usual, I took a peek at the traditional and modern anniversary gifts for the 16th year, and what did I find? Wax and silver holloware!
At first glance, I thought the page said “silver halloween,” to which I thought, GAME ON.
No, holloware is something else entirely. But wax?
Oh, YEAH. I knew just what I wanted to do.
We all need a little light in the darkness, right?
There’s nothing like cozy smells and twinkling lights on a dark evening, right?
So to celebrate sixteen years of Smart Bitches, I’m giving away…yup, sixteen candles. The reviewing crew and I put our heads together to find some lovely bookish candles and beautiful scents and colors.
Ready? It’s candle prettiness time! I’m giving one of each of the following candles away!
Want to win a candle? I hope so! I’ve got so many links over here ready to shop!
Just comment below and share one of your favorite Smart Bitches memories.
A book you discovered here?
A cover snark that made you snort laugh?
A HaBO you solved?
The high incidences of random silliness?
Tell us one of your favorite Smart Bitches moments 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. If a specific candle is sold out when the giveaway ends, another from this set will be substituted. Must be over 18 and ready to spread light as far as possible. Reading while enjoying the warmth and light also recommended. Comments will close at noon ET on Saturday 6 February 2020 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: Comments are closed and winners will be emailed shortly. Thank you all for your kind words, comments, and nostalgia!
I’ve only been around here for three years, but I adore SBTB and wish you all a happy anniversary and many more to come!
My favorite thing is that the site is a one stop shop for all books, not just romance. I found Burnout through Sarah here, and it turned out to be one of the most important books for my life at the time; I’ll be forever grateful for that. I know I can come here and always find out more about amazing books that I need in my life.
Also I’m going right now to buy the icy bitch candle because vanilla and peppermint is my jam. 😉
Was so pleased to discover this site some years ago — I always appreciate the thoughtful reviews, smart commentary and exposure to new authors. Congrats on your anniversary, and here’s to many more!
Weirdly it’s also my wedding anniversary, so I always remember the date. I think the first April Fools joke (with the bunnies!) is one of my favorite memories…”i give him 5 hearts!” plus actually being the first on a HaBO way back when. Happy Anniversary! Here’s to many more!
Happy Blogiversary!
Also, thank you for the new candle company links! I ordered Dear Book Hoarder :). And may I put in a plug for Malicious Women candle co – I am not connected with them but they are snarky and wonderful like you!
I never knew how much I was missing until a fellow librarian turned me on to your wonderful Smart Bitches Trashy Books site. Thank you for all the romance reading recommendations. You have turned my life around by adding Dukes, Misguided Heiresses, Paranormal Love, Millennial Tropes, and so much more to my reading pleasures.
Thank you.
Bitch on!
The Flatshare is one of those books that was recommended by SBTB and then just kept being mentioned – the premise didn’t hit any of my catnip tropes but I took a gamble and it was so great!
Happy anniversary!
I’ve discovered so many great books and authors on this website! My favorite memory involving Smart Bitches is listening to the podcast on my long commutes to and from work and eventually getting my husband to listen with me!
You guys are wonderful and here’s to many more years of awesomeness!
Not fair! I have so many Smart Bitches happy memories! You solved a HABO for me that had been bothering me for YEARS. You’ve made me read (and enjoy!) books out of my comfort zone (I really wanted nothing to do with shifters until you MADE me read Nalini Singh!) I don’t watch television, but thanks to your witty coverage of The Bachelor, et al, I don’t feel totally ignorant when I get caught in the middle of a discussion about it. You make me laugh at cover snark and lust after the candles you frequently feature (and YES, I’d love one of the ones showcased above)! I even switched vitamins thanks to an add Sarah features on the podcast. I love you guys, and I’m so grateful to have you appear in my inbox every day. Happy Anniversary, and THANK YOU!!!
Happy Anniversary! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to publish reviews here and thank you for bringing such entertainment into my life!
Happy anniversary!! My fave memories are probably related to two different Nora Roberts moments: one was the kerfuffle that led to black footed ferrets getting a ton of support dollars and the other is the pile of books given away after the author event at her bookstore.
Thanks to you all, I picked up and read Ann Aguirre’s Strange Love when I would have never otherwise. What a deftly written book! Didn’t think it was possible.
Aw, happy blogaversary! Amazing.
There’s so much I value about this site — definitely the F reviews and cover snark, but also the fact that this is the ONLY place I trust to get romance recs. The reviews are so well-written, they make me willing to experiment with particular genres within romance (mostly SFF, but also sports) that I wouldn’t otherwise try. I also appreciate the politeness and good humor of the comments section, where people can disagree with civility. And I appreciate discussions of authors’ (generally) unintentional racism and ablism. And I loved Sarah’s novella about wintertime Jewish summer camp love! There still isn’t much GOOD Jewish romance out there (tho I’m always hopeful!) so thank you! Also, all I want in life is world peace and to solve a HABO.
Smart Bitches has been instrumental in my transformation from an “I don’t think I read romance” reader to a “I only read romance” reader. One memorable moment for me was the guest post about Truly by Ruthie Knox which is still one of my favorites. I also fell into love with Lucy Parker because of this site. Still my favorite place to keep up to date with what’s going on in romance for my work as a librarian. Thanks for all you do!
No specific moments, but you guys have introduced me to so many new-to-me authors! Plus I always get a kick out of the HABO column. I can never help out there (memory like a sieve) but I enjoy the snark!
I don’t have a specific favorite memory; it’s really just the general ambience. I think I started visiting daily when y’all started doing Hide Your Wallet and daily sales posts. I get so much out of the comments on those I can’t tell you. SBTB is my favorite place to discover new romance friendly things.
I can’t thank you enough for your focus on romance and attention to the presence or lack of romance friendliness in non-genre books.
Smart Bitches brought me back to romance!
CONGRATULATIONS! I found the site through authors. When I first started reading more romance and wanted to find different books, I would go to an author’s website to see their catalog and found many made recommendations of titles they liked. Also, they would have links to different sites for reviews. It was through a link that I found you and laughed so much and tooled around for a while. I then bookmarked you and now check in daily.
I love Cover Snark! I look forward to it. Sometimes I laugh so hard my family asks me what’s so funny. They never think it’s as funny as I do. Maybe they have no sense of humor?
SBTB has definitely caused my TBR to overflow over the years but what I think about most is Sarah sharing her rule that she can complain about something twice but if she complains about it a third time she has to do something about it. I have even discussed how much that made me rethink the away I approach things in a job interview (giving her full credit of course0.
Before the HaBO we know and love, there was Guess That Lonely Heart. Under the same guidelines, the Bitchery would identify the lost book/title/author, applying their super sleuthing skills on little information.
The difference is that there were coronation ceremonies for the first reader to correctly guess the book. At these ceremonies, a Smart Bitch Title™ was bestowed on the winner, complete with an appropriately tongue-in-cheek, old school avatar.
Yes, I went back through all 93 pages of HaBO posts because I am retired, we’re in a pandemic, and I was determined to find something I couldn’t remember the name of. Then through nine pages of Guess That Lonely Heart to land in 2005.
I love everything about this Pink Palace and those Titles were just further proof of how awesome, fun and incredibly smart this site has always been. April Fools posts, F reviews, Elyse’s Bachelor/ette summaries, all of it. And I can’t even begin to count the books/authors I’ve discovered here, but I can say SBTB has made me a braver, unapologetic romance reader. Happy Sweet 16.
I love you guys and can’t imagine navigating the romance genre without you all. My favorite memory is any time you have cover snark because I can never see a shirtless model without thinking of Dr. Nipples. And the fact that I’ve found quite a few fluffy books and comedic books from recs you all have made.
Loretta Chase, Courtney Milan, Sherry Thomas – all my favorites were found here. And Murderbot – found here was my 2020 calming background. The cover snark trope I love best are the willfull nipples that seem to have a life of their own, the fiery farts and the oddly pasted in lions, or babies. No wait the best are the fantastic sword peens.
This website, and you all mean a lot to me. I have been here since the early (Candy) times and my days are not complete until I have checked out SBTB. Thank you.
I am actually in the middle of tearing through Ilona Andrews’s books, which I discovered on your recs. They are SO GOOD! Thank you for this wonderful community!
Happy anniversary!
SBTB has introduced me to so many authors… But above all, your posts on which Nora Roberts to read got me past my intimidation of just how many books she had out there, and helped me dive into her worlds.
Happy Blogiversary! While I love the reviews (the Chuck Tingle books and the Whale Shifter are memorable), the Cover Snark and the Bachelor/ette recaps, the moments that stand out to me are the times you shifted gears into solid, factual reporting. Your deep dives into the RWA scandal and interviews with Courtney Milan and others involved were thoughtful, even-handed, and honest, and kept all of us in the loop. Also all your interviews with experts to help us with our self-care in difficult times, and recommendations for helpful books like “BURNOUT”. Even in your reviews you acknowledge that everyone has a different tolerance level for questionable tropes and make sure we are aware of issues that will affect our enjoyment of each book. Thank you for taking this much-maligned genre seriously, and creating a safe, welcoming and thoughtful space for this community.
Many, many years ago a commenter called herself Kushiel’s bitch and led me to a long and satisfying relationship with Jacqueline Carey. I’ve bought a lot of books from SBTB reviews and reader recommendations, but that remains my favorite.
Love all Cover Snarks that have eye-nipples!
I love the smart, thoughtful, caring community here. I’ve found so many wonderful books and authors thanks to this site. Way too many favorite moments (especially cover snark and rants), but will mention the time your links post featured the AI generated Hallmark movie script. Wish I’d bookmarked it. Here’s to many more years of Smart Bitches.
I love having someone to share the Cover Snark WTF finds with – for some reason I often nominate the “what is he doing to/with that bear” covers as I clear my Cover Snark Desktop Folder. My favourite review of all time is Elyse’s F+ Review of Passions of the Wereshark – her GIF choices are always brilliant, but the Shark Belly Bag had me snort laughing for days. Your wide-ranging insightful reviews are discerning but not nasty, and have helped me choose books that go on my Must Buy List and those that move into the Nope List. Very Happy Anniversary SBTB – wishing you many more. Love from Toronto.
Happy sweet 16th; just think, in five more years, the site will be old enough to drink!
One time I did solve a HABO, but I no longer remember which one.
I really enjoy the community here. Thank you very much!
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!! SO many book suggestions I’ve gleaned from here, but dang if Meljean Brook/Milla Vane, T Kingfisher, and Talia Hibbert don’t get all my money now.
I’ve SO appreciated learning the slang for all the tropes so I have been able to be more insightful about what is up my alley – plus feel seen that so many other feel that way!
In the same way, I can be more deliberate with my money supporting things like own-voice authors and authors of color.
Thank you, SBTB.
This website taught me to stop hiding my love of romance novels. Now I’m that person who jumps on people who are mean spirited about them and tells them where they can take that nonsense. This website taught me to laugh at romance novels but also to take them incredibly seriously. This website introduced me to authors like Tessa Dare, Courtney Milan, and Alyssa Cole. It’s been almost ten years since I started looking at this website and I’ve been reading it through good times and bad times. It’s helped me make friends in the real world too. So yeah. It wouldn’t be hyperbolic to say SBTB is one of the biggest influences on my life.
I love every time Murderbot gets mentioned on the podcast. I love that series and the more it comes up, the more connected I feel to the conversation.
I love everything about the website, but the thing I think I love the most and look forward to every week is the podcast! The interviews with authors and Sarah & Amanda episodes are my favorite (shout out to mine and Amanda’s love of hot dogs and mayo). Thanks for everything you do and keep up the great work!
I honestly can’t remember how many amazing books I’ve discovered through SBTB! There have just been so many wonderful reads that I would never know about with out this site!
I discovered Roan Parrish,and Sherry Thomas on SBTB. And I love Elyse recapping The Bachelor/ette
All the new authors I have discovered such as Lucy Parker
A very happy 16th birthday!! I check in here almost every day, love the content of the posts and the comments. SBTB got me into reading contemporary romances-for years the only romances I read were historical, I’m not sure why. So many good books awaited me, and who knew that hockey romances would become one of my favorite genres? The Watcha Reading posts with all the comments has my TBR pile growing by leaps and bounds. I’m very grateful for this community!
Happy anniversary! I arrived here during the black footed ferret shenanigans and stayed for the reviews and the snark. I’ve been introduced to so many great romance authors here.