Nineteen years ago, on 31 January 2005, Smart Bitches began. The site launched with a review for Angel-Seeker by Sharon Shinn and for The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann. We’ve had cover snark and cover awe, helping of bitches out, and, as a neat coincidence, Smart Podcast Trashy Books will publish its 600th episode on Friday 2 February 2024.
Celebrations everywhere!!
Thank you. The site wouldn’t still be here without you. Our community is welcoming new readers, helping people find the books they want to read, and thriving as a warm and wonderful collection of humans from all over the globe.
It’s a very hard time in the online media world, especially in the independent media world like we are, and the offline media world, for so many people. And because we are still talking to one another is an accomplishment and one that I don’t take for granted.
Thank you for hanging out with us, for telling us about all the books you’ve read and liked, and about the books you’ve read and didn’t like. Thank you for supporting our work and telling us jokes, for emailing us exquisite cover art, and for being part of our community.
As I always do, I took a look at the traditional and modern anniversary gifts for the 19th year, and this year, both modern and traditional gifts are bronze.
Well, that’s a challenge. But I am ready for it!
We’re giving away bronze bookmarks to celebrate our anniversary!
I have two of this one:
Each one reads “May we all live happily ever after – SBTB.”
That’s my wish for everyone, that we all live happily ever after, inside and outside of our books. (Inside of a book, it’s too dark to read, lolol.)
And, while we’re at it, let’s raise a toast!
I’m also giving away a Reading Glass, aka a stemless wine glass dipped in bronze (isn’t that pretty?) to accompany your next reading session.
So, want to win a prize?
Just comment below and share one of your favorite Smart Bitches memories.
A book or author you discovered here that you adore?
A cover snark that you re-read and then snort-laugh?
A conversation or review you still think about?
A HaBO you solved or a HaBO you sought?
What post or moment do you think of when you think of Smart Bitches? Tell us one of your favorite Smart Bitches memories 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 read, and possibly sip fine beverages, with panache and style and some bronze accents. Comments will close at noon ET on Sunday 4 February 2024 and winners will be announced shortly afterward.
Thank you for being part of Smart Bitches, and thank you for celebrating with us. Happy Anniversary!!
Winner update: Congratulations to Libby, Hope-and-Memory, and Katie! Please check your inboxes and spam folders.
Wow, happy 19, B*tchery! Thank you for all the amazing reviews, recommendations, discussions, and the sense of community! I remember snort-laughing through Elyse’s incredible Bachelor/ette recaps, though I’ve yet to watch a single episode myself; enjoying both the Squee and Rant reviews, and appreciating all the WAYR posts that seem to continue to inflate my ever-expanding TBR! Thanks also for your incredible April 1st posts, your generous Hanukkah and other celebrations, the deal posts and Rec Leagues… I appreciate you all, and here’s to many more years of great reads with like-minded fellow readers!
Happy Anniversary!!
Thank you for creating such a fun, positive, and inclusive atmosphere. I didn’t discover SBTB until about 10 years or so ago, but it’s my favourite site to visit in the evenings when I’m winding down.
My favourite posts are the F+ posts! I love the snark.
19 years! That’s incredible! I found you during the Cassie Edwards business. You’ve seen me through a stroke and two rounds of cancer. Thank you for providing a community where diverse tastes and opinions are allowed and encouraged.
This is one of my all-time favourite discussions.
Happy birthday! You’ve basically introduced me to a whole new genre over the past few years! I’ve been especially grateful for the books you’ve recommended with neurodiverse characters
Happy Anniversary!!! I discovered some of my all-time favorites here, Penric and Desdemona, and Murderbot. Both series have made me so happy and they are the only books that I both reread and re-listen to!
Thank you for the steady supply of delightful books and discussion! Here’s to many more!
Happy anniversary! I discovered @Legends and Lattes” from a review and comments on the post. I lurk here often, to see what books I want to add to my tbr, and especially enjoy @Whatcha Reading” and “Hide Your Walket.”
Happy B*tchin’ anniversary!!
A massive, encyclopaedic thank you to the team for all the work you do, both on screen and behind the scenes, and for nourishing this wonderful community with all your content and genuine enthusiasm. Also thanks to everyone who makes the site and comment threads a wonderful digital place to be <3
I've discovered lots of books here and expanded my tastes so I couldn't narrow it down to one great one. I think the potato chip shifter book (not sure if that was on the site or just the discord) will forever remain a query in my mind as to the logistics, and the more questions I have the more I think about the concept…
@Francesca that comment link was a great one, thanks!
I haven’t been here since the beginning, but I was a regular visitor (although I didn’t always comment, and when I did I think it was just as “Deb” back then) by the time of the Cassie Edwards scandal and when Sarah’s second child was born. There are so many books and other media that I’ve discovered through the site (the latest is the podcast “A History of Rock & Roll in 500 Songs”, I don’t remember which member of the Bitchery recommended it, but thank you, I’m loving it), it would be impossible to name them all, but most of all I’m so grateful for this community of thoughtful, compassionate, funny, well-read, and good-hearted people. Here’s to many more years ahead!
It’s been an amazing 19 years and I’ve been here for most of it! I was so happy to find a romance friendly place online (plus snark!) and I’ve pretty much stayed around. I remember when Nora Roberts used to dip in occasionally! The internet was a much cozier place back then.
I can’t even name all the wonderful things I’ve found with the Smart Bs, not just romance and romance writers. But two of my favorite authors I’ve found here are T.Kingfisher and Lucy Parker.
I also love a good bonkers HABO and some of the unsolved ones still haunt me. . .
Happy anniversary, and thank you for creating such a wonderful welcoming space – and for all the work of keeping it going. For some reason my phone will only load the first 40 comments on a post, which will be a good thing today, or I’d get little work done between checking back for more joy and celebration.
A conversation that I still think about is the podcast with Lois McMaster Bujold as a guest. Catherine Heloise joined to host, and the joy and excitement in her voice just rang out. I felt the same listening in. And I love the holiday wishes episodes, hearing from people around the world about their joy in books and SBTB.
I read thar Angelseeker review about a month after it was published. Thanks for reminding me of how old I am!
But really…
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!
I am a newer reader, but wow! 19 years is amazing! So many of my books come from these pages, in particular the Whatcha Reading posts twice a month; those lists from the commenters have really opened up my reading of romance novels. I usually track where the recommendations come from in my big spreadsheet, and SBTB is the most likely place I found a new-to-me book. Thank you to commenters for introducing me the Ada Maria Soto, KJ Charles, Jennifer Crusie, and probably a bunch more I’ve forgotten!
Happy Anniversary! Thank you for all your insightful and very funny posts. I love that it’s a respectful site that encourages conversation.
Your site introduced me to Martha Wells and Murderbot and I thank you for that.
I also started reading queer works based on suggestions and reviews . Now I count KJ Charles and CS Poe as 2 of my all time favourite authors. This is one of my top 5 sites that I visit everyday.
I just posted this on your Facebook page not knowing the entry but this fits… Wow — amazing. I was just thinking of the site last night, no joke, and how I found it years ago (probably right after you started!) and brought it to my mom (romance fan and author who passed in 2009) saying something like, “Look, there’s a site with smart funny feminists championing the genre!” You gals changed the game and are still changing it. I wish you all the success in the world! Also the bookmarks are cool. To add, I think my favorite thing is how you’ve grown from just posts to give a literal voice to yourselves and the genre with the podcast. I read romance but not exclusively, but I trust your recs so when I dive in, it’s 100% SBTB recs. I’m quiet in the community, usually, even in Patreon… but I’m a mighty lurker and your snark and fan girl recs really make a huge difference. And if I find something I like, I pass it on to my community. So THANK YOU!
Happy anniversary! While my relationship with romance novels has changed in the past 19 years, my love for SBTB is abiding. This site introduced me to Sarah Morgan’s Harlequin Presents books, which were a revelation since I hadn’t read an HP in years. I also still have the Twilight review bookmarked from my dissertation days. However, my ultimate favorite memory is a post from 2007 (that I still have bookmarked) is the “What kind of food would a romance author be…” The description of Diana Palmer’s (Diana Palmer: Biscuits. Made by virgins. Who are mistaken for whores by hard-faced Texan cowboys with women issues the size of, uh, Texas.) still makes me chortle.
Thank you for the witty banter, thoughtful commentary, and inimitable snark, and may there be many more anniversaries to come!
I love this so much and am thrilled to have found this community. I think I started listening shortly before the podcast hit 200 episodes. I remember being so impressed and excited to find a queer-friendly romance community. Now, so many years later 90% of the books I read were discovered here on the website, the email, of the podcast. Thank you! I hope to still be reading with you after another 19 years.
I discovered Courtney Milan from this site, and for that I’ll be forever grateful!!
I often think about your podcast interview with her during the pandemic and after the release of The Duke Who Didn’t, specifically she talks about that novel and the concept of the “twist” and the dopamine hit you receive from it doesn’t have to come from the traditionally bleak conflict. And that it’s not scary and bleak actually gives you the same feeling because it’s not expected. I think about that change to our expectations and flipping it around all the time. And now I search for that in my media all the time (The Good Place gives me that feeling when I watch it!)
Happy birthday! I’ve discovered so many books and authors here that it would be impossible to list them all, but the ones I am most grateful for feel like old friends. Courtney Milan, Tessa Dare, Martha Wells… Their books are the friends who keep my company on long dark nights, both literal and metaphorical.
Happy anniversary SBs!!! I’ve been a lurker for at least 15 of those 19 years (I’m afraid of doing the math bc if I’ve been here for all 19 years then that blows my mind a little too hard). I remember when Nora Roberts commented on your posts. I remember being awed by all the SLEUTHY experts after reading the most obscure HaBo descriptions.
But my favorite post of all time has to be “A Description of Nipples.” My husband and I were CRYING laughing, especially from all the comments on that post. To this day we still describe his as copper pennies.
I’m so glad you all are still around.
Happy Anniversary! My favorite memory is being a secret romance novel lover and finding out my best friend and coworker who I had known for years was also a secret romance novel lover! I introduced her to Lisa Kleypas and your website. We would send each other articles to read through work emails ( probably not the best decision) as I once cc’d management on an email by mistake!
Happy Anniversary SBTB! It’s been a wild ride and the site still isn’t old enough to drink in the US. The sense of community and the absolute love for the genre are what keep me coming back over and over again. (That and the April Fools jokes). Thank you to Sarah and the entire team for making such an inclusive and welcoming space.
I discovered Courtney Milan because of this site and she is one of only a handful of auto but authors for me as well as one of the few that I reach for when I need a comfort re-read.
Also the cover snark of Easter peep colored aliens lives rent free in my head.
I hope that the site has many many many more anniversaries. Long live the pink palace!
Not an entry, but I wanted to say thanks and happy anniversary!
I have been here longer than I care to admit, and have gotten too many recommendations to list, but back in the beginning I hadn’t heard of Brockmann or Crusie!
Happy Anniversary, SBTB!
I discovered Courtney Milan on here along with so many other great books and authors, and can’t wait to discover more with all y’all ❤️
I think I found my way to SBTB many years ago (not 19, but quite a few) through Linda Holmes at NPR/Pop Culture Happy Hour. Many joyful reads have come my way through this site, but Act Like It by Lucy Parker is one of the favorites. I nearly always try new romance authors through the library first, and at the time she was only publishing digitally in a format my library didn’t buy. So I took a gamble based on the sample and SBTB’s enthusiastic recommendation, and it turned out to be a favorite which I have in turn recommended many times over. I also loved the movie discussions and found some fun movies that way!
Happy anniversary!
I discovered Lisa Sandlin on here thanks to a commenter on a WAYR post. If anyone has a hankering for a detective series set in 70s Texas, get a copy of The Do-Right by Lisa Sandlin.
Not an entry, just want to say Happy Blogiversary – 19 is a lot of years (take it from one who’s been married for 22 and counting). Thanks for providing such a great community for readers!
The daily deals have helped me stuff my Kindle on a weekly basis! My bank account regrets that I found this site, but I love it!
Happy 19th, SBTB! Hoping for many more years to come. My best memories involve Amanda’s links every week. I also join the other bitches in chuckling over Cover Snark. Other faves include Hide Your Wallet and Whatcha Reading. To more reading with the bitchery!
Happy birthday Smart Bitches!! You can now go drinking in Canada (I grew up in Detroit… this was a rite of passage!) My favorite moments on this site are the snarky reviews of the crazy books. In particular, PREGNESIA. I ended up buying it on sale based on the review alone and convinced another friend of mine to buy it too. I had just had my eldest and she was pregnant at the time and we were going to buddy read it. She did…and I didn’t. She has never let me forget it!
A very happy anniversary to you, Sarah, and to all at SBTB!
I did once solve a HABO, but as to which it was I no longer recall.
I visit SBTB nearly every day and sometimes multiple times a day; thank you for all the joy you give.
Happy Anniversary!
I always lover Cover Snark and don’t mind finding repeats! Cover Snark: Bears, Transformers, & Aliens – Oh My! is from November of ’22, and I felt so bad for the Bear in the Bakery who is obviously being violated by the cover “hero”
Well done The Bitchery and all who sail in her.
I ‘found’ romancelandia in lockdown and it led me here. I am so pleased to be part of such a knowledgeable and sharing community. Onwards and upwards to our HEAs!
There are too many Smart Bitch memories to choose from. The most impactful one is finding out this site exists. It was the first time I realized there a shit-ton of other smart bitches who read the books I do. Then discovering the podcast! Ah!!! It was much-needed nourishment for my smut- and romance- loving soul. Than you!!!!
Happy 19th! There are too many memories! I have shared reviews, steals with my daughters and friends! I now own a copy of the three arm cover because of y’all! I’m hoping all b*tches will be able to find my 55 yr old book! Here’s to another 19 years!
I’ve tried so many authors from the SBTB rants and reviews…I can’t really pick one specifically that really lit my fire, but so many of the books that I’ve read over the years have been from this site. It helped craft my likes and hard passes, made me really examine my covers to see how crazy an extra finger or missing arm looks, and got me through getting a literature degree by helping me pile up my tbr for when I could read for fun again. I dove into more fantasy romances after someone reviewed Ilona Andrews books, tried a god awful mafia romance after a cover snark (truly lived up tobthe terrible cover too), and legit got a new debit card one month several years ago after a Whatcha Reading post hit me hard to avoid cleaning out my bank account with amazing book recs. This site saw me through 4 moves, 5 years of school, many job changes with crazy shift changes, and enough tears to fill a dammed river. Thank you!
I remember stumbling upon this group while I was growing my reader’s advisory skills as a Librarian, and I still call upon all of these booklists for recs! My favorite memory was seeing one of my own library’s programs featured in a newsletter, and proudly sharing with all my coworkers that we were famous on a smutty newsletter!!
I have been following you for about 14 or 15 years, not long after Beyond Heaving Bosoms was published.I was so happy to find someone who understood my love of romance, I even dragged a friend to attend a talk about your book at the NYPL. Your website and the NYT are the only two I check every day (and you are usually the first). The authors you have introduced me to are too many to count; Martha Wells, Courtney Milan, Jill Shalvis, Jennifer Cruise, Alexis Hall, KJ Charles and so many more. My favorite cover snark of all time was the “carpet edition” featuring a very prominent rolled up rug, the comments on that was had me laughing for weeks! Thank you for constantly brining me joy, a tribe and wonderful book recommendations.
Not possible to chose a single book that I found here and loved. So many choices. Scrolling through my Kindle, the most recent are Ink Blood Sister Scribe and The Hook-up Plan. (What can I say, my tastes are “electric.” Oh, and KJ. Charles, and the Murderbot diaries–which I resisted but y’all keep saying they were wonderful and I finally gave in.
Happy anniversary, and thanks for being there in my time of read need.
Happy Anniversary! My favorite SBTB reviews were written by Red Headed Stepchild. And I miss Candy.
Thanks for all you do!
Two SBTB appreciations: 1) when an SBTB editor came out to our Tucson, AZ, romance writers’ chapter and delivered an excellent presentation on writing with a couple of still-memorable moments (so sorry that her name is lost in the mists of time),
And 2) when our beloved chapter cofounder, the late great Barbara Lantz passed, SBTB did a lovely eulogy. Barbara was a cool, contemporary 80 and would have loved the writeup.
Thank you for 19 great years!