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, THIRTEEN YEARS LATER, with still many books on our TBRs, many thoughts about the genre, and many things to talk about.
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.
This anniversary is bittersweet for me, too, what with the recent closure of so many websites I loved and valued. The web changes constantly in large and small ways.
And yet, Smart Bitches continues to grow. Our audience is growing month-to-month, and year-to-year, as more readers find us and hang out to read reviews, leave comments, ask questions, and help us solve HaBO after HaBO. The number of email messages I receive from readers looking for recommendations for one more romance has increased, too, as have the number that say, “I didn’t know this kind of site existed and I am SO HAPPY to find you!”
Welcome, and welcome back. It’s time to celebrate 13 years!
This year, I’m also doing a little something extra. Thirteen is also the year at which many young Jewish people have their bat mitzvahs, so this year, I’m throwing a bat mitzvah for the site. On Saturday, 3 February, I’ll be posting a dvar torah, also known as a “drash,” about that week’s torah portion, Yitro. So the site will be having a digital bat mitzvah, and I hope you’ll stop by to read and celebrate a little more.
But today we also celebrate! And I love doing giveaways with themes built around the traditional anniversary gifts, and the suggestion for the 13th anniversary?
Lace!
Oh, there’s a lot we can do with that. I found some fun and pretty and even some silly lace-adorned items to give away, and I hope you like them!
I think this tote and the one below it are so cute.
This teal blue cotton tote has a lace panel sewn on the front, and can hold everything, including your wallet, e-reader, water bottle, and phone. And…whatever else you need. Snacks? Emergency kitten? Vitamin C? Whatever you need, it’ll fit! The bag is 14″ by 14″, and very lightweight — only 7 oz.
I love socks like these! On the bottom, it says, If You Can Read This… Bring Me a Glass of Wine! One winner will receive a pair of nifty socks, which are lightweight and soft cotton blend, trimmed with lace.
I really dig this bracelet – which is actually two bracelets, one a thick band of lace and the other gathered with a buckle charm. The artist is in Latvia, so shipping may take a little bit longer, but I think this bracelet duo is adorably nifty.
And finally, one last sentimental prize. When Smart Bitches began, I was living in a house that had been owned by someone who did lace tatting – a very old form of lace weaving. Pretty much every time we’ve moved into a space or moved out of one, we’ve found something left behind by the prior owners, and we’ve probably left something behind, too.
In my office where I worked on the site in the very early days, the prior owner had hung a tatted lace heart in the window that looked over the yard. I like to look out the window when I write, and I stared at or through that lace heart while pondering. We left that tatted lace heart for the next owner of that home, but when I saw this one while looking for ideas, I immediately thought of it.
So, to celebrate when the site began, and (forgive me) the heart of what we do here, I want to send one winner a tatted lace heart of their own to hang in a window.
Ok, now that you’re all rolling your eyes at my schmoopyness, let’s do some giving away of things!
To enter, just leave a comment and tell us why you hang out here with us. Reviews? Humor? Cover snark? HaBOs? Sales?
Standard disclaimers apply: We are not being compensated for this giveaway. Void where prohibited. Open to international residents where permitted by applicable law. We will pick one winner by random integer for each of the items listed above. Must be over 18 and ready to lacily, lazily read and do other things. Pants are always optional. Do not fear the 13th anniversary, for it is also the baker’s dozen, and that’s one extra delicious item for you to enjoy. Speaking of, we recommend pastries as often as humanly possible. Comments will close Tuesday February 6, 2018 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.
Thank you for being part of Smart Bitches. Happy anniversary to us!
ETA! We have winners! Congrats to Jenny P, Malena, Michelle, TheoLibrarian, and JaneDrew!
Thank you to everyone for leaving such lovely comments, for celebrating with us, and for being part of a truly wonderful internet community. Every anniversary is special and this one meant a lot to me. Thank you.
Happy anniversary, bitches! Love the recommendations and HaBOs! Also love the inclusivity you foster here, Sarah!
Happy Anniversary! I enjoy your reviews, humor, and snark. Thanks for sharing. Wishing you all the best.
I just started following you. I enjoy the reviews and humor. I rarely read contemporary romance but have bought two books so far based on your reviews.
I love the community – it really is nice and very smart people talking intelligently about books (mostly romance but I have found that a lot of people on here read a lot of other genres as well). Where else on the Internet can you find polite smart conversation (answer not many places). That is why I love Whatcha Reading and Rec Leagues – to be connected to all of you other smart funny kind people!
Happy 13th Anniversary and here’s to many more!
Visiting the Smart Bitches website is a part of my everyday routine. From reviews to HABO to cover snark, I enjoy it all. I especially look forward to the podcast every Friday and the Hide Your Wallet posts every month. Thank you so much for creating this safe, lovely, and hilarious space for romance readers like myself. *raises glass of champagne* Happy 13th Anniversary, Smart Bitches and to many more years to come! Cheers!
Great reviews and book and author recommendations
I’m here for your occasional schmoopiness, Sarah! Well, yes, but also for the reviews and recs, the cover snark, the podcast, the cocktail recipes, the chance to discover new authors (and that list is neverending, it seems, and delightfully so), and the amazing, funny, thoughtful, sometimes provoking comments left by the rest of my cohort.
Happy anniversary, SBTB! And many, many more!
The humor and love you have for the genre ❤️
I love knowing about books on sale and HABO makes me happy. I wish I knew more answers! I com here every day to read about other people who ar3 not snooty about those “trashy romances” and appreciate the books I love to read.
Came for the reviews originally, but I love the humor.
Happy Anniversary, Smart Bitches! I found you ten years ago, when a colleague told me about the site after I read my first two romance novels. I’ve stayed for the community of smart women, the reviews, and Whatcha Reading?, because I’m always curious about what other people are reading. Honestly, my day would not be complete without SBTB.
I discovered your site about a year ago. It’s wonderful to know that there are likeminded folks who share a love of romance and give great recommendations. I read your posts and comments as I commute to work here Down Under. It’s a welcome distraction to depressing news. Thank you for all the effort you and your readers put in.
HAPPY 13TH ANNIVERSARY SBTB!!!
I don’t even know how long I’ve been visiting now, probably at least 8 or 9 years but it’s the first thing I do when I finally get home from work and can relax. I love the sales, reviews, cover snark, HABO, and well pretty much everything, because the humor and feeling of belonging is always present. I don’t stop reading at the end of your post either…I love reading the comments too! It’s always a highlight of my day!
Happy Anniversary! I’ve been with you for about 10 years, I’m trying to remember how I found you. Smart Bitches helped me get back into romance after about a 20 year hiatus. You’ve been my go-to site for recommendations ever since then. Of course I love the reviews and other favorites are HABO, the Books on Sale posts, transcripts for the podcast and Rec League. Thank you for being there for me all this time! I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t.
Happy Anniversary! I love everything about your site. The book reviews/recs are really helpful; the sales-not so helpful to my wallet! The cover snark is terrific. And Elyse’s coverage of The Bachelor(ette) is necessary reading. You gals often supply a much needed laugh to my day. Thank you.
I can’t remember how long I’ve been visiting the site, but I know that I don’t make a habit of commenting. I come for the humor and the reviews–simultaneously and not in that order. I also love the warmth and sense of community you all have instilled, be it through your podcast, your willingness to host guest reviews and rants,your thoughtfulness when it comes to all the parts of the site (even things like image descriptions), and the genuine love for romance and anything else you enjoy and share.
Happy thirteenth anniversary and may there be many more to come!
I’m here because I love what you do and no one does it in the same funny, slightly irreverent, and smart way you do. Thank you so much for creating this space for romance nerds!
yom huledet sameach!!!!! TODAH RABAH for all you do!
today you are a pen.
(this is my most jewish comment ever on this site.)
Happy lucky 13th anniversary! I love the reviews here more than anything. They are so smart and so funny. I have found so many wonderful books through this site and also avoided so many terrible books. I love the reviews for the terrible books most of all.
There is so much here to like & love. The reviews, new-to-me-authors, HABO’s, giveaways, sales listings, and general information are all great but I think what I love most is the overall inclusiveness.
This is such a wonderfully safe environment to learn about and discuss books, (and at this point nearly all forms of media), but to do so with depth and compassion, respectfully of everyone. No matter how divergent the opinions posted may be, there is always kindness and acceptance shown.
Congratulations on your birthday/anniversary and may there be many more. Mazel Tov!
I’ve been visiting periodically since 2006, maybe? It was a review of Darlene Marshall’s gay pirate book– I was a senior in college and so ready to read anything that wasn’t academic. And I stayed for F+ reviews (Shayla Black’s Decadence!) and the insistence on novels that treated women as people and women’s desires as worthwhile. You ladies are the best.
Happy 13th SBTB and thanks for all you do! I visit almost every day. Love the snark, love the reviews, and I love all the smart commentary from the Bitchery. You have introduced me to many interesting books I would never have explored otherwise. Long may you wave!
I came for research for my thesis. I stayed for the awesomeness. Happy anniversary! I’m so happy you exist 🙂
I hang out here for the book recommendations and the snark, but mostly for the community and the positivity around accepting ourselves and what makes us happy. Happy Anniversary, SBTB!
Happy 13th!! I was born on the 13th, so I consider it quite lucky.
I come for the snark, the reviews and the podcast.
Happy anniversary! I’ve been active on and off since I stumbled into Smart Bitches in 2006 while doing research for a romance novel themed paper I was writing for my college English class. I am grateful for all the work and love you ladies put into making this site what it is.
Happy 13th anniversary! This site has become incredibly important to me in the past 6 years since I first visited (after my first child was born, I followed through on a recommendation from Linda Holmes at PCHH).
You all (Sarah and the SB, Guest Reviewers, and Commenters) have helped me find books I love, helped me figure out my catnip, and helped me identify why sometimes the language or situations in books don’t feel right (patriarchy, bias in all forms, telling not showing, conversations that don’t feel real, etc). Additionally, while I don’t comment often, I feel very safe when I do.
I hadn’t realized there was such a large romance community. Most of my family and friends are either not readers, read only non-fiction, or scoff at romance. It is AMAZING to have this group of readers sharing perspective and support.
Thank you, Sarah & the SB, for everything you do to build and grow this community.
I basically never comment on anything, but I’ve been meaning to say how much I like the site for a while, so here goes.
I actually don’t read much romance, but I ended up on the site somehow maybe a year ago. I stuck around because I really like the atmosphere: it’s happy, snarky, laid-back, and inclusive, and it has some of the nicer comment sections of the internet. I’ve even ended up reading and enjoying a few of the books reviewed!
I have the most fun reading reviews where the reviewer either really loved or really hated the book (or movie or whatever). Cover Snark is a particular favourite.
Happy anniversary! Here’s to the next 13!
Happy 13th Anniversary! I enjoy the humor and the book reviews. I can’t wait to listen to your podcast!
Happy 13th anniversary! I’m here for the snark, the bad-ass feminism, the reviews, and the features like HABO!
“Reviews? Humor? Cover snark? HaBOs? Sales?” All of those things. I love your thoughtful, insightful, often funny reviews. I love the recaps of shows and movies… I love the gift guides, the recommendations, the supportive environment. SBTB is definitely home 🙂 Happy anniversary, and looking forward to celebrating many more!
The amazing community, book reviews, and many, many reading suggestions!
Happy anniversary! I don’t think I’ve been lurking here quite that long, but maybe ten years? Here most of all for the thoughtful, intelligent, funny recs and reviews. I’ve discovered so many books here over the past several years that I’ve read and loved.
Cover snark
I love the HaBO posts and the reviews. Because of the sale posts I bought a Kindle which saved my ability to read. I have RA and my finger joints are damaged to the point that holding a book is sometimes really painful. I stopped reading HR in the early 90’s and only started back up when I found your site. So thank you for introducing me to so many wonderful new to me authors.
Happy Birthday – your site is a teenager now! I wish you the best for it’s teen years are filled with joy and success and absolutely no angst. Seriously though – when I found this site – I felt like I found my people and the podcast is absolutely wonderful. My reading horizons have expanded and my TBR is embarrassing- but at least as long as I have electricity to keep my kindle running I will have reading material for at least two years and most of that is due to SBTB and it’s sales lists or just fantastic reviews and I have to pick the books up at full cost. Thank you for being here and sharing your knowledge and interests.
Bonne anniversaire ! I feel like most of my adult life has been spent with the Smart Bitches. You introduced me to Miss Fisher, Ilona Andrews, and Deanna Raybourn – all cherished bits of my life. You guys – your life and book advice, the way you love books and the way you talk about books, television, movies, knitting – got me through a tough pregnancy, a masters thesis, work hate and life in general. I look forward to your surprise when you find a book you love, your enthusiasm around falling in love and your sarcastic wonder at the covers you hate. Though I rarely participate, I am a huge fan and read most postings. Here’s to another 13 years of awesomesaucness.
Happy anniversary! I visit almost every day for the reviews, sales and wonderful sense of community. Thank you!!
Very Happy Anniversary! Since finding your site I’ve read so many good books mentioned there, downloaded lots (collections are my fav) and laughed at Cover Snark and Elyse’ Bachelor/ette reviews till tears are rolling down my face (and thank you for turning me on to that yummy Kraken!) May you enjoy many more anniversaries.
Very happy anniversary! And thank you, Elyse, for turning me on to that yummy Kraken. May you all enjoy many more anniversaries (and keep the Cover Snark and Bachelor/ette reviews coming!)