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 forĀ The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann, and here we are,Ā 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 doingĀ giveaways with themes built around the traditional anniversary gifts, and the suggestion for the 13th anniversary?
Lace!Ā
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 holdĀ 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, IfĀ You Can Read This… Bring Me a Glass of Wine!Ā 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?Ā Ā
Standard disclaimers apply: We are not being compensated for this giveaway. Void where prohibited. Open to international residents where permitted by applicable law.Ā 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 globeĀ 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.
I donāt comment much, mostly lurk. Just want to wish you all a happy anniversary. Thanks for the critical thought, passion and enthusiasm you all show for the world of romance novels.
Thank you so much for doing the intense amount of work it must have taken to navigate and survive 13 years of the internet! As the virtual world has become overwhelmingly large and in-your-face, I find that this site is one of about three total (not just for books) that I check daily, because I know it is a reliable place to hang out over all these years. I cherish that you are here, and I can count on this site. Basically, for me SBTB is like the original Law and Order. Thank you!!!
(And no need to have this comment in the raffle – I just wanted to add to the congrats and thank yous, but not win a prize).
Your comments are so incredibly lovely and kind. Thank you so, so much for celebrating with me!
Oh so many things, I found this site because of a book review, but now I’m here for the TV recaps, the knitting patterns, book recommendations but mainly for the lovely and fascinating community.
Happy Birthday!
I originally came to read the reviews to find more good romance books, but I love getting to know the different personalities on the site, the posts about great women in history, the HABOs, the play-by-play of Outlander and Poldark, which I don’t have time to watch on TV, all the commenters, Whatcha Reading of course, and the podcasts, and actually I love everything!
I just like coming to a place where I feel I can be my silly, scuzzy, snarky, sappy true self. All the amazing recs, reviews, and contests don’t hurt, either!
I love the podcasts! Sarah’s comments are priceless & make me laugh. A nice end to the work week when I’m listening to them. Congrats on 13 years, and to many more wonderful years!
I first came here because of Candy, but I got immediately addicted!
Sarah Wendell made my journey into discovering romance a safe and hilarious one and I’m so glad to be one of the bitches because of all of your work. I don’t think I’d be as happy or mentally healthy as I am now without all of your help. Looking forward to many more years reading this site. Mazel tov as this site grows into adulthood!
I love everything about the site, but Cover Snark is probably my favorite. I work in a library and my co-workers and I eagerly look forward to the Snark!
All the reasons, not the least of which participating (if only as a daily reader and only occasional commenter) in this site over the years has helped me proudly, publicly own my love for the romance genre!
Happy anniversary! And just thank you, thank you so very much for this web site. I have been reading romance for a loooong time but it was truly not until I found Smart Bitches that I realized that it was possible to read romance and OWN it and feel fabulous about it. You helped me find the confidence to say “yeah I read romance!” instead of mumbling it under my breath. And, I love that this site has encouraged me to look more critically at the books I read. I realized that I never used to measure romance books by the same criteria I would apply to other genres, and now I’m not sure why not. Reading Smart Bitches has caused me to have higher expectations for the books that I read, which has measurably improved my reading experience. So for all that plus fun Bachelor recaps, HABO, Rec League, and the opportunity to discuss the books I love with some seriously intelligent and well-read folks, you have my deep gratitude.
Happy 13th!
I came for the plagiarism story, stay for the deals and the reviews.
I hang out on SBTB to learn about awesome new books, sales, bachelor recaps, cover snark, reviews and what’s going on with the Bitches! Congratulations on 13 years and I can’t wait to see the next 13!
Happy 13th birthday! I come to this site for the reviews and for the humor. Long may you thrive.
I love the reviews and the HaBOs and all the recommendations!
I felt like I’d found my tribe when I stumbled upon this site. Romance was new to me but the snark, humor, and women positive nature of the site called to my soul. This isn’t a genre to be hidden away and only spoken of in apologetic whispers but one full of bold women with a love of happiness ever afters! I came for the romance reviews and stayed for the community, social awareness, and the laughs. I now run a romance book club and am super lucky to have a face to face romance tribe that I wouldn’t trade for anything.
Thank you for being so inspiring and amazing over the last 13 years SBTB and Happy Anniversary!
I came for the book reviews but am addicted to the HABOs and bachelor recaps.
I found this site following a link for a random review I think but totally stayed for the cover snark, knitting and of course the reviews. Which haven’t steered me wrong yet. Mazel tov š
mazel tov on your (our?) bat mitzvah!
I found the site when I was (involuntarily) unemployed, and I loved the feeling of community. I stay because of the everything – the humor, the reviews, how you (we) solve the HaBOs, the snark, and, mostly, due to all of you – the bitches and the rest of the community. I love your curiosity, how you share your interests and passions, and how you create a judgment-free zone. best of all, I read a lot of romance, and it is nice to know there is a community of like-minded readers and we’re all okay.
I’m looking forward to your drash – perhaps something about 10 commandments for romance readers . . . .
Happy 13th Anniversary! This site has been part of my life for so long now, I don’t even remember how many years ago I found it (most likely in 2009, that was when I really rediscovered romance as a genre). I check the site pretty much daily, and love so much about the community here. The reviews, the cover snark, the helpful posts notifying me about book deals, HABOs, Elyse’s knitting and crochet posts – there’s just so much here that brings me happiness.
I don’t exactly remember what first brought me to this website, but nearly 10 years later, I do not know what I’d do without it in my life. I value the reviews to help me with my future reading list. I love the cover snark for a laugh. I don’t know how many changes money I would have wasted without getting the daily deals posts. I love Elise’s recaps of the bachelor and I love knowing that there are other people in the world who love to read the same things as me.
I donāt even remember how I found the site but I love the reviews and HaBO.
This is one of my very favorite sites! I love that even though we may not all love the same books, all the commenters are respectful of each others opinions. I honestly feel this site has the smartest (ha!) commenters anywhere.
I love the posts, they are something to look forward to every day. So many blogs have fallen by the side of the road-but I love this form of communication. I was a big romance reader when I was young, back in the 1970’s-1980’s, but I got away from it. It wasn’t until I found this site that I jumped back into it-and found so many great books through review posts and comments.
Happy Anniversary SBTB! Thanks for all you do for the romance community. I’ve been reading you for years (but I don’t comment much!). I love coming here for the snark, the recs (saving us time digging through the GIANT POOL OF ROMANCE BOOKS), and the sales (because while I want ALL THE BOOKS, my wallet does not).
Here’s to many more years.
Happy birthday! I’m a lurker since waay back 2009 but I still get my (almost) daily dose of romance reviews and whatnot from SBTB. I still end up reading your old reviews when I need a little pick-me-up (Decadent/Pregnesia/when you got me drunk over dinosaur erotic reviews etc).
So thank you so much! You have a true fan in me.
i love smart bitches because it’s hard for me to find like minded people. even if i’m just reading online reviews and other things, it’s a comfort to know that there are others like me in the world, with a feminist, literary, comedic, lifelong learner midset. i value these things and try to embody them but it’s hard when so many don’t see them as important. so, basically, thanks. <3
I love most everything about this site. The only things I don’t read are the sales (because my TBR is already humongous) and I don’t listen to the podcasts because that’s not my medium.
Everything else? <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
I don’t remember how I found this site, it has been THAT long. I think it was about 9 or 10 years ago but I remeber thinking,”Finally! A community that gets me!” I had been previously shamed to believe that romance novels were immoral. A close childhood friend once flippantly remarked that they were nothing but “porn in a book”. I used to hide my books and read them with a bit of shame.
Now, I proudly let people know that I love reading romance. There’s been several instances where I’ve confessed my love of romance novels and the other person has gone “Thank God! Me too!!” SBTB has given me confidence to enjoy romance.
HABO, cover snark, reviews….. basically everything has kept me coming back for years. I’ve enjoyed seeing the changes throughout the years and I love the SBTB crew; I do miss the weekly to 10 bestselling books, (bring that back please?)I used to buy so many books through those posts. š
Happy 13th Anniversary!!
My top favorite things about this site are the book reviews (and the awesome comments from fellow readers), book sale alerts, gift guides (!!!), the podcast (seriously, the best romance podcast out there) and, most of all, I appreciate that there are books from all genres represented (even if they’re not romance reads).
Thanks for all you do!!
[…] this week is the siteās 13th anniversary! Thereās still time to leave a comment and enter our giveaway! If youāve been part of the site […]
I forget how I found you ladies. I stay for the reviews because each of you fill a catnip niche for me. Your likes run similar to mine, so I’m taking less of a gamble on new-to-me authors. I love the HABOs, which I’ve benefited from. The cover snark is always fun. The community is something to behold.
Love you gals! I come for reviews and cover snark, but mostly because I find you all so funny. Love the podcast as well. I”m sad you guys won’t be at RT this year. I love that party! Happy Anniversary!
I can’t remember how exactly I found this site, but I do know I originally came to read the hilarious F-grade reviews. Romance was not a genre I in any way respected back then, but thanks to your work and the wonderful people that hang out here I gradually realised that romance was an amazing genre all about empowering women. And while as an ace/aro person romance per se still isn’t my cuppa most of the time, I still *have* found some amazing authors via this site that I will read regardless(Courtney Milan, guys!). I hang out here because it’s a place full of amazing, intelligent women, a place that celebrates women supporting each other. What’s not to love?
(By the way, I read most of the reviews by now and found my fave book of 2017 via this site … š )
Happy birthday, SBTB, and many returns!
I found this site a couple of months ago having returned to romance and realising I couldn’t recognise the landscape and didn’t know where to begin. Whoa, I wish I had been here 13 years ago and I might have come back to romance sooner! I love the podcast, which I often read in transcript, the cover snark and F+ reviews, but like so many others, it is the kind and thoughtful and funny comments that make it such a lovely place to hang out. Many Hsppy Returns!
I came for the book reviews I stayed for everything else! Happy 13th Anniversary! Mazel Tov!
I’ve been a lurker for the last couple of years and recently started really following. I love having a community of smart women to see all the discussion on romance novels to help break that stereotype. I also recently started listening to podcasts in general so I am really enjoying that as well!
What’s not to love? Cover Snark is probably my favorite… as are DNF reviews. š
So many reasons! Cover snark has become a favorite, as well as the original reason I started reading (Likely 13yrs ago!) – the honest reviews of a genre I’ve come to love
I mainly come for the humor and book recommendations. But probably the most important thing has been the acceptance & tolerance of this incredibly supportive community. The day after the election when I woke up feeling like the world was an unsafe & terrible place this was the only site that I felt was safe to visit.