ARC Review: Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

Crash Into You

(Pushing the Limits #3)

Author: Katie McGarry

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Publication Date: November 26, 2013

Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary

Source: eARC from publisher via NetGalley

~Synopsis~

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind. 

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look. 

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

 

~Review~

Wow, this book. It just feels like there are no words to describe how I felt while reading Crash Into You. I was so overwhelmed with emotions and I connected with Rachel and Isaiah more than any other characters than I have in a long time. Pushing the Limits has been my favorite YA Contemporary of 2013, until now. As much as I love Noah, Isaiah has captured my heart forever.

I freaking adored Rachel so very much. She comes from a high society family and could easily be a stuck up bitch but she is so down to earth and non-judgemental. She doesn’t see Isaiah as someone beneath her like her family or other girls in her position might have. She SEES him and not his appearance and his home life. I was really torn up by how much Rachel has to endure with her family. She spends so much time being someone she isn’t just to keep her mother happy but it clearly takes a toll on her. The only time she feels like herself and feels free is when she’s driving her car. Rachel’s fear and anxiety broke my heart because she had to deal with it all on her own and no one understood her or really listened to what she had to say.

My God, Isaiah melted my heart and I fell head over heels for him. I honestly never thought that could happen because I never really felt a connection to him in Pushing the Limits or Dare You To. He is at the top of my YA book boyfriend list and has officially turned me into a cougar. Isaiah is a genuinely good guy and he has been through a really tough time. Despite his outward appearance and what he wants people to see and believe, he is the epitome of “don’t judge a book by the cover” because he is nothing like he wants people to see. Being in the foster care system has left him a bit broken and hurt inside. He has a lot of anger and resentment towards his mother for all he's had to suffer through. Isaiah just wants to be wanted and loved and he is closed off because he is generally let down. I don’t think he gives himself enough credit to be more than what everyone thinks he will be. He has so much potential and there are people who see it too. Isaiah just needs to see it in himself.

I absolutely loved Rachel and Isaiah together. They are from two different worlds but it never seems that way between them and that was my favorite part. Rachel fully believes in Isaiah and encourages him in everything he does. Isaiah is secure with himself and never lacks self-confidence with Rachel, despite their different backgrounds. Rachel and Isaiah get themselves into a pretty sticky situation and the only way to get out of it is to work together. The more time they spend, the more they each fall for one another and I really loved watching it happen. Rachel is a bit insecure when it comes to the relationship with Isaiah but considering her inexperience and the walls that Isaiah has built up, it’s understandable that she would question everything that happens with them. Isaiah has been let down some many times in his life by so many different people that letting Rachel past his walls and in his heart seems to be a bit difficult. He doesn’t want to admit the feelings he has for her but the more he denies them, the stronger they become. I was floored when they opened up to one another and decided to explore a relationship. There were a lot of obstacles that stood in their way but they expertly overcame them and refused to let anything or anyone come between them. They fought for each other until the very end and Isaiah’s tenderness and protectiveness of Rachel was so endearing.

We get so see some more of Echo and Noah as well as a little bit of Beth and Ryan but I also liked the introduction of some new characters as well, including Abby and Logan. While we meet Logan in Dare You To, I loved the cross over with him in Crash Into You and getting to know him better. He actually becomes a good friend to Isaiah and I really enjoyed the bonding between them. It was a great bromance! Abby is an old friend of Isaiah and I loved her. She becomes Rachel’s first real girlfriend and the friendship that they created was really sweet and further showed what an awesome person Rachel is because they were from two different worlds and Rachel never cared. I think she was Abby’s first real friend too and they both needed that friendship. Unfortunately, I was not a fan of Rachel’s brothers. I found them hypocritical, judgemental and way too over protective. They only really cared about themselves and they were always pushing Rachel to be somebody she wasn’t just to please their mother. While sometimes I think they had good intentions, the way they treated Rachel really pissed me off and I loved it when she finally stood up to them.

I think Katie McGarry is an incredibly talented writer and this is her best yet. That’s hard for me to say because I loved Pushing the Limits so much but she really outdid herself with Crash Into You. Not only was the romance heart warming and beautiful but the plot was captivating and intriguing. I was always left guessing and never expected the turn of events around each corner. Once I started, there was no way I was putting this book down until I finished and when I finished at 1:00 am, there were tears streaming down my face and warmth in my heart.

~IPOD Picks~

“Falling Slowly” by Kris Allen

“Words” by Skylar Grey

“Give Me Your Eyes” by Brandon Heath

PRE-ORDER LINKS:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

*An eARC was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.*

"Be the First to Fall" for Before We Fall by Courtney Cole~ Excerpt & Giveaway

I am SO excited for this book! If You Stay and If You Leave were amazing so I can't wait to read Before We Fall. Check out the excerpt below and pre-order your copy today!

~Synopsis~

Sometimes, one dark moment is all it takes to turn your world black...

For 24-year old Dominic Kinkaide, that moment took place on the night of his high school graduation. One dark incident changed him forever. He's a hardened actor now, famous in the eyes of the world, but tortured in his own. He doesn't care about much of anything, except for losing himself in the roles that he plays.

23-year old Jacey Vincent doesn't realize how much her father's indifference has affected her. She is proof that sometimes it isn't one specific moment that wrecks a person, but rather it's an absence of moments. She's like a bird with a broken wing-strong yet fragile, as she tries to float through life, finding acceptance in the arms of random guys, one after the other... to fill the void that her father left in her.

Until she meets Dominic.

After jaded Dominic and strong-willed Jacey are thrown together, his secret and her issues create a dark and damaged energy that will soon turn their attraction to each other into an explosive storm.

Even though when the clouds have cleared and the dust has settled, both of them are almost obliterated... they've learned a priceless lesson.

Sometimes, before we fall... we fly.

~Excerpt~

He laughs, a velvety sound. “Babe, I could show you a bunch of things you’ve never done.  And I guarantee, you’d like every one of them.”

For some reason, I have no doubt of that. It’s an exciting thought. He bends his head and nips at my neck, then soothes the bite with a soft suck. His lips, so soft and smooth, ease the pain of the bite away. His nearness is intoxicating and everything about him screams that he is capable of so many things… things that would please me… things that would embarrass me in the light of day. But still, I don’t move. I stay right with him, my gaze frozen on his. Keeping his eyes on mine, he slowly dips his head and plunges his tongue into my mouth, completely plundering it, consuming me yet again.

It’s like he can’t kiss me without devastating all of my senses at once, annihilating my thoughts and causing my blood to throb as it all races toward one destination… the V between my legs. Right where I ache for him. He’s like a drug….and one taste just isn’t enough. I open up my mouth and breathe around his lips, sucking in air, grasping at his back and pulling him closer. He reaches back and grabs my hands, holding them together at my wrists and pinning them over my head against the plexi-glass gondola cage. I’m trapped here with him, yet there’s no place I’d rather be. The energy around us now is primal and raw…and it’s exhilarating too, because we’re out in public. 

Every time the gondola swoops along the ground before it begins its ascent upward again, anyone could look in and see what we’re doing. They could see Dominic pinning me against the wall, and his other hand buried in my crotch, if only they looked closely. Honestly, I think he might like that idea.

“What are you doing?” I finally manage to whisper, pulling away just ever so slightly. His eyes are a little unfocused, his pupils dilated. “What would you like for me to do, Jacey?”

He knows. Oh, God, he knows. He knows exactly what I’d like for him to do.

PRE-ORDER LINKS:

http://amzn.to/1cIjaig

http://bit.ly/1bJf2gd

http://bit.ly/1aDVVrh

http://bit.ly/1jtbFhO

Courtney Cole is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives near Lake Michigan with her family.  She's always working on her next project... or staring dreamily out her office window.  To learn more about her, please visit courtneycolewrites.com

Social Media Links:

http://courtneycolewrites.com/

http://on.fb.me/I9iRo0

@Court_Writes

http://bit.ly/1bYxR2x (Goodreads)

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Cover Reveal: Someone Like You by Addison Moore

I absolutely adore Addison Moore and I loved Someone to Love so I am so excited for Someone Like you to come out! Check out this HOT cover!

Someone Like You (Someone to Love #2) by Addison Moore

Releasing January 28, 2014!

A sexy, romantic read from the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Someone to Love. When coed Ally Monroe literally falls into the arms of a tattooed bad-boy one summer night, she can't seem to let go. Morgan Jordan is everything Ally doesn't want—he's a playboy from a blue collar background, and Ally's looking for upper-class stability. Though their relationship starts off as a one-night stand, once Ally learns Morgan is her best friend's brother, there's no escaping him . . . or the growing fire between them. As Ally and Morgan become closer, they confront bitter enemies, his sister's disapproval, and paths pulling them in different directions at summer's end. The second book in the bestselling Someone to Love series proves that in love and passion, sometimes two wrongs do make a right.

Add it to Goodreads

About Addison:

Addison Moore is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author who writes contemporary and paranormal romance. Previously she worked as a therapist on a locked psychiatric unit for nearly a decade. She resides on the West Coast with her husband, four wonderful children, and two dogs where she eats too much chocolate and stays up way too late. When she's not writing, she's reading.

Blog: http://addisonmoorewrites.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Addison-Moore/140192649382294 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AddisonMoore

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: Keep Me Still by Caisey Quinn

I am super excited to have the tour for Keep Me Still by Caisey Quinn, hosted by Inkslinger PR, on the blog today. I adore Caisey Quinn and she did not disappoint with this one. Check out my review and enter the giveaway.

To follow the rest of the tour, click HERE or on the tour banner above.

Keep Me Still

(Keep Me Still #1)

(Keep Me Still #1)

Author: Caisey Quinn

Publisher: Self-published

Publication Date: November 11, 2013

Genre: New Adult/Contemporary

Source: eARC via Inkslinger PR

~Synopsis~

Layla Flaherty had the perfect life, or close to it. Until a stranger gunned her parents down right in front of her, leaving her with seizure inducing PTSD. After years of trying to pass as normal and failing miserably, she resigns herself to being invisible. But new to town Landen O’Brien sees her, and he likes what he sees. Much to Layla’s surprise, he doesn’t freak out when she has a seizure in front of him. He does the exact opposite, calming her until the tremors subside. But Landen has secrets of his own. Secrets that both bind them together and tear them apart. 

Scarred by loss, Layla leaves her hometown of Hope Springs, Georgia, hoping to put her painful past behind her and start over in college in California. When she runs into Landen at freshmen orientation, she has a choice to make. Reinforce those steel walls she's built up around herself or give the only boy who can keep her still a second chance.

Landen’s more than ready to tear down those walls but this time when they come crashing down, they might bury her.

~Review~

Freaking crap! Caisey Quinn really knows how to punch me in the gut. It’s been a while since I’ve read such an emotional book and I was a wreck from the beginning to the end. Layla and Landen are two very tragic characters and they have both suffered a great deal of trauma throughout their lives. My heart broke several times for them as they tried to maneuver through this maze of life.

Layla lost her parents in the most violent manner and she has suffered greatly since then; both physically and emotionally. She has become the freak, the outcast and as much as she tries to play it off, it hurts her deeply because no one wants to be the outcast. When Landen moves to Hope Springs, he is instantly intrigued by Layla and he doesn’t care what everyone says about her. He has his own secrets and problems and he isn’t one to judge. Just as they are on the verge of something really great, life tears them apart. When they both end up at the same college several months later, Landen sees his second chance and he’ll do anything to win Layla over again. Layla is looking for a fresh start and seeing Landen again confuses her. She wants to let him again but she’s afraid. She barely survived her first broken heart and a second one would shatter her.

“I touch the scar above my left ear to remind myself. It’s my permanent reality check. The one I need to remind me of the truth. Everything can change. Everyone can leave.”

 I really liked Layla, a lot. She is a very strong character and all she wanted was to be normal and not be thought of as “Freaky Flaherty.” I never felt like she felt sorry for herself one bit throughout the entire book. She had a lot of shitty things happen to her and she still held her head high. She definitely had her low moments but who wouldn’t with the things that she went through. The greatest thing about Layla is how well she picks herself up and forges on. She’s been broken a time or two but she doesn’t let it deter her from living life. She definitely grew a lot as a character and she was a much stronger person when she went off to college. No one knows her or her tragic past and she can finally open up a little and experience new things. Seeing Landen again is scary and thrilling all at the same time for her. He really tore her up and giving him a second chance means letting her guard down.

God, Landen. I don’t even know what to say about him except that I just wanted to hold him in my arms. He’s had a really shitty childhood and his dad is a major asshole. Landen definitely has walls and they’re tall ones. It makes me so sad that Landen sees violence as a way to deal with his emotional pain.  When he let Layla slip through his fingers, it majorly screwed him up. She’s the only one he’s ever let through those walls and he is majorly torn up without her. It is so obvious how much he loves her and the way he took care of her was incredibly sweet. Most importantly, I loved how determined he was to get his second chance and to prove to Layla that he would never hurt her again. He wanted that second chance to prove to her how much he loved her and needed her in his life.

Layla and Landen are so perfect for each other and I loved instant chemistry between them. I could definitely feel it rolling off of the pages and I felt so connected to them from the beginning. I was actually heartbroken when they were separated and I could feel their pain within me. I may have choked up a little too. Even though their separation was heart-breaking, I felt like it made Layla a little bit stronger. She got through her heart break and came out stronger and more confident. Landen, on the otherhand, may have spiraled down a little bit but I loved the fight he had in him and when he got his second chance, he wasn’t about to waste it. I may have melted a little bit when they finally shared their first kiss and the first time they are together was equal parts steamy and romantic. Landen is hiding something from Layla and when she finds out, she feels extremely betrayed. I could see why she felt that way but I understood why Landen did what he did and it was definitely out of love. No matter what, he wanted Layla back in his life and he wanted her forever. I think Layla let her emotions and insecurities control her reaction to Landen’s “betrayal.” With a little encouragement and a lot of tough love from Corin, she realized her overaction and she went after the one person who she can’t let walk away. Landen and Layla have a long and tough journey ahead of them but together they can overcome anything.

“It’s love. Plain and simple. You love someone, you show it. Every day, up until your last.”

I really liked the side characters in this book too, especially Corin and Skylar. Corin is Layla’s roommate and her first real girlfriend. Corin is tough and she isn’t afraid to speak her mind. I definitely think Layla needed someone like her in her life. She doesn’t bullshit and I really liked how she looked out for Layla. When we get a little glimps into Corin’s life, it’s obvious she has a past she’s trying to hide and overcome too and I hope we get to explore that in a book of her own. Skylar is Landen’s teammate and roommate and he is interested in Corin. He comes across as a player but I think there is definitely more to him as well. He seems like a really decent guy and I’d love to get to know him more too.

Overall, this book was incredibly intense and it was my first book hangover in a while. My heart was still on fire for hours after I finished. Once I picked up Keep Me Still, I could not put it down. It was really well written and packed an emotional punch. The characters were so well developed that I was emotionally attached to them long after I finished reading. I knew Caisey was an incredible writer from the Kylie Ryans series but she further proved her range with this book and her books will forever be on my most anticipated list.

~IPOD Picks~

“Everything Has Changed” by Taylor Swift & Ed Sheeran

“Our July in the Rain” by He is We

“The Right Way” by Ron Pope

PURCHASE LINKS:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | KOBO

About Caisey Quinn:

Debut Indie Author. I write New Adult books about country girls finding love in unexpected places. <3 Wearer of cowgirl boots, writer and avid reader of New Adult romance, lover of wine, addicted to chai tea lattes. Brand spanking new author of soon to be released books including Girl with Guitar and Keep Me Still (which may or may not include spanking). Gemini, wife, mom, and former high school English teacher living in Birmingham, Alabama. I spend my days chasing a three year old and hiding away with my Macbook. I spend my nights writing because sleep is overrated. I love hearing from readers and other writers, and those freaky hybrids like myself! You can email me at caiseyquinn @ gmail (dot) com or follow me on Twitter @CaiseyQuinn. 
You can find me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Caisey

Author Links:
Website: http://www.caiseyquinnwrites.com/ 
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7041163.Caisey_Quinn 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCaiseyQuinn 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaiseyQuinn 

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*An eARC was provided to me by the author in exchange for a fair and hones review. All opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.*

The Sunday Post: Issue #23 ~ The One with the Light Haul

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

Normally, I pick up a ridiculous amount of books each week but shockingly, my haul this week was very small. I'm actually quite proud of myself. :-)

November 18, 2013-- Blog Tour Review: The Best Laid Plans by Tamara Mataya

November 19, 2013-- Embrace Launch Tour: Review & Giveaway~ Definitely, Maybe in Love by Ophelia London

November 20, 2013-- Blog Tour Excerpt: Bad Boy Rock Star by Candy J. Starr

November 21, 2013-- Swoon Thursday: The Thrill of It by Lauren Blakely

Release Day Launch ARC Review & Giveaway: The Thrill of It by Lauren Blakely

November 22, 2013-- Book Blitz: The Star of Bethlehem by Sarah Daltry

November 24, 2013-- The Sunday Post: Issue #23

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: Keep Me Still by Caisey Quinn

Books I received for Review/Blog Tours

Thanks to Magan Vernon and Inkslinger PR!

Books I Bought This Week

Freebies

November 25, 2013-- ARC Review: Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

November 26, 2013-- Top Ten Tuesday

ARC Review: The Temptation of Lila & Ethan by Jessica Sorensen

November 28, 2013-- Happy Thanksgiving~ Bookish Things I'm Thankful For

Swoon Thursday

November 29, 2013-- New Release Blitz: Down and Out

November 30, 2013-- ARC Review: Pawn by Aimee Carter

December 1, 2013-- The Sunday Post: Issue #24

There is a good chance this will change next week because I am crazy like that but as of now this is what I plan.

Book Blitz: Star of Bethlehem by Sarah Daltry

~Synopsis~

Jack isn’t a rock star. He’s not the leader of a MC. He isn’t a billionaire. Lily’s not the 

daughter of a mob boss, or a stripper, or a virgin with a BDSM fascination. They’re just

regular college kids, who somehow found each other in the middle of all the crap and chaos of 

growing up.

“With you, Jack, it was the first time I ever felt real. It was the first time anyone looked at me and saw substance. It was the first time I wanted to make someone see me.”

Jack and Lily have navigated his past, her desire to move on from her family’s demands of her, his depression, and her loneliness. Now, on New Year’s Eve, they have an entire year laid out ahead of them. First, though, Jack needs to meet Lily’s family, to be welcomed into her life. It’s intimidating, but with a sweater that is way too hot and his grandmother’s ugly car, he arrives at Lily’s gleaming house on a hill, ready to open himself up completely to her. Inside the perfect, sparkling house, Lily waits for the boy she has come to love. But Lily’s house and 

family are a lot like her – shiny and pretty on the outside, with a sad emptiness on the interior. Lily wants to give Jack the one thing he has always dreamed of – family and love – but can she keep him from seeing how hollow a lot of the picture perfect life he fantasizes about really is?

This is a novella length work that follows Forget Me Not and Lily of the Valley.

PURCHASE LINKS:

AMAZON | AMAZON UK | BARNES & NOBLE | APPLE | SMASHWORDS

~Excerpt~

I take his hand and pull him down beside me on my bed. I feel so complete in his arms, as if nothing

can go wrong when he holds me. It’s all the other stuff. The world, people, pressure. Maybe it’s a little

fear that things just ended with Derek. That one day, as quickly as I fell for Jack, I also fell out of love

with Derek. I don’t have enough experience to know if that’s normal. What if it happens again?

“What? Tell me,” Jack whispers.

“Have you ever felt like your entire life is some surrealist’s joke? That you think you’re in control of

it, while really, you’re probably just…”

“A melting clock?” he finishes and laughs. I look at him, disappointed that I can’t explain it, but also

relieved that he doesn’t care.

“All the fucking time,” he says. “I know you’re scared. I know I’m scared. But I seem to remember

you telling me that I should remember what matters. I made you a promise, princess. Yes, your house

intimidates me. Your life intimidates me. Hell, loving you intimidates me. But I’m in this. I’m here.

Present. Entirely. I’m looking only forward. And all I see is you.”

“Take the damn book,” I tell him. “I just wanted to show you that I have faith in us. It was a

conscious decision to give you something that was a very special gift to me, to tell you that I trust you

with it, because I trust you to be there. Long term.”

He takes me in his arms and kisses me. I decide I won’t stop him if he goes further, but he doesn’t.

Our bodies crackle with the energy between us, but as much as the sex thrills me, Jack does so much more for my mind than his body could even do. I can’t believe how alive I feel when he’s near me. Perhaps it’s selfish. Perhaps it’s desperate. But I want him here in my life; I want him with me, because I love being this aware.

I speak against his cheek, while his hands slowly explore my body. It’s sensual but not sexual. He’s

studying me like a work of art. “I don’t want to fall out of love with you. I thought Derek was all I ever

wanted. I don’t want to be in the same place with you a year from now.”

“You won’t be,” he tells me.

“How do you know?”

He kisses along my face, brushing his lips against my cheek, my forehead, my nose, but never

reaching my mouth. “I don’t know how. But I do.”

I love that he can put aside his doubts to ease my own. I know Jack’s had so much trouble in his life,

and the fact that he can comfort me, when my problems are so petty and stupid in the scheme of things, is one more thing I love so much. “I know I’m shallow. But I don’t want to be, Jack.”

“You’re not shallow. You’re not empty. Anything you think of yourself – it’s crazy. If you want to

talk about surreal, it’s the fact that you think you’re less than something. Maybe you didn’t get shit on the same way I did in high school, but clearly, people have underestimated you. They missed out on you. And you have every right to be hurt. But, Lily? No one will ever hurt you again.”

I smile. “Thanks. I’m sorry I’m being so moody. It’s probably hormones or something. I think I’m

just frustrated.”

“Yeah?” He laughs. “Well… I mean… I can help you relieve some of that.”

He’s on top of me and I don’t care that it wasn’t exactly what I meant. I don’t care that someone

could walk in. Someone probably will walk in, since eventually they’ll come looking, but I don’t care at

all. I want to belong to Jack, and I don’t know any other way to do so.

About The Author:

Sarah Daltry writes erotica and romance that ranges from sweet to steamy. She moves around a lot and has trouble committing to things. Bitter Fruits is her first full length novel. Her other two novels have already been released. Forget Me Not and Lily of the Valley are simultaneous perspectives in the New Adult contemporary romance series, Flowering. Sarah also has three novellas (including Star of Bethlehem, part of the Flowering series) and several short stories available. She is currently working on Immortal Star and Daughter of Heaven in this series, and Orange Blossom, another novel in Flowering . When Sarah isn’t writing, she tends to waste a lot of time checking Facebook for pictures of cats, shooting virtual zombies, and simply staring out the window.

Author Social Media Links:

Website: http://sarahdaltry.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SarahDaltryErotica

http://www.facebook.com/BitterFruits

http://www.facebook.com/FloweringbySarahDaltry

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahDaltry

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sarahdaltry/boards/

Tumblr: http://www.tumblr.com/blog/sarahdaltry