Cornerstone Read-Along Week One

Hello everyone!  September is soon upon us and with it comes the Cornerstone read-along!  Every Wednesday in September we'll have discussions about Cornerstone by Misty Provencher.  This is a book I really can't recommend highly enough.  It's such a creative story with a fabulous romance and and I hope you'll all join in!  In addition we'll have a fabulous giveaway provided by Misty herself!

This Read-Along is hosted by Candace at Candace's Book Blog,  Heather at Buried in Books, Heidi at Rainy Day Ramblings and Heather at The Flyleaf Review.

Schedule:

• September 5th- Candace's Book Blog- Chapters 1-5, pages 1-44
• September 12th- Buried in Books- Chapters 6-10, pages 45-111
• September 19th- Rainy Day Ramblings- Chapters 11-16, pages 112-194
• September 26th- The Flyleaf Review- Chapters 17-21, pages 195-219

 

Each week you will find the following week's questions on each of our blogs.  This enables you to prepare your post ahead of time and jump around to each participating blog to discuss those questions.  There will be a linky provided each week on the host blogs for you to link up your blog so we can visit you!

If you want to Sign Up go HERE and enter into the linky.  Once you get your first post up then link it up on this post!

The Giveaway:

Misty is providing one lucky participant with a signed copy of Cornerstone and an ebook of Keystone.  Each week you enter into the linky you are entered for this prize.  The Keystone tour is also running the month of September and this tour is filled with EPIC goodness, including some massive giveaway's!  So be sure to check that out as well.

The first weeks questions:

1.)  Right away we learn a bit about the fact that Nalena has to buy massive amounts of paper for her mom and that her mother is a bit of a paper hoarder.  What was your initial reaction to this?  Do you think there might be more to her mothers paper obsession?  What do you think it is that she's writing down, is she really just a crazy lady that has a compulsion to create characters and plot details?

I had no idea what to think about this whole thing.  I'm very familiar with hoarding, but hoarding paper seemed strange.  But right away I had a feeling there was more to the whole thing, a real reason why her mom had to write stuff down.  I think maybe my first reaction was that she's schizophrenic though.  But once I got to know her even just a tiny bit I didn't think that was the case.

2.)  We meet Garrett.  Okay, breathe for a moment... Now we meet him and we see him through Nali's eyes and she's very wary at first, despite his good looks (or because of it).  But he seems so genuine, and he says he understands her mothers paper hoarding.  And then he saves her from the crazy person in the woods.  And then makes her hand and arm feel better. What are your thoughts about Garrett so far?

Too good to be true.  But yet, I trusted him immediately.  He radiates good vibes I guess.  But I want to know more about him cause obviously there's more to him then meets the eye.  I mean, how did he make her arm feel better?  

3.) We meet Cora and Nali describes her as a bit of a fair-weather friend.  Only showing up when it's convenient and never really being a true friend.  Have you ever had a fair-weather friend?  How did it make you feel?

I have.  And it made me feel bad because I didn't feel good enough for them.  In Cora's case she really doesn't have that much to lose, so it just shows her weak character.  At least so far.

4.) Nali is teased and called The Waste at school because of her mothers paper hoarding.  She's constantly made fun of and put down.  Do you think you would be brave enough to stand up for yourself?  And if you were to see someone being teased would you jump in and stand up for them?

I'm not sure if I would be brave enough to stand up for myself.   It's horrible, but I am so easily hurt.  People saying hurtful things to me would likely have me running with my head down.  

It's much easier for me to stand up for others.  Unfortunately I don't speak up until I'm good and royally pissed and there's no nice left and I totally go off on them.  Sometimes I do that to idiots on the phone too though and I guess that's standing up for myself.  Sort of.

5.)  When Regina is picking on Nali in class she suddenly feels these rings go around her body and then seems to step outside of it.  Later when she's attacked she seems to have a sort of super speed that helps her dodge blows.  Do you have any idea what might be going on?  If you could have any ability what ability what you choose?

I'm not going to comment on the first part since I already know since I read both books.  But if I could have an ability I think I would want to have the ability to heal.  Or fly.  Or super speed.  Yeah, I'll just take them all. ;)

Next weeks questions are below:


1. At the start of Chapter 6, Nalena follows Garrett in pursuit of the man who attacked her in the woods. She has a semi-out-of-body-experience, running faster than she should be able to, with the ground passing beneath her in “a dirty blur”. Her feeling of fear is what jerks her back into herself and trips her up. What do you think of her new abilities and what limitations might they present?

2. After Nalena loses Garrett in the pursuit, Nalena and her mother end up at Garrett’s house to let his parents know what has happened. We meet the rest of the Reese family, including Garrett’s oldest brother and carbon copy, Sean, and Garrett’s youngest sibling and only sister, Iris. Sean and Iris remain at the house while the rest go to search for Garrett. Why do you think they were the ones left behind? Anything odd in their conversation that could give us clues as to what is going on?

3. Chapter 7- Um, WHY do you think he didn’t kiss her??? If you were in Nali’s shoes, would you have forced the kiss to happen?

4. In Chapter 7, Evangeline drops it like its hot and explains her past, what the Ianua is and why she’s kept Nalena from it all. At this point, if you could have a broader view of the world Nalena is entering into, what would you envision or assume it to be like? Would you be frightened or intrigued?

5. Regina and Jen visit Nalena in the school bathroom with a whooping in mind. Does it bother you that they are cheerleaders? What if Jen had been a random, unpopular girl? Would the scene have the same impact for you?

6. Chapter 10, the Reese boys reveal that Nalena being a Contego means that there is a Cusp coming. If you were to define the Cusp, what do you think it would be? Would it be a singular event or a series of them? Why do you think Evangeline takes it so hard that her daughter is not Alo?