The One That I Want Discussion

I do so hope I wasn't the only one who read this, because it will be sad to talk to myself. However, I came up with some questions while I was reading. And I had a few others that I knew sounded really good but then I forgot to write them down and I forgot them. Whoops. Blog fail.

Some of these questions don't necessarily require you to have read the book to throw in your 2 cents and I don't think I revealed tooo much to spoil it completely for you!

1. Do You think CJ leaves Westlake?

2. What do you think of the 'clarity' Ashley gave Tilly?

(Okay, I must say that the clarity thing had me rolling my eyes sooo much about this book. To me it was silly and preposterous and was a major problem I had with the book. Otherwise I enjoyed it. But I do know that there had to be some reason for Tilly to see what was happening, but I think the story could have gone another way. Just not big on 'clarity' or psychics or any of that.)

3. Do you choose to only see the positive and ignore all the bad? Do you solve other people's problems like Tilly?

(I am such a pessimist. Completely a see the bad never the good. I like solving other people's problems and usually can find positives for them. Just not myself!)

4. What do you think Tilly's future holds for her?

5. Can Tilly forgive her father for all of his transgressions? Including, the incident that Darcy walked in on?

(This is something that I would really have liked to see happen at the end of the book. Did she or didn't she? Old Tilly hands down would have, but new Tilly may or may not and I find that authentic and real and probably keeping her away would be a good idea!)

And here are a few questions from author Allison Winn Scotch's site.

6. If you could be given the power to see into the future like Tilly is, would you use it? What positive or negative effects could this have in the scope of your life?

7. Tilly and her sisters have complicated, tangled relationships. Do you think you can ever separate who you are from who your family has helped shape you to be?

(In the last year or so I have really started to notice that I act different around my family. I revert back to my youth and act in a manner that I did back then. Is it to keep the same facade up with them? Or is to keep myself safe from the judging? If I act like I don't care or I'm silly it won't matter that I am a huge loser and failure in life? Who knows. But I think the way we act around the people we have known the longest is quite interested and complicated. )

8. Many of Tilly’s happiest moments are set in her past. How does this influence her assessment of the present? Do you look back fondly on high school or is it a memory that you’ve long outgrown?

9. Tilly rediscovers long-abandoned aspirations and learns that even aiming toward small goals can change your life. What are your small but important goals that you’d like to achieve within the next year?

(I would love to have a job that I like. I would like to find some direction and determine what I want to do/what I should do / what will make me happy.)

10. Tilly discovers that destiny is only partially pre-determined, that life is a mix of fate and what you exert over fate. Do you believe in destiny or is life totally within our control?

Oh and a plug for Allison's blog because I saw she had a post today about maiden name v. married name and I know some of you (Kelly and myself) have struggled with this!

And don't forget to suggest a book for next month!! Poll will be up on the sidebar tomorrow!

The One That I Want - August's Blogger Book Pick

Tilly grows up in Smalltown USA and finds it comforting and everything she could want. She marries her high school sweetheart, Tyler, and they live a 'perfect' life in their hometown. She is the guidance counselor at their old high school and Tyler, a former baseball standout, works at a sporting goods store and they live in a house that Tilly's dad bought them as a wedding present. Do you sense a problem yet?

Tilly runs into an old friend Ashley at the town fair and she wants give Tilly a palm reading. Tilly refuses but Ashley insists on giving her 'clarity.' The clarity is the beginning of the end of Tilly's perfect life.

Tilly starts passing out and dreams about things happening to her loved ones. She has a dream her dad is drinking again after spending 10 years sober. She dreams her husband is moving out of their house and she dreams her best-friend who is separated from her husband has a new boyfriend.

How could this happen? Why is her life spinning out of control?

Tilly is a complete control freak about having things like they have always been and not rocking the boat. But the clarity that Ashley has given her has turned her into an angry and rude person she never knew was inside of her.

I really enjoyed the book and the small town drama. I grew up in a small town and still live very close to it and have worked in it. You know everybody's business 24/7. It is sooo hard living in the same place you grew up in, especially if you hit your peak at 17.

The whole 'clarity' thing though was wtf. I just didn't get that and I thought it was a lot of whack. However, Tilly needed a whack on the head to see things clearly. She was a little dense, but it was definitely a coping mechanism that she had put in place after the huge disruption her childhood had.

I also really really really liked the growth that she experienced as a character through the book. I like that she took back a hobby that interested her and got brave and ventured out.

I liked it more than I thought I would after I got 8 pages in and realized it was about someone working in a school and trying to have a baby and those are all topics that make me a little moody these days.

What did you all think about the book? If you wrote a review and want me to link it up let me know, or if you want to write your own guest post here about the book, let me know!

I will post discussion questions in the next week!

Teaser Tuesday - The One That I Want

This Teaser Tuesday is brought to you from our August Blogger Group Read, The One That I want by Allison Winn Scotch.

"Okay, another confession: I have a wee bit of difficulty saying no, refusing requests when I have reason, every right to refuse them in the first place. I am the person who other people know will invariable say yes, so I'm asked for alot of things, which means that I also say yes to all of said things." - pg. 4

Alright, ladies (because I am not sure how many men relate to this) how many of you are guility of this????? My mom and one of my friends have this problem. They say yes to practically everything and then are overwhelmed, tired and get annoyed. The beauty of the word no is wondeful. Be selfish, take time for yourself. If it sounds boring? Say no. If it sounds ridiculous or something you don't want to do? Say no. People's feelings will no feel bad if you say no. That means you have a backbone!!! Don't let people walk all over you, because they will keep on doing it!!

Has anyone else started reading? I am on page 9. So far, I can really relate. I mean she is a teacher (hey, me too, if someone wanted to hire me!) and she is trying to have a baby. I think the scenes I have read so far accurately describe thoughts I have had so far in my journey of life. I think I have gotten myself hooked on page 9.

So.. fess up. How many of you are always saying yes? Anyone, with me and just says no??

Not to say, just saying no doesn't bring some guilt. Cuz when you say it to someone who always says yes, you feel slightly bad because they would have told you yes. But if you are me, then you think. WELL, maybe next time they will learn to tell my ridiculous request NO! (Yeah, women are really this crazy or maybe it is just me?)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
Just do the following:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!