Book Review #729 - Happily Ever After (The Selection #0.4, #0.5, #2.5, #3.1 and #3.5)

 

My Rating: 3/5

 

 

This book is a compilation of the novellas from The Selection series that were previous only published digitally.

 

The stories followed some secondary characters throughout the series and I loved seeing the world through them rather than America as American was far from my favourite character.

 

The first story was called The Queen and it follows Maxon's mother Queen Amberley as she competes in her own selection to win the heart of Maxon's father Clarkson.

 

It was interesting to see Clarkson before he became the abusive person we know him as from the Selection series.  Although I didn't like how he seemed to manipulate Amberley, and she allowed him to do it like asking her to cut her hair.

 

He obviously didn't want a marriage like his parents where they fought all the time but choosing a bride because they obey came across as sexist.

 

The second story was called The Prince and it followed Maxon leading up to and during the selection where he meets America for the first time.

 

It was interesting to see that side of the selection process and the pressures associated with that side of things.

 

This was virtually just a shortened version of the first book told from Maxon's POV.

 

The third story was called The Guard which followed Aspen.

 

This story helped me understand him a lot more as it contained a lot more character development.

 

I loved how we followed Aspen when the rebels attacked as we followed him to the front line of action rather than hide in a protected area with America and Maxon.

 

It was also interesting to see Maxon through Aspen's eyes when America ran off after the rebels.

 

The fourth story was called The Favourite and followed Marlee and her relationship with Carter.

 

Their relationship was briefly hinted at in the novels and was only really there to show the consequences so it was good in this story to see 100% what Maxon's role in it all was.

 

The fifth story was called Scenes from Celeste and follows Celeste leading up to and during the selection. This story was by far the shortest in the book but it was fun hearing from Celeste as she was always a sassy character.

 

The sixth story was called The Maid and follows Lucy and her relationship with Aspen. This story chronicles Aspen's issues at getting over America and starting a new relationship.

 

The seventh story was called After the One and follows Maxon and America two years after their marriage.

 

This story was very cheesy and romantic and the only thing of any note that occurred was that America told Maxon that she was pregnant.

 

At the very end of the book there was a section called 'Where are they Now' that just told you where Kriss, Natalie and Elise ended up after not being chosen by Maxon in the selection.

 

Overall, I probably would have liked this book more had I read it when I was reading The Selection series rather than randomly on its own, but I did like the added depth that it added to that original story.

Book Review #728 - Ed Sheeran: A Visual Journey by Ed Sheeran and Phillip Butah

Ed Sheeran is the soulful singer-songwriter from England who has captivated American audiences. "Ed Sheeran: A Visual Journey" will reveal his early childhood experiences and the various musical influences that have helped him become the musician he is today. It's an intimate book that will give fans a look at the musings, dreams, and hopes of this very private artist.

With close to 100 photos and illustrations by well-known illustrator Phillip Butah, who has worked with Ed Sheeran to create the artwork for his huge hit album "+," this is a book that all Ed Sheeran fans would love to own and cherish!

 

 

My Rating: 5/10

 

 

I got this book from my local library and decided to read it the day I went and saw Ed Sheeran in concert for the third time.

 

This book only touches on the musical journey of Ed and is in nowhere near a memoir which makes it a very light and fast read.

 

The writing was very genuine and definitely felt like Ed plus the artwork by his lifelong friend complimented the writing very well.

 

I really enjoyed the insight into the struggles Ed went through to get to the level he is at now and even though it doesn't divulge anything new, it was refreshing to hear it in Ed's own words.

 

Book Review #727 - Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern

Rosie and Alex are destined for one another, and everyone seems to know it but them. Best friends since childhood, their relationship gets closer by the day, until Alex gets the news that his family is leaving Dublin and moving to Boston. At 17, Rosie and Alex have just started to see each other in a more romantic light. Devastated, the two make plans for Rosie to apply to colleges in the U.S.

She gets into Boston University, Alex gets into Harvard, and everything is falling into place, when on the eve of her departure, Rosie gets news that will change their lives forever: She's pregnant by a boy she'd gone out with while on the rebound from Alex.

Her dreams for college, Alex, and a glamorous career dashed, Rosie stays in Dublin to become a single mother, while Alex pursues a medical career and a new love in Boston. But destiny is a funny thing, and in this novel, structured as a series of clever e-mails, letters, notes, and a trail of missed opportunities, Alex and Rosie find out that fate isn't done with them yet.

 

 

My Rating: 3/5

 

 

I went into this book not knowing anything at all about it which was just as well as had I known it was a long, drawn out romance, I never would have picked it up.

 

The book is told entirely from letters to and from the characters Alex and Rosie. This took me a while to get used to it as it made me feel distanced from them.

 

Also because of this method, I felt like I was being told what was happening throughout rather than shown.

 

I loved that we got to see Alex and Rosie grow up over the course of decades and see all the mistakes they make throughout the years but I felt like the book dragged on way too long.

 

I would have been much happier had the book wrapped up when they were in their 30's rather than whatever age they were when it did finally end.

 

I cannot express just how frustrated I was at how unnecessarily long this book felt. It felt like it took me an eternity to read, even though it was likely only a few days.