A must read book, and more ...

If one were to judge a book by its cover, I would say Wedding Chronicles vol 1 is elegant, fun, quirky, and artistic. And WC1 definitely lives up to its promise. Initially released in August 2013 only in ebook format, the author has expanded the offering to a truly multi-media, multi-dimensional reading experience, complete with extensive music playlists, one for each wedding episode chapter; Pinterest boards for bonus visual effects; and continuing blogs (hopefully with more to come still!) via the book's website.

At first read, I was already captivated by the "easter eggs" sprinkled throughout the book: they are the wide-ranging, cleverly and subtly inserted allusions to matters historical, geopolitical, gastronomical, literary, comic (and comedic), cultural and pop-cultural that kept me laughing, enraptured, contemplating, and wanting more! Intrigued by the below-the-line, above-the-line theory of European culture(#15)? Visit the blog (March 29, 2014)! Curious what a wedding venue near an Iceland glacier (#71) would look like? Visit Pinterest board #4! Want to know the real deal with tasting hakarl and brennivin? Watch the blog video (Feb 14, 2014)! Or want to get a bit more personal and see what some of the characters and BobbyBo's friends might look like (and what Celebrity Cross-Match is all about -#54)? Check out the March 29, 2014 blog! Then, there are the music playlists, which as an unintended bonus of buying book, led me to discovering a few gems which are now on my own playlist! Of course, all these add to, rather than detract from, what is a truly well-written book.

Even in this first book of three, BobbyBo is already showing an ease with language (not just English, to boot), a keen eye for details, and an honest, natural writing style that adroitly complements the lively characters, witty dialogue, and wedding adventures of WC. Whether it be a frank discussion of the geopolitics of the Middle East at an open-air dinner party of a Palestinian wedding on the shores of the Dead Sea (#52), or attendance at the intimate wedding of the author's own sister (#47), or the revelation of some rather surprising cultural "secret traditions" (#70), reading WC-1 is like getting VIP invites to unique wedding experiences (and exotic locales) all over the world (geographically, WC1 has touched base in at least 4/7 continents, and hopefully the sequels in the trilogy will cover even more!) - without being burdened by the agony of choosing and buying wedding gifts!

So, having read and re-read both the ebook and paperback formats of WC1, I could only find myself smiling, and reluctantly putting down the book - just as one would when bidding adieu to a good friend after reminiscing of times past spent together, memories shared, and good food partaken. Assuming WC1 is only the appetizing first taste of what's to come, this reader definitely looks forward to the release of the next volume of WC!

Rating: 5 / 5 *

Original Posting: a | July 9, 2014 | Source Link: Amazon.com