Bob N. Boguslavski's Blog, page 3
November 20, 2015
BellaOnline Literary Fiction Review
Book Review - Wedding Chronicles
Back cover excerpt:
Life's a wedding for Bobby Bo, who's traveled to nearly 100, from Tenerife to Singapore and Chile to Iceland. He’s been best man, groomsman, "father" of the bride, and bridesmaid—but always the single guy, whether with a girlfriend, flying solo, breaking up, meeting a new flame, or witnessing an ex take her vows. A colorful cast of diverse personalities from all rungs of the socioeconomic ladder entangles him in a kaleidoscope of comedic conversations and adventures that unveil the wounds and wonders of the places, cultures, and religions he encounters [...]
*********
Bob N. Boguslavski's Wedding Chronicles, the first in a trilogy, is an enjoyable read about Bobby Bo and his wedding adventures. He's living quite the life, attending various weddings across the universe, mingling with different cultures, interacting with all manners of people, and learning a great deal about marriage.
The book is funny on some aspects. It's told from a male point of view and definitely aimed at the male audience. There were a lot of curse words and quite a lot of 'guy speak', and this, along with the overall language and tone, echos my sentiment that it is essentially the male audience that can fully appreciate the narration as a whole. I did like the structure of the book; the grammar and flow of words were very exact.
Having said that, I felt there were a lot of wasted words in the book. There were several paragraphs full of big, unnecessary phrases that I had to read over in order to fully understand its context. A lot of beating around the bush before getting to a point. It wasn't as straightforward as I hoped it would be.
I wasn't too impressed with the terms the narrator's 'friends' used to refer to their exes, one-night-stands, random encounters, etc, even though they appeared jesty about it. 'Bitch' was quite a common term that was mentioned a lot throughout the book, and even the narrator himself referred to his female encounters as 'chikitas', which isn't at all derogatory, but is somewhat un-pleasing nonetheless.
The main character - the narrator - didn't grow or improve much at the end of the novel, like I thought he should have. He was the same person he was from the beginning, the only thing he gained was more determination to put off marriage for as long as he could, having been to quite a lot of weddings within a 30-year span, and seen how marriage changed the lives of his friends... for the worse.
It is an adventurous travel literature largely for the male audience, and quite informative in the cultural aspects of the various wedding destinations. If you or your spouse are looking for something along this line to read, then Wedding Chronicles is for you.
Enjoy!
OVERALL RATING: 7/10
COARSE LANGUAGE: Very high
VIOLENCE: None
SEXUAL CONTENT: Average
Disclosure of Material Connection: I was given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Wedding Chronicles on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Wedding-Chronic...
Original Posting: Ije Kanu, Literary Fiction Editor | Fall 2015 | Source Link: http://www.BellaOnline.com/articles/a...
Back cover excerpt:
Life's a wedding for Bobby Bo, who's traveled to nearly 100, from Tenerife to Singapore and Chile to Iceland. He’s been best man, groomsman, "father" of the bride, and bridesmaid—but always the single guy, whether with a girlfriend, flying solo, breaking up, meeting a new flame, or witnessing an ex take her vows. A colorful cast of diverse personalities from all rungs of the socioeconomic ladder entangles him in a kaleidoscope of comedic conversations and adventures that unveil the wounds and wonders of the places, cultures, and religions he encounters [...]
*********
Bob N. Boguslavski's Wedding Chronicles, the first in a trilogy, is an enjoyable read about Bobby Bo and his wedding adventures. He's living quite the life, attending various weddings across the universe, mingling with different cultures, interacting with all manners of people, and learning a great deal about marriage.
The book is funny on some aspects. It's told from a male point of view and definitely aimed at the male audience. There were a lot of curse words and quite a lot of 'guy speak', and this, along with the overall language and tone, echos my sentiment that it is essentially the male audience that can fully appreciate the narration as a whole. I did like the structure of the book; the grammar and flow of words were very exact.
Having said that, I felt there were a lot of wasted words in the book. There were several paragraphs full of big, unnecessary phrases that I had to read over in order to fully understand its context. A lot of beating around the bush before getting to a point. It wasn't as straightforward as I hoped it would be.
I wasn't too impressed with the terms the narrator's 'friends' used to refer to their exes, one-night-stands, random encounters, etc, even though they appeared jesty about it. 'Bitch' was quite a common term that was mentioned a lot throughout the book, and even the narrator himself referred to his female encounters as 'chikitas', which isn't at all derogatory, but is somewhat un-pleasing nonetheless.
The main character - the narrator - didn't grow or improve much at the end of the novel, like I thought he should have. He was the same person he was from the beginning, the only thing he gained was more determination to put off marriage for as long as he could, having been to quite a lot of weddings within a 30-year span, and seen how marriage changed the lives of his friends... for the worse.
It is an adventurous travel literature largely for the male audience, and quite informative in the cultural aspects of the various wedding destinations. If you or your spouse are looking for something along this line to read, then Wedding Chronicles is for you.
Enjoy!
OVERALL RATING: 7/10
COARSE LANGUAGE: Very high
VIOLENCE: None
SEXUAL CONTENT: Average
Disclosure of Material Connection: I was given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Wedding Chronicles on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Wedding-Chronic...
Original Posting: Ije Kanu, Literary Fiction Editor | Fall 2015 | Source Link: http://www.BellaOnline.com/articles/a...
October 29, 2015
Santiago #30 - Zombies
A couple weeks before Christmas 1996, Bob was sitting in a rather sturdy church in Santiago, Chile, and trying to distract and amuse himself with different musings and thoughts during a tedious, full-on Catholic wedding ceremony. One such thread was about his general attendance, or lack thereof, in houses of worship.
That I needed such diversions at all reminded me why I limited my presence in religious venues to begin with—weddings and funerals only. Call it WaFO. I wasn’t even a part of the seasonal C+E crowd. OK, maybe add the odd baptism or bar mitzvah, or if there might ever be need to stave off hordes of zombies taking over the world.
Many churches were solid enough for such a siege, but it would be paramount to hole up in one with minimal windows high enough up to be inaccessible to marauding fleshseekers. In Manhattan, the AT&T Long Lines Building was arguably much more zombie-proof than most houses of worship. It also held the advantage of not being home to a particular religion—unless of course spiritual suffusion itself provided protection.
Not being a regular attendee, Bob was thinking about the fortress-like state of many churches, and comparing to that other edifice mentioned above. And why not? That’s the way Bob’s brain ticks along. You never know when zombies might strike!
Full Posting:
http://BobNBoguslavski.com/News/view/...
That I needed such diversions at all reminded me why I limited my presence in religious venues to begin with—weddings and funerals only. Call it WaFO. I wasn’t even a part of the seasonal C+E crowd. OK, maybe add the odd baptism or bar mitzvah, or if there might ever be need to stave off hordes of zombies taking over the world.
Many churches were solid enough for such a siege, but it would be paramount to hole up in one with minimal windows high enough up to be inaccessible to marauding fleshseekers. In Manhattan, the AT&T Long Lines Building was arguably much more zombie-proof than most houses of worship. It also held the advantage of not being home to a particular religion—unless of course spiritual suffusion itself provided protection.
Not being a regular attendee, Bob was thinking about the fortress-like state of many churches, and comparing to that other edifice mentioned above. And why not? That’s the way Bob’s brain ticks along. You never know when zombies might strike!
Full Posting:
http://BobNBoguslavski.com/News/view/...
October 7, 2015
Cancun #25 - OEM vs. Aftermarket Mods
When Bob was down Mexico way years back and sitting around the pool killing time before a wedding, between arguments with his then girlfriend, he was pondering the following, all the while gandering at her.
She took proud pleasure, whenever asked, in confirming that they were not
bolt-on bazookas. As with car configurations, I tended to agree that OEM, straight
off the assembly line, was best, albeit with certain de rigueur manufacturer installed
options.
Adding aftermarket parts denigrated total package value and complicated
maintenance on a long-term basis. Once you started visiting the likes of Manny, Moe, and Jack at Pep Boys, it could be hard to stop tweaking and fussing over "improvements" in a slippery-slope spiral.
Bob draws on this automotive analogy, as applied to people parts, to illustrate his point.
One can do these modifications (mods, for short) well, or ... poorly. You choose. It’s all just a little consideration, or not, as the case may be. If you're going to go down this road, pardon the pun, doing things properly is the way to go, whatever your ride may be.
FULL POSTING:
http://BobNBoguslavski.com/News/view/...
She took proud pleasure, whenever asked, in confirming that they were not
bolt-on bazookas. As with car configurations, I tended to agree that OEM, straight
off the assembly line, was best, albeit with certain de rigueur manufacturer installed
options.
Adding aftermarket parts denigrated total package value and complicated
maintenance on a long-term basis. Once you started visiting the likes of Manny, Moe, and Jack at Pep Boys, it could be hard to stop tweaking and fussing over "improvements" in a slippery-slope spiral.
Bob draws on this automotive analogy, as applied to people parts, to illustrate his point.
One can do these modifications (mods, for short) well, or ... poorly. You choose. It’s all just a little consideration, or not, as the case may be. If you're going to go down this road, pardon the pun, doing things properly is the way to go, whatever your ride may be.
FULL POSTING:
http://BobNBoguslavski.com/News/view/...
September 6, 2015
Top Tier Amazon Reviewer on Wedding Chronicles
***** Enjoyed it immensely
Review by Ian Gordon Malcomson | Amazon Hall of Fame + Top 50 Reviewer
Sorry, Bob, for taking so long to read this terrific novel. It does everything I expect in a novel and more:
- one, this explosively quixotic and elaborate tale of globe-trotting Bob Bo's strange compulsion to travel the world in search of weddings to attend has my attention;
- two, while on this global circuit in various capacities, our hero enters into a myriad of conversations about the state of culture, economy, politics, and history;
- and three, each experience contributes to a clearer understanding of what both brings people together and pulls them apart.
Weddings are one of the important social mediums by which ideas are exchanged, issues are hashed over, illusions and fallacies perpetuated, and friendships made and shattered. Might it be said that the convention of a good wedding, with all its rising expectation, glitter, and celebration, imitates life in interesting and cautionary ways: rising hopes, nagging worries, mercurial emotions, intensive views, and creative expressions. I see this book as a clever and fun-loving parody of all that modern weddings have come to mean to the human race.
As Bob Bo has discovered in his global jaunt, weddings are all about the individual needs of the guests and not the matrimonial prospects of the happy couple. To make that point, the author quickly sums up the feelings of the bride and groom in a tersely worded e-mail as a convenient prologue to the main story: the re-enactment of life and all its comic wonders for the umpteenth time.
Rating: 5 / 5 *
Original Posting: August 31, 2015 | Source: www.amazon.ca/gp/customer-reviews/R36...
Review by Ian Gordon Malcomson | Amazon Hall of Fame + Top 50 Reviewer
Sorry, Bob, for taking so long to read this terrific novel. It does everything I expect in a novel and more:
- one, this explosively quixotic and elaborate tale of globe-trotting Bob Bo's strange compulsion to travel the world in search of weddings to attend has my attention;
- two, while on this global circuit in various capacities, our hero enters into a myriad of conversations about the state of culture, economy, politics, and history;
- and three, each experience contributes to a clearer understanding of what both brings people together and pulls them apart.
Weddings are one of the important social mediums by which ideas are exchanged, issues are hashed over, illusions and fallacies perpetuated, and friendships made and shattered. Might it be said that the convention of a good wedding, with all its rising expectation, glitter, and celebration, imitates life in interesting and cautionary ways: rising hopes, nagging worries, mercurial emotions, intensive views, and creative expressions. I see this book as a clever and fun-loving parody of all that modern weddings have come to mean to the human race.
As Bob Bo has discovered in his global jaunt, weddings are all about the individual needs of the guests and not the matrimonial prospects of the happy couple. To make that point, the author quickly sums up the feelings of the bride and groom in a tersely worded e-mail as a convenient prologue to the main story: the re-enactment of life and all its comic wonders for the umpteenth time.
Rating: 5 / 5 *
Original Posting: August 31, 2015 | Source: www.amazon.ca/gp/customer-reviews/R36...
August 24, 2015
Authonomy Author Reviews + Comments
In 2010 when Bob was getting his first draft of the book together, he put many of the chapters (or weddings) up on Authonomy, for other authors in the community to take a look at and comment on. From several dozen posts up on that website by those on the same creative crusade across multiple genres and styles, here's a fractional selection of opinions and thoughts culled from over a two year period.
"This is so damn funny it's untrue, I had tears streaming down my face, bloody good job I chose to go without mascara today!! If anyone doesn't think this is a good read, send them to me and I'll sort them out for you!" (Jun. '10)
- Mel A. Comley, Impeding Justice [NY Times and USA Today Best Selling Author]
"Excellent and what a romp! Like the male version of Eat, Pray, Love only better." (Jul. '10)
- Liz Hoban, The Cheech Room | The Secrets That Save Us
"Original and very funny. This crosses many genres and should appeal to many as it has huge potential. Well done." (Aug. '10)
- Faith Mortimer, The Assassins’ Village
"Great concept, and wonderfully executed. You're a terrific narrator, and you draw the reader in instantly. I want to go to every single wedding. They're such a novel and quirky way to get to know a culture - or in some cases, how cultures might clash. I loved some of your images - pressed-panini dead animal comes to mind." (Jul. '11)
- Andi Brown, Animal Cracker
"What an interesting book! The pitch doesn't do it justice -- most especially in that it fails to relate what I think is your greatest strength, which is your artistry with description and dialog. Highly imaginative use of language, articulate and drily humorous." (Sep. '12)
- Tod Schneider, The Lost Wink
FULL POSTING:
http://BobNBoguslavski.com/News/view/...
"This is so damn funny it's untrue, I had tears streaming down my face, bloody good job I chose to go without mascara today!! If anyone doesn't think this is a good read, send them to me and I'll sort them out for you!" (Jun. '10)
- Mel A. Comley, Impeding Justice [NY Times and USA Today Best Selling Author]
"Excellent and what a romp! Like the male version of Eat, Pray, Love only better." (Jul. '10)
- Liz Hoban, The Cheech Room | The Secrets That Save Us
"Original and very funny. This crosses many genres and should appeal to many as it has huge potential. Well done." (Aug. '10)
- Faith Mortimer, The Assassins’ Village
"Great concept, and wonderfully executed. You're a terrific narrator, and you draw the reader in instantly. I want to go to every single wedding. They're such a novel and quirky way to get to know a culture - or in some cases, how cultures might clash. I loved some of your images - pressed-panini dead animal comes to mind." (Jul. '11)
- Andi Brown, Animal Cracker
"What an interesting book! The pitch doesn't do it justice -- most especially in that it fails to relate what I think is your greatest strength, which is your artistry with description and dialog. Highly imaginative use of language, articulate and drily humorous." (Sep. '12)
- Tod Schneider, The Lost Wink
FULL POSTING:
http://BobNBoguslavski.com/News/view/...
August 3, 2015
Epilogue - The News
Bob's sorry ass has been to way too many weddings all around the planet, spending a ton of dough in the process. At the end of the book, he just wants to try and put some sense to it, together with all the other stuff in life and what’s going on out there in the big bad world.
Kidding aside, deep down, my relationships have been like all my other life experiences: they immerse themselves into the mix like new ingredients in an ever-evolving simmering stew. They are combined with my ongoing exposure to the world’s ways, my deciphering of what the news media says supposedly happens out there, friendly advice (sometimes delivered with mixed messages), and crossed signals, all exerting their collective influence on me. I am—infiltrated by all, inculcated by none.
So whaddup with all that?
Full Posting:
http://BobNBoguslavski.com/News/view/...
Kidding aside, deep down, my relationships have been like all my other life experiences: they immerse themselves into the mix like new ingredients in an ever-evolving simmering stew. They are combined with my ongoing exposure to the world’s ways, my deciphering of what the news media says supposedly happens out there, friendly advice (sometimes delivered with mixed messages), and crossed signals, all exerting their collective influence on me. I am—infiltrated by all, inculcated by none.
So whaddup with all that?
Full Posting:
http://BobNBoguslavski.com/News/view/...
July 28, 2015
Apple iBooks Reader on Wedding Chronicles
Wow! A fascinating, offbeat, creative, entertaining, commentary
25-July-15
by ToughGuy3
This book is hilarious.
Bob has a unique style. He chronicles his experience at weddings all over the world, including cynical, humorous commentary on culture, politics, gender, food, religion, and just about everything. It’s a travel guide wrapped in a wedding guide wrapped in a comedic rant. His prose is peppered with hilarious Bob-isms.
Will he ever settle down? Hopefully not, because we need him to continue cranking this stuff out.
Rating: 5 / 5 *
Source Link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/wedd...
25-July-15
by ToughGuy3
This book is hilarious.
Bob has a unique style. He chronicles his experience at weddings all over the world, including cynical, humorous commentary on culture, politics, gender, food, religion, and just about everything. It’s a travel guide wrapped in a wedding guide wrapped in a comedic rant. His prose is peppered with hilarious Bob-isms.
Will he ever settle down? Hopefully not, because we need him to continue cranking this stuff out.
Rating: 5 / 5 *
Source Link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/wedd...
June 26, 2015
Amazon Reader on Wedding Chronicles
A fun and engaging summer read ...
15-June-2015
by Trevor
... to which most confirmed bachelors can probably relate. (Although I've long since given up my own bachelorhood, I found myself smiling and nodding in recognition at many of its wry observations.)
Each chapter is self-contained so it's the kind of book you can put down for a while then pick up again days or weeks later without having to go back and re-read previous chapters to get caught up again.
Rating: 4 / 5 *
Source Link: http://www.amazon.ca/review/R1MDCKFKY...
15-June-2015
by Trevor
... to which most confirmed bachelors can probably relate. (Although I've long since given up my own bachelorhood, I found myself smiling and nodding in recognition at many of its wry observations.)
Each chapter is self-contained so it's the kind of book you can put down for a while then pick up again days or weeks later without having to go back and re-read previous chapters to get caught up again.
Rating: 4 / 5 *
Source Link: http://www.amazon.ca/review/R1MDCKFKY...
May 24, 2015
Barcelona #62 - Of cava, crowns and craniums
At an early May 2002 wedding in Catalonia, cava naturally featured on the drinks list right after the ceremony as the celebratory bubbles of choice.
With so many great regional selections, Bob was more than pleased to see the couple had picked Segura Viudas Reserva Heredad, not only because it’s a great one (one of his faves) but also because the bottle has such a distinctive and regal look.
As a major bonus, the bottle is also heavy and very solid. Good for a few things it seems. As taken right from the chapter…
We washed it all down with flutes of Segura Viudas Reserva Heredad. Empty,
the distinctive green cava bottle with its pewter base could be repurposed as
a candle holder.
This hefty bottle could also come in handy for homebound hullabaloo: I
imaginated some chikita banana making a definitive debate-ending point
about sumpin’ or other by crowning her man’s cranium. OK, maybe twice,
since some hubbies have a really hard head.
FULL POSTING:
http://BobNBoguslavski.com/News/view/...
With so many great regional selections, Bob was more than pleased to see the couple had picked Segura Viudas Reserva Heredad, not only because it’s a great one (one of his faves) but also because the bottle has such a distinctive and regal look.
As a major bonus, the bottle is also heavy and very solid. Good for a few things it seems. As taken right from the chapter…
We washed it all down with flutes of Segura Viudas Reserva Heredad. Empty,
the distinctive green cava bottle with its pewter base could be repurposed as
a candle holder.
This hefty bottle could also come in handy for homebound hullabaloo: I
imaginated some chikita banana making a definitive debate-ending point
about sumpin’ or other by crowning her man’s cranium. OK, maybe twice,
since some hubbies have a really hard head.
FULL POSTING:
http://BobNBoguslavski.com/News/view/...
April 27, 2015
Montreal #12 - 80s hair and other things
So your young, dumb ass is 21, having fun, and "best" man at some friend’s wedding in 1987.
The 80s had a lot of stuff generally going on, with memorable (if not always classy) developments in fashion, cars, entertainment, lifestyle, and culture.
And this is not factoring in all the serious (and arguably much more important) geopolitical events and disasters that otherwise framed the decade.
One of the things that sticks out, pardon the pun, was the hair. It was BIG!
As depicted in that scene in the book:
The trio of bridesmaids sported 80s’ signature big-hair, achieved with lots of layering, mousse, and curling iron action, and finished off with heavy blasts of hairspray.
That look didn’t come naturally after rolling casually out of bed in the morning, and it spawned a whole industry of products like colored mousse and Bold Hold hairspray to help meet demand.
FULL POSTING:
http://BobNBoguslavski.com/News/view/...
The 80s had a lot of stuff generally going on, with memorable (if not always classy) developments in fashion, cars, entertainment, lifestyle, and culture.
And this is not factoring in all the serious (and arguably much more important) geopolitical events and disasters that otherwise framed the decade.
One of the things that sticks out, pardon the pun, was the hair. It was BIG!
As depicted in that scene in the book:
The trio of bridesmaids sported 80s’ signature big-hair, achieved with lots of layering, mousse, and curling iron action, and finished off with heavy blasts of hairspray.
That look didn’t come naturally after rolling casually out of bed in the morning, and it spawned a whole industry of products like colored mousse and Bold Hold hairspray to help meet demand.
FULL POSTING:
http://BobNBoguslavski.com/News/view/...
