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A review by roguemouse
Dancing Barefoot by Wil Wheaton, Ben Claassen III
4.0
I've only ever read Wil's blog posts - and heard him read "Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline - but had always planned to listen to his books. I might've started with the wrong one (it's hard to tell from the publishing date which book came out first and therefor which should be listened to first, especially since the stories in "Dancing Barefoot" are ones that simply didn't find their place in "Just A Geek"), but either way I'm really happy that I finally got around to it.
There's something unique about listening to a book read by the author. You don't have to imagine the words read in their voice - the timbre, rhythm, accentuation, etc. - and you can concentrate on what is being said and how; the emotions behind it. Sure, it's sometimes fun to read a book by a celebrity and imagine hearing their voice in our head, but I've recently been on a roll of listening to read-by-the-author audiobooks and lemme tell you - it's an amazing experience. It's like listening to a friend telling you their life's story.
The stories in "Dancing Barefoot" range from poignant musings on the fleetingness of life, through humorous recounts of fan conventions and the surprising impact they can have, to short, sweet études on love and romance. All of them had me smiling (some of them through glassy eyes). I was most touched by Wil's thoughts on Star Trek and his relationship with fans of the show - as a fellow geek myself, and someone who visits conventions both as a attendee-fan and an invited speaker, it's heartwarming to know that my deep love and appreciation for that community (sprinkled with the occasional wry eye-roll) resonates in other people as well. Especially those who have moved from one side of the autograph table to the other.
In other words: I recommend a listen to any geeks and/or fans of Wil's online presence, and am definitely looking forward to his other books.
There's something unique about listening to a book read by the author. You don't have to imagine the words read in their voice - the timbre, rhythm, accentuation, etc. - and you can concentrate on what is being said and how; the emotions behind it. Sure, it's sometimes fun to read a book by a celebrity and imagine hearing their voice in our head, but I've recently been on a roll of listening to read-by-the-author audiobooks and lemme tell you - it's an amazing experience. It's like listening to a friend telling you their life's story.
The stories in "Dancing Barefoot" range from poignant musings on the fleetingness of life, through humorous recounts of fan conventions and the surprising impact they can have, to short, sweet études on love and romance. All of them had me smiling (some of them through glassy eyes). I was most touched by Wil's thoughts on Star Trek and his relationship with fans of the show - as a fellow geek myself, and someone who visits conventions both as a attendee-fan and an invited speaker, it's heartwarming to know that my deep love and appreciation for that community (sprinkled with the occasional wry eye-roll) resonates in other people as well. Especially those who have moved from one side of the autograph table to the other.
In other words: I recommend a listen to any geeks and/or fans of Wil's online presence, and am definitely looking forward to his other books.