When Anne and I were handling the distribution of Dancing Barefoot and the first two printings of Happiest Days of Our Lives, I just loved looking at the address labels and knowing that one of my books was going to be taking a trip to a very cool place. Even though I knew it in my brains, actually seeing that this book was going to London and that one was going to France … well, something something underpants, I guess is where that sentence should end.
When someone brings me one of my books to sign, and I realize that it's one of those books that began its journey in my living room, it delights me. I usually hug it, pet it, call it George, and then get all weepy while I thank the person who owns it, and embarrass us both.
About a year ago, I noticed that lots of people were sending me pictures of my books, usually taken while they were on some kind of awesome vacation.
"Hey, you know what would be cool?" I thought to myself, "I could make a pool at flickr, and people who have my books could upload their pictures there! Yay! Awesome!"
So it was done, and Wheaton's Books in the Wild was born. As of this moment, there are 152 members, and 134 different pictures. I haven't mentioned it since the pool was created, though, and since there seem to be enormous numbers of new readers stopping by my blog, I thought it was worth mentioning again.
All the entries are awesome, but there are a couple that I just love to pieces, so here they are (You can click each of these to embiggen them):
I'm especially proud of the Happiest Days audiobook, but I also love how Angie K's hands look like Grover.
Damn kids today, with their new covers and spiffy graphics.
My books have been places I'll probably never get to go.
Hey, look, it's me, doing what I do at the 2008 Penny Arcade Expo!
Who says books aren't sexy? Jerks, that's who.
Serious cat is seriously reading with its lazer eyez.
Stratford-upon-Avon: you will never find a more wretched hive of – oh. Wait. Wrong place.
Okay, that's more than enough examples. There are a ton of others, and if you have a few minutes to spare, you can check them out at Wheaton's Books in the Wild at flickr.
PRO TIP: It would be especially awesome if you'd join the pool and add your own.
