Aaaah!
I’ve already confessed in a comment on my sister’s blog www.anneholloway.wordpress.com that I bought two books while doing the weekly shop at Sainsbury’s. I never look at the books in supermarkets because there is no ambience in those places. The lights do my head in and in some of them (certain branches of Tescos, Safeways + M&S I actually feel sick if I subject myself to more than a few minutes instore. But she tempted me by saying she’d picked up a certain book and couldn’t put it down. So I looked and found .. and was also lured in by the cover of another book. Subliminal recognition and I didn’t even know it! When I got home I realised the cover was by Petra Borner about who I waxed lyrical a post or two ago.
I didn’t need the book, I have a TBR mountain range but I bought the book. But I have been punished. Now that I take the book in my hands I see that the “Richard & Judy’s book 4 club, Galaxy British BOOK awards 2008” sticker is NOT a sticker but is printed ON the book all over my beautiful Petra Borner cover. WHY?????? The words “Mister Pip” and “Lloyd Jones” need no explanation or apology they are after all the title and author of the book. I have no complaints about the discreet “Shortlisted for THE 2007 man BOOKER PRIZE” but I feel that Richard & Judy, Galaxy et al owe me that circle of cover that they have denied me. Please don’t deface my books it’s bad enough that there are so many tacky covers out there.
OK – rant over …… for now.
C r a f t y P e o p l e ---- confessions of a lapsed reader 
Sunday, February 3, 2008 at 10:05
I totally agree with what you say here — I can live with stickers but it is very naughty indeed to print them on the book. Lovely cover, though, apart from that — I looked at her website when you posted about her before and think her work is gorgeous.
Sunday, February 3, 2008 at 12:47
I suspect this also demonstrates the power that Richard and Judy now have in the book world, that they can persuade publishers to alter schedules and cover designs to suit them is well known.It’s all a question of balance because clearly they also get a lot of people reading but now they can obviously get their names printed on with no problem. Quite soon we won’t need a cover design at all, just mug shots of R&J and be done with it.
Sunday, February 3, 2008 at 12:49
PS I loved Mister Pip enough to overcome any doubts about the ending.
Sunday, February 3, 2008 at 14:45
Eughh – the thought of a range of books with the R&J mugshot as the main branding and just a title to differentiate. :(
Sunday, February 3, 2008 at 16:21
I agree. I derive great satisfaction from peeling the wretched things off and to be deprived of that would be frustrating.
Monday, February 4, 2008 at 14:14
Yes, how annoying – in ten years’ time you might still want to read the book, but you won’t care that Richard and/or Judy liked it…
Monday, February 4, 2008 at 19:39
I had just read this post – and explored Petra’s fab website -when there was a knock on the door and my latest Amazon order arrived, and hooray it included my copy of Mister Pip and – yuck! I do sooo agree with your rant! Entirely justified. How dreadful to have that ‘sticker’ actually printed on the cover. A shocking decision on the part of the publishers.
Maybe there will be a backlash and non-R&J fans will boycott R&J-selected books – at least those with these ‘defaced’ covers . . .? That’ll teach ’em!
Thursday, February 28, 2008 at 21:32
I could not believe they actually printed on the cover, I sent the book back to Amazon under “the item did not meet the expected quality standards” and got refunded (including postage)!