Sunday 18 June 2017

My Bookish Pet Peeves - Cover Changes, Stickers and Movie Covers


Generally, I'm a pretty tolerant person, but sometimes, there are bookish things that drive me CRAZY! For a bit of fun, I decided to list these things which drive me mad. Maybe they'll change, maybe they won't, but I know I can't be the only person that gets annoyed by these things <3 
P.S. I've found some wonderful posts on this topic by lovely bloggers, so all credit goes to them for coming up with this topic before me. Here's some links: here and here and here and here.


There are a few exceptions, but generally cover changes in YA series are THE WORST. It's even worse if the covers change mide series, so that the books DON'T EVEN MATCH. The worst offender for this is probably The Diviners series by Libba Bray. The first book had the most incredible cover, with a beautiful under-cover gold design of roses and lines (ooh, ahh). But then, typically, they changed it for the second book. At least the cover was still pretty, but it had none of the beauty of the first book. Then, imagine my horror when I found that they've changed the covers again (WHY!?) for the third book! *cries* 


 Other nightmare-ish cover changes include The Winner's series by Marie Rutkowski (but at least the publishers listened in this case and ended up releasing the last book with the beautiful original cover and the Across the Universe series by Beth Revis. The inital covers for this series were so beautiful, so WHY OH WHY did they feel the need to change them mid-series?!
There are a couple of exceptions to this rule, of course. Namely, the Anna and the French Kiss series and the Shatter me series. Seriously, both of those books badly needed a cover change and they ended up with beautiful covers. 

Isn't it THE MOST ANNOYING THING when you get those oddly sized books that just don't fit anywhere on your shelves? One of the worst offenders are international editions, which I tend to buy if I can't get the US edition (I'll explain this in the next section). Like, why can't they just have a default size for books - paperback size, hardcover size and large hardcover size. Also, WHY DO MASS MARKET PAPERBACKS EXIST? I don't think I know a single person who likes them, and they're just so little and not floppy and ughhhhhhhh.....
A book series that is really bad for this is the Poison Study series by Maria V Snyder. Not only is it a nightmare to get similar covers since some of them are out of print, the last three books in the series are a completely different size from the first three!



 This one I'm pretty sure I'm alone in. But....I kind of hate the UK/AUS book format.... The covers are always horrible, but worst of all, they come in this petite size which is completely rigid and has no floppiness to it, so it's impossible to read without breaking the spine. I actually kind of hate them. There are only three UK editions I like equally to the US editions - Caraval by Stephanie Garber, Nevernight by Jay Kristoff and Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor. Even so, I bought the US edition of all three. And I've never found a UK paperback which I've liked. This is kind of a problem for me becuase I live in the UK, so US editions are super rare and it's a nightmare to get ahold of them. I've never met any other bookworms who feel this way, so.... If you love UK covers, I am so jealous of you, I wish I did! <3



Seeing a person's face on a YA book is an automatic NO for me. It looks so cheesy and generally the models are making dramatic faces which totally ruins the cover. This was a huge thing a few years ago, but thankfully seems to be fading out now. I'm Team "No Faces on Covers" XD 

Movies covers are just the worst. I think that the fact that I hate movie covers so much is due to my love of simple covers, usually with typography. Movie covers are completely the opposite, usually cluttered and covered in faces (uh-oh). I would never buy a movie cover, no matter how much I loved the book. This might also be because I think it's important that people can imagine the characters however they like, so that they can relate to them more. Here are some of my most hated movie covers:



This one annoys me so much, I can't really say much about it without getting mad. One of my least favourite book tropes is when A main characters has a mental illness or disability, which upon the appearance of the love interest, disappears. Yes, having a supportive partner can mean the world in coping with your difficulties, but your struggles are yours alone and cannot be "fixed" by someone else. I particularly hate when characters with anxiety disorders suddenly become outgoing and not anxious at all after falling in love. THAT'S NOT HOW ANXIETY WORKS.


 
 I work full-time as a bookseller every year and it pains me to sticker up books. I know when I find a book I want in a bookstore and see that pesky sticker on it, my heart sinks a little. I know they're supposed to be "fully removable" and "non-marking", but the truth is, sometimes they're not. I have a copy of Jenny Han's The Summer I Turn Pretty which will be forever marked with a sticky mess in the upper right hand corner where I tried to unsuccesfully remove a half price sticker. WHY? WHYYYYYY????




Do you guys have any weird bookish pet peeves? Do you agree with any of mine? Let me know.

Love,


 


76 comments:

  1. I agree with pretty much all of these. Especially cover changes because I never like the new covers. Also movie covers are the worst indeed. I actually hate them. And of course stickers. There was one on my cover of Lord of Shadows, luckily it came off alright but I would've been so mad it if hadn't. D:

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    1. Cover changes are literally THE WORST (unless it's Anna or Shatter Me, of course! :D)

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  2. I don't buy a ton of physical books, but I understand many of your peeves. It's funny how, that with the examples of US vs UK covers you provided, I like the US ones better, because usually, I like the UK ones better. I am more a contemporary reader, and whenever I see the UK cover, I like it better than the US.
    Sam @ WLABB

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    1. Ooh, that's so interesting that you tend to like the UK better!

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  3. I agree with all of these! I hate those cover changes the most! Just pick one and stick with it, you know :p

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  4. These posts are so fun! I want to do another one of these soon because I think that some of my pet peeves have changed since I first made a post like this! I agree with a lot of your items.

    Cover changes are the worst. Especially mid-series. There is no faster way to guarantee that I will not be buying the rest of the series than by changing the cover mid-series. I'm glad I didn't care for The Diviners because just looking at those different covers made me angry! Just finish the series and give the paperbacks a makeover!!

    Different sizes drive me bananas as well. And stickers. And giant faces on covers... Unless it's done right. Like When Dimple Met Rishi. That one is adorable. I'm also not a huge fan of movie cover books, but that being said, I plan on buying one for The Darkest Minds when it comes out because it's my favorite book ever.

    Something that bugs me that you haven't listed is when ebooks cost more than buying an actual hardcover. Most of the reason I bought an ereader was because the internet promised it would end up paying for itself with how much you would save on books and that was just a LIE!

    Great post!

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    1. Thank you for your lovely long comment! <3 I totally agree that ebooks should cost less than physical books.

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  5. I don't generally like cover changes either although I agree the Shatter Me books were definitely an improvement. It's so hit or miss. I haven't bought any UK versions but every once in a while I like a UK cover better.

    I hate movie covers too. Ugh, those are the worst. And you're right about disability/ anxiety "cures". sorry, doesn't work that way. :) So true.

    Awesome list.

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    1. I agree with all of your points! Thanks for the lovely comment!

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  6. I agree with some of your points. However, I understand why some choices are done for example, the movie/TV covers. This is done because they want to attract a new audience who are more familiar with the show/movie.

    Also paperbacks are cheaper to make and is the cheapest physical format that you can buy.

    I do agree with the international covers. I still don't understand why they do that.

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    1. Yes, I do totally understand why they make movie covers, I just never like them haha! And I do love a good paperback, as long as it's a US edition.

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  7. I agree so much! Though there are some UK covers that I just adore and wish I could get here in the States. Book Depository just takes too long to ship to me.

    Shawn @ thebookishlibrarianblog.wordpress.com

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    1. Oh, I didn't know Book Depository takes a while to ship to the US. :)

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  8. YES TO ALL OF THIS. Publishers changing covers - especially in the middle of the series - annoys me so much as well. Thanks for sharing and, as always, fabulous post! <3

    ~ Zoe @ Stories on Stage

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    1. AWWWWW, thank you so much Zoe <3 *blushes*. COVER CHANGES ARE THE WORST.

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  9. Man oh man do I HATE movie/TV adaptation covers. Like, please no. I get what you're trying to do, you gotta market the things together so people realize they are of the same story, but COME ONNNN. Like, if you're going to do that, can you please just not make it so cheesy?? Bah, you understand my "I-have-to-sticker-books-and-cry-internally" struggle. I hate doing it.

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    1. Yessss, it always makes me cringe when I am stickering books XD

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  10. I actually don't mind faces on covers OR movie covers because I find they help me to imagine the story! However, I totally agree with all the other ones, especially book cover changes mid way! And when they discontinue a particular cover! Really awesome post and it was so relatable!

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    1. That's so intersting Anisha! It's wonderful to hear something positive about movie covers :)

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  11. Lots of these are bookish pet peeves of mine too! I DESPISE the cover change mid-series BS. And YES! I don't like some AU paperbacks because a) some of them are larger size, and b) the rigid spines that you mentioned. I love the US paperbacks, they seem to just fall right there and you can sit them on the table, opened, and they'll just sit there all happy and open and it's like, YAY. :) Great post!

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    1. Yesssss Cass... you understan my UK paperback struggle! <3

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  12. Ugh to ALL of these!! I get so so frustrated at them..except for the UK covers, because I actually have a lot of those that I really like hehe. Like Strange the Dreamer?!? The UK one is 50000% better than the US.😍
    But stickers are EVIL.
    And I feel so so frustrated every time mental illness or disabilities are "cured" by romance. Or even cured by just having a nice friendship. Like no??? Sometimes things can help change your life or whatever, but any sort of "cure" story is immediately problematic and worrisome!!
    AND COVER SIZE CHANGES AND MID-SERIES-COVER CHANGES SHOULD BE ILLEGAL. *screams*
    So basically yes. You are speaking for so many bookworms here. 😂😂

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    1. Love this comment so much Cait! We should petition the government to punish all cover changes with jail time XD

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  13. I share so many of these pet peeves with you! I think that the worst one of them all is a sticker stuck to one of my precious books. You'd think the booksellers would catch on to this problem! lol

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    1. Haha... I'm a bookseller and I hate doing it so much! It just seems to be the policy of all bookstores. And sometimes I have to de-sticker, so at least I've become an expert at that.

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  14. Haha omg that Joey GIF is PERFECT :P I have to agree with you on loads of things here! Cover changes annoy me so much, especially when they just somehow change it for the worse - I wonder what goes on inside of their heads to make such decisions? Though, like you, I am glad about the Anna and Shatter Me changes, those covers are stunning :)
    And obviously that "magical cure" thing, NO NO NO NO. It does not work that way at all and I'm making that exact Joey face every time it happens ahah.

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    1. Joey's face represents my exact facial expression when that happend in books. (FRIENDS is the best!) <3

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  15. I agree with just about all of these! I hate stickers and cover changes and movie covers! I have the UK version of A Darker Shade of Magic and I like it but I prefer the US versions of that trilogy.

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    1. The US editions of that series are so so pretty!

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  16. I *usually* have success getting off the stickers that come from big box bookstores. However, there was a sale sticker a few weeks back, on Love & Gelato, and in trying to remove it I ripped the dust cover. Of Love & Gelato! One of the most simple and cute covers! So mad...

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  17. The stickers drive me nutsssss

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  18. Yessss haha I relate to this post SO MUCH and completely agree!! Cover changes mid-series are so utterly horrible, and I am currently horrified at the cover changes of The Diviners series. WHYYYYY??? Anna and the French Kiss and Shatter Me are definitely exceptions though ahah.

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    1. I know, I can't understand they changed that initial Diviners cover!

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  19. Stickers and mid-series cover changes are the absolute worst! I actually don't mind movie covers all that much though, if I think the movie was good. For instance, I kind of like the Maze Runners one. :-)

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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    1. Ooh, I've never seen The Maze Runner's movie cover, I'll have to look at it!

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  20. I typically like the UK/AU cover designs more but it's so difficult to read then you've got a tiny book the size of a house brick. Most fantasy books I have to buy in hardcover now (which aren't usually available in Australia freely) and cost double what a paperback does.

    My biggest peeve is the cover changes. Most of us don't have the money to go ahead and purchase almost an entire set of books all over again and it feels as though publishers know how we love our books to match and play on that as well. I feel as of these so deeply #nerdrage

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    1. I know, Hardcover books are just way too expensive. They're so pretty though. <3

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  21. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who dislikes faces on books. I might be okay if they're shown from a distance or something, but the up close shots of a person's face really bother me. Everything You Want Me to Be by Mindy Mejia is one that comes to mind. It's a great book but I would only read it as an ebook so I didn't have to see the cover.

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    1. Lol, I've done that before too, if I can't stand to see an ugly book on my shelves XD

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  22. I totally understand. I feel the same about alternative covers and the difference between UK and US covers. As a cheap person who buys books from BD because they're cheaper, I usually end up with different covers for series I own, and it really sucks.
    Great post!!

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    1. I know. I've actually got to the point know where I've ended up re-buying books fro the US cover. Does that make me really weird?

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  23. I read a lot of books on my kindle so I don't think that the covers bother me as much as they used to but they are still important. I hate it when a series starts out in hardcover only to have the next book come out in a trade paperback. I like the same format for a series.

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    1. I like the same format for a whole series too. It drives me crazy otherwise.

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  24. I feel your annoyance radiating from this post. I hate mid-series cover changes and I cannot understand why the publisher cannot just wait until all the books are released before revamping them. Also, I sometimes wonder who had input into the changes because some can be truly horrendous. I have never gotten over the cover change for the Lynburn Legacy. That first book was gorgeous and then they messed up the consistency on my shelf with lackluster covers.

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    1. Ughhhh, cover changes are the worst! *shudders*

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  25. I love reading bookish pet peeves! :) Totally agree with you on mid-series cover changes! I hate it when they don't match, even when they are electronic!

    Also - BOOK SIZES??? Come ON publishers!

    I didn't realise there was a UK/Aus paperback thing! Maybe because I've only ever read the Aus/UK ones!!! Wow!

    I don't mind faces on covers. but I am against movie covers. :( The books are always better so why take the movie poster and stick it on the book?

    Stickers? :( They are NEVER FULLY REMOVABLE!!!

    Great list!

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  26. I am one of those that does prefer the UK covers. Luckily for me, here in the Netherlands, they are quite easy to get. :D
    I haven't read the Libba Bray series but those cover changes are just mind boggling. From pretty to meh to ugh.

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    1. Yay! I'm glad you like the UK covers, and they're easily accessible for you!

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  28. So much agreement on stickers, or when there's a circle that is part of the cover advertising something, ruining part of the design! Looking at you, "soon to be a major motion picture" messages!

    I think I'm used to UK book sizes because that's what I grew up with, and it's US editions that seem strange to me!

    I don't mind faces that fit in with the story, like the girl on the Lara Jean series really looks and dresses like I imagine Lara Jean would look. But yes, especially close up faces, they look creepy at times!

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    1. I have to agree with you on the Lara Jean series, I do love having Lara Jean on the cover. <3

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  29. MOVIE COVERS AND PEOPLE ON COVERS YES but somehow that doesn't stop me from reading them?? I just.... cringe every time I read it. :p

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  30. Stickers are huge pains, I usually get my father to remove them for me because he's good at it somehow??? It's effing magic I tell you... Also I totally agree, the Winner's Trilogy cover changes were tragic *shivers*. I mean, did the publisher not see how perfect the first ones were???

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    1. This is so weird, but my Dad is also the best at getting rid of stickers, it must be a Dad thing :P

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  31. YES YES YES THANK YOU! I TOTALLY agree with you on the "romance cures everything" thing. In my case, it would make everything worse. :P The cover changes and size differences annoy me so much too! I'm pretty okay with everything else though. Except in my opinion you guys get WAY cooler covers sometimes than we do in the US. :)

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    1. I'm so glad you agree, in my case a romance would make everything so much more overwhelming too. <3

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  32. I hate when they change covers as well. I don't always mind the movie covers, just depends. I didn't even know they were going to do that to the third Libba Bray one. Gah! People on covers don't bother me, it just depends what the story is about, and what they look like on the cover. Fun post!

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    1. Aww, thanks so much Lisa! Cover changes are TERRIBLE!

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  33. Agree!!! The third cover change always seems like a bad idea (usually the second one too). I also really liked the first cover, so not sure what's up with that. And the giant heads on covers just freak me out!
    Jen @ YA Romantics

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    1. Me too! Like, it's not so bad if the people are far away, but when they're right there... XD

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  34. I love all of these, they're all so true! I also live in the UK and the struggle for UK paperbacks is an issue, I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks it! And stickers are the worst, especially when they don't come off properly!!!

    Meggan @ Between The Pages (www.betweenthepages13.wordpress.com)

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    1. I so glad someone else feels the same about UK editions! <3

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  35. Different heights, etc. annoy me too. Though I do "deal" with it since sometimes I buy the first book in hardcover and then because I wait so long to read it or add book two to my shelf, I buy the paperback for the sequel.

    My greatest pet peeve is COVER CHANGES! Especially in the case of Marie's series. UGH! That was so annoying, but thank goodness the publisher did give us book three to match books one and two - that's one series I obviously own in hardcover. :)

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    1. The Winner's Curse series is so so beautiful, I adore the hghat series so much!

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  36. Reading this post makes me want to rant about the things which bother when it comes to books and stickers is one of them (and when they print a sticker as part of the cover, just why?). I won't go crazy, though, because it will be practically a whole post otherwise.

    I completely agree about a standardized set of sizes for books. Why can there not be a hardcover size and a paperback size. Why do they all have to be different? It makes putting books on my shelves really annoying sometimes.

    I completely disagree about UK paperbacks, though. Sure, you're more likely to crack the spine but I like how they just feel sturdier. Like, you get US paperbacks and they flop all over the place and the paper feels flimsier and it just doesn't feel like it'll survive being chucked in your handbag to be read on a commute. It's frustrating as hell when you live in the UK and buy a copy because they're obviously pricier than a UK paperback would normally be. I also don't mind mass market paperbacks. Sure, I don't love them, but they are conveniently little and portable. And they take up less space on my shelves. That counts for a lot with me.

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    1. It was so great to read a different opinion on tthe UK paperback thing. I totally get all of your points! <3

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  37. The cover changes for The Diviners are ridiculous! I like the original cover the best, but they really should just pick one and stick with it!

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    1. I know. Like, none of the covers are vad.... but they need to stick with one! (preferably the first one! XD)

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  38. I agree with nearly all of these, especially the size differences in books. It's so annoying when you order a book online and you think it's going to be the same height as previous books but when it arrives it's a completely different size. Great post!

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    1. I know right? SO ANNOYING! The Posion Study series is the worst for that one!

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  39. Great post!! I agree with you on the majority of these! Stickers are by far my biggest irk! Especially when I chip a nail trying to get the sticker off!

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