Thursday 23 December 2010

Book: You Can Stick It

I got an amazing early Christmas present today, the You Can Stick It book by P.K. Munroe. I was already a fan of the blog, and the book sounded good, but is even better in the flesh. It bills itself as 'a sticker book for grown ups'. I actually have an adult colouring-in book too, so it will go quite nicely with that.
I've always had an unhealthy obsession with stickers; when I was a kid both mine and my brothers' bedroom doors were covered in them, and even now I have a special box full of stickers and notepaper; and I still use them pretty regularly despite the digital age. My best friend and I went through a 'googly-eye' phase once where we put googly eyes on absolutely everything on the house from remote controls to lightswitches. Then I saw the cartoon Ooglies, which was pretty much that, but animated.
The most recent stickers that got my heart racing were the feminist 'you are normal, this is not' ones stuck on plastic surgery posters on the tube, and the fact that a simple sticker can put you in a good mood for a day is pretty inspiring. I made up some of my own stickers to use myself, but since then I've hardly seen any sexist posters, so I think they must be getting stickered and then removed pretty regularly. Politics on a sticker is so simple, but so straightforward, I love it.
You Can Stick It is a dream for the naughty stickerer (not a word). Each page is a sheet of stickers you can actually use, and they are really good quality and really funny. Which leaves you in a dilemma, because should you use them, or keep the book pristine?! I want to use mine and go on a stickering rampage! The publishers of this book could get in trouble if it really takes off, but that would be fun.
There's all sorts of different categories of stickers, from ones to go on the front of books: 'not read by Richard and Judy', cash machines 'read PIN clearly into the microphone', and food labels: 'nick one, get one free'. There's also bumper stickers, road signs and train stickers: 'quiet zone- except you of course'.
Probably my favourite ones are ones to go on CDs: 'pointlessly remastered', 'difficult second album' and 'live album, goes on forever'. Also DVD ones: 'here's 2 hours you won't get back' and 'includes that bloke you saw in that other thing'.
This book is lush. The price is good too; £12.99, considering a sheet of stickers with some stars or fairies on costs a quid, and you get tons in here. I think it would make an excellent Christmas present- what, I'm too late? There's Christmas stickers in it, too, and I like the happy birthday one that says 'special petrol station gift'.
Wow, I haven't reviewed a book in about six months! Exciting. This is my kind of book; one with bright colours and not too many words. Stickers rule!

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