If I become Emperor, die-cut book covers will be punishable by death. Yes, even those ones where the outer foiled cover is cut short of the edge, leaving a strip of the colorful under-cover showing.

Everyone knows that your thumbs go near the bottom of the book, not the middle. At least, that's how I hold books and I must assume that is the only correct way to do it.

I think here you've missed an opportunity to reflect on the binding as an example of book art. Normally book art sees its cutting edge in children's books, actually, where there is less criticism of taking risks, so this is a fairly unusual example of it from a mainstream publisher in a book intended for adults. I like it. The UW Libraries have a terrific collection of book art, incidentally, which is worth anyone's time to look through, whether you like this attempt at book art or not.

Be glad it's not a novel about a lovable book-reading shark. Three words per page, max.

Given the obsessive care I take with my books, intentionally making a book that looks damaged hurts me inside.

Besides, mice usually nibble books from the corners.

wtf? does anyone care that the illustration on the cover looks absolutely MISERABLE? ok so the die-cut is annoying but with one look at that depressing, disgusting, completely unappealing rendition of a rat I want to go running in the opposite direction. Apologies to Mr. Krahn the illustrator, but that creature doesn't even look like it is from this planet.

And I'm the type who thinks rats are cute. I had them as pets as a kid.