30 books that you can totally judge by their covers

How to Stop Time – Matt Haig

Romance novels aren’t always blessed with visually appealing covers, but Matt Haig’s How To Stop Time certainly is. Just the color of the U.S. edition is bound to draw readers in. And once you get past that calming blue, you’ll realize that small details from the story are scattered about, adding a nice touch to the artwork.

And How To Stop Time isn’t unique solely because of its cover. It’s also a mesh of romance and the fantastical, making it stand apart from other love stories. It follows Tom Hazard, a man with a condition that makes him appear to be 41 years old, even though he’s been alive for centuries.

As you can imagine, Tom’s condition makes falling in love a pretty negative experience. He’s also part of a society that protects people with his condition — but they forbid their members from falling in love.

So when Tom does fall for a woman, it puts him in quite a predicament, forcing him to make some pretty difficult decisions, and sending readers on an emotional journey right alongside him.