how to stop time by matt haig ⏳

❝I still have a headache. Sometimes it is almost not there, while at other times that is all there is, and the pain always coincides with the memories. It is less of a headache and more a memory ache. A life ache.❞

This was quite interesting! Out of all the things I found relatable in this book, headaches and the aftereffects of said headaches are something that resonated with me on a personal (if not physical) level. We follow a man called Tom Hazard (one among many of his names) through his various identities, while the concept of time works just a bit slower for him alone than the rest of the world, or so he thinks.

I usually enjoy writing that makes you reflect on the past and this one had a lot of it. And though I appreciated it enough to write down my favourite quotes, after a while it kind of got a bit repetitive. It was fun as long as we were following his journey, however towards the end, there were some things that could have been done differently because it felt sort of anti-climactic.

The best part about this book is definitely being able to time travel with the main character and I liked the fact that it ended on a hopeful note. I was doubtful if it would because of the constant descriptions of how we as humans never learn and will probably be hurtling towards the creation of our own destruction but it didn’t end that way. I also really loved the illustrations in this, they added a little something more to the story and helped visualise the characters better. Overall, an enjoyable and inspiring read!

❝The past resides inside the present, repeating, hiccupping, reminding you of all the stuff that no longer is. It bleeds out from road signs and plaques on park benches and songs and surnames and faces and the covers of books. Sometimes just the sight of a tree or a sunset can smack you with the power of every tree or sunset you have ever seen and there is no way to protect yourself. There is no possible way of living in a world without books or trees or sunsets. There just isn’t.❞

Hello! Hope you’ve been doing well! My mind has been overflowing with things I want to do and then stressing over not having enough time to do them. But, we’re getting through it….somehow. March is also coming to an end which I don’t understand. Looks like time really cannot be stopped.

I also have two books I’ve yet to finish (Upstream and Emma) from this month’s TBR which I’ll probably manage to finish soon enough.

I’d love to know what you’ve read recently or if you’ve read this particular book! Or any of Matt Haig’s books, I’ve been seeing The Midnight Library everywhere for some reason and it has piqued my interest 👀

Happy weekend!

Much love,

Samiksha 💌