Disappointed!

Live While You Are Alive by Shiv Khera turned out to be a slightly difficult read for me—not because the intention is lacking, but because it didn’t quite connect with me the way I had hoped.The idea of living fully and taking charge of life is, of course, important. But somehow, I didn’t find anything that felt new or even something that stayed with me in a comforting way. 

Some books don’t necessarily teach you something new—they simply remind you of things your heart already knows. I missed that feeling here.

The tone, for me, felt a little too direct and push-driven at times—more about “do this, act now” rather than allowing space to slow down, reflect, and just be.

 And maybe that’s where I couldn’t fully connect. I did complete the book, but more out of discipline than involvement. That said, I can see it working for someone who is just starting out with self-help or is looking for something very straightforward and action-oriented. It just didn’t align with where I am right now as a reader. For me, I tend to gravitate towards books that feel like a quiet conversation—ones that hold your hand gently rather than tell you what to do.

So while I finished it, it’s not something I would personally revisit or recommend, especially when there are other books that explore similar thoughts with more warmth and depth.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold- Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Before the Coffee Gets Cold is one of those rare reads that begins as a simple, almost unreal idea of time travel inside a cafe that slowly unfolds into something far more intimate. This is not a story about going back and changing the past. It is about understanding it… and learning to live with it.

Each story is woven with different threads of regret, love, loss, longing. 

Two stories stayed with me long after I finished the book.

The husband and wife—bound by love, yet separated by what remained unsaid. It gently reminds us how often we assume that our feelings are understood, without ever expressing them.

And the sisters—their story carries a deep ache. The kind of love that exists deeply, but is never fully voiced. It makes you pause and reflect on your own relationships—the affection we feel, but hesitate to articulate, as if there will always be time.

The book left me with a simple but lasting thought:

we may not be able to change what has happened, but we can change how we carry it.

For me, it also brought a quiet sense of gratitude. For the people in my life, for the love that exists—imperfect, unspoken at times, but real.

Because in the end, the book doesn’t ask for dramatic change. It simply nudges you to NOT leave things unsaid… while you still can.