Manu's Medley

2025 - Another year has quietly gone by, and this time I read nine beautiful books. It was a slower reading year for me. An injured right arm meant I couldn’t even carry half a cup of water for a while. For someone who swears by reading a physical copy - who believes books must be held, felt, and turned page by page - shifting to any other format just didn’t feel right. So a reading slump followed. I’m still finding my way back into rhythm, back into the comfort of getting lost in the stories and lingering with characters long after the last page. Here is a quick recap of what I read last year. The School for Good Mothers:  A powerful fictional exploration by Jessamine Chan on modern motherhood and the weight of the societal judgement. It made me sit with uncomfortable questions about what it means to be a “good” mother in a world that watches women closely and rarely forgives their mistakes. You can read the full review in this link . The Fury:  I really enjoyed The...

I am sure we all would have heard this statement more than once in our lives from our parents, teachers, siblings, friends, spouse or even a boss: “Try and try till you achieve your dream or target.” It could be finding the job of your liking, marrying the person you desire, or earning that long-awaited promotion. For many of us, these words become the script of our lives - pushing us to always chase the next milestone, to measure our worth by achievements. But what happens when the constant “trying” becomes exhausting? That's the side of the story untold. What is this book about? This is what Kate Williams’ "How to Stop Trying: An Overachiever's Guide to Self-Acceptance, Letting Go, and Other Impossible Things" talks about. The book isn’t about throwing away ambitions or giving up on our dreams. Instead, it’s about recognizing the hidden cost of endless striving - the burn out, the inability to rest without guilt, the constant sense of “not enough” and learning how t...

If you love quick breakfasts or evening snacks, but don’t want multiple appliances cluttering your kitchen counter top, a 2-in-1 waffle and sandwich maker can feel like a lifesaver. Recently I tried one, and while it impressed me in many ways, it also came with a few trade-offs you should know before buying. Here’s my detailed review based on my experience using it for over a month.  Product Overview What it is:  Mainstays 2-in-1 waffle and sandwich maker from Walmart. It's priced at 29.98 CAD (plus taxes) and comes with interchangeable plates for waffles and sandwiches. Who it’s for:  Small families, students, busy parents, or anyone who enjoys versatile cooking without without crowding their counters with multiple gadgets. First impression:  Lightweight, easy to set up, and it heats up faster than I expected. Pros   ✅ Quick cooking:  It makes two waffles or two sandwiches at a time, so breakfast or snacks are r...

I usually don't choose the books I read - more often it feels like they choose me. Though it sounds philosophical, its no exaggeration when it comes to the two books that I am about to share in this article. Both found their way into my hands at just the right moment, offering reflections on motherhood that were as timely as they were touching. The School For Good Mothers and Sandwich are both poignant narratives told through the voice of mothers; sharing deeply their personal journey through motherhood interwoven with love, guilt, resilience and strength to hold it together. The School For Good Mothers I often jokingly say that "How lovely it would be if motherhood comes with a guide book!" - better if there is a school that teaches us how to be good mothers! By looks of the title "The School For Good Mothers" seems to align with my thoughts, but it isn't really. Though this is a fictional story authored by Jessamine Chan, every mother could relate, especia...

In 2024, I made a conscious decision to read regularly. Instead of treating reading as a past time activity, I adopted it into my daily routine - aiming to read 10 pages each day. There were days where I couldn't read due to various reasons - sickness, time constraints, fatigue or other commitments. However, I managed to meet the target of 10 pages a day (on an average), over the year. This approach helped me overcome the reading slump and voila I could finish one book each month, totaling 12 books in 2024. In this post I would like to share all the titles I read last year. The Art of Happiness: My quest to learn more about Buddhism led me to this book by His Holiness Dalai lama in collaboration with Howard C Cutler. The content of this book is deep and highly relevant to everybody's life irrespective of one's region, religion and culture. The authors put forth "How to be happy" in very simple terms, while implicitly explaining the essence of Buddhism and Buddhist...

It's the holiday season and what better way than to spend reading those magical Christmas stories to your kids. Whether you have a cozy story time by snuggling under the blanket or read the book sipping hot chocolate by the side of the fireplace or just before tucking your little ones to bed, these wonderful books are sure to bring joy and lots of Christmas cheer to your little one(s) and your family.  I also have some exciting ideas for you to make the most of this holiday season, along with creative tips to keep your kids happily engaged during the winter break. Do check out the below articles. I am sure you will find them useful. Things to do during Christmas Activities to engage kids during winter break Winter worksheets for kids Now, let's dive into the books that are going to win those tiny hearts and spark their imagination this holiday.  1. How Many Sleeps Till Christmas: This heartwarming kid's book is written Mark Sperring and Sebastien Braun. It is the story of...

The Light We Carry, my latest read is written by Michelle Obama. This author needs no introduction. She is well known as the Former First Lady of the United States of America. She has authored three books so far - American Grown, Becoming and The Light We Carry. I loved her memoir Becoming and this my second of her works. In Becoming, she took us through her life, right from her childhood to the time she spent as the First Lady of US. In The Light We Carry, Michelle Obama focused on a more specific topic. She provided us a glimpse of her habits, practices, attitudes and beliefs she follows to stay balanced and confident, even during times of high anxiety and stress, both in her professional and personal space. She calls them as toolbox which she developed over time based on her life experiences and calls it as her own ongoing process of “Becoming”. Through this book, Michelle Obama discusses about finding personal power, communal power and the power to override feelings of doubt and he...

If you are from 80s, like me, it is most likely you would have started your reading journey with a Sidney Sheldon's novel. Hands down, he is a master story teller known for his thrilling plots, inspiring characters, suspense and unexpected twists. Looking at the name of the book  Sidney Sheldon’s The Silent Widow , don't mistake it for written by Sidney Sheldon. Tilly Bagshawe is the author of this book.  Tilly Bagshawe is originally known as Matilda Emily Mary Bagshawe. She is a fictional writer who has written many international best-selling novels like Adored, Flawless, Temptation, The Show, The Bachelor etc.. Sidney Sheldon's estate thought Tilly's writing style is similar to Sidney Sheldon and chose her to write under his name. Thus far she has written 8 books as part of Sidney Sheldon series. Coming to the story of The Silent Widow, Nikki Roberts is the main character and she is a psychologist. She lost her husband in a car accident and since then is heartbroken n...

Before We Say Goodbye by Toshikazu Kawaguchi is the 3rd book I read this year. The 2nd was Meet Me in Mumbai by Sabina Khan. I have posted its audio synopsis and review on my you tube channel - Our_Bookshelf. It is available in this link . Meanwhile, if you wish to read my latest articles and watch the content I create, you can follow me on my  Youtube  handle!!                                        Before The Coffee Gets Cold is the first book as part of the series written by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. It was originally a play written in Japanese in 2010 that turned out to be a bit hit. Later it was published as a novel in the same language in the year 2015. Due to its popularity, the book was translated into English. The author published sequels Tales from the Cafe, Before Your Memory Fades, Before We Say Goodbye, Before We Forget Kindness in 2017, 2018, 2021 an...

The web series Heeramandi , The Diamond Bazaar, written, directed and produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, is a historical drama based on the life of courtesans (tawaifs) during the pre-independence era. Ever since Heeramandi was released on Netflix, the internet is flooded by Heeramandi's success parties, reviews, interviews and memes. But what is the true story of Heeramandi? I will try to share few insights I gathered, along with my review of this 8 episode series.  Heera-mandi translates to Diamond-Market in Urdu. The story dates back to Mughal period. The then Prime Minister of Punjab (undivided India) Heera Singh Dogra, established a Market (Bazaar/ Mandi) as an economic center to promote trade. The place was named after him - Heera's market, so Heeramandi. To promote the economic hub further, they brought women from different places who were well trained in various art forms like dance, poetry, music etc. to make it a cultural hub too. A fort was constructed closer to the ...

My knowledge on Buddha and Buddhism is limited to my school text books and some documentaries. I always wanted to know more about Buddha, his preachings and the philosophy of Buddhism. Few months back, I reached out to a book recommendation group on FB. Just within minutes, I received multiple suggestions on books on Buddhism, out of which I chose "The Art of Happiness" (the one with the highest number of recommendations). I decided to read it as the first book of 2024.  If you had been following me regularly, you would have known I wasn't successful at meeting my yearly reading goals. So unlike previous years, I wanted to adopt a different approach and goal towards reading, that could enable me to read more. I have explained about it at the end of this article.  For now, let me get into the topic "The Art of Happiness" is authored by the 14th Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler. His Holiness Dalai Lama needs no introduction. HH Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of th...

It still feels 2024 just kicked in. But we are almost at the verge of the second month. Most of us begin every year with a set of new resolutions, but they aren't for me. I once tried to welcome a brand new year with lots of hope and a list of action items. I couldn't achieve even one. So why unnecessarily pressurize myself. That was the first and last time I made a new year resolution.  Leaving aside the so called resolutions, year on year, I definitely look up to reading books regularly. Last couple of years had been good. But in 2023, with a lot happening on my personal front, I could only finish a handful of books, most of which I have already shared my review on this site. So for 2024, I have a different approach to enable me read more. I will explain more on that while I write about my first read of 2024. For now, here is a quick recap of the books I read in 2023. In this post, I am also sharing the navigation to detailed synopsis and my review for all those books. Hope y...