Book Review: Perfect Love (5.5 Ways to a lasting relationship)

Book: Perfect Love 

Author: Shubha Vilas

Publisher: Westland Books

Genre: Non-Fiction | Self-Help

Pages: 203

Price: 350 INR

Blurb:

Happily ever afters are easier said than done. How do we choose the right partner, and how do we sustain that relationship so it lasts a lifetime?

Spiritual life coach Shubha Vilas tells you how, with the help of six beautiful love stories from the scriptures. Nala and Damayanti, Krishna and Rukmini, Shakuntala and Dushyanta, Udayana and Vasavadatta, Satyavan and Savitri, Draupadi and the five Pandava brothers—these are accounts we may have heard many a time but have not had an opportunity to understand in such depth and detail, and with such empathy.

But why 5.5 ways and not 6? Because the sixth way is a half-truth, which can be twisted either way.

Combining powerful story-telling with deep philosophical truths, Perfect Love is a treasure trove of scriptural wisdom for the modern age.

An enriching and personal guide for having healthy relationships

"Perfect Love" by Shubha Vilas is a book that has plenty to offer its readers. It does not only teach how to have a long lasting relationship with your partner but makes you feel good about the world that you live in. In this digital world, we often feel that maintaining relationships have become tougher, but reading this book will change your perspective. 

Through 6 classic Vedic stories, the author has imparted his knowledge in maintaining relationships. In Nala and Damyanti's story, the author has shown the importance of forgiveness in a relationship. He says that tolerate first and then forgive. Mistakes are committed by human beings. Even a person with the best qualities can commit an unbelievable mistake. If the relationship is important, you must learn to forgive. 

"Forgiveness comes between bitterness and betterness.

The ability to forgive a mistake is always greater than the rigidity to hold a grudge." ~Page 29

The second story is about Krishna and Rukmini. It is one of my favorite stories in this collection. I loved the way the author has narrated this story. It was a treat to read Rukmini's letter to Krishna. Through this story, the author shows the importance of expressing your love. When a person uses the right words to express his or her love, it strengthens the relationship. 

"Words play with the ball of emotions in the playground of our hearts in the game of love. Choose words well to win the game of love." ~ Page 56

The third story is about Dushyant and Shakuntala, where the importance of trusting your partner is shown. In the story of Udayana and Vasavadatta, the author has shown that good times in a relationship help tide over bad times. Therefore, it is extremely important to spend quality time with your partner. 

"To align with one another, two people need to have deep, meaningful, soul-searching conversations." ~Page 135

The fifth story is about Satyavan and Savitri. It is my another favorite story in this collection. Through Savitri, the author has shown the importance of determination to stay together in a relationship. 

"Do not underestimate the role of determination in a relationship. Ordinary relationships transform into extraordinary bonds when ordinary people show extraordinary determination." ~Page 148

The sixth story is about Draupadi and the Pandavas. Just like Satyabhama, I also wondered how Draupadi had a peaceful married life, despite having five husbands. This story shows that positive conditions can help a relationship blossom, whereas negative conditions can make a relationship wither away with time. 

"Positive conditions are like a rainbow that unites the rainbow with the sun. Negative conditions are like lightning that divides even the sky." ~ Page 190

"Perfect Love" is a book that will enlighten you, one story at a time. All the six stories have thrill and adventure, apart from romance. The book is embellished with plenty of beautiful and enriching quotes. The writing is refined and the editing is perfect. I am going with 4.5 and would love to recommend this book to everyone as it is filled with wisdom. 

I got a review copy from the author for an honest review. The opinions are my own.

Book Review: The Diary on the Fifth Floor

Book: The Diary on the Fifth Floor

Author: Raisha Lalwani

Publisher: Rupa Publications
Genre: Fiction| Philosophy

Price: 295 INR

Pages: 167

Blurb:

A woman leaves her infant at home but finds her on a busy street in an unexpected turn of events.
Another woman wakes up in a flight hours later, befuddled, in the strangest circumstance.
A fascinating tale of a twenty-five-year-old woman that takes hold of us from the moment she enters the fifth floor of a hospital; more precisely, the psychiatric ward. Visibly terrified, she clutches at her clothbound diary, caught in the horns of a terrible dilemma—whether or not to hand over the diary to the doctor. She fears that she will be declared insane if her tangled web of thoughts unspooling in dark mysterious stories is read by the dissecting eye of a doctor.
What does this diary contain? As the novel progresses, we are drawn into characters and stories that are toe-curling, strange and haunting in their raw intensity. What is the story of this woman? What secrets lie in the pages of her diary? And most importantly, what happens on the fifth floor?

A philosophical book that anyone can relate to

"The Diary on the Fifth Floor" is a philosophical book that deals with questions that all of us have contemplated about, at some point in our own lives. 

There is a beautiful quote in the prologue of the book that captures the essence of the novel:

The choices we make define the kind 

Of people we then become.

The main question here is:

Do we like who we have become?

The book starts with the protagonist, Savannah Khanna paying a visit to a renowned psychiatrist of her city, Rama Berry because she feels she is extremely depressed. The reason for her depression is the insensitivity, cruelty, and selfishness that exists in the world. She cannot come to terms with why people are so cruel and insensitive. 

She writes on her diary about the things that she witnesses every day. She thinks that people need to know that their words hurt and their actions have consequences. Savannah gives her diary to her doctor so that the latter can help her. As Rama Berry reads Savannah's diary entries, we understand the mind and the heart of the protagonist. 

The diary entries are a collection of short stories of unfortunate incidents. Some of them have happened to the protagonist, whereas others have happened to people close to her.  All the stories have one thing in common. They show the shallow and superficial mindset of people. External appearance matter more than anything else and updating Facebook status is more important than grieving the death of a family member. Trust is a misused word and selfishness has no limits. 

The way Rama Berry helps Savannah trace the silver lining behind the dark clouds is very touching. I liked the bonding of the doctor and the patient. All of us can learn something fruitful from the sessions. However, the ending of the book made me unhappy as I was really rooting for the protagonist. 

However, the unconventional plot and the brave writing made it a very special book that I read this year. If you have ever wondered what's wrong with the world and why people are so selfish, you must read this book. You will relate to it a lot and at the same time, learn how to cope with it. 

Highly recommended. I am going with 4 stars. 

The book review is in association with Vinfluencers. Check out the video review on my YouTube Channel.