War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

At Headlines, World Book Day holds a special place in our hearts because telling great stories is what we’re passionate about.  

This year, we asked the team to tell us about their favourite book, poem or piece of writing. From sports gossip to seminal graphic novels – we’ve got eclectic taste! 

Read on ... and you never know, you might find your next book suggestion. 

Monika Beniusiene – Managing Director

What is your favourite thing to read?

My favourite book is War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. It’s mainly about the French invasion of Russia. 

Why is this your favourite?

The book is written in Russian and when I was at school I was taught how to speak and write in Russian. The writing style of the book is very descriptive and with one word you can paint a picture that is so detailed –  it is amazing. The book also touches on a lot of different topics which are all very meaningful to me. It is a combination of the philosophical elements within the book and the incredibly descriptive writing which is why I love this book.

What drew you in initially?

It was actually assigned to me while I was at school to read during the summer, but I loved it so much that I read all the other books following this one.

What does it make you think about or feel?

It makes me think about a lot of things, but to name a few: human relationships, our freedom of choice within our modern world compared to how people used to be duty bound, the hardships people used to face with their forced circumstances, the vast opportunities we have in this day and age, and how we take them for granted, and finally, how the story has shaped our world today. It is a very profound book and mainly makes me think about how we are so lucky to be able to build our own fate.