10 Lessons to Take From War and Peace

It's a classic, and my current favourite book. It's old and very very very long, so of course there are plenty of lessons to be learnt, some of which are more obvious than others. Here are 10 messages you can take away from War and Peace.

Don't drink a bottle of rum while sitting on a window ledge and then tie a bear to a policeman and throw them both in the river. 

This is just common sense.

Don't challenge people to duels. 

This is just common sense. 

 

Don't fall in love with your second cousin. 

This is just common sense.

Don't go to war. 

This is just common sense.

By François Gérard - L’Histoire par l’image [1], digital version produced by Agence photographique de la Réunion des musées nationaux [2], Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=254720

Don't get married, never consummate it, have affairs, get pregnant, try to divorce your spouse, and then convert to Catholicism. 

This is just common sense.

Don't gamble away your family's roubles. 

This is just common sense.

Don't flirt with your daughter's companion. 

This is just common sense.

Don't plan a fake marriage when you're already married to someone else. 

This is just common sense.

When you see a grenade, move. 

This is just common sense.

 

Don't stay behind when your city is about to be invaded by Napoleon. 

This is just common sense.

By Unknown German - [1], Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=395054

Basically, War and Peace is a novel of what not to do. If you've read it, what did you learn from it?

What are the most important lessons you've learnt from the classics? Do you like your books to have messages?

Oh, and Happy April Fools'!

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March Wrap Up

  

Life

• Uni's back in full swing, and I've got all these assignments at the same time. Help!
• My driving lessons are continuing, but I'll say no more on that point...
• I had a great reading month with a streak of nine 4-star books!
• An author thanked me for reviewing his book!

Posts

The good, the bad, and the ugly: New Pompeii (New Pompeii #1) by Daniel Godfrey
The good, the annoying, and the ugly: For The Most Beautiful by Emily Hauser
How To Conquer Your TBR in 7 Easy Steps

Read

Click the covers to go to the Goodreads links. 

     
     
     

Around the blogosphere

CW at Read Think, Ponder discussed characters with "difficult" names.
Cait at Paper Fury asked what is the perfect amount of pages for a book?
Puput at Sparkling Letters told us how to figure out your perfect blogging schedule.

As you can see, I had a great reading month this March! What did you get up to?

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How To Conquer Your TBR in 7 Easy Steps

Since December I've been reading my way through my Goodreads TBR list. I'm currently at 72 books, and that's an improvement. A while back, it was much higher than that. But I'm far from the only one with an uncontrollable TBR, so I'm going to share with you some tips for conquering that massive list of books you want to read.

1. Frequently cull your TBR list

Tastes change. What you wanted to read a few years ago might bore you now. A new release on your TBR might receive reviews that change your mind. Listen to your instincts if you suspect you might not want to read a book after all. It's okay to delete books from your TBR. Nothing bad will happen, trust me.

Click OK. You'll be fine.

2. Read only your TBR books

This goes without saying. That shiny new YA fantasy with an assassin in a red dress might catch your eye, but don't let yourself get distracted. You can do this! I believe in you.

3. DNF if you must!

Starting a book on your TBR and realising it's not for you is disappointing. But don't waste time; ditch it and move on to the next one. Time is of the essence! Don't waste it reading disappointing books.

4. Read ebooks instead of physical books

Besides saving travel time to the library or bookshop, I've found that I read ebooks at a faster pace than I do physical books. This could be because without an ebook you're less likely to flip the pages to see how long a chapter is, or peek at the ending. Or perhaps it's because you're focussing on reading rather than not dropping a book on your face or your toe.

5. Read your TBR books instead of uni readings

Your teachers will frown on this. Your parents will frown on this. Your friends will also probably frown on this. But if you're going to procrastinate, at least make it worthwhile!

6. Don't mood read

Borrow as many ebooks as you can and start with the shortest one. When your TBR is in danger of destroying you, you can't afford to be picky. Don't let your TBR drown you. In a life or death situation, you don't have the chance to make decisions based on your mood.

7. Switch your TV time for book time

I know it's hard. But if I, someone who prioritised binge watching for 2 years, can do it, so can you. Time is precious. In 40 minutes you can get a lot of reading done. In the time it takes to watch a whole series, imagine how many books you could get through. Take a break from Netflix and start on your TBR. You'll thank yourself for it later.

I hope these tips are helpful! Use them well. 

Are you conquering your TBR or being smothered by it? How do you get through the masses of books you want to read? How often do you go and cull your list?

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