“Roadside Picnic” by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky

As many of you know, I’m a bit of a Russian literature nerd.  When I saw a new translation of “Roadside Picnic” by the Strugatsky brothers on NetGalley, I requested it immediately. Ursula K. LeGuin wrote an excellent introduction, and I loved the following quotation from it: Science fiction lends itself readily to imaginative subversion [...]

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“The Overcoat” by Nikolai Gogol

Up until this point, I’ve generally been against participating in blog memes.  However, Breadcrumb Reads hosts a Short Stories on Wednesdays meme that I’ve decided will be the exception, as short stories are a very underrated form of writing.  For this week, I’ve chosen The Overcoat by Nikolai Gogol (see link for full text of [...]

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“The Fallen Queen” by Jane Kindred

I received an electronic copy of “The Fallen Queen” by Jane Kindred from the publisher through NetGalley. The novel tells the story of Grand Duchess Anazakia Helisovna, an angel whose life story parallels that of Anastasia Romanov.  Anazakia never really understood the politics of Heaven until her entire family was murdered and overthrown at the [...]

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Book Nerd Out

This post is my entry in the Book Nerd Out giveaway hosted by Book Riot: Reviews, Recommendations, and Commentary about books and reading (but, you know, fun). I’ve always had a soft spot for Russian literature, which is a big part of the reason why I spent a semester studying abroad in St. Petersburg.  Dostoevsky [...]

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“A Gentle Creature” by Dostoevsky

This is in part for those of you who find my blog through Google when looking for help with your Russian lit classes, or for fellow Russian lit nerds.  I know you’re out there… Dostoevsky’s short story “A Gentle Creature” (also translated sometimes as “The Meek one,” and the original Russian is “Кроткая”) is very [...]

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