Keep Reading, Dima

President Dmitry Medvedev says he likes the classics, but that,

just recently he made a request for buying about 50 books authored by contemporary Russian writers over the past 5-7 years.

"I have read some of them and I cannot say I have been excited," he said to share his impressions.

"By and large I have to read all sorts of dull papers the presidents normally read. Draft documents, draft decrees, draft instructions, laws, reports by ministries and departments and memos from secret services," Medvedev said. "All this is interesting only to a certain degree. Sometimes you feel you want to read something more humane." (Itar-Tass)

Perhaps the training rule applies here: if you plan to run a marathon, don't train for a 5k. Actually, it would be most interesting to learn what exactly among modern authors the prez is reading. I don't suppose he's reading Peter Aleshkovsky? Wait a minute, why don't we ask him. We'll just drop a note on his blog and see what he says... :)