Especially what with those having the advantage of being present in libraries and hence free. But also just because those are more urgent somehow - I feel a stronger obligation to read, for instance this year, Doctor Zhivago and the Master and Margarita, than contemporary Russian fiction.

Of course I read some more recent books too, but that's fairly limited - usually not more than one or two really brand new books plus a number of the preceding years, in any given year. And those are usually by authors I know, at least the brand new ones.

But then of course, I don't complain about the awards list either.