My parents grew up in Ukraine during this time and I'm curious to read about day to day life during this period so I can ask them more questions. What are some books I should read to help me get to know this period better. Doesn't need to be Ukraine-specific, just Soviet Union life in general anytime during this period.
This is actually tougher than one might think, because the 1960e-1990s period is relatively understudied by historians, compared with the earlier period.
Probably your best bet is Alexei Yurchak's Everything was Forever, Until it was No More: The Last Soviet Generation, although it's technically an anthropological study. Svetlana Boym's Common Places: Mythologies of Everyday Life in Russia is anothet, similar work in that vein.
Other good options would be anything by Svetlana Alexievich: Boys in Zinc, Voices from Chernobyl and Secondhand Time. These are mostly oral histories of the period.
Also curious about early 1900s as well, as both of my grandmothers are still alive too! Thanks
Before anyone asks, I have already looked through the wiki on Russia. I've saved a couple of books from there, but they mostly seem to be about politics and leadership rather than day to day life.
How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed is a great read about everyday life under Communism, specifically related to women’s’ experiences. The author was Czech, I believe, but included stories from other countries