I’m reading The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce (Delphi edition) on my tablet.
Just finished Legendborn as well.
The Dark Forest by Liu Cixin is also what I’m reading (second book in the trilogy of The Three-Body Problem)
In terms of non-fiction:
Fundamentals of Marxism-Leninism (2nd Edition) by Otto Wille Kuusinen (highly recommended!)
Class, Race and Black Liberation by Henry Winston (also highly recommmend! …Though not before reading the prequel to the book Strategy for a Black Agenda)
Discussion questions:
What new books are you reading?
Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction?
Question of the week:
What books are you eager to read that you haven’t read yet?
Enjoy!
The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir. In the first volume, Beauvoir tackles the alerity that Man imposed on women, from a historical and literary viewpoint. She goes over the male assumptions of women’s inferiority or otherness in the fields of biology and psychoanalysis, and she has a few comments to say on historical materialism, specifically responding to what Engels’ The Origin of the Family. It’s an interesting read until now, and I’m wondering how this work relates to Beauvoir and Sartre’s polygamous relationship.
I’m looking forward to read some of al-Kawakibi’s works next.
I’ve heard of al-Kawakibi’s work, though I have my sights on other famous Arab authors and philospohers for the time being.
Oh yeah, and wasn’t Simone de Beauvoir a Marxist or was one at some point?
The Second Sex has been on my list for a while now. It sounds interesting, but like it’s a big time investment. The audiobook is 39 hours!
@whoami@barazaafrica16@baraza.africa
Tagging those that were here before. Enjoy.
I’ve started reading Subversive Lives: A Family Memoir of the Marcos Years by Susan and Nathan Quimpo. I found it after reading The Jakarta Method and wanting to read more leftist history of SEA. (Also strongly recommend for anyone interested in anti-imeprialism)
I’ve only read about 1/6 of it so far, but I’ve found it very informative of the atrocities committed by the Marcos family. I’m genuinely brought to tears several times in the book reading the first hand accounts of the terrors brought upon them. What’s been very interesting so far is how much infighting and splintering that occured between the several revolutionary groups of the Philippines of the era. One brother of the author was actually killed by his comrades early on in the book.
If anyone here has read it, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it as well.
Afterwards I’d like to read State & Revolution (yeah yeah, baby leftist, I know)
Are you starting out as an ML? I could recommend some other elementary works, if you want.
I’ve been in the leftist camp for the last few years now, but just recently self identifying as an ML, but probably agreeing with the general idea without realising it.
My mother who grew up in Soviet Crimea just recently gifted me a copy of the Manifesto, so I’ll be reading that soon. I’d really appreciate a list of some recommended works. Also if you have any suggestions for some books in the perspective of a historical account like The Jakarta Method, that really resonated with me.
Thank you!
Your Mother was a Soviet citizen?
Anyway, hold on…
Materialism and Empirio-criticism by V.I. Lenin
Socialism: Utopian and Scientific by Friedrich Engels
“Democracy” and Dictatorship by V.I. Lenin
On Authority by Friedrich Engels
Anarchism or Sociailsm? by Joseph Stalin
Critique of the Gotha Programme by Karl Marx
On Practice by Mao Zedong
On Contradiction by Mao Zedong
Anti-Dühring by Friedrich Engels
Historical Materialism: A System of Sociology by Nikolai Bukharin
Dialectical and Historical Materialism by Joseph Stalin
“Left-Wing” Communism: an Infantile Disorder by Vladimir Lenin
What is to be Done? by Vladimir Lenin
I hand-picked these from a lot of choices.
If you can read through all of these, you won’t be a “baby” leftist anymore.
I really appreciate the effort, comrade 🫡
I’ll get these on my list for sure.
Very eager and excited to further my
indoctrinationeducation!You can use marxists.org to read 'em as well.
I’m currently reading Grace Can Lead Us Home by Kevin Nye. It’s is about a housing-first approach to helping the unhoused(as opposed to the current mainstream systems). It’s written by a Christian based on his experiences with working for the unhoused but I still think it’s good literature regardless of your faith. It’s been running fairly parallel with my experiences with helping the unhoused as well. I’ve since added it to my lefty lit I will recommend.
Up next I am gonna read either Killing Hope, Inventing Reality, or just read both. Then I want to get back to theory, which I am always taking suggestions on.
If it helps with organizing, read it! Don’t just read ML authors.
My wife was the one that suggested it to me. She’s a leftist Christian and I am very much an atheist but have been thinking about where “leftist Christianity” fits with with Marxism(I know, opiate of the masses and all). But even regardless of the religious aspects, I think housing first and safe use sites should be the way we do things regarding this sort of outreach, and this book is definitely from that angle a well.
awesome!
Finished reading Imperialism the Highest Stage of Capitalism, now I’m reading Imperialism in the 21st century to get a better understanding. After this book I’ll probably re-read Imperialism and State and Revolution, I think I wasn’t focused enough the first time.
I would recommend Materialism and Imperio-criticism by Vladimir Lenin.
Really teaches one how to think, how to use logic. And that is priceless, imho.
Thank you for your recommendation, I do need to brush up on my dialectical thinking skills a bit.
At this rate my reading list will itself become a huge book, no idea how will I ever finish it all!
Highly recommend on contradiction by Mao for dialectics.
At this rate my reading list will itself become a huge book, no idea how will I ever finish it all!
Me exactly.
I read Imperialism last summer. It was very easy to follow, but I didn’t understand all the relevance at the time. I love how he dunks on Kautsky. I need to read some more recent theory on imperialism.
Thanks for the recommendation!
On my new ereader :) I’m reading The Dialectical Biologist (decent, recommend to biology interested people), On Practice by Mao (as part of FLPress’s five essays on philosophy, everyone should read), What is to be done (important read), and I’m finding it difficult to get back into Karl Marx’s ecosocialism (it’s dense and I’m a third through).
I probably prefer fiction, but nonfiction seems more important so I mostly read it.
There are a lot of books that I really want to read, but have not started. Some such books include What the Buddha taught, Decolonial Marxism, Socialist States and the Environment, and socialism with Chinese characteristics. I also does anyone know if the PSL book on future socialist construction in the US was any good, I’ve considered buying it and also don’t remember it’s title too.
Interesting. I think I know the person who wrote The Dialectical Biologist, but I forgot his name…
I would also recommend reading fiction as it gives respite from the hard and serious stuff that may be depressing at times or too “boring” (not enough dopamine).
Of course. For fiction, a few weeks ago I was reading some lovecraft, but the earlier stuff isn’t as good, and it’s also somewhat reactionary, so it feels like a chore trying to get through it so I can get to the more famous stuff. On my ereader I have the Crying of Lot 49, which should be good, but I feel weird opening another book. Maybe I should read something easier like the hunger games. I also need to get back into Octavia Butler, as I never finished the last part of wild seed, and have only read the graphic novel of parable of the sower, so that should be good in its original along with the sequel.
I read through H.P. Lovecraft’s collected works.
You start to notice more of the racism the older you get; when I was starting out, I assumed that “Well, it was just the times” and basically ignored the racism.
Now? It’s hard not to notice it; I was a kid then, but I’m a fully grown adult now.
Yeah, some of the stories are pretty gross. Like the one where some dude contacts some heavenly spirit trapped in a “degenerate” poor non-white dude’s body, and it’s trying to escape.
In his story The Rats in the Walls, the character has a cat named nword man.
also does anyone know if the PSL book on future socialist construction in the US was any good, I’ve considered buying it and also don’t remember it’s title too.
It’s “Socialist Reconstruction: a better future for the United States”. At least one of the folks here said they liked it. I’ve been holding out to see if a pdf pops up free online, myself.
It’s available on Anna’s Archive, I just downloaded it.
Awesome, thanks!!
I’m listening to NK Jemison’s “The Obelisk Gate” currently. The second in the series, there’s some super dark themes, but I like how the author handles them & the world and magic system she’s created.
I’m slowly reading “The Path is the Goal” by Chogyam Trungpa (to learn about meditation) and “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” for my morning read to wake me up. Both enjoyable, but slow going!
Oh, nice, I liked Sir Gawain and the Green Knight when I read it way back when.
It’s interesting! It’s neat to read stuff written so long ago.
Ambrose Bierce’s works are at least great for that sort-of thing.
I’ll have to check him out!
He is a 19th-century author, just so you know.
Started reading “Origins of family and private property” by comrade Friedrich Engels. It’s a harder read than Lenin’s “State and revolution”, but I suppose it is expected from a scientific work. Interesting stuff, however. I like the unhurried, scientific approach to history and general matters. Goes to show that communism isn’t just “some people are angry at rich folk”, as it is often understood in popular culture.
In terms of fiction… I’m kinda stuck there. Pretty much nothing I’ve tried starting these past weeks makes me want to continue reading. It’s all so tiresome
Mind if I recommend you some fiction?
Not only would I not mind, I would in fact welcome it!
A Song of Ice and Fire series of novels by GRRM
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Three-Body Problem trilogy by Liu Cixin
Completed Works of Edgar Allan Poe by Delphi Classics
Strike The Zither by Joan He
Legendborn series by Tracy Deonn
Star Wars: The High Republic series by multiple authors
The Will of the Many by James Islington (first book of the Hierarchy series)
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (first book of the Imperial Radch series)
The Murderbot Diaries series by Martha Wells
Witch King by Martha Wells
The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence (first book in a series)
The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis
Cradle series by Will Wright
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation series by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
Heaven’s Official Blessing series by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
And that’s it. Let me know if you’re looking for anything in particular.
I’ve not read any fiction book lately (like, in the last 6 years or so). Only non-fiction and specially stuff related to Marxism and biology. Recently started “The Great Class War”, by Jacques Pawels and “Red Theology”, by Roland Boer.
I want to read some books that have been on my list for a while like “Liberalism: A counter history” by Losurdo, “The Liberal Virus” by Samir Amin, “This is Biology” and “What Evolution is” by Ernst Mayr and “American Exception. Empire and the Deep State”, by Aaron Good.
I would suggest Roland Boer’s work on Deng Xiaoping and China; he’s pretty good on that topic.
How do you like The Dark Forest? I remember feeling like the series started to drag there, but I liked the world and where the story was going!
That’s pretty much my view, but I honestly like it better than the first book.
Non-fiction theory - Socialism: Utopian and Scientific by Engels
Non-fiction history - Beyond by Stephen Walker, a book about Yuri Gagarin
I am currently reading Gwyn Alf Williams’ Proletarian Order: Antonio Gramsci, Factory Councils and the Origins of Communism in Italy 1911-1921. I am visiting France next month so I will probably pack Jean Jaurès A Socialist History of the French Revolution.
I tend to read non-fiction. I’d like to read more fiction but never seem to get around to it.
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