I find there tends to be two general categories of books; those that are exciting and interesting, so much that I want to recommend them immediately, and “slogs” that are just slow and unappealing regardless of the content. Some I get the jist of fast and a lot seems irrelevant like What is to Be Done, some like Fresh Banana Leaves the writing is just dislikable and repetitive. This is in sharp contrast to books like Half Earth Socialism or State and Revolution where I may be familiar with some of the content, but I really like the style and new information and want to recommend to people.
Do you agree with this categorization? Are there any books that you feel strongly about either way? I’m sure I’ve heard a lot of your recommendations before, but I want to know what will actually be fun to read, because some aren’t even if the content is good. I want to know which to prioritize reading.
Ah, nonfiction, hmm. If you can get your hands on Margaret Randall's Women in Cuba: 20 years later, it's a pretty inspiring read to see what they accomplished despite all the bullshit from the US. Goes a bit into the background of like the literacy program, how women were integrated into the workforce, and gives a pretty good overview of the FMC's (Federation of Cuban Women) role in building revolutionary Cuba. Fascinating stuff.