If this isn’t the right community to post this please let me know (I couldn’t find a political theory community).

I’d like to think that I can keep up decent enough in modern political discussions based on my current understanding of the major ideologies, but I’d like to know more. What are some books/works you guys would recommend I read to be able to hold my own in a political conversation?

More specifically I’d like to focus on:

• Major works of political theory that are often referenced in discussion
• Works which identify and describe these ideologies in a modern climate (i.e. real world examples and commentary)
• Works discussing recent events (the last 15-20 years or so) and how they have impacted things either locally or globally

I find myself mainly interested in leftist works and ideologies, however all recommendations are welcome, especially those which are frequently referenced (regardless of general agreement/disagreement you might have with it).