There was, as you might expect, some linear progression followed by transformative leaps.

Absolutely. For me it was firstly reading the Manifesto and realizing that what was described there as bourgeois society was in fact very similar and at its core had the same contradictions as our bourgeois society today. I was already primed for radicalization due to my circumstances at the time. Secondly, it was reading Lenin, specifically State and Revolution where I got a sense of how these things could work in practice. I still didn’t really understand dialectical materialism at that point. After some time in this phase I decided to really dive into diamat. Finally understanding it, I would say, was the third and most significant leap for me. After that I kept on reading any Marxist theory that would expand my understanding and help me become a more well rounded Marxist. I even went back to revisit some works I had already read, this time with a deeper understanding. This last part is a life-long process, though - we never stop learning.

Each of these stages do overlap, though—I’m something of a polygamous reader so I tend to have a few works on the go at any one time.

Same for me. I even sometimes end up dropping some works if I’m reading too many or other, more interesting ones. I do try to come back and finish them all, but it doesn’t always work out.