The Incurable Humanist's May Reading List

My dearest incurable humanist,

This week, I want to share my reading list for May.

Lately, I’ve been craving a slower routine in the evenings with less scrolling, more reading, and preferably from an actual book. After spending 9 to 11 hours a day in front of a screen, my eyes need a break from the overstimulation and blue light. I used to read much more, and I have to admit that this year, I’ve fallen out of the habit.

That said, in January I did read Table for Two by Amor Towles. I first became a fan of his through A Gentleman in Moscow, which, if you haven’t read yet, you should start TODAY! It’s set in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, following Count Rostov, an aristocrat sentenced by the Bolsheviks to lifelong house arrest inside Moscow’s Metropol Hotel. I won’t say more .... (Also, there’s a series adaptation on Paramount/Showtime, if you want to watch after you read.) I don’t usually gravitate toward fiction, but Towles pulled me in twice, so this is quite the statement.

I also read Work in Progress: Confessions of a busboy, dishwasher, caddy, usher, factory worker, bank teller, corporate tool, and priest – A Funny, Wise, and Inspiring Spiritual Memoir by Father James Martin, an unexpectedly moving memoir that reflects on work, vocation, and finding meaning.

Aside from that, I’ve mostly been defaulting to podcasts, which are fine for my morning subway commute, but not for winding down before bed. Anyway… I’m sharing this list as a way to hold myself accountable and actually follow through. Here’s what I’m planning to read:

1. Famesick: A Memoir by Lena Dunham

I started reading ’s memoir this weekend and I’m only on chapter three, so it’s a bit early to say whether I love it or not. I didn’t know much about her before starting this book other than she was the writer and creator of GIRLS on HBO.

It’s written in her usual sharp, unfiltered voice; raw, personal, and at times uncomfortable. She writes about her rise to fame, chronic illness, addiction, physical pain, and the darker side of the industry, including her relationship and breakup with Jack Antonoff.

2. The Freedom Manifesto by Maria Corina Machado

In The Freedom Manifesto, opposition leader María Corina Machado expands on her vision for Venezuela after Nicolás Maduro. It lays her political program, and a broader national project grounded in liberal democratic values, human dignity, individual freedom, and the courage required to defend both.

Machado centers on the idea of rebuilding an economy driven by private enterprise, the restoration of fundamental rights, and the possibility of return for those who have left. The book also includes testimonies from Venezuelans who have resisted the regime, grounding the political vision in lived experience and reminding the reader what’s at stake.

As you know, I’m Venezuelan, and The Incurable Humanist is a space to explore grief, migration, and art. If you’ve been reading for a while, you might remember I’ve written about the Venezuelan crisis beyond the tabloids (I’m linking a few of those pieces here if you want to revisit them.***)

I’m looking forward to reading this. And for more context on the book, I recommend ’s video review.

3. Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

I must admit I was fully influenced by social media to buy this.

Yesteryear is Burke’s debut novel about a “tradwife” influencer who suddenly wakes up in 1855, forced to live the very reality she’s been aestheticizing online. What follows is a confrontation between her carefully curated persona and the brutality of the historical world she romanticized.

It’s been everywhere lately—New York Times bestseller, Good Morning America book club pick. Again, it wouldn’t be my first choice to read fiction, but the plot made me curious. (Also, Anne Hathaway has already bought the rights to adapt it into a film.)

I could probably add ten more, but I’m keeping this realistic based on what I can manage with work, life, and everything else.

P.S. I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but I really love the Alice in Wonderland coded Famesick cover; it feels like falling down the rabbit hole of fame. And Yesteryear is giving me Wizard of Oz vibes. Looking at that farmhouse and the golden, pastoral light on the cover, it’s impossible not to think of Dorothy being swept away from everything she knew into a reality that’s far less picturesque than it seems… Am I overthinking this?

Until next week.

*** Articles about the Venezuela beyond the tabloids:

María Corina Machado and Venezuela’s Fight for Freedom

The Night Hope Returned. Understanding What is Happening in Venezuela

Ifigenia and the Price of Freedom: Teresa de la Parra’s Warning for Authoritarian Venezuela

Trader Joe’s Panic: PTSD of Venezuela’s Grocery Lines

Francisco de Miranda: The Original Incurable Humanist