Ambre’s 42nd Birthday Book List
My Literary Bucket List: Books to Read or to Revisit
Welcome to my annual birthday booklist! I’ve read so many wonderful books in my life—stories that have shaped me, reshaped me, and helped me grow in ways I never saw coming. I’m grateful to know I’m not too old for that process to continue. So here are 42 books I’m prioritizing over the next few years—some long overdue, some I’m returning to with new perspective, and some I just can’t stop thinking about. I hope they’ll be like good fertilizer in the dirt of my heart’s garden. Maybe one or two will take root in yours, too.
BOOKS I OWN AND MOST WANT TO READ:
Middlemarch by George Eliot- I haven’t felt this level of rage toward fictional people since Wuthering Heights. I’m live-texting a friend while listening to the audiobook, but it wasn’t enough—I had to order a hard copy (this one!) just so I could rant properly in the margins. And that’s saying something, because I’ve never written in a fiction book before. Marginalia mayhem has begun.
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy- I know this may shock some of you, but I’ve never read more than a few short stories by the dead Russian authors. But I figure—if I’m finally taking on Middlemarch, there’s hope for me yet. And honestly, the way you all talk about Anna… you share your heartbreak like she changed something in you. I think I’ll be ready soon.
Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset- This trio has been my Moby Dick ever since I first heard about it from the OG members of Reshelving Alexandria’s Facebook group. It’s still tucked away in storage since our fire, but I’m looking forward to the day its time finally comes. I’m 22% Swedish, so honestly—it feels like a rite of passage.
The Art of War by Sun Tzu- I’ve always meant to read this. It’s not even that long—I just need to finally prioritize it. Maybe I’ll rope Inara into reading it with me… shared stories always stick better anyway.
The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri- Inara and I started this during the 100 Days of Dante project, and we chose the Longfellow translation—it was so good. Unfortunately, it was a season where we couldn’t see it through, but I truly believe I’ll be a better person for finishing it someday.
The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper- Ah yes, we’ve now entered the “books Ambre completely conflated and confused” portion of the list. When I was a kid, my best friend’s brother had this movie and Glory on repeat. He was obsessed with war and gore, so I just assumed this was a bloody mess too. Imagine my surprise when I learned—only in the past few years—that it’s actually a romance. And not just any romance, but one beloved by so many women who share my taste in books. So… I’m in.
Moby Dick Or, The Whale by Herman Melville- The actual Moby-Dick. My dad left me a beautiful copy when he died, and it’s basically a giant epic poem. I haven’t read it yet, but I’m confident it’s the kind of thing you either love… or never admit you even started.
The Token by Samuel Shellabarger; Illustrated by Steele Savage
You might think I’m a total weirdo after I tell you this, but hear me out: this is one of my favorite books I’ve ever read, even though I’ve never finished it and keep restarting it. First, it’s illustrated by Steele Savage — one of my favorite illustrators with one of the most ridiculously testosterone-dripping names ever. Second, it’s a masterfully told story that reads like a Middle Ages fairy tale for adults. If you like King Arthur stories, this will probably be your jam too. It’s heavy but beautiful, with an epicly strong female lead, and somehow it brings rest to my brain every time I pick it up. Will I ever finish it? Hopefully. But I’m in no rush, so please don’t spoil it for me if you’ve read it.
Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory- I read loads of Arthur stories as a kid—the clean, library- kid shelf versions—and then one that rather scandalized me in the YA department. But I’ve never actually read Le Morte d’Arthur as an adult. Since I believe Arthur was real history, not just legend, I look forward to this more that I probably should.
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes- I’ve said “tilting at windmills” enough that I want to read the original story at least once in my life.
Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk- I was so moved when I read this five years ago—I really wish I’d read it as a teen. It feels like one of those books, like Anne of Green Gables, that offers something different to women at every stage of life. I hope to read it many more times, especially again in my sixties.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley- I’m currently reading Shelley’s Mary: A Life of Mary Godwin Shelley and when I tell you it’s like being unable to look away from a train wreck—I mean it. It only feels right to follow it up by reading the book her life produced.
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott-
Back to the “conflated titles” section—I used to think Ivanhoe and The Scarlet Pimpernel were the same book and couldn’t for the life of me understand why everyone raved about the Pimpernel when I could barely slog through the first chapter… of Ivanhoe. Now that I’ve successfully untangled the two—and read and loved The Scarlet Pimpernel—it feels only right to finish clearing up my confusion by finally conquering Ivanhoe.
![The Silmarillion [Illustrated Edition] – HarperCollins](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc8a53cfc-df10-423d-be8e-679370456414_421x648.jpeg "The Silmarillion [Illustrated Edition] – HarperCollins")
Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien-
I think I’ve started and stopped this book more times than any other. Without a childhood foundation in mythology, it always felt like more than I could comprehend. But then Inara read it in just a few days and, like a real pal, narrated the stories to me so I could finally make sense of them. Now that my brain has a basic grasp of the storyline, I feel like I can actually follow—and appreciate—this glorious beast for what it is: sheer brilliance in world-building and story craft.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas-
This was one of my favorite reads as a teen, and I just feel like it would hit different now that I’ve, you know… lived a little.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams-
A funny fantasy favorite—and honestly, it feels like all the cool fantasy fans have read it. Maybe this is how you get into the club?
Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson-
If you’ve been in the FB group for a few years, you already know about my fixation on finally reading this one—and my classic Ambre blunders, like creating entire reading challenge categories just to fit it in… only to realize it didn’t qualify because I misunderstood where it was set. Described as a wild wild west Romeo and Juliet? I’m absolutely here for it.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë-
I’m a little afraid my memories of this book are too tangled up with the absolute nightmares the movie gave me as a kid. But now that I’m a solid 25 years removed from either, it feels only fair to give this classic another shot—with slightly less childhood trauma in the mix this time.
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh-
A lot of you have read and reviewed this one, and it sounds like a meaty novel on faith and sin—but also, let’s be honest, it screams drama. So much drama. And from your reviews, it kind of feels like you all just read a religious soap opera… and I’m kinda here for that. Chalk this one up to pure curiosity and wanting the tea.
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne-
I read a couple chapters of this as a (too) young teen, didn’t like anyone, and DNFed it. But then I read Three Knocks on the Wall (my heart book) and thought—if this book was worth reading to those beloved characters, maybe it was worth another shot after all. So I’m planning to read them back to back with my teens this year.
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo-
This tome feels like a rite of passage for the serious reader… which I am decidedly not. But honestly, who doesn’t want to lose themselves in two hundred pages on French sewer systems?
Dracula by Bram Stoker-
I never wanted to read this—ever—until the Literary Life podcast covered it and I started reading all the comments from people who listened to the episodes. Sigh. Now I have to read it… I know too much.
Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand-
This hopeless romantic has always sounded like someone I’d want in my friend group. Maybe I’m wrong. I guess I’ll find out once I read it.
Ambre’s Mystery Book:
So... I picked a random book off my shelf one day and read a chapter from the middle (yes, I know, chaos). But I was hooked—line, sinker, the whole thing. I set it aside to read properly later, and then our house fire happened and it went into storage. And now? I can’t remember the title to save my life. What I do remember is it was set out west or in Canada, in the woods, and involved a woman being abused and thrown out by her awful husband. A local man rescues her, and when she protests that it’ll just make things worse, he basically says her husband had plenty of chances to treat her right, and now it’s his turn to protect her. It was shockingly progressive for its age—about men holding other men accountable and women deserving better. It may be melodrama. It may be brilliant. But either way, I will find this book again and read the whole thing. I’m on a mission.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith:
Another case of mistaken identity—chalk it up to my childhood confusion, courtesy of Public Television fundraiser call banks. I somehow got it into my head that A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Porgy and Bess were the same story. (To be fair, the snippets they aired didn’t exactly clarify things.) But now that I actually know what A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is about, I want to read it for real. No jazz opera involved—not that I don't enjoy a good jazz opera, but I figured if I’d seen the one, I knew the story!
The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by Eleanor Cameron- This early child sci-fi was so beloved in its time, and since I love vintage children’s books, it feels like it would be a really enjoyable read.
April Snow by Lillian Budd- Another book with a Swedish heroine—I've always loved Lillian Budd’s picture books, and the glowing reviews of her adult books make me want to read at least one.
The Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton Porter– This was a very emotional book for me as a teen girl, and I’m really curious what my take-away will be now that I’m the age of her mother. The mother in this story was actually a catalyst for me to start healing my own childhood and adult trauma. Seeing how her unresolved pain affected her relationship with her daughter made me realize I didn’t want to live with those regrets.
BOOKS I WOULD LOVE TO OWN AND READ BUT DON’T:
If you listen to the Stories from the Ashes podcast, you’ve definitely heard me quote Lilias Trotter—her line “Believe in the darkness what you have seen in the light” has become a personal mantra over the years. So when I heard Jennifer Trafton is writing a book about her life? Immediate add to the list. I’m absolutely chomping at the bit for this one since she first announced.
Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church by Nijay K. Gupta
Over the past six years, my life has quite literally been saved by learning to recognize what God actually said in context—as opposed to what I was told He meant out of context. I’m not exaggerating when I say that trying to honor God by keeping commandments He never gave nearly cost me my life. So now, I find myself deeply fascinated by the early church—by how those who lived within the cultural and social frameworks of the time understood and applied Paul’s letters.
1 Enoch: A Contextual Study Guide of Scripture by Sean Griffin
While not Scripture itself, it's quoted and referenced within the Bible—making it a history book I genuinely want to read through. It’s wild to think we have books written by people who lived so close to the beginning of human history. The idea that their words and experiences still echo through time feels almost sacred in itself.
Are Women Human? Acute and Witty Essays on the Role of Women in Society by Dorothy L. Sayers
I’ve always appreciated Dorothy’s perspective on men’s and women’s roles—how it really just comes down to finding what work you’re good at and doing it faithfully. I’m excited to read her full essays and spend some time with her no-nonsense wisdom.
The Agapéd Bearer: Wishing Stars by Hannah Lindsey
Every time this artist-author pops up in my feed, I find myself stopping to take it all in. Her story feels powerful, and I really hope I get the chance to sit with it one day.
The Visual Word: Illustrated Outlines of The New Testament Books by Patrick Schreiner; illustrated by Anthony M. Benedetto
In the past few years, I’ve really benefitted from approaching the Bible in ways that feel fresh—like reading new to me translations. I love organizing and sorting things, and that’s basically what these graphics do. I know I’d happily spend hours poring over them.
The Painted Fairytale by Lara d’Entremont; illustrated by Ellie Tran
I’ll admit—I’m a sucker for a good author/illustrator team, and this book just looks lovely. I can’t get it out of my head.
We All Have Parts by Colleen West
One of the therapists our family works with made sure to bring this book out during an appointment because she knows how much I love helping kids visualize and break down big concepts. I’m hoping to get a copy soon so I can start working through it myself—and with my visual learner kiddos.
Mama’s Days by Andi Diehn; illustrated by Ángeles Ruiz
When I first came across this book, I assumed it was for children of separated or divorced parents—there are so many picture books that focus on split parenting time. But it’s not! It tells the story of a child whose mother has a mental health disorder, and it’s filled with so much hope and love. If the rest of the book is anything like the sample pages I’ve seen, I’ll be recommending it from the rooftops.
Stolen Words by Melanie Florence; illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard
Things I love: grandparent/grandchild stories, watercolor illustrations, and language preservation. Check, check, check.
Pepper & Me by Beatrice Alemagna
I love books that explore the internal thoughts and processes of children as they face new experiences—even something as simple as skinning a knee. I have a feeling this one will be a great addition to our emotional intelligence collection.
Where the Heart Should Be by Sarah Crossan
I love stories of resilience and hope in times that could break even the strongest souls. I always benefit from those story reminders that light finds a way to break through the darkness.
Little Bird’s Bad Word by Jacob Grant
I’m really into language topics, especially right now because at our house, the kids are way more obsessed with missing beeped-out bad words than actually hearing them. So I’m diving into this subject, and I love the humor in the sample pages of this book. Hoping to get it soon and use it to help my kids understand the whole thing better.
Grandmother Thorn by Katey Howes; Illustrated by Rebecca Hahn
I’m totally in love with the idea of a picture book that celebrates elderly folks who are still learning, growing, and being in healthy relationship. Sign me up for that kind of inspiration!
This is a great list! I’ve been freshly intrigued by the Divine Comedy because of Jason Baxter’s translations. Purgatorio just released.
I just finished Don Quixote! I LOVED it and will read it again. It was funny, ironic, and so provoking. You won’t regret it spending time with it. And I’d say it was a smooth read, not laborious at all.