📖Rory Gilmore Reading List: By Episode and In Order (Printable PDF)
Nearly two years in the making, my Unofficial Guide to the Books on Gilmore Girls BY EPISODE is here! At 168 pages, it's bigger and better than any other you'll find, with 100+ new discoveries.
Hi Friday night readers,
In case you missed this announcement last week…
The FULL Unofficial Guide to the Books on Gilmore Girls is Here!
(Paid subscribers can access it at the very bottom of this post)
I break down every single episode of Gilmore Girls by the books referenced in it. This, of course, includes iconic reads like Anna Karenina, but also really obscure finds, like background books, and times when something subtle is referenced, like a short quote or a character.
I also make special note of extras, like movie references that are adaptations of books (in case that’s your reading style), authors, fake titles (like Jess’s book), and some of the show’s most iconic lines about books.
While free subscribers get a printable PDF checklist of the show's books (without episodes), paid subscribers get access to this full 168-page episode guide (download it at the very bottom of this post)!
Become a free or paid subscriber to get started.
The Process of Identifying the Books on Gilmore Girls
Back in 2014, BuzzFeed shared a viral post highlighting 339 books purportedly mentioned across the episodes of all seven seasons of Gilmore Girls.
However, when I started our Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge in late 2020, I also wanted to add books that were later mentioned in Netflix’s 2016 reboot, A Year in the Life. So, I started my own list, which has been popular ever since.
Between 2021 and 2023, I continued to find significant fault with the original BuzzFeed list (and, quite frankly, all the other compilations I found out there). Some books on their list have never been identified by anyone—myself included, after multiple tedious rewatches with captions, as well as lots of pausing and researching. And others are a bit of a stretch. For example, where only an author is referenced, the original list assumes a particular title by that author.
I have also discovered over 100 additional books not listed anywhere else.
I officially started this project in May 2023. Here’s some video proof that dates back to October 2024— wild, right?!
It’s been a passion project of hundreds of hours, and I pride myself on accuracy and comprehensiveness in compiling the books on Gilmore Girls for fans who want to become well-read like the characters.
I hope it takes your reading life, and especially your Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge, to the next level.
How to Get Your Unofficial Gilmore Girls Reading Guide and Journal
Without further ado, paid subscribers can now access your FULL 168-page printable Unofficial Guide to the Books on Gilmore Girls in your welcome email and at the very bottom of this post. You’ll also get a 20-page printable Reading Journal designed specifically for readers who are fans of the show.
Think: a bookshelf coloring page with the most iconic books from the show and checklists for Rory’s graduation speech and Jess’s books.
Both are perfect for analog living in 2026!
Edited to add: If you like this post, I’d be especially grateful for your quick likes, shares, and restacks, as this guide has taken hundreds of hours to make and is meant to support literacy in fun, accessible ways! These little, easy sparks of support do make a BIG difference to a small creative business, and it is always appreciated.