One question I’ve repeatedly heard and been asked about our Rory Gilmore reading challenge and list of Gilmore Girls books is, “But do you know what books Rory Gilmore actually read?” Now, I can finally answer, “Yes!”
After two years of personally verifying the books on Gilmore Girls by episode, I know exactly what Rory read. And this month, we’re reading just like her, our literary heroine.
Featured Book of the Month: A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
It’s funny how things work out. I’ve long wanted to talk about A Room of One’s Own in the context of my own reading room, which I haven’t shared in detail on Substack yet. But the moment always seems to slip right by me.
This month, though, I’ve just added a section on Substack called “Room to Write.”
Here’s how I describe it:
“These are the highs, lows, and messy middles I’ve lived through as a former lawyer turned full-time writer who wants to see you achieve a sustainable creative business, too. I’m building in public on Substack, sharing the most and least impactful strategies I’ve implemented, and keeping it authentic and transparent along the way. I believe in hard work, consistency, collaboration, and dedication to your craft — not growth hacks. In A Room of One’s Own, Virginia Woolf said, “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write[.]” Nearly a century later, Rory Gilmore found her own room to write on the reboot of Gilmore Girls. And here, I’m going behind-the-scenes on mine. This is our room to write.”
I see the Friday Night Readers brand as finally expanding, as I’ve long intended it to. It’s not just a Gilmore Girls-inspired book club anymore. I’m also serving as your real-life Rory Gilmore, sharing three pillars of content: books, Stars Hollow-style living, and writing.
So, the time has come for me to feature A Room of One’s Own (an essay, really) with you, as well as where I read and write. (Coming soon!)
On Gilmore Girls, you’ll find Rory reading A Room of One’s Own on the bus in episode 1.05 (“Cinnamon’s Wake.”)
10 Books Rory Gilmore Famously Read on Gilmore Girls
To help you pick a book Rory Gilmore herself read, here are ten that you can physically see her holding on Gilmore Girls. Many of these moments are iconic!
For much more about these books, listen to the full podcast episode on:
Substack | Apple | Spotify | Amazon | YouTube
Our last podcast episode has 4,300+ listens to date, which is in the top 5% of all podcasts!🤯
Atonement by Ian McEwan: (4.03) Rory reads this historical novel about guilt and repentance before her first Yale class.
Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg: (2.05) Jess borrows this from Rory, and they discuss it, as well as his notes in the margins.
Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter by Simone de Beauvoir: (2.07) Rory reads this ambitious coming-of-age memoir on the couch at home.
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf: (2.04) Rory reads this “day in the life,” memory-themed classic at her grandparents’ home.
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: (4.04) Rory reads this classic young adult gothic romance in the Stars Hollow Gazebo.
The Portable Dorothy Parker by Dorothy Parker: (1.09) Rory brings this book to the Chilton dance and falls asleep reading it with Dean.
The Snows of Kilimanjaro by Ernest Hemingway: (4.06) Rory reads this short story under her favorite tree at Yale.
Ulysses by James Joyce: (1.20) Rory reads this notoriously difficult, experimental Irish novel.
The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath: (1.12) Rory famously reads the diaries of a depressed, mid-20th-century American writer at the bus stop.
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion: (6.15) Rory reads this grief memoir on the couch at Martha’s Vineyard.
Tip: You can also read the books from Rory Gilmore’s graduation speech to celebrate the season!
All the Books Rory Actually Read on Gilmore Girls
Out of the 477 books I’ve personally verified on Gilmore Girls, 192 (40%) are attributable to Rory.
This is actually less than I would have guessed, and, to be honest, it seems Lorelai naturally referenced books more often throughout her daily life.
Rory’s reading life has some gaps (if you know, you know), and many of her books were repeated during the series. Oftentimes, too, she only refers to an author.
In compiling this list, I had to set some ground rules— namely, there must be some evidence that Rory read the book:
A book must be in her possession, or she must refer to it, unless it’s mentioned in a class she’s taken. In those instances, I assumed she had read it, except on her first day of Chilton.
If a book was spotted at the Gilmore house or Rory’s dorm/apartment, it must be on Rory’s shelf, not any communal shelf. To me, Rory seems like someone who keeps all the books she actually reads in her personal possession.
If Rory gifted a book to someone else, I did not assume she had read it, too, but if someone gifted a book to her, I assumed she had read it. Similarly, if someone handed her a book, I assumed she read it.
Of note, Rory’s Chilton years are mostly defined by the classics, with a bit of an emphasis on Tolstoy, Dickens, Shakespeare, and feminist writing. At Yale, we see her pivot into Hemingway, politics, and more modern bestsellers. Throughout the series, of course, she also talks fast about pop culture, like famous movie adaptations.
Note: This full list is behind a paywall for paid subscribers to protect my years of work personally verifying these books and to help me earn for my time and business expenses. Even after years of work, compiling my research into this specific post and podcast episode took 15+ hours.
In addition to exclusive content like Rory’s full 192-book list below (both digital and printable PDF format), paid subscribers also get a 15-page printable index of all 475+ books on Gilmore Girls by episode and full community access.
Your subscription helps you commit more deeply to this fun yet meaningful reading challenge and provides a safe virtual space to engage while supporting the human work and mission behind it.
