🎓10 Books That Shaped Me: Inspired by Rory Gilmore's Graduation Speech
The books in Rory Gilmore's graduation speech weren't just pages she read--they shaped her life. To celebrate the season, discover the ones that forever impacted me as a lifelong avid reader like her.
Graduation season brings with it a wave of big emotions, from pride and joy to the comfort of nostalgia and maybe even a bit of relief. Add to it the way we readers feel about our favorite books, and I think that’s why my literary guide to Rory Gilmore’s graduation speech has gone viral on Instagram.
On Gilmore Girls, Rory took to the podium at her Chilton graduation with gratitude for her two worlds: one of family and the other of books. She recounted the impact books made on her young life, from “stroll[ing] down Swann’s Way” to “sail[ing] a raft with Huck and Jim,” and of course, “[riding] a sad train with Anna Karenina.”
Rory’s Chilton speech made it clear that these books weren’t just a hobby, a school assignment, or even an escape—they shaped her.
It got me thinking about the books that shaped me into an avid lifelong reader Rory’s age, and how I’d share their impact in a hypothetical graduation speech.
The Books That Shaped Me
I rode The Polar Express
Lived history with Molly McIntire
Was a member of The Baby-Sitters Club
Navigated puberty with Margaret Simon
Traveled to Steinbeck’s California with the Trasks and the Hamiltons
Played Quidditch with Harry, Ron, and Hermione
Explored the afterlife with Susie Salmon
Made “brilliant” friendships with Lila and Elena
Took fashion inspiration from Holly Golightly
Sat outside The Dutch House with Maeve and Danny
Why These Books Made a Difference
The first book that stamped an eternal impact on me was The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. What it gave me was an early belief that real magic could be felt through words on a page. I still have vivid memories of “checking on it” each week during library class to make sure it was ok.
Then, the American Girl books helped me learn history in a way that left me with not just knowledge, but also understanding. Through Molly, in particular, I tapped into the details of my family histories during World War II: one grandfather who survived Pearl Harbor and another who survived the Battle of Normandy.
The Baby-Sitters Club books by Ann M. Martin gave me a literary community— a unique group of ambitious and creative preteen girls I wanted to befriend and live near in an idyllic Connecticut town. My nose was practically glued to the pages of dozens, if not hundreds, of these books.
And what literary teen girl didn’t learn about puberty from Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret. Judy Blume’s legacy is sharing the thoughts that lived only in our minds with precisely the empathy we needed.
Required reading in my high school, East of Eden by John Steinbeck was the first book that made me want to visit the setting of a book in real life. Through an epic family saga with Biblical references, Steinbeck transports readers to “Steinbeck country”—Salinas Valley, California. Though not quite the same, I found myself thinking of him and his classic tales during my recent trip to Napa Valley.
While I didn’t get into the Harry Potter books until well into adulthood, I immediately grasped their power. They earn their place here for the holistic experiences that come with being a fan: from Halloween costumes to butterbeer tastings to even playing Quidditch virtually with the gang in Hogwarts at Universal Studios.
Expecting an edge-of-your-seat thriller, I forever viewed crime differently after reading Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones (a book from Gilmore Girls). The young and brutally murdered Susie Salmon shifted my approach from seeking salaciousness to observing how people cope with darkness from a distance.
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante placed me directly in the heart of a post-World War II Neapolitan community over the course of decades, allowing me to understand how education (and the lack thereof) shapes lives. The richly drawn setting, with an entire neighborhood of characters — particularly two friends, my friends Elena and Lila — made me part of their very up-and-down world.
And Holly Golightly from Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s isn’t just a literary character, but rather a fashion icon, thanks largely to the classic adaptation. Her elegant sense of style was the inspiration for my own wedding day.
Lastly, The Dutch House by Ann Patchett became my “ride or die”—the one book I will go to bat for, the one hill I will die on like it’s a real person. One of the best audiobooks to which I’ve ever listened (thank you, narrator Tom Hanks), the bond between siblings Maeve and Danny felt so palpable that I still envision myself sitting outside their childhood abode with them each Thanksgiving, reminiscing about the past.
What books shaped you?
Now, it’s your turn. Take a minute today to stop your scroll and reflect on something simple, but powerful in your literary life. What books shaped you? Leave a comment in the style of Rory’s speech!
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Anne of Green Gables, no question! (The whole series, really.) I practically had the first book memorized as a kid. The biggest lessons I took from it were that it was okay to be a kid who wondered and imagined and was curious, and that my closest bosom friend might be someone very, very different than me (which became true a handful of years later). That bosom friend's three kids all call me Aunt Carrots now, as a nod to Anne.
I was a huge fan of The Babysitters Club! My mom always let me pick up secondhand copies. It's been a joy to share the stories with my daughter, who loves the graphic novel versions!