Gilmore Girls: The Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge: The Official Guide to All the Books

by Erika Berlin

Welcome to the ultimate TBR list! With meticulously researched book descriptions and hundreds of guided prompts and reading tips, The Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge is an officially licensed, one-of-a-kind fan's guide to the Gilmore Girls universe and all 339 books referenced in the series.

For fans of Gilmore Girls, one of the most dedicated ways to tap into the psyche of Rory Gilmore is committing to one Herculean The Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge. Over the course of seven seasons, Rory Gilmore and her fellow Stars Hollow residents were seen reading or referencing 339 books. Now you can read along with Rory! This book is a distillation of those zealous inventories and is meant to make you fall back in love with Gilmore Girls all over again. Challenge yourself to reading the 300+ books from the series and exploring hundreds of guided prompts about each selection.

Included in this first-ever officially licensed reading challenge companion are thought starters and prompts pertaining to the books seen, mentioned, and referenced over the series’ seven-season run. This compendium has been carefully researched and is more thorough and verified than any other Rory Gilmore reading list that has been compiled. Whether you choose to start from the very beginning or dive into a particular character’s literary favorites, you’ll find a reading guide within. 

You'll also find helpful information for organizing your TBR collection, tips for maximizing your reading time and becoming a more mindful reader, secrets for reading multiple books at once, and an essential episode guide index with checkboxes. And if any part of the challenge feels daunting, take a bit of advice from the bibliophile queen “I just take a book with me everywhere,” Rory once said. “It’s a habit.”

Genres: Nonfiction, Books About Books

251 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 29, 2024

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's official guys, my tbr is going to outlive me 😭😭

[Lizzy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A cute idea but feels like a cash grab. The book club type questions are often insipid. You can find lists of books online for free including with the references explained and the episodes listed, so this doesn’t add much. Some of the context about the books is interesting but often it’s rather brief. The additional reading section is kind of fun even though I think it’s not exactly in keeping with the types of books they’d read (seems more like “big” books from the time and what the author liked). Some of the “books” referenced are more likely to refer to the movie or play. It’s called the Rory Gilmore reading challenge even though many books are read or vaguely mentioned by other characters. Also, it only covers through season 7 despite coming out this year. Anyways, could be a cute gift for some Gilmore fans, but I’m glad I read it from the library and it’s overall pretty forgettable and there are more interesting online bloggers who’ve done this years ago.

[Amanda Kerrigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m excited to start this challenge in 2025!

[Kara Kvasnicka · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tv series that resonates with me more than any other ever made, I thoroughly enjoyed reminiscing about my favorite moments from Gilmore Girls through this guide to the books that were mentioned in it.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is better than it really has the right to be. It looks like what we used to call a "bathroom book," but it's a surprisingly thoughtful and well-researched look into how literature was deployed throughout the run of Gilmore Girls. Most of the characters were heavy readers with eclectic taste, and Berlin has a lot of fun doing a deep dive into their books and how their themes were reflected in the show. I haven't seen GG in a long time - I had forgotten that Rory was a big fan of Dawn Powell and Nancy Mitford. The book makes me want to watch the show again and read more books, so successful on all accounts.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Likes:
- Got a better appreciation and understanding of all the book references and jokes in the series.
- Learned some fun facts about the show that I didn’t already know
- Added some books to my TBR list

Dislikes:
- Some of the discussion questions were repetitive or basic

[Grace (alatteofliterature)]

This book isn't written well enough to be worth a full read, so I'm glad I just borrowed it from the library long enough to take photos of the full book list in the back.

If Rory would've read even half of the books she's filmed holding in this series, I think she would've made better choices.

[hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

really cute. love all the extra books and tips. i would like to read some of these!

[Katie Dennison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved adding a bunch of Rory's books to my TBR list.

[ARC · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s nice to see the reading challenge become officially recognized. It also features mini list of books mentioned by other characters. The book also comes with ideas on how to tackle the list and checklist.

[samantha aly · Rating 5 out of 5]

a book about all the books in my favorite tv show of all time. i mean of course i loved it

[Melissapalmer404 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun way to revisit Stars Hollow....always loved how Rory was such a huge reader!

[Kassondera · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deep dive into the reading world of Gilmore girls! This was an interesting read, and I of course have added books to my never ending TBR.

[Felicia Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait to read the books Rory read on Gilmore Girls! 😊

[emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best Gilmore Girls reading lists I've found. Loved that the author tied things into the show/episode, had a "continue reading with Rory" list, and included fun book related tips.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute little book that features all the books from the show!! I absolutely loved it and of course now my Want to Read List is out of control again!

[Lizzie]

I was ill for a while and binged watch the Gilmore Girls. I am not a fan but enjoyed the show enough to finish all series and watch the follow up special. That said, I only browsed this book. I found the book listings were banal so I only read sections for book that piqued my interest. Definitely think a bigger fan of show would really enjoy this book.

[Courtney Kleefeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first learned of the Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge, I was excited to have a long list of books to look through. Years passed, and I've still only read a small percentage of the books in the list. So when I found this book at the library, I figured I'd check it out.
Good book. The book seems to assume that you have already read at least several books on the list, and at the end of the note for each book is usually a question like "What did you think of X theme in this book?" and I think, "Well, I haven't read it yet, so I can't say."
I don't plan to read every single book on the list, but it is nice to learn about a lot of books that I didn't get to learn about in school or college.

For background, I've only watched the first season of Gilmore Girls--I was excited about a show about a girl who loves books, especially classics. But the show is just a little too full of unecessary drama for me, so I quit watching. I feel like if Rory really had read all these classics and thought about them sincerely, she would have had the wisdom to avoid most of the drama in the show.
On the other hand, I may not necessarily agree with some of the worldviews presented in some of the books on the list. Perhaps some of them had a negative influence on Rory, too. So from that, one could make the case that it's important what you read, not just that you read books, no matter how scholarly or "significant" they are said to be by the academic world, especially when you are still a teenager.

I have a theory that the show isn't meant for book lovers, but for people who don't read books, or for people who mainly read romance, and that every book reference in the show is thrown in out of context to make people curious and pick up a book they otherwise wouldn't read.
It feels like the show exists for the book references, because of how many there are.

I will say that if you know a bit about classics already, this book can be helpful to remind you of classics you had forgotten about that are on your to-read list already.
"Oh right, Lord of the Rings, I should finish that."
"Oh yeah, David Copperfield, I should read that." (haha, talking to myself.)
The list and therefore this book have about 600 books mentioned in it, which is a huge number.

If you are a big fan of Gilmore Girls, and want to read more classics, you might like this book.
If you are curious about Gilmore Girls, don't mind some spoilers, and want to read more classics, you might enjoy going through this book.
If you do not even know what Gilmore Girls is, but you want to read more books, you might enjoy this book.
I won't say this is a must-read or anything, again because I don't plan to read every book on the list, but it's neat to learn more about books.
If you are a Christian who would like book recs for Christians, you might also appreciate/consider reading Book Girl by Sarah Clarkson, which has a good amount of book recs in it too; more from a Christian lens.

[Haka · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want to get straight to the point, you can find Rory Gilmore reading lists online for free. That said, this book takes the concept and really stretches it thin. It tediously provides commentary and discussion prompts for every book in every episode. There are also some micro articles that would characteristically appeal to a reader, like how to organize your book collection or general better reading tips sprinkled throughout this book to break up the monotony. And if the “official” list of books isn’t enough, the author has generously attempted to recommend more books based on educated perceptions of some characters and “updating” Rory’s collection with some prospected book picks as well. When you read this, the book presumes that you have read the books already. There are some very brief summaries of SOME of the books noted in the episodes, but they are pretty vague because I’m sure the author has guessed some people will pick this up before they read the books on the list. Overall, this book gives off major sanitized Scholastic book fair vibes. I found it corny and contrived as a personal read.

This book, however, would be a great guide for Gilmore Girls fans to start this reading challenge with their friends or even with their local community. The open-ended questions are a nice mixture of connecting the books to the show and sometimes the specific episode. The prompts have the possibility of engaging not only readers, but fans of the show as well. I know some people can be big fans of the show but be indifferent to the books that have been a recurring presence. I fall more in the category of being indifferent to the show, but being more excited by the books they read. This readers guide does a fine job of bringing the two camps together to talk about books and themes that connect them to this beloved comfort show. The discussion points aren’t too specific to leave the readers out, but it helps to have seen the show. This could help make for a cute lil long term book club at your local library for readers and fans of the show to unite!

[Madison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Their season begins...

In case you're unaware, I've been reading along with this challenge for about seven or eight years at this point? And I've struggled a lot between the many lists on the internet, so much so that I've really started my own during my many re-watches of the show, trying to get down as many references as possible as I go, because I always find mistakes or very obvious books left out in every list.

I wanted to read this to see if it provided any references that had slipped through my view (nothing egregious that I had missed, but it had different recommendations for when only authors are mentioned which I enjoyed). There were some additional insights that were fun (if not necessarily useful), but while this covers some aspects of the RGRC, it is definitely not a "guide to all the books."

I hope to one day be able to contribute a more organized, complete list for reference, but I will be the first to confess--it's incredibly difficult to catch everything (especially on every bookshelf/desk and with alternate covers).

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

What’s up with the questions? They seem like they’re written for teen readers and then you come across “Would you ever try (or have you ever tried) hallucinogens?” The questions took away an opportunity for the author to include more information about the book, author, or episode the work is referenced in.

I didn’t read the questions at the end of each section so a very, very short read that almost just amounts to a list. I borrowed this from the library and wouldn’t recommend purchasing a copy. Just find the information online.

[Jenifer Dale]

I have never watched Gilmore Girls all the way through but am fascinated by the reading challenge and saw everyone talking about how this was a great option for those who wanted to try and tackle it. I loved the additional lists in the back, and this was an easy read. However, since the revival came out, the book list I believe has over 400 books on it now, so I still have other lists to accompany this book.

[catbird · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a very charming and comprehensive list of all the books in the show. The supplemental suggestions are a great addition. My copy is slowing acquiring notes and markings as I go through the lists, as well as post-it notes with my own supplemental titles. It's not a book you're going to sit down and read in one sitting, but it's a well-crafted reference for a fan of the show or anyone who enjoys pop culture.

[Lorelai Hue · Rating 4 out of 5]

i rly wanted to read it, so i started on the first book in the challenge, which is moby dick. tbh here, i need a friend to get through it with me because a lot of the books are high school level and i'm just a middle school student, so they are above my reading level. it's not like i can't read them, i just give up. i have read some of the books already though, and i think they are good choices.

[Ava Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful guide to the series and the books mentioned throughout! I have gotten many great recommendations from this, and out of all the books in the Rory Gilmore reading challenge, I have read 29, which is a pretty good start! Even if you haven't watched the show, there are recommendations here for every type of reader.

[Kelly Veatch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVE Gilmore Girls! One of my favorite shows ever. This book was such a fun walk through the series reading about all the books that Rory read throughout the show. Rory is my favorite character from the show. I love her love of books, reading, and learning. This book gives a great list of great reads to inspire to me to read more! Very enjoyable book!

[Sami Grace Danley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5! Im more impressed with the amount of research that went into this book than the writing itself. I added a bunch more books to my TBR list and learned that I’m a “tsundoku,” which is a Japanese word for someone who owns a lot of unread literature 😅 Anyways, this was cool + somewhat inspiring, and even though she’s a brat I will always resonate with Rory Gilmore.

[Gabbi Howe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an extremely informative and well researched book. Each book mentioned had the exact episode and line when it was mentioned, and the author even included other book that aren't mentioned in the series, but that the characters would most certainly enjoy reading.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

A season-by-season guide to the hundreds of books mentioned, quoted, referenced and/or seen on the show. I especially liked the checklist at the end to keep track of which ones you've read.

[Michelle Gentry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually enjoyed reading all of the commentaries about each book etc. I wish I had the time and energy to read every single thing listed.