Ashley’s Comments (group member since Sep 06, 2022)

Ashley’s comments from the The Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge group.

Gary wrote: "I liken the theme so far to that of AI, creating a monster without regards to ethics."

This is a nice comparison Gary and an interesting way to look at it.

My Nomination: The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar by Robert Alexander

I’m taking a slightly unconventional route. The Kitchen Boy tells the story of the Romanov family’s final days, as witnessed by their young kitchen servant. Through the meals he serves and the quiet domestic rituals he observes, we see a royal family clinging to small comforts while the world outside collapses. It’s a haunting reminder that even in history’s darkest moments, the ties of family and the rituals of food and togetherness endure.

A poignant, beautifully written historical novel and a perfect “Rory” pick for fall.

Nominations added to here. Can't wait for more!

*a quick note - East of Eden was not added, as it's not on the list. I forgive you, because I thought it was on the list too... and I was bummed about it.

Frankenstein is one of my favorite books! I wasn't planning on reading it again, but it's spooky season and there's a new movie coming out, so I might as well!

I am excited about the new Guillermo del Toro adaptation.... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franken...

Nominations

🍂 Little Women
🍂 David Copperfield
🍂 Great Expectations
🍂 The Secret Life of Bees
🍂 The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar
🍂 The Joy Luck Club
🍂 Mrs. Dalloway
🍂 Terms of Endearment

🥧 November 2025 Group Read Nominations
Theme: Food, Family & Festivities

🍂 The chill is settling in, and November is just around the corner — which means it’s time to nominate our next cozy, heartwarming read! This month’s theme is inspired by gratitude, gatherings, and all things delicious. Think books that celebrate the chaos and comfort of family, food, and festive traditions.

Important Dates:
📚 Nominations are OPEN NOW and close Oct 18th
🗳️ Voting (via POLL) will be Oct 19th - Oct 25th
📖 Reading & Discussion begins Nov 1st

How to nominate:
• Choose up to 3 titles from the official Rory Gilmore Reading List that fit the theme — think books featuring family dynamics, food, celebrations, traditions, or heartfelt connections.
• Off-theme picks will be politely excused from the table. 😉

Pull up a chair, pass the stuffing, and let’s find the perfect story to share this season of gratitude and gathering. 🕯️🍷

📢 October Buddy Read Announcement! 📢

The group has spoken, and our October Buddy Read is…
✨ Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley ✨

A groundbreaking Gothic novel that tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist whose obsessive pursuit of knowledge leads him to create life, only to recoil from the result. Shelley’s tale of creation and consequence is often called the first true work of science fiction, but it’s also a deeply human exploration of isolation, ambition, and what it means to be monstrous.

💬 Discussion will take place in the Official Group Book Discussion thread, so grab your copy and join us as we read together this October!

📢 October Buddy Read Announcement! 📢

The group has spoken, and our October Buddy Read is…
✨ Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley ✨

A groundbreaking Gothic novel that tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist whose obsessive pursuit of knowledge leads him to create life, only to recoil from the result. Shelley’s tale of creation and consequence is often called the first true work of science fiction, but it’s also a deeply human exploration of isolation, ambition, and what it means to be monstrous.

💬 Discussion will take place in the Official Group Book Discussion thread, so grab your copy and join us as we read together this October!

The votes are in, and our October Buddy Read winner is…
💀 Frankenstein by Mary Shelley! ⚡️

First published in 1818, this groundbreaking Gothic novel tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist whose obsessive pursuit of knowledge leads him to create life, only to recoil from the result. Shelley’s tale of creation and consequence is often called the first true work of science fiction, but it’s also a deeply human exploration of isolation, ambition, and what it means to be monstrous.

Whether you’re experiencing it for the first time or revisiting with fresh eyes, this is the place to share your reactions, theories, and thoughts as we make our way through Shelley’s dark and stormy masterpiece.

🔖 A few ideas to spark conversation:

• Do you see Victor as a tragic visionary or a reckless villain?
• How does Shelley play with the idea of “creator and creation"; who’s truly the monster here?
• What do you think the novel says about scientific ambition and moral responsibility?
• The Creature’s voice: sympathetic, manipulative, or something in between?
• How does the novel’s structure (stories within stories) shape your reading experience?

Hop in whenever you’d like—spoiler tags are encouraged if you’re ahead. Grab your lanterns and your moral compasses… it’s time to wander into the storm with Frankenstein this October. ⚡️🕯️💀

🕯️ October 2025 Group Read POLL
Theme: The Season of Spooky is Upon Us



Nominations are now Closed

Poll is LIVE (through Oct 4th)! VOTE HERE

Nominations Closed

Poll is LIVE (through Oct 4th)! VOTE HERE

Yay! I'm so glad everyone is enjoying the read!

Chelsea wrote: "Clockwork orange!"

Since that one was already nominated, would you like to nominate another?

👻 Boo, friends! October crept in like a shadow at midnight, and I’m running behind—so this month’s nomination + voting will be a little shorter than usual.

Theme: The Season of Spooky is Upon Us
🕯️ October 2025 Group Read Nominations are OPEN Sept 26th - 29th

Make your suggestions in the nomination thread HERE!!

I'm going Halloween, Spooky Vibes with my nomination:


Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

"Few novels have endured in the heart and memory as has Ray Bradbury’s unparalleled literary masterpiece Something Wicked This Way Comes. Scary and suspenseful, it is a timeless classic in the American canon."

Nominations

🦇 Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
🦇 Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
🦇 A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
🦇 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
🦇 The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
🦇 Carrie by Stephen King
🦇 Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol

🕯️ October 2025 Group Read Nominations
Theme: The Season of Spooky is Upon Us



👻 Boo, friends! October crept in like a shadow at midnight, and I’m running behind—so this month’s nomination + voting will be a little shorter than usual.

Important Dates:
📚 Nominations are OPEN Sept 26th - 29th
🗳️ Voting (via POLL) will be Sept 30th - Oct 4nd
📖 Reading & Discussion will be Oct 5th

How to nominate:
• Summon up to 3 titles from the official Rory Gilmore Reading List that fit the theme (spooky, eerie, Gothic, haunted, chilling, creepy vibes only!)
• Off-theme offerings will vanish into the mist…

Light your candles, dust off your cobwebbed shelves, and let’s see which sinister stories you bring forth. Can’t wait to see what haunts our October! 🦉

Jane Eyre Ch. 4-5: Unsavory Men, Slow Carriages, and New Faces at Lowood

• And now we’re isolating her from everyone! Lovely. Jane’s already treated like an outcast, but here it feels deliberate, almost like they want her to internalize exclusion.

• 50–60% interest! Good God! Eliza actually charges her mother interest for the “trouble” of keeping it safe. Imagine that ... a child exploiting her own mother for profit! It’s both absurd and a sharp little character sketch. Clearly, Brontë wants us to see how warped and transactional this household has become.

• The little "Psalms boy" may be the only comic relief here. Clearly he’s figured out the trick to getting treats by performing piety on cue. Victorian hustle!

• Aaaaand Mr. Brocklehurst enters. Ugh. Unsavory is the right word. His “religious” severity oozes hypocrisy from the start.

• At least Jane gets her moment: good for her, standing up to Mrs. Reed and calling her out. It’s cathartic to watch Jane speak truth to power, even if she’s still just a child.

• Meanwhile, Bessie softens a little... apparently after being scolded by her own mother. I appreciate her small kindnesses toward Jane here, but I don’t know if I’d forgive quite so quickly. Jane’s resilience is already showing.

First Day at Lowood...

✦ Word of the Day: Pelisse — a type of coat or jacket that originated as a military garment for hussar cavalry in the 17th century and later evolved into a fashionable women's outerwear in the early 19th century.

• The 50-mile journey to Lowood feels endless, both literally and symbolically. The isolation is complete, and Brontë leans into the bleak travel imagery to set the mood.

✦ Word of the Day: Inanition — exhaustion from lack of nutrition. (Foreshadowing much?)

• We finally meet new characters: Maria Temple, Miss Miller, and others. I’m taken with them already, especially Maria, she seems to have a warmth and steadiness that’s been missing from Jane’s world. The contrast between Brocklehurst’s cruelty and Miss Temple’s quiet compassion feels like the beginning of a new phase for Jane.

Thank you Cindy! :)

Jane Eyre Ch. 3: Guy Fawkes and a Toad

• At least someone shows an interest in lessening childhood trauma... give the apothecary a round of applause...

✦ Reference of the Day: Guy Fawkes — soldier, executed via hanging (was also drawn & quartered 👀); involved in the "Gunpowder Plot" in the 1600s, a conspiracy to assassinate King James VI & I and members of the Houses of Parliament.

• A TOAD!? First an assassin/conspirator, then a toad... these women hate Jane.

• And why do they hate Jane? Why aren't they more sympathetic to her? Oh... that's right... because she's not pretty enough. Cool...