Latest / Friday Night Readers: Gilmore Girls Inspired Book Club / 📚101 Essential Classic Books to Become as Well Read as the Gilmore Girls

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📚101 Essential Classic Books to Become as Well Read as the Gilmore Girls · Friday Night Readers: Gilmore Girls Inspired Book Club

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Friday Night Readers.
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_00: Fueled by coffee, we break down the books referenced on Gilmore Girls.
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  Our little literary corner of the world helps you understand
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  what the characters
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  SPEAKER_00: are talking so fast about and live in a world of books like worry.
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  SPEAKER_00: Like short, read fast.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: Before we dive in,
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  don't forget to subscribe to our Friday Night Readers
• 0:19
  newsletter community on
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: Substack.
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  You'll get instant access to a free printable list of 450 plus
• 0:26
  books on Gilmore Girls.
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  SPEAKER_00: Plus,
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  SPEAKER_00: even more Gilmore-inspired content,
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  SPEAKER_00: like our Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge,
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  SPEAKER_00: which we've been doing together since 2020.
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  SPEAKER_00: Paid members get exclusive extras.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: Come hang out where the real Gilmore magic happens.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, Friday Night Readers.
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  Let's talk about one of the Gilmore Girls' favorite topics
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  today,
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  classic books.
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  The prospect of reading more classic books is actually one of
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  the reasons I started
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  SPEAKER_00: taking this challenge.
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  SPEAKER_00: Forgive me if you're hearing this for like the zillionth time,
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  but it was during the pandemic and I realized there were so
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  many older books that I
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  SPEAKER_00: wanted to read that I didn't for whatever reason,
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  whether they just weren't assigned to me in school or even that
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  they came out at a
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  SPEAKER_00: time when I was in school and not focused on reading new books.
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  I thought this challenge was a really good way to make reading
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  the classic books
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  SPEAKER_00: more fun and easier.
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  SPEAKER_00: And now we're in our sixth year.
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  SPEAKER_00: It continues to drive me.
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  SPEAKER_00: I have a classic book on my couch right now.
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  SPEAKER_00: And in preparing the list of classic books for you today,
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  SPEAKER_00: I realized how many of them I read because of this challenge.
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  I think it's especially important today because classic book
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  reading is down in
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  SPEAKER_00: schools for various reasons.
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  Of course,
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  there's AI and also the teachers are required to teach for
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  testing.
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  SPEAKER_00: And that does not often include classic books.
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  SPEAKER_00: This is from research I've done and also from talking to people.
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  There have been some articles that even said that Ivy League
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  students sometimes
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  SPEAKER_00: come to the school without ever having read a classic book,
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  SPEAKER_00: which is wild to me because in my school,
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  SPEAKER_00: which again,
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  SPEAKER_00: I'm right around Rory's age,
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  SPEAKER_00: we read five classic books each summer.
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  SPEAKER_00: And then we also read about five throughout the school year.
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  SPEAKER_00: So about 10 per year.
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  So now I feel like I have an extra reason to continue promoting
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  this challenge
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  because I think that we can use the show to make reading
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  classics important again
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  SPEAKER_00: for the youth.
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  SPEAKER_00: We all know there are so many benefits to reading classic books.
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  SPEAKER_00: First, they stand the test of time and they're very beautifully written.
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  SPEAKER_00: A lot of times we can pair them with adaptations, which is also great.
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  SPEAKER_00: And these books really make you think.
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  SPEAKER_00: And sadly, critical thinking is decreasing right now.
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  Another thing I want to note is that we are at the beginning of
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  April right now,
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  and I just think there's something about reading classic books
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  in the spring.
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  I think the writing is so often poetic that it feels like it
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  mimics the season.
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  SPEAKER_00: For that reason,
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  I will be focusing our conversation today on classic books that
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  feel like spring.
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  SPEAKER_00: But first, let's talk about our featured book of the month.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's going to be The Outsiders by S.E.
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  SPEAKER_00: Hinton.
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  SPEAKER_00: This was the easiest and most obvious choice.
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  SPEAKER_00: I've run this challenge for six years now.
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  SPEAKER_00: And certain books just rise to the top with readers.
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  SPEAKER_00: And The Outsiders is absolutely at the top of that list.
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  SPEAKER_00: It is hands down the most popular choice with book club members.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's really up to you to say why.
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  I have a poll in the Substack post that accompanies this podcast
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  episode that asks
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  SPEAKER_00: why you most love The Outsiders.
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  SPEAKER_00: And some of the options I gave were because it's short and easy.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's iconic in pop culture.
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  SPEAKER_00: The story packs an emotional punch.
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  SPEAKER_00: It has relatable coming-of-age things.
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  SPEAKER_00: I may go with pop culture, kind of like the Gilmores.
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  SPEAKER_00: I guess I'm a Gilmore girl at heart.
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  SPEAKER_00: Second, I'd probably say short and easy.
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  I think it's a book that when you look at it and you know it
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  was set in high school
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  SPEAKER_00: and that it's short,
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  SPEAKER_00: it just doesn't feel intimidating.
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  SPEAKER_00: And it also seems like it could be interesting,
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  SPEAKER_00: whereas sometimes we know classic books can be a bit of a slog.
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  SPEAKER_00: So in this book,
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  SPEAKER_00: which is a coming of age novel,
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  SPEAKER_00: Ponyboy Curtis is a member of the working class greasers,
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  SPEAKER_00: and he becomes caught in a violent conflict with the wealthier socias.
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  SPEAKER_00: You may recall that Lorelai called the puffs socias,
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  SPEAKER_00: and also that when Dean and Rory are going to Rory's dance,
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  SPEAKER_00: they refer to Ponyboy.
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  SPEAKER_00: I actually think this reference is pretty cute.
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  SPEAKER_00: They talk about the movie, and I feel like that totally tracks for Dean.
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  SPEAKER_00: He's always trying to do and say things that Rory will like,
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  SPEAKER_00: but though he may not have read the book,
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  SPEAKER_00: he did watch the movie.
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  SPEAKER_00: Anyway,
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  SPEAKER_00: after a tragic incident forces Ponyboy into hiding,
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  he begins to see social divisions and gains a deeper
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  understanding of loyalty,
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  SPEAKER_00: loss,
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  SPEAKER_00: and growing up.
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  SPEAKER_00: That's really a broad description.
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  This is a really emotional story and we see things like class
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  conflict and violence.
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  It's a very emotional high school drama where all of the
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  tensions are really
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  heightened and these consequences are lasting and they really
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  change these
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  SPEAKER_00: characters' lives.
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  SPEAKER_00: You'll also see kids acting like adults.
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  SPEAKER_00: I remember thinking, where are the adults?
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  SPEAKER_00: For some reason, this tends to be popular in coming-of-age novels.
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  SPEAKER_00: I think it's really just so that the kids can have the center stage.
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  SPEAKER_00: The other thing I really want you to know about this book is that S.E.
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  SPEAKER_00: Hinton is actually a woman.
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  SPEAKER_00: They used S.E.
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  sadly because they did not think that boys would buy a book
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  like this written by a woman.
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  SPEAKER_00: And she also wrote it as a teen.
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  I can't tell you how impressed I am by this because she weaves
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  in things that are
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  SPEAKER_00: so astute and so smart.
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  Like,
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  for example,
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  she talks about the Robert Frost poem,
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  Nothing Gold Can Stay.
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  SPEAKER_00: And she sort of likens that poem about nature to childhood.
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  It's just so impressive to me that someone so young could write
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  something so
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  SPEAKER_00: meaningful and so long lasting.
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  SPEAKER_00: So if you haven't read it yet,
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  SPEAKER_00: that is the book that I will write a featured post about this month.
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  SPEAKER_00: And if you did read it,
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  then the featured post will hopefully just bring you back to
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  that time and that
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  SPEAKER_00: experience and give you new ways to think about the book.
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  SPEAKER_00: However,
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  SPEAKER_00: if you are looking for something different,
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  SPEAKER_00: we have a zillion more classic books for you to read.
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  SPEAKER_00: Now I'm going to focus on 10 that to me feel like spring.
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  SPEAKER_00: Again, I really think that classics and spring just go together.
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  So I want to highlight books that will also give you that
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  seasonal feel just like Gilmore Girls.
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  I'm taking these examples from a post I wrote last week about
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  10 classic books that
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  SPEAKER_00: feel as refreshing as spring.
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  And it kind of worked out because I wish that I had made a
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  podcast episode to go with that post.
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  SPEAKER_00: I just ran out of time.
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  So now I can still talk about these books and more classic
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  books with you.
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  SPEAKER_00: So
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  SPEAKER_00: My first classic spring choice is Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
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  SPEAKER_00: And this book is one of the most referenced books on Gilmore Girls.
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  SPEAKER_00: You'll see it at least 10 times.
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  SPEAKER_00: One is the theme of Luke and Lorelai's wedding.
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  SPEAKER_00: And then because this book has so many unique characteristics,
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  SPEAKER_00: like the White Rabbit,
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  SPEAKER_00: the Queen of Hearts,
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  SPEAKER_00: the Tea Party,
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  SPEAKER_00: there's just so many things for the Gilmore Girls to refer to.
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  Oh,
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  and don't forget the Cheshire Cat Hotel from the road trip to
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  Harvard.
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  SPEAKER_00: That is also a reference.
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  SPEAKER_00: Anyway,
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  Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is about a young girl who
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  falls down a rabbit hole
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  SPEAKER_00: and finds a magical world.
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  SPEAKER_00: And while it's fun, it does have themes.
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  Some of them are about the confusion of growing up and the
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  differences that exist
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  SPEAKER_00: between logic and things like imagination,
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  SPEAKER_00: which is also part of finding yourself and your identity.
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  SPEAKER_00: The only other thing I want to note here,
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  SPEAKER_00: besides the fact that,
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  SPEAKER_00: of course,
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  SPEAKER_00: it is a popular Disney adaptation,
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  SPEAKER_00: is that I prefer the Menelima graphic and interactive editions.
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  SPEAKER_00: I did link this one in the subsect post that accompanies this podcast.
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  SPEAKER_00: What these editions are,
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  and they make them for a lot of classics as well as the Harry
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  Potter books,
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  SPEAKER_00: is
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  SPEAKER_00: is they're hardcover.
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  SPEAKER_00: They're the full text, but they are also illustrated and interactive.
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  So there'll be things like a map that you can pull out or a
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  little toy that you can
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  SPEAKER_00: play with within the book.
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  And it may sound childish,
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  but I actually think it works really well for both kids and
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  adults.
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  SPEAKER_00: I've done classic books like this, and I absolutely adore the experience.
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  And I think with a book that is as fantastical as this one,
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  it is the perfect choice to try it.
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  SPEAKER_00: Next, we have Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman.
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  SPEAKER_00: This is at the bookstore in episode 516.
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  SPEAKER_00: And sadly, it's also at the funeral that is in winter on Gilmore Girls.
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  I don't want to say whose funeral that is,
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  just so I don't spoil it for anyone.
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  SPEAKER_00: But if you know, you know, and it definitely makes sense.
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  And this is one book that I felt like I needed to have on my
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  bookshelf to be a classic reader.
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  SPEAKER_00: Walt Whitman is from the Philadelphia area.
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  SPEAKER_00: We do have a Walt Whitman bridge here.
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  And there's just something about this book that to me feels
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  highbrow and like
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  SPEAKER_00: you've made it as a reader.
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  This is a collection of poems that are about humans,
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  nature and how they're all interconnected.
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  I did find a copy at my library sale last year,
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  though I have not picked it up just yet.
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  I think that if you like poets like Mary Oliver or nonfiction
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  writers like Margaret
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  SPEAKER_00: Rankle,
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  SPEAKER_00: you will probably like this book.
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  I think I will probably read it one poem a day over an extended
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  period of time.
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  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so we also have to talk about Pride and Prejudice.
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  I think you can read any one of Jane Austen's book and get that
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  springy feel,
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  but there's just something about the way the English
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  countryside works in this book
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  SPEAKER_00: that makes it feel the most like spring to me.
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  And you probably know that this is where we bear witness to the
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  mistaken first
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  SPEAKER_00: impressions of Elizabeth Bennett and Mr.
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  SPEAKER_00: Darcy.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's
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  SPEAKER_00: It's really about what she thinks about him that is not correct.
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  SPEAKER_00: Once she gets to know him even deeper, they, of course, do fall in love.
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  SPEAKER_00: So Dean actually read it on Rory's request.
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  SPEAKER_00: And I think this is so nice of him.
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  SPEAKER_00: He did say he liked it.
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  I'm sort of recalling Jess also saying he liked Jane Austen in
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  that conversation
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  SPEAKER_00: where he was with Paris in the kitchen at Rory's house.
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  SPEAKER_00: Anyway, the
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  SPEAKER_00: The way I want to recommend this book to you is on Audible.
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  SPEAKER_00: What I really like about Audible,
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  SPEAKER_00: I know a lot of people don't like to buy books from Amazon,
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  SPEAKER_00: and I totally get that,
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  but Audible does have exclusive editions of the classics that
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  are narrated by
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  SPEAKER_00: famous actors.
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  SPEAKER_00: Here we have Rosamund Pike,
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  SPEAKER_00: who starred in the Keira Knightley movie adaptation,
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  SPEAKER_00: which is my personal favorite.
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  And there's just something about the way these famous actors
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  narrate that it really
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  SPEAKER_00: brings the stories to life and makes them so much easier to consume.
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  Another thing you could do is use the audiobook and listen to
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  it as you read.
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  SPEAKER_00: I've done that many times before with classic books,
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  SPEAKER_00: and it really helps me stay focused and understand more of it.
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  SPEAKER_00: Okay, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin.
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  SPEAKER_00: Paris calls Rory this in episode 222.
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  SPEAKER_00: I have not read this book yet,
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  SPEAKER_00: but to me,
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  SPEAKER_00: it sounds like if you're a fan of Anne of Green Gables,
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  SPEAKER_00: then you would probably like it.
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  SPEAKER_00: Here,
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  we have an imaginative young girl who's sent from a crowded
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  family home to live
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  SPEAKER_00: with her two very different aunts in a quiet village.
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  SPEAKER_00: She struggles to fit in, but her optimistic spirit wins them over.
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  SPEAKER_00: It sounds a lot like Anne of Green Gables, doesn't it?
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  SPEAKER_00: It's always a popular pick with readers in our book club.
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  SPEAKER_00: And I think it's for that reason.
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  I think people read the description and think it sounds like
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  Anne of Green Gables.
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  And that is such a commonly read book that it feels familiar
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  and it's likable.
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  SPEAKER_00: So it feels easy to pick this one up.
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  But I will note that many readers have also reached out to me
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  over the years and
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  SPEAKER_00: told me that there is some ickiness in it in a modern context.
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  SPEAKER_00: I don't totally recall the circumstances,
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  but I think there is an older man who shows an interest in
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  Rebecca that feels a
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_00: little bit off.
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  SPEAKER_00: Take that for whatever you will.
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  SPEAKER_00: Another thing I do find interesting about this book,
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_00: which is on my bookshelf,
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  SPEAKER_00: and I will get to it,
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  SPEAKER_00: is that the author based it off of her life in New England,
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  SPEAKER_00: and I think that is a very nice Gilmore connection,
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  SPEAKER_00: as well as that there's a Shirley Temple adaptation of this book,
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  which also feels like something Lorelai and Rory would totally
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  watch on movie
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  SPEAKER_00: night.
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  Another one for you to consider that definitely feels like
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  spring is A Room with a View by E.M.
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  SPEAKER_00: Forster.
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  You may recall that Lorelai and Rory watched the adaptation in
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  episode 5.02.
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  I believe this is right when Rory comes home from her trip with
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  Emily to Europe.
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  SPEAKER_00: So this one is set in the countryside,
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  SPEAKER_00: like Pride and Prejudice,
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  SPEAKER_00: but it's both the English and Italian countryside.
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  You'll find Florence in it,
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  which was fun for me because I did go to Florence on my
• 11:29
  honeymoon.
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  And it is a Victorian romance novel that is,
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  shall I say,
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  for refined readers.
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  SPEAKER_00: And why I say this is because if you watch The Office,
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_00: you may recall it from The Finer Things Club,
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  SPEAKER_00: which was all about having a very civilized,
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  SPEAKER_00: highbrow kind of book club.
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  We actually used to do this in my law firm in my early days of
• 11:48
  working there as a
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_00: young attorney.
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  Some of us younger attorneys would get together in one person's
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  office for a little
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  break and he would put on classical music and we would have tea
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  or something like
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  SPEAKER_00: that.
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  SPEAKER_00: I think it's super cute and fun.
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  SPEAKER_00: And if you are in the office today,
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  I think it still tracks as something that you can do that makes
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  reading the
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  SPEAKER_00: classics more fun.
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  SPEAKER_00: Anyway,
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  what happens here is that Lucy is a young woman and she has to
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  choose between
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  SPEAKER_00: convention and passion in her love life.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's short and it's easy.
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  SPEAKER_00: And there is a older but popular adaptation.
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  SPEAKER_00: This is the one that the Gilmore Girls watched.
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  SPEAKER_00: But I've got to say,
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  SPEAKER_00: I think this Victorian novel is very relatable today,
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  SPEAKER_00: which many of them are not.
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  But I think in this particular context,
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  things really haven't changed that much.
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  SPEAKER_00: There are still notions and ideas of things that we've
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  SPEAKER_00: feel like we should do versus what we want to do as we're coming of age.
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  SPEAKER_00: And those things really can drive our decisions.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's so relatable,
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  SPEAKER_00: in fact,
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  SPEAKER_00: that Kevin Kwan,
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  SPEAKER_00: who wrote Crazy Rich Asians,
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  SPEAKER_00: wrote a very fabulous retelling.
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  SPEAKER_00: I believe it was set on Capri and New York in a very modern context.
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  SPEAKER_00: Again, that whole Rich Asians vibe, and it's called Sex and Vanity.
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  SPEAKER_00: So if you want, you can also do a book pairing with that.
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  SPEAKER_00: Next, we have Walden by Henry David Thoreau.
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  This to me feels like a very Luke book,
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  but Richard refers to it in episode 614.
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  SPEAKER_00: And Rory also says that their empty house looks like it in episode 7.1.
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  So what happens in Walden is that Thoreau lives in Walden Pond
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  in a cabin by
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  SPEAKER_00: himself in nature in solitude and writes about it.
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  I think that if you are in a place in your life where
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  technology is really
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_00: overwhelming you,
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  SPEAKER_00: or any of the other demands of modern life,
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_00: then this one may be for you.
• 13:25
  I tried it a few years ago during the pandemic,
• 13:27
  and I did struggle with it.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe now that we're out of the pandemic, I may do better with it.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_00: And that it just wasn't the time to read a book about being alone.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_00: Okay,
• 13:36
  the last one I have for you that feels like spring from the
• 13:39
  Gilmore Girls reading
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_00: list is The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: I hope I said that right.
• 13:44
  Anyway,
• 13:44
  I think that my reading list is the only one that picked this
• 13:47
  one up.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_00: And I love that about my list.
• 13:49
  I worked really hard to get the most books for you and to get
• 13:53
  ones that no other
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_00: list on the internet has.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_00: And Rory does refer to Mr. Toad in the fall episode of the reboot.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_00: This is a children's feel-good classic,
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_00: and it's all about friendship between little animals,
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_00: a mole,
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_00: a rat,
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_00: a badger,
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_00: and of course the toad.
• 14:08
  And it's set along a peaceful English riverbank where they have
• 14:11
  little adventures
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_00: like boating and picnicking.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_00: I think it sounds absolutely delightful,
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_00: especially if you get an illustrated edition,
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_00: which I did link one for you in the sub-stack post that accompanies this.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_00: I think that it really can take you back to
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_00: to the way vintage books felt.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_00: Very simple and almost cottagecore as well.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_00: This one is at the top of my list.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to try to find a copy at my library sale this month,
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_00: but I also heard the audio is good,
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_00: so I did put a hold on that at the library.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_00: Okay,
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_00: so on my list of classic books that feel like spring,
• 14:41
  I did also add three books that were not on the Gilmore Girls
• 14:45
  reading list,
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_00: but that I definitely think should be.
• 14:48
  So this is for people who are okay with going off the Gilmore
• 14:52
  Girls reading list
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_00: for the Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge,
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_00: which is totally fine.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_00: This challenge is totally up to you and how you want to tackle it.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_00: And the books I chose for that were Anne of Green Gables by L.M.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_00: Montgomery.
• 15:03
  Heidi by Joanna Sperry,
• 15:04
  and The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_00: All three of those would be great choices for spring.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_00: And again,
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_00: those are not on the Gilmore Girls list,
• 15:12
  so this is just if you're okay with going off the list or if
• 15:14
  you want something
• 15:15
  that's classic in addition to what you're reading from the list
• 15:18
  this month.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, now let's talk about all the classic books on Gilmore Girls.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, there are hundreds.
• 15:24
  So I narrowed it down on my full Substack post for you to 101.
• 15:28
  I thought this was a pretty good number to give you something
• 15:31
  that's comprehensive
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_00: while also not overwhelming.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_00: It's super subjective.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_00: What makes a classic book?
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_00: I personally started with a list of 475,
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_00: then I cut it down to about 160 that I considered to be classics,
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_00: and then I started refining from there.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_00: I decided to cut out references to single poems,
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_00: as well as books that were more iconic in pop culture than in literature.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_00: So for example,
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_00: One that was hard for me to cut,
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_00: but I did ultimately cut was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_00: To me,
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_00: yes,
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_00: it is a classic,
• 16:01
  but it's more about what it means to pop culture than the words
• 16:05
  on the page per se.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_00: You may disagree with me, and that's totally fine.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_00: Again, I really think this is subjective.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_00: There's no right or wrong answer.
• 16:13
  And then I did also cut some less popular works by the most
• 16:16
  famous classic authors.
• 16:18
  So at first I had left on all of Dickens,
• 16:20
  Shakespeare Hemingway,
• 16:22
  even J.D.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_00: Salinger.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_00: But as I refined the list,
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_00: I thought that as long as we have the most popular ones on there,
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_00: that is truest to the definition to what a classic is for me.
• 16:31
  My goal ultimately is for you to walk away from this month
• 16:35
  feeling like you read
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_00: one of the most essential classics.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_00: So if you want to stray from this list of 101 books, again, totally fine.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_00: This is just my essential list.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_00: Because reasonable minds do differ,
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_00: I did start a thread on Substack to see how you define classic books.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_00: Here are some of the comments you left.
• 16:52
  We have themes that stand the test of time,
• 16:54
  books that you'll go back to over and over again.
• 16:56
  And I do like that one because there is a little bit of a
• 16:59
  subjective quality to it.
• 17:00
  Another person said it continues to speak to people long after
• 17:03
  the moment has passed.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_00: I think that is very true as well.
• 17:06
  They say something in it stays alive and each new reader feels
• 17:10
  that spark as if it
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_00: were written for them.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_00: That's pretty lovely, isn't it?
• 17:13
  We have a few that say things like universal,
• 17:15
  long-lasting,
• 17:16
  staying power.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_00: And I agree.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_00: Even when I think about what is classic in a modern context,
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_00: what I'm looking for is what are the books that are staying.
• 17:25
  Another person looked at what remains popular for quite a few
• 17:28
  decades and that
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_00: continues to be well-loved and sparks conversation.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_00: Those are great comments.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_00: I love all of that input.
• 17:36
  So I'm not going to go through my entire list that I think are
• 17:39
  essential classics,
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_00: but I did list them all in the Substack post,
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_00: which I linked for you.
• 17:44
  And I'm going to just go through the list really quickly and
• 17:47
  give you some
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_00: highlights to help you decide what to read and how to read it.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_00: One thing that I did differently here,
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_00: I always do either a thumbs up,
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_00: a thumbs down,
• 17:56
  or a heart to review the books so you know what I thought of
• 17:59
  the books that I read.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_00: This one, I also added a green light.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_00: And what the green light means, these are emojis I'm talking about.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_00: is that I thought it was relatively easy to read.
• 18:08
  I think one thing about classics is that people can get
• 18:11
  intimidated by them.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't want you to be intimidated.
• 18:13
  I want you to know there are a lot of books on this list that
• 18:16
  are not that hard to pick up.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_00: So as I scroll through,
• 18:19
  I'm going to just try to focus on the books that I gave hearts
• 18:22
  to at first.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_00: And I'll try to also focus on the easy ones.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_00: So even though this is probably one of the harder books on the list,
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_00: Anna Karenina,
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_00: I can't help but talk about.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_00: That is Rory Gilmore's favorite book.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_00: It was a love for me.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_00: It's 800 pages.
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_00: I really enjoyed the Oprah's Book Club edition.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_00: It's an award-winning translation, and I also paired it with Sparknotes.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_00: I did only 10 pages a day.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_00: So yes,
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_00: it did take me about 80 days to read,
• 18:46
  but I think this is a great way to conquer a big classic that
• 18:49
  feels intimidating.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_00: I absolutely adored the complexity of Anna Karenina and her love story.
• 18:54
  There are some parts,
• 18:56
  especially within the middle,
• 18:57
  that are very much about farming.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_00: And that kind of threw me for a little bit of a loop.
• 19:01
  But at the end of the day,
• 19:02
  I did learn more about Russia during that time.
• 19:04
  So it was valuable to me,
• 19:06
  even though those weren't my favorite parts of the book.
• 19:08
  I think that of all the books I have read from this list
• 19:12
  because of the challenge,
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_00: I'm most grateful for reading Anna Karenina.
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_00: So take that for whatever you will.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_00: I just feel like I would not have done it otherwise.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_00: And it's a book that I keep going back to in my mind as the years pass.
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, it's also nice to read Rory Gilmour's favorite book.
• 19:26
  Another one that is really beloved by me and many other members
• 19:30
  of this book club
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_00: and got a green light for me is The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.
• 19:34
  This is about a young woman who is experiencing mental health
• 19:38
  issues at a certain
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_00: time in the country.
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_00: I think
• 19:40
  it was probably 1950s,
• 19:42
  1960s,
• 19:43
  and she's also coming into her own in her career.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_00: I just found her voice to be so relatable to a young person,
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_00: and I do think that stands the test of time.
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_00: However, I will note that some people may find it triggering.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_00: Charlotte's Web, another great one for spring or summer.
• 19:57
  It has those feel-good themes of friendship,
• 19:59
  and it takes place on a farm.
• 20:00
  This is just one of those children's books that both kids and
• 20:03
  adults will love,
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_00: and really everyone who reads it loves it.
• 20:06
  Death of a Salesman,
• 20:07
  if you want a play,
• 20:08
  this one by Arthur Miller is a great one.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_00: I read it several times in school.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I think to this day,
• 20:14
  it has such a lasting impact because it really makes you think
• 20:17
  about what is the
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_00: value of a life.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_00: And at the end of the day,
• 20:20
  we all want to feel like we had a life that was well lived and
• 20:23
  that we made a
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_00: difference.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_00: And this book really explores that.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_00: I also love The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank,
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_00: another one that I've read many times,
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_00: both in school and recently.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_00: I think she is so brilliant beyond her years.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_00: And gosh,
• 20:37
  I am just so grateful that we are able to experience her
• 20:41
  beautiful story and her
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_00: beautiful words,
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_00: though she herself did not make it through World War II.
• 20:46
  Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is a new favorite classic and it
• 20:49
  was so much easier
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_00: than I ever expected it to be.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_00: I think because it is sci-fi,
• 20:53
  I thought it was going to be really hard given both that theme
• 20:57
  and it being an
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_00: older classic.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_00: But no, it was really easy to read.
• 21:00
  It is super engaging and it just shocks me how relevant it is
• 21:05
  to today as we move
• 21:07
  into an AI world where it's really warning you of what can
• 21:10
  happen when humans don't
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_00: check their own ability to create something very powerful.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_00: The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_00: This is one of my favorite plays that I read from this list.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_00: Not everyone is going to like it because not a lot happens in it.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_00: It's sort of like a slice of life.
• 21:27
  But what I loved about it is that it's a memory play and it
• 21:30
  brings in the theme of
• 21:31
  memory through so many different ways that I just find it so
• 21:34
  insightful and such a
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_00: smartly written play.
• 21:37
  The Great Gatsby by F.
• 21:38
  Scott Fitzgerald is a book that I think everyone should read.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_00: In my opinion,
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_00: this is the great American novel,
• 21:44
  and I think it's because of its focus on the American dream and
• 21:47
  what the American
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_00: dream represents to our history.
• 21:51
  What I love about this one especially is that it's very heavy
• 21:54
  in symbolism,
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_00: and it also has a few epic,
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_00: really memorable lines in literature,
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_00: including its famous last line.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: If you're going to read Shakespeare,
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_00: I know it's not easy,
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_00: but I would probably recommend either Hamlet,
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_00: which is my personal favorite.
• 22:06
  To me,
• 22:07
  that book read like an episode of Dateline,
• 22:10
  or I would also recommend Romeo and Juliet.
• 22:12
  And the reason for that one is because I think most people know
• 22:15
  the general plot,
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_00: so it would be easier to follow.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_00: And you can also pair it with
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_00: the adaptation.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_00: My favorite was the Leonardo DiCaprio one from the mid 90s.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_00: I actually read it in school at the same time that movie came out.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_00: So this was one of my first really immersive literary experiences.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_00: And it really is a great adaptation.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_00: The
• 22:34
  The only other thing I will say when it comes to Shakespeare is
• 22:37
  that I try to buy
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_00: these editions that are called No Fear.
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_00: And I usually just find them at used bookstores or at my library sale.
• 22:45
  And what it is,
• 22:45
  is that on one side of the page,
• 22:47
  there is the Shakespearean text.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_00: And on the other side of the page, there is a modern English translation.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_00: So it makes it super easy to read.
• 22:55
  The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is another one that is really
• 22:58
  popular in our book club.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_00: It's short and it's easy.
• 23:01
  And I think that people like to pick it up because you do
• 23:03
  remember it from Gilmore Girls.
• 23:04
  It's the book that Rory bought for Dean when they were first
• 23:07
  dating and she bought
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_00: him a Christmas gift.
• 23:09
  SPEAKER_00: And Lane was saying, why would you buy him that?
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_00: That's like him buying you a football.
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_00: Anyway, this is a story about a salesman who wakes up one day as a bug.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, that's right.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_00: He wakes up as a
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_00: how that changes his life and how people relate to him.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_00: It's pretty interesting.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_00: And I think you can read it really quickly.
• 23:28
  SPEAKER_00: Okay,
• 23:29
  we did talk about Pride and Prejudice and Jane Austen and that
• 23:32
  you can read any of
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_00: her books to really get that spring feeling.
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_00: But I do want to talk about Northanger Abbey.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_00: This is the book that Rory reads in the gazebo,
• 23:40
  which I believe is right when Dean is getting married or has
• 23:44
  just gotten engaged.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_00: But anyway,
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_00: what I love about this one is that it's written more like a YA book,
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_00: and it's more about fun and imagination than anything else.
• 23:53
  SPEAKER_00: So I think it's really a good starter into Jane Austen's books,
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_00: even though her other ones are more popular.
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_00: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.
• 24:01
  This is also a very popular book in our book club and with
• 24:04
  classic readers in general.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_00: It's short,
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_00: it's easy,
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_00: it's about friendship,
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_00: and I really don't think you can go wrong with this one.
• 24:11
  Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw is another play that you can
• 24:14
  read in probably about two hours.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_00: The original text wasn't my personal favorite,
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_00: but what I love about reading this one this month,
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_00: which is April,
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_00: is that the adaptation is My Fair Lady starring Audrey Hepburn,
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_00: and that is one of my all-time favorite adaptations,
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_00: and it's also one of my favorite movies to watch in the spring.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_00: It just has so much eye candy, and a lot of that involves flowers.
• 24:36
  If you are a thriller reader,
• 24:38
  I would recommend Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.
• 24:41
  I think people will debate whether this is a classic or not,
• 24:43
  but I personally think it is.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_00: It's super atmospheric.
• 24:46
  This lower class woman very quickly meets and marries a man and
• 24:50
  she moves into his
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_00: grand estate known as Manderly,
• 24:52
  where the ghost of his wife lingers mostly in the staff who are
• 24:56
  always talking
• 24:57
  SPEAKER_00: about her.
• 24:57
  And this really causes her to question what actually happened
• 25:01
  to Rebecca.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_00: And of course, this will take you on a surprising ride.
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_00: If you want something nonfiction,
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_00: I would definitely recommend A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_00: This feels so Rory coded.
• 25:10
  It's an essay about the things that women need in order to
• 25:13
  become famous authors
• 25:14
  SPEAKER_00: like Shakespeare.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_00: And what she argues is that you need a room to write and money.
• 25:19
  I think it's really interesting and you can compare it to
• 25:22
  Gilmore Girls A Year in
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_00: the Life where Rory starts writing.
• 25:25
  And I think we can also think about how this relates to today
• 25:28
  and who has the
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_00: ability to write because this is generally not a high income position,
• 25:34
  SPEAKER_00: yet we
• 25:34
  SPEAKER_00: know it's a really important one.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_00: Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut.
• 25:38
  I kind of think this one should be more popular than it is in
• 25:41
  our book club.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_00: It was one of my favorite books that I read in high school.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_00: It is very science fiction-y and it takes place in World War II,
• 25:48
  but his work is super readable and he weaves in lessons about
• 25:51
  life and death in war
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_00: in ways that are not preachy,
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_00: but really make a lot of sense.
• 25:56
  Another book that everyone should read is To Kill a Mockingbird
• 25:59
  by Harper Lee.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_00: This is probably my second choice for the great American novel.
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_00: This one is about race and justice in the South,
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_00: and it's told through the eyes of a young girl,
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_00: which makes it so special.
• 26:09
  SPEAKER_00: There's also a very beloved adaptation.
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_00: It's older, but it's an absolute classic, and you can pair that with it.
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_00: Again,
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_00: if you want to be a well-read reader,
• 26:18
  SPEAKER_00: I definitely think you should read To Kill a Mockingbird.
• 26:21
  SPEAKER_00: So before we move on,
• 26:22
  I think it would be fun to also go through a few of the books
• 26:25
  on the list that I
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_00: did not like.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_00: I think this is what makes it really juicy.
• 26:28
  And because these are older books,
• 26:30
  I don't believe these authors are still living.
• 26:32
  And I don't think I can hurt their feelings by saying I didn't
• 26:34
  like these books.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_00: And really,
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_00: at the end of the day,
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_00: for most of them,
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_00: the issue is just that it was not my type of book.
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_00: And you'll notice a lot of themes here.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_00: That generally means things like science fiction, heavy fantasy.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_00: I have Beowulf
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_00: That was a book that I hated in high school.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_00: I actually didn't like A Confederacy of Dunces.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_00: Even though this is a newer book and it's more popular,
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_00: I thought it was really dense and hard to read.
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_00: And I just didn't like the main character or really understand his story.
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_00: Do I regret reading it?
• 27:00
  No,
• 27:01
  I'm glad I understand what it's about and why it's popular,
• 27:04
  but not one of my favorites.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_00: A Clockwork Orange, another one.
• 27:07
  I actually am not sure why my teachers chose this as required
• 27:10
  reading in high
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_00: school because it's kind of scandalous and out there.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_00: Not my kind of book.
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_00: The Hobbit,
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_00: I know many people will disagree with me on this,
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_00: but these really heavy fantasy plot lines are just not my favorite thing.
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_00: Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov.
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_00: This is one that I think many people will not enjoy picking up.
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_00: It's about a scandalous relationship with a younger girl.
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_00: hard to appreciate in today's modern age.
• 27:33
  And here's one that some people agree with me and some people
• 27:35
  disagree with me.
• 27:36
  SPEAKER_00: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
• 27:40
  I know many people who think of this as their favorite book of
• 27:42
  all time or one of
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_00: their favorite books.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_00: I thought it was the hardest book I have ever read.
• 27:47
  And the reason is because it takes place over several
• 27:50
  generations and almost all of
• 27:51
  SPEAKER_00: them have the same name.
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_00: I slogged my way through it and I did finish it,
• 27:55
  SPEAKER_00: but I found it to be incredibly difficult to read.
• 27:58
  SPEAKER_00: Jess may disagree with me as well.
• 28:00
  SPEAKER_00: This is one of his book choices.
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_00: Shane is a Western and again, just not my thing.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_00: I read this one in high school and was not into it.
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_00: Okay,
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_00: so now that you know the juice on the books that I did not like and why,
• 28:12
  I'm just going to share what I am reading this month and it is
• 28:15
  The Picture of
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_00: Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_00: Why?
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 28:18
  I simply took a look at my bookshelf and that one stood out to
• 28:21
  me and I thought,
• 28:22
  you know what?
• 28:22
  SPEAKER_00: That one's been on my list for a long time.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_00: It's not too short.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_00: It's not too long.
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to pick it up right now.
• 28:27
  And I'm glad I did because I have since heard that it is a very
• 28:31
  juicy and very
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_00: unputdownable book.
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_00: I did just start it.
• 28:35
  So I have the book and then I also borrowed the audio from the
• 28:38
  library to read along with it.
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_00: So I am very hopeful about that one.
• 28:41
  Okay,
• 28:42
  so I hope you are very well prepared to read classic books this
• 28:45
  month with us.
• 28:46
  SPEAKER_00: Whether you choose something on my list,
• 28:49
  SPEAKER_00: something off my list,
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_00: something that's spring-like,
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_00: something that is not seasonal,
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_00: whether you read The Outsiders,
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_00: which is our featured book of the month.
• 28:57
  SPEAKER_00: I love that this is a challenging reading prompt,
• 28:59
  but there's also so much room for you to choose what you want
• 29:02
  within it to make it
• 29:04
  SPEAKER_00: your best reading experience.
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_00: And again,
• 29:06
  SPEAKER_00: my whole goal for you is that at the end of the month,
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_00: you feel like you have accomplished an essential classic read.
• 29:12
  SPEAKER_00: If you need help picking,
• 29:13
  just head to the Substack post that is linked in the show notes
• 29:17
  and let's talk about
• 29:17
  SPEAKER_00: it.
• 29:18
  SPEAKER_00: See you next time, Friday night readers.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for listening to Friday Night Readers.
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_00: I love having them here in our little corner of the Gilmore Bros world.
• 29:27
  SPEAKER_00: If you'd like even more feel-good fun,
• 29:29
  SPEAKER_00: then upgrade to a free or paid email subscription membership at
• 29:33
  SPEAKER_00: fridaynightreaders.substack.com.
• 29:36
  SPEAKER_00: Paid members get exclusive extras.
• 29:38
  You'll also unlock members-only posts,
• 29:40
  as well as bulk community access to our chats.
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_00: It's the coziest virtual place like Stars Hollow,
• 29:46
  SPEAKER_00: and your support helps keep this podcast going strong.
• 29:50
  Lastly,
• 29:51
  if you enjoyed today's episode,
• 29:53
  please take a minute to rate and review the show.
• 29:55
  It helps other Gilmore fans find us,
• 29:57
  which helps me provide you with more content like this.
• 30:02
  SPEAKER_00: Until next time, life's short, read fast.