Latest / Friday Night Readers: Gilmore Girls Inspired Book Club / 📖Rory Gilmore Reading List: 475+ Books You Can Check Off With This Free Printable

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📖Rory Gilmore Reading List: 475+ Books You Can Check Off With This Free Printable · Friday Night Readers: Gilmore Girls Inspired Book Club

• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Friday Night Readers.
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  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.
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  SPEAKER_00: Before we dive in,
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  don't forget to subscribe to our Friday Night Readers
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  newsletter community on
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  SPEAKER_00: Substack.
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  You'll get instant access to a free printable list of 450 plus
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  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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  Paid members get exclusive extras,
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  like our Gilmore Girls-inspired reading journal.
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  SPEAKER_00: And our unofficial guide to the books on Gilmore Girls.
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  SPEAKER_00: Come hang out where the real Gilmore magic happens.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: Hi, Friday Night Readers.
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  SPEAKER_00: This is a bonus episode to talk about the Rory Gilmore Reading List,
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  SPEAKER_00: 450-plus verified books by me on Gilmore Girls,
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  SPEAKER_00: plus how to get your printable PDF checklist.
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  SPEAKER_00: So,
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  SPEAKER_00: nearly two years in the making,
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  SPEAKER_00: my Rory Gilmore Reading List of books on Gilmore Girls is here,
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  SPEAKER_00: with 100-plus new discoveries you likely will find anywhere else,
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  SPEAKER_00: and a printable PDF checklist,
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  SPEAKER_00: as I mentioned.
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  So on the heels of the release of my 168-page unofficial guide
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  to the books on
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  SPEAKER_00: Gilmore Girls by episode,
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  SPEAKER_00: which is for paid subscribers on Substaff,
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  SPEAKER_00: I've now also updated my Rory Gilmore reading list.
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  SPEAKER_00: This is free for everyone online,
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  and there's a great printable PDF checklist for email
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  subscribers on Substaff.
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  SPEAKER_00: I will link all of that in the show notes for you.
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  It will make your participation in our Rory Gilmore Reading
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  Challenge this year
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  SPEAKER_00: your best one yet.
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  SPEAKER_00: Here's why you should trust my list of books mentioned on Gilmore Girls.
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  My Rory Gilmore Reading List is the most accurate and
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  comprehensive one that I'm
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  SPEAKER_00: aware of,
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  SPEAKER_00: period.
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  SPEAKER_00: In short,
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  SPEAKER_00: since 2020,
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  SPEAKER_00: I have dedicated myself to this project and built a podcast,
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  SPEAKER_00: an Instagram book club with currently about 19,000 followers,
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  SPEAKER_00: as well as an email book club community,
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  SPEAKER_00: also of about 19,000 subscribers,
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  SPEAKER_00: who joined me in taking the Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge.
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  SPEAKER_00: I've also written about it in the book,
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  SPEAKER_00: But I'm a Gilmore,
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  SPEAKER_00: and I've been featured on many major outlets discussing this challenge,
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  SPEAKER_00: including the Every Girl and Distractify.
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  SPEAKER_00: Again, I'll link it all in the show notes for you.
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  SPEAKER_00: More specifically,
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  SPEAKER_00: back in 2014,
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  BuzzBeat shared a viral post highlighting 339 books purportedly
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  mentioned across
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  SPEAKER_00: the episodes of all seven seasons of Gilmore Girls.
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  SPEAKER_00: However,
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  SPEAKER_00: when I started our Vori Vilma Reading Challenge in late 2020,
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  I also wanted to add books that were later mentioned in
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  Netflix's 2016 reboot,
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  SPEAKER_00: A Year in the Life.
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  SPEAKER_00: So I started my own list, which has been popular ever since.
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  Let me tell you,
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  tens of thousands of readers have downloaded it over the years.
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  SPEAKER_00: Then,
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  SPEAKER_00: between 2021 and 2023,
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  SPEAKER_00: I continued to find significant fault with the original BuzzSpeak list,
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  SPEAKER_00: and quite frankly,
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  SPEAKER_00: all the other compilations I found out there.
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  SPEAKER_00: Some books on their list have never been identified by anyone,
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  SPEAKER_00: myself included,
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  SPEAKER_00: after multiple tedious rewatches with captions,
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  SPEAKER_00: as well as lots of pausing and resurging.
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  SPEAKER_00: And others are a bit of a stretch.
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  SPEAKER_00: For example,
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  SPEAKER_00: where only an author is referenced on the show,
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  SPEAKER_00: the original list assumes a particular title by that author.
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  I have now discovered over 100 additional books not listed
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  anywhere else that I'm
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  SPEAKER_00: aware of,
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  and I can tell you exactly where each book on this list is
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  referenced in Gilmore
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  SPEAKER_00: Girl.
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  SPEAKER_00: My episode.
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  SPEAKER_00: That's why you should trust my list.
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  SPEAKER_00: This work is, quote, my lifestyle, my religion, not just a one-off post.
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  SPEAKER_00: So without further ado,
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  please enjoy the updated Rory Gilmore reading list and support
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  my work in releasing
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  SPEAKER_00: factually accurate information to the public for free by liking,
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  SPEAKER_00: sharing,
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  SPEAKER_00: commenting,
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  SPEAKER_00: restapping,
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  SPEAKER_00: or subscribing on Substack.
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  SPEAKER_00: Again, the link is in the show notes.
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  SPEAKER_00: Your support keeps real journalism like this alive.
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  SPEAKER_00: I'm not going to go through all 470 books I spotted on Gilmore Girls,
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  SPEAKER_00: which are in the subset post in the show notes,
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  but I will go through an infographic that is in the post that
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  shares nine iconic
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  SPEAKER_00: books from the show.
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  SPEAKER_00: First is Anna Karenina,
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  SPEAKER_00: and you will know this as Rory's favorite book,
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  SPEAKER_00: and she also references it in her graduation speech.
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  One more thing you may not realize is that Dean also read it,
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  but he called it depressing.
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  The Bell Jar by Sylvia Flap is mentioned several times,
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  both by Lorelai and Rory Gilmour.
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  SPEAKER_00: This is a reader favorite as well as one of my favorites,
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  but you should also know that it deals very much with mental
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  health of a young
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  SPEAKER_00: woman.
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  SPEAKER_00: Ness is Driving Miss Daisy by Alfred Uri.
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  SPEAKER_00: And does this need any further introduction?
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  All I can picture is Emily Gilmore splayed across the couch
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  with her sunglasses on,
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  SPEAKER_00: asking Lorelai to chauffeur her around.
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  SPEAKER_00: I will also note that this is a longtime favorite in our book club.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's just a really sweet story of friendship that feels so heartwarming.
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  And the version that I always like to recommend is the
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  Honorable Exclusive because
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  SPEAKER_00: it's narrated by Angela Lansbury and James Earl Jones.
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  SPEAKER_00: Their masterful acting really shows in this classic play,
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  SPEAKER_00: about an hour or two.
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  SPEAKER_00: Howell by Allen Ginsberg is the famous jest book,
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  SPEAKER_00: which he borrowed from Rory and wrote in the margins out.
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  SPEAKER_00: I also added Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf to this list.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's featured kind of fleetingly on Gilmore Girls.
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  Rory simply reads it at Friday night dinner while her mother
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  argues with her
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  SPEAKER_00: parents,
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  but she looks so beautiful and authentic to herself in this
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  moment that I had to
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  SPEAKER_00: include it.
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  SPEAKER_00: The Outsiders by S.E.
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  Hinton is a book that is referenced both by the book and the
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  movie on the show
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  SPEAKER_00: several times,
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  SPEAKER_00: and it's always one of the most popular picks in Argo Club.
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  SPEAKER_00: I think that readers love that there's a movie that goes along with it,
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  and it's short and accessible as a high school age read that
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  works for both kids
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  SPEAKER_00: and adults.
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  Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is arguably the most iconic
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  romance novel of all time.
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  SPEAKER_00: Dean read it upon Rory's request and said that he actually liked it.
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  It's just one of those books that every classic reader has to
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  read at some point.
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  SPEAKER_00: And of course, I included Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.
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  SPEAKER_00: This one is also mentioned several times on the show,
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  but my personal favorite is when Paris has to step in to play
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  Romeo to Rory's
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  SPEAKER_00: Juliet after Tristan gets shipped off to military school.
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  SPEAKER_00: This one is also quite accessible for a Shakespearean classic,
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  SPEAKER_00: and you can pair it with my favorite adaptation,
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  SPEAKER_00: the 1990s Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes version.
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  SPEAKER_00: Lastly is The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion.
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  SPEAKER_00: This is another iconic scene from the show that shows Rory reading.
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  SPEAKER_00: She brings it to Martha's Vineyard,
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  SPEAKER_00: and while this memoir of grief isn't exactly a beach read,
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  SPEAKER_00: it is for Rory.
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  A few things to note about my list of the books on Gilmore
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  Brothers before we go.
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  SPEAKER_00: First, please note that there are nuances to this guide.
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  This includes instances where a title appears on the show but
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  it's unclear whether
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  SPEAKER_00: the reference is to the book or the movie adaptation.
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  SPEAKER_00: I assume the book.
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  SPEAKER_00: I also made some tough decisions about what to leave out.
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  SPEAKER_00: For example,
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  SPEAKER_00: I list background books only when they appear to belong to a character,
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  SPEAKER_00: such as on Rory's shelf rather than on a bookstore shelf.
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  I mention authors referenced only when they are primarily known
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  for their writing.
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  SPEAKER_00: not simply public figures who also wrote a book.
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  And I only mention literary posters that are on the characters'
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  walls once,
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  SPEAKER_00: not in every episode,
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  SPEAKER_00: which would seal excessive.
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  SPEAKER_00: I also include plays, but not their musical adaptations.
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  SPEAKER_00: Lastly,
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  SPEAKER_00: I chose not to list religious texts,
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  SPEAKER_00: such as the Bible,
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  SPEAKER_00: textbooks,
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  SPEAKER_00: or other reference works.
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  SPEAKER_00: Now,
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  SPEAKER_00: when you look at my virtual list that's linked in the show notes,
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  I want you to also know that you can click on the title to buy
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  the book and or
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  SPEAKER_00: learn more about it.
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  SPEAKER_00: And for the books from the list that I have read,
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  SPEAKER_00: I'd link to my full book review,
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  SPEAKER_00: including episodes featuring the book,
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  SPEAKER_00: pairings,
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  SPEAKER_00: recommendations,
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  SPEAKER_00: tips,
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  SPEAKER_00: and more.
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  Just note that this is a work in progress and I'm working on
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  adding all my book reviews.
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  SPEAKER_00: So now that you know 470 books that were actually on Gilmore Girls,
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  SPEAKER_00: here's how you can enjoy reading like a Gilmore with your printable PDFs.
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  SPEAKER_00: There are many reasons we read like a Gilmore.
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  SPEAKER_00: Some are more escapist.
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  SPEAKER_00: Some are more educational.
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  SPEAKER_00: First,
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  I recommend that you save my post and or subscribe on Substack
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  to receive your free
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  SPEAKER_00: printable PDF checklist to track your reading.
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  SPEAKER_00: As a great email subscriber,
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  SPEAKER_00: you'll receive an array of multimedia content from posts to polls,
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  SPEAKER_00: podcasts,
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  and live videos all about these iconic books to inspire your
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  own reading list.
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  I make reading these important books fun and accessible in a
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  virtual book club
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  SPEAKER_00: setting that feels like Star Solo.
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  SPEAKER_00: Second,
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  SPEAKER_00: if you choose to upgrade to become a paid subscriber on Substack,
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  SPEAKER_00: you'll receive extras like exclusive posts and printables.
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  including the unofficial guide to the books on Gilmore Girls
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  and a reading journal.
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  This helps you seamlessly pair your reading with your rewatches
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  and enjoy more cozy
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  SPEAKER_00: analog living this year.
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  SPEAKER_00: My unofficial guide to the books is 168 pages.
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  SPEAKER_00: It also includes a printable quote that you can frame,
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  SPEAKER_00: and it's broken down by each episode of Gilmore Girls,
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  SPEAKER_00: as well as where and how the book is referenced.
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  Paid subscribers also get a 20-page Friday night reading
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  journal to print.
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  This includes a coloring page with the Gilmore's Bookshelf of
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  the most popular
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  SPEAKER_00: books on the shelf,
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  SPEAKER_00: so you can focus on which ones are most important,
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  SPEAKER_00: Gilmore Grass Bingo that helps you select books by category,
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  SPEAKER_00: a checklist from Maurice Chilton's speech,
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  SPEAKER_00: another checklist of Jess Mariano's reading list,
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  SPEAKER_00: And lots more, including reviews by coffee cups, not stars.
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  SPEAKER_00: If you want photo and video previews of these,
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  SPEAKER_00: you can also find them in my Substack post in the show notes.
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  Before we go,
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  I want to note that if you like it,
• 9:19
  please take a quick moment to support my work.
• 9:21
  Anything like a like,
• 9:23
  comment,
• 9:23
  share,
• 9:24
  restack,
• 9:25
  or review of the podcast helps.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_00: And of course, so does your paid subscription on Substack.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: In short,
• 9:30
  every ounce of your support for Real Journalism Matters and
• 9:33
  helps me continue
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_00: providing you with such high-quality resources.
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  SPEAKER_00: Life's short, read fast, Jules.