This Is Your Sign To Try The Famous 'Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge'

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You probably associate autumn with spooky movies, orange leaves, and pulling your denim jacket out of storage. But for many, the arrival of fall also means rewatching the classic early 2000s series Gilmore Girls, starring Laura Graham (Lorelai) and Alexis Bledel (Rory) as a mother-daughter duo who live in the picturesque fictional Connecticut suburb of Stars Hollow.

Anyone who’s familiar with the show knows that the protagonist, Rory Gilmore, a school-obsessed teenager finding her way in the world, reads *a lot*. There are very few episodes where Rory is not holding onto a folded paperback—whether it’s for an assignment at her esteemed preparatory school Chilton Academy or for pure pleasure.

Given Gilmore Girls’ cult status, it’s no surprise that fans have compiled a list of every single book Rory has ever been seen with on the show (yes, every single one!), resulting in the famous ~Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge~.

If you’re a Gilmore Girls fan and want to know what all the hype is about or are simply an avid reader looking to add more titles to your TBR (FYI: That’s “to be read”) list, keep reading to learn more about the challenge and how to get started.

What is the Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge?

Essentially, the challenge is to complete all of the books Rory Gilmore is seen reading in the cult classic series. The grand total, you ask? 339 books, according to BuzzFeed, who published the original list back in 2014. But TBH, that number is up for debate. It also does not include the books that appeared in the 2016 short-lived reboot, Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life. Thanks to the BuzzFeed list, though, the Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge emerged.

Of course, you don’t need to be a fan of the show in order to take part in the challenge. This is truly a fit for just about anyone who carries a book with them wherever they go, is always reading multiple books at once, or is a regular at their local library. Whatever the case, you’re sure to find something to add to your TBR pile after perusing the list. It includes classics and contemporary favorites alike, with titles like Anna Karenina and Northanger Abbey in the company of non-fiction cult-faves like Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking.

With such an extensive list of great literature to choose from, you might need some inspo on where to start off your journey. The following are some of the more popular books from the Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge, according to #BookTok and beyond. (Fair warning for those who haven’t finished the series: There are some *spoilers* ahead.)

The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath by Sylvia Plath

Gilmore Girls fans know that the image of Rory reading The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath in season one, episode 12 is nothing short of iconic. To jog your memory, Rory reads this book outside of her boyfriend Dean’s school while waiting for his classes to end so that she can ask him about setting up a double date for her BFF, Lane. ICYDK, the book contains all of the uncensored journal entries from the famous poet Sylvia Plath during the last 12 years of her life, and is definitely worth a read.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

In season one, episode 16, Rory tells her BF Dean that this, Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, is her favorite book of all time. He tries to read it, but he says he can’t get into it—though he attempts again, just to make her happy. We never find out if Dean finishes the book, but odds are Rory loves it because it features one of the most beloved heroines in literature. For those unfamiliar with the story, it follows the adulterous affair between Anna, a married woman, and a young bachelor—and the upheaval that ensues.

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

Viewers only get a brief glimpse of Rory reading Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway in season two, episode four. She cracks it open while at her grandparents’ house as her mother and grandmother bicker amongst themselves. The book follows a single, stream-of-consciousness day in a woman’s life in London during the wake of World War I. The story is told from her perspective, though also from the perspective of the various people she runs into.

Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsburg

Fans know that one of Rory’s central love interests throughout the series is Jess—a fellow bookworm and nephew of the local diner owner, Luke. When Jess first visits Rory’s house in season two, episode five, he steals Howl by Allen Ginsburg from her bookshelf. Not a book, but rather, an epic poem, this title is known as Beat Generation icon Alan Ginsburg’s most famous work. In summary, it’s a critique of post World War II society and the destruction it caused to his generation and beyond.

Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger

When Jess is snooping through Rory’s bookshelves (again, hah) in season two, episode 15, Lorelai (Rory’s mother, for those unfamiliar with the show) catches him in the act. She asks him what he’s doing in Rory’s room and Jess says that he was looking to see if Rory had a copy of J.D. Salinger’s Franny and Zooey, a short story and novella about two sisters disillusioned with modern life in the mid-20th century. Spoiler: Rory had the book.

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

Rory is seen reading The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion in season six, episode 15, when Rory and her college boyfriend Logan spend Valentine’s Day weekend in Martha’s Vineyard with Lorelai and Luke. The book is, admittedly, a sad one. It’s Didion’s attempt to write through the weeks and months that followed the loss of both her husband, fellow writer John Gregory Dunne, and their daughter, Quintana.

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Rory lends this book to Dean and he returns it in season one, episode eight. Apparently, he likes this one. The novel follows the happenings of Catherine Morland, the daughter of a countryman, as she embarks on a season of high society gatherings in Bath, where she hopes to encounter intrigue and excitement. She does so when she’s invited to stay with a suitor named Henry Tingley and his family at their massive family estate, Northanger Abbey.

Atonement: A Novel by Ian McEwan

In season four, episode three, Rory is seen reading Atonement while waiting for one of her classes to begin at Yale University. Set in three time periods spanning 1935 to early 2000 in England, this novel tells the story of how one upper class girl’s revelation of a family member’s romantic affair ripples through the lives of her immediate circle and beyond, causing familial breakdown and social destruction as a result.

Othello by William Shakespeare

Technically not a book but a Shakespearean play, Othello makes an appearance in season two, episode 19. Rory reads the play out loud to Jess while he drives—leading the pair to crash their car and landing Rory in the hospital. The tragic play follows Othello, a military general, and Iago, who is upset he’s passed up for a promotion and vows to get vengeance on Othello as a result in this tale of jealousy, lies, and murder.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers

Season five of Gilmore Girls is notoriously known as the beginning of Rory’s reckless, irresponsible, and rebellious phase. She’s not enjoying her time at Yale—and she eventually drops out, albeit temporarily. The books she reads during this time, such as A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers, reflect her turbulent emotional state. It’s a memoir about the author’s senior year in college, when he lost both of his parents to cancer and then became responsible for raising his eight-year-old brother.

Okay, I'm ready to take the challenge. Where can I find the complete list?

For starters, you should know that there’s no particular order in which you must read the books. You can tackle the challenge however you see fit. A friendly tip? Start by looking at the list and checking off the books you’ve already read—especially those classics from high school, hah. (This online checklist quiz is super helpful for narrowing down your options.) Or, if you want to make things extra hard, you can start from scratch, tracking your progress with the Rory Gilmore Book Club’s downloadable PDF.

To find a bit of community throughout the process, consider starting a book club of your own as you make your way through the list, or find one that already exists online (like this one!) or IRL.

P.S. There’s no time limit or prize for completing the list—just a sense of accomplishment for being such a bookworm.

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