books

There's a Gilmore Girls reading challenge and we've never been more ready.

Gilmore Girls fans know the only character more well-read than Lisa Simpson is Rory Gilmore. The youngest member of the family was seen clutching a book during almost every early episode.

One viewer even went so far as to list the 338 books Rory read during the original seven seasons.

The reboot launched last weekend and although our book-loving heroine had lost her long reading list, that didn’t mean books weren’t a central focus of the story.

One Business Insider super fan has assembled a complete list of every book mentioned in the reboot and we are salivating at the chance to churn through it. Hello Christmas reading.

Still catching-up? Let our royal recapper Rosie Waterland get you up to speed with her special Gilmore Girls podcast. Post continues after audio.

 

We won’t list all the books mentioned but we’ll pick our favourites from each season-orientated episode.

Summer

Leo Tolstoy: Anna Karenina

Rory was reading the great Russian classic Anna Karenina while lounging beside the pool. The book is certainly not a light read but its wintry landscapes may whisk you out of our sticky Australian summer.

Cheryl Strand: Wild

Lorelai’s poolside read was a lot lighter but certainly a lot more influential… if you’ve finished the revival.

Autumn

Oscar Wilde: The Picture Of Dorian Gray

Lorelai mentions the great Wilde classic while talking about how Emily never changes.

“You don’t move or change. There’s a picture of you in the attic that Dorian Gray is consulting copyright lawyers about,” she said.

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Lorelai and Rory are judging your current book choice. (Source: Netflix.)

Hosts Laura Brodnik and Rosie Waterland spoke about the thematic use of books in their special Gilmore Girls reboot episode on television podcast The Binge.

Rosie said the change in Rory's rebooted character made her nostalgic for the girl she represented in earlier seasons.

"She's just grown up into a really insufferable, selfish, self-absorbed, sh-thead," she said.

"I was one of those nerdy girls who related to Rory, I read a lot of books, I wasn't very cool."

Laura agreed and shared how much the younger Rory had influenced her own early life.

"We read books like hers in high school and we wanted to be like her," Laura said.

Love the Gilmore Girls more than your friends? Wait till you hear the thoughts of the biggest GG fans in the office: Laura Brodnik and Rosie Waterland. Post continues after audio.

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Winter

Jack Kerouac: On The Road

Lorelai describes the nomadic lifestyle of Rory with a reference to the great american writer Jack Kerouac. Lorelai says, "Pass the peyote," while they're eating dinner.

Irvine Welsh: Trainspotting

Lorelai comments that Rory's old apartment possessed a "Trainspotting vibe". If you're not sure of the reference, I highly recommend you give the book a read over summer. It's a classic for a reason.

Spring

Sun Tzu: The Art of War

Paris' guest lecture at Chilton makes a casual reference to the great Chinese classic and the ideology at the heart of its pages.

"It's kill or be killed. I'm not talking about The Art Of War," she said.

David Foster Wallace: Consider The Lobster

When Rory meets with the Conde Nast editors, they repeatedly mention famed author David Foster Wallace and his essay, Consider The Lobster.

If these books aren't to your taste, consider them as a fun gift for a fellow Gilmore Girls fan. They're sure to like it.

Let hosts Laura Brodnik and Rosie Waterland talk you through the best Christmas watch list on a very special episode of our television podcast, The Binge. 

To subscribe to The Binge in iTunes go to apple.co/mamamia where you'll find all of our shows in one place and any books written by the many Mamamia guests.