One of my favorite shows is Gilmore Girls. Since they announced they were doing a reunion show on Netflix, I thought it would be fun to read the books shown and/or mentioned on the show. There are a lot of different book lists for this show. Rory always had a book with her and they referenced a lot of books and authors during the series. I read through different book lists online and watched some of the series over the summer. I’m posting the list I came up with to help me keep track of the books. This book list was compiled by watching the show and researching other people’s book lists found online. I added the books to my Goodreads “to read” or “read” lists, but didn’t elaborate on the details. On the list below, I list the book and which episode it was in. Gilmore Girls was on for seven seasons, so I’ll do a list for each season instead of one really long list. My lists leave off reference books, travel guides, and cookbooks. I’ve already read most of the books on my Season 1 book list.
10/22/2016 UPDATE:
I did create a Goodreads list for this book list. If you’re interested, click on over to Gilmore Girls: Season 1 Books.
1/21/2017 UPDATE:
I finished reading the books on this list!
Gilmore Girls: Season 1
| Book | Episode |
|---|---|
| The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain |
Episode 1 Rory’s class assignment. |
| Moby Dick Herman Melville |
Episode 1 Rory and Dean discussed it. |
| Madame Bovary Gustave Flaubert |
Episode 1 Dean said he saw Rory reading it. |
| The Little Match Girl Hans Christian Andersen |
Episode 1 Rory asked “Do we go in or do we just stand here reenacting The Little Match Girl“. |
| War and Peace Leo Tolstoy |
Episode 2 Mentioned in Rory’s class at school. |
| Anna Karenina Leo Tolstoy |
Episode 2 Mentioned in Rory’s class at school. Episode 16 Rory and Dean discussed it. |
| David Copperfield Charles Dickens |
Episode 2 Mentioned in Rory’s class at school. |
| Great Expectations Charles Dickens |
Episode 2 Mentioned in Rory’s class at school. |
| A Tale of Two Cities Charles Dickens |
Episode 2 Mentioned in Rory’s class at school. |
| Little Dorrit Charles Dickens |
Episode 2 Mentioned in Rory’s class at school. |
| Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire J.K. Rowling |
Episode 2 Miss Patty referenced it – “Walk smooth, that’s a new Harry Potter on your heads”. |
| Peyton Place Grace Metalious |
Episode 3 Richard referenced it at the club. |
| A Mencken Chrestomathy H.L. Mencken |
Episode 3 Rory mentioned it – she and Richard talked about it and he found a copy. |
| The Complete Works William Shakespeare |
Episode 4 Rory studied it for her class. |
| Kitchen Confidential Anthony Bourdain |
Episode 4 Lorelai read it while Rory studied. |
| A Room of One’s Own Virginia Woolf |
Episode 5 Rory read it on the bus. |
| Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen |
Episode 8 Dean returned it to Rory. |
| The Group Mary McCarthy |
Episode 9 Rory read it while waiting in line to buy tickets to the dance. |
| The Portable Dorothy Parker Dorothy Parker |
Episode 9 Rory took it on her date with Dean. |
| The Metamorphosis Franz Kafka |
Episode 10 Rory bought it to give to Dean. |
| Swann’s Way Marcel Proust |
Episode 11 Max loaned it to Lorelai. |
| New Poems of Emily Dickinson Emily Dickinson |
Episode 11 Rory read it in cafeteria on Parent’s Day. |
| The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath Sylvia Plath |
Episode 12 Rory read it while waiting for Dean. |
| A Streetcar Named Desire Tennessee Williams |
Episode 14 Lorelai named Rory’s chick Stanley/Stella. |
| Horton Hears a Who! Dr. Seuss |
Episode 15 Christopher said “all is not right in Whoville.” |
| Gone With the Wind Margaret Mitchell |
Episode 16 Paris referenced it – “Right behind Belle Watling.” |
| The Bell Jar Sylvia Plath |
Episode 17 Lorelai said “Honey, why don’t you just stay home and read ‘The Bell Jar’? Same effect.” |
| The Art of Eating Mary Francis Kennedy Fisher |
Episode 17 Rory took it to a party. |
| Hamlet William Shakespeare |
Episode 18 Trix said “You know Shakespeare once wrote ‘Neither a borrower nor a lender be'”. |
| The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck |
Episode 19 Emily said “It’s the Grapes of Wrath” in reference to the Gilmore Girls’ refrigerator. |
| To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee |
Episode 19 Lorelai refers to Roon as ‘Boo Radley’. |
| James Joyce’s Ulysses Stuart Gilbert |
Episode 20 Rory read it while waiting for Lane. |
| Out of Africa Isak Dinesen |
Episode 20 Lorelai bought it for Luke to give Rachel. |
| The Art of Fiction Henry James |
Episode 20 Mr. Medina recommended it to his class. |
| Secrets of the Flesh: A Life of Colette Judith Thurman |
Episode 21 Rory was carrying it when Tristan took her books. |