the Rory Gilmore reading challenge 🕯️🍂

[@nuna4115]

The outfit is giving Jo March rejecting Laurie and I’m here for it

[@kristinandj]

I think we all watch Gilmore Girls for the cozy, nostalgic vibes! Some characters are iconic, while others are definitely questionable-even insufferable at times. And some of the relationships… well, let's just say they haven't aged well. Since it's an older show, some of the humor can feel a bit off. But I think the real appeal lies in its comforting, low-stakes world, where nothing truly bad ever happens.

[@barbaralemon4170]

I have never seen The Gilmore Girls. I don't understand the references to the show. But, I have read the majority of the books mentioned.

[@gerryvelasquez4473]

These Rory Gilmore book challenges make me crazy because so many times the reference is to a movie and not a book! No one on the show reads The Godfather, but they quote the movie all the time. Someone (not me) needs to create a more accurate list. Anyways, great video as always.

[@readiculousreads4164]

Totally agree! Also, why are we putting travel books on the list as if she read them cover to cover for fun?! 🫥

[@sofiaborges3853]

And complete works of some authors? She probably read a specific one, not all cover to cover

[@gerryvelasquez4473]

@@sofiaborges3853 Sometimes it's even worse than that. because sometimes they will just say an author's name as a reference, like Edgar Allen Poe, and then it's put on the list as the complete works. Drives me nuts, I say. Nuts!

[@sofiaborges3853]

@@gerryvelasquez4473 I didn’t watch the show so attentively to notice these things but damn! You really should create an improved version of this challenge!!

[@readiculousreads4164]

@@gerryvelasquez4473 Well, the whole town did listen to The Raven. But that can hardly be considered the Complete Edgar Allan Poe!

[@Cassandrareads]

I actually like Rory. I think she is flawed character who makes mistakes and loses her way but that’s happens. People are not perfect characters. Lorelei was always my favorite though.

[@tarastreasure]

I like Rory, too. You said the essence - most people are flawed in one way or the other, just like her. It's strange to see long comments analyzing what she did wrong step by step and passing judgements. It's a show, after all. And it has a very 'real life' feel to it. I think that is the best trait of it; I wasn't expecting a fairy tale. So many people act like Rory owed them something. 😅

[@haleylquinton]

I think the hate toward Rory is kind of overblown because I don't think people really hated her when it was actually on tv? Granted I was in elementary school/middle school when the show was really popular, but people liked her character then. I really think a lot of the hate is because... that's just sort of how tv heroines were back then? lol. I also haven't seen as much of the later seasons where her character starts really messing up, so idk. I don't get the hate but I also may have "imprinted" on Rory as a middle schooler to the point that I can't see her as this terrible, horrible person because I looked up to her as a young child who also loved books? And also I may have not seen the episodes where she's really bad. Or else I'm just stupid and I can't see past the surface level of her character.

[@magda_mf]

You should create your own challenge! An Emmie must reads list 😊

[@angelllona3257]

Definitely agree with this!

[@deeshighwalls]

i have never watched a single episode of gilmore girls, but i love watching people taking this quiz for some reason

[@eleanorhenderson9896]

Idk if I can convince you because your points about Rory are super valid but 1. I watch the show for Lorelei and the wit, plus one of the love interests later is great. I also love Luke. 2. I can’t speak for everyone but I’d guess a lot of us watched it for the first time when we were younger so it’s very nostalgic. I personally didn’t realise how crappy Rory was until I rewatched it as an adult, but it still had a place in my heart

[@Lizlizlizlizlizlizlizlizzie]

Yep-when I was younger, I idolized Rory, then I connected with Lorelei in my twenties, and now watching it I realize that Emily is sort of the sanest of the bunch, lol

[@MA24691]

Exactly. I grew up with it, and it's just a comfort show for us millennials. I rewatch it every here for that cute autumn vibe, and it definitely always gets me out of a reading slump 😂 I used to love Rory, but now I am Team Emily all the way 😅

[@demonchildofwar]

Rory is really young in the beginning as well. I started watching it as a teenager. My mom and I would watch it together in the evenings so it is very nostalgic for me.

[@haleylquinton]

I've only watched the first few seasons as an adult, and I still don't hate Rory. I don't know if it's because I just haven't watched the later seasons where her character gets worse or if I'm just stupid and I can't see past my childhood like of Rory, lol. I didn't even watch the show regularly as a child but I remember watching bits and pieces of it and liking it and relating to Rory. But season 1-2 Rory is still likable to me, idk.

[@tuxegirls]

The thing about this list is that it’s every book she’s seen reading or she has talked about. And for some of them, like the godfather, she was definitely talking about the movie. You could argue that Rory is definitely read the book before watching the movie, but there are some assumptions there. Same thing with like, Fahrenheit 9/11 for example, where they were definitely talking about the movie but the book got added to the list. A lot of the weirder books on the list are a result of that or just referencing books that were popular then that she might not have even read. I appreciate someone going through and finding all the references, but I wish it was a bit more discerning

[@sophia97]

The trick with Gilmore girls is to know all the characters are insufferable for at least some of the episodes but you just ride with it and it’s such a good time, so comforting and nostalgic. Also your story about a Clockwork Orange always surprises me as we studied it for English Lit at high school!

[@ReneeHarveyDuh]

114 , and as an American, I had heard of quite a few you hadn’t (but you weren’t missing much). I’m excited about all your TBRs. Some great ones there. Also this list/series is aging out of relevance and a good number of the books were popular at that moment but haven’t stood the test of time. We need a new show about a girl who reads.

[@emilienocture7215]

I mean technically we now have Heartstopper with Isaac but agree, I want a show about a reader girly

[@marias.5812]

Maeve from Sex Education!

[@gentledistortion953]

I specifically decided to watch Gilmore Girls because I saw so many video essays slandering Rory and wanted to see if they were being fair. One moment that left an impression on me was in episode 4 when a deer runs into her car (she didn’t hit it), causing her to miss her test. There is a very subtle but touching scene at the end of that episode that made me think that she is actually a very kind person. I hope you will give her a chance because she is an important archetype!

[@all1swan]

I think once Rory gets to college specifically people only can see her mistakes as something she’s doing intentionally since she’s now an adult when there are SO many factors on why she acts the way she does. From having an entire town treat her like she can do no wrong, to her mom being more like a friend than a parent + Loreali’s own issues passing down to her, her absent father, and having grandparents that can literally fund any and every endeavor she wishes all adds up to who she becomes. Yes she does stupid, maybe even bad things as she grows up but deep down she is that good person you see at the start of the show throughout, even when she’s in the wrong. That’s what I love about the show though, yes a lot of it is not applicable to normal people, every character in the show is so complex, and they don’t stray away from the negative traits one can have! I hope you love the show as much as I did!!

[@shift.mp3]

as someone who's watched gilmore girls as a teen and then as an adult regularly, i think there's a lot to say about rory being a golden child character and stereotype but she also literally grew up in poverty and there's nothing performative about her love for books and education!! it's actually one of the few beautiful constant and true things about her!! the dinner scene where she paris and jess argue about the beat generation and Jane austen around fries is one of my top tv moments of all time!!

[@mariaioannou6248]

Honestly I think you will love le miserables! It’s so poetic and beautifully written . Takes your breath away♥️

[@hello123sunshine123g]

I don't think I can convince you that you'll like the show if you already don't like it, but I will say that I don't think your idea of Rory is accurate to her character! I don't know what clips you have seen, but I think that Rory's worst moments tend to get spread around and she gets unnecessary hate. In my opinion, 99% of the show she is actually incredibly kind and goes out of her way to lift others up. I also don't think that her reading is performative - maybe its shown in an obvious way because its a TV show, but never in the show does she try to brag about how much she reads or is obnoxious about it. She tries to get people she loves to read, but she isn't always talking about it, and has other interests/personality traits. Also, about the Rory Gilmore reading challenge in general - the books mentions in the lists are not all necessarily books that Rory was shown reading. A lot of them are props she is shown reading or books she actively talks about with other characters, but a lot of them are books that are simply mentioned by one of the other characters - not necessarily even by Rory. And there are some of them that are barely tangentially mentioned - for example, a lot of them have their movie adaptations mentioned by one of the characters and yet have made their way onto this list. And for some of them, an author is mentioned and then all of that author's books were put on the list.

[@gianpieraboi8046]

I agre with you 100%. I don’t understand all the hate for Rory I see on the web. Maybe they’re moralists? For me she’s a fantastic character, with all the beauty and the bad, like all of us

[@ursalemii]

i just finished rewatching the whole series!! Your timing is incredible! Thank you for posting ♥

[@whateverbabe]

Same! I finished it today

[@linzj01]

me too! I watch every few years.. I think part of why rory gilmore is beloved is because her arc is imperfect.. she doesn't make the best decisions.. just like all of us :)

[@lanag4748]

I was obsessed with Gilmore Girls when I was an adolescent. In retrospect, I think it was sort of a girlish escapism for me - the vibes of the show seemed cozy and aspirational at the time. When I rewatch it today, I agree with your impression that Rory doesn't have a lot of depth as a character. Even though she reads a lot, she doesn't really talk about the books she reads and she doesn't seem to have any distinct personal or philosophical conflicts she is trying to solve by reading. The show is really all about vibes and fantasizing that your life is perfect because you're Rory f'ing Gilmore (in my experience).

[@ellarose8696]

To give you something to compare Gilmore Girls to, I’m going to abstractly relate it to Anna Karenina - Lorelai is like Levin - is from a prominent background of wealth but chooses to get “on the ground” after an inciting incident in her teenage years, and we watch her “mow the lawns” and make friends with people who live in Stars Hollow (suburban people). Rory is like Levin’s brother Koznyshev mixed with Anna, she is ambitious, passionate and immerses herself in doing anything it takes to get to Harvard, no matter the cost. But like Koznyshev, she is so focussed on the importance and elitism of education, that it ultimately becomes her downfall. The last Gilmore girl is Lorelai’s mother, Emily, who I relate as Countess Vronskaya. She meddles, she looks down upon others, she tries to set Vronsky up with people who don’t necessarily match what he wants but she ultimately thinks she is acting in her son’s best interest. Emily Gilmore is very similar in this way, but she begins to melt and we get more perspective as the show progresses. I hope this helps!!

[@unravelingrachel]

Franny and Zooey is great! I don’t love American lit but it won me over page by page and by the end I was in love.

[@tanishqmaikhuri]

I can't believe it, i was just watching an episode of Gilmore girls in which Rory lends Anna karenina to Dean and was complaining about his writing style and all. As soon as i saw the notification, i couldn't resist myself from tapping on it 🤣✨.

[@gianpieraboi8046]

Actually it’s not Rory who complains about the book but Dean, who in the show is a boy that doesn’t care a lot about education. It’s Jess the boy who instead is so mentally and culturally connected with Rory

[@Lizlizlizlizlizlizlizlizzie]

I got 93, which is better than I thought. I was surprised of some you’d never heard of, but others just didn’t have staying power beyond the early aughts, so that made sense. Also, no one has read Finnegan’s Wake, don’t torture yourself before grad school with it. Really there is nothing you *need* to read before starting. Everyone has gaps and grad school is all about pursuing your own research interests and you’ll use your time in the program to expand your knowledge as it applies to your own ideas. No one comes in having read it all (even your professors).

[@doberman_hund]

lots of people read finnegans wake

[@Lizlizlizlizlizlizlizlizzie]

@@doberman_hundI was clearly being hyperbolic

[@bestnarryever]

the movie “the graduate” is INCREDIBLE, I feel like you would have great commentary on it!

[@B-RollBooks]

9:45 all the Wodehouse fans of the world shaking their heads in unison.

[@juntadna]

Kavalier and Clay was phenomenal! I highly recommend it.

[@stevearmstrong4809]

Agreed, It's really great.

[@Merlandese]

100% certified truth! Amazing adventure

[@verolandry6997]

I would love a video on Rilke!! I LOVED Letters to a Young Poet, and trying to read more of his work. Have a great day ✨

[@Kim-poet]

Hi Emma! Sorry you had tech difficulties today. Thanks for pushing through them and getting this video up for us. It's fun and brightened my day. And I would love to take an emmiereads book challenge - that's a great idea.

[@carly885]

The Crimson Petal and the White is AMAZING. And felt so wintery to me, I'd really recommend!

[@sarahjanefrost]

I did the original challenge, and I've read 42 (and DNFd 2) of the books. Then I did your version of the challenge, and my score was -50. Also, I think it went very well, because it was very entertaining to see your reactions to books you hadn't read and informative to learn where the gaps in your reading are (we all have them, no one has read everything). I think you should put together the Emma Reading Challenge (with check boxes and everything) so we can participate and see how many of your books we've read (I've never read any Rilke, so that's going to decimate my score right from the start).

[@gennybadillonightraid]

I've watch Gilmore girls and Rory is one of my favorite characters and she reminds me of me when i'm reading all the time thank you for this videos

[@tiaraulfah8560]

Emma is very funnyy and i missed that but now she's baaaaaaaaaack!!!

[@charliemalkin1451]

Omg you haven't read Don Quixote you would love Don Quixote its like the first novel and its still hilarious and brilliant

[@circleofleaves2676]

Emma, I played along using your scoring system, except I added in one extra category for "currently reading", giving myself 1 point. My results: Read = 39 books (2 points each = 78 points) Own, but not read = 56 books (1 point each = 56 points) Not read, but heard of = 133 books (0 point each = 0 points) Never heard of = 104 books (--1 points each = --104 points) Currently reading = 1 books (1 point each = 1 point) .... bringing my result to a negative score of --31

[@bex262]

OMG THE RED TENT IS AMAZING READ IT RIGHT NOW!!! no but seriously if you love books about women told by a woman focused on women this book is incredible. it's traumatic and healing and sad but brilliant. it is the untold story of a woman in the bible reduced to a single sentence. you won't regret reading this (or maybe you will idk- but i loved it!!! changed my life in many ways)

[@JoodyMoody6]

I was just doodling Rory's big 3 love interests... manifested this one! edit: RORY IS A MENACE! this video made me realize just how bizarre her taste in books is... but I do recommend giving the show another try- but do it for Lorelai! she is such a fun character, she is a wintery hotel queen

[@aquaviolin07]

I think a bunch of the books are just referenced on the show, or read by other characters. Someone on Reddit divided the list into references and books read by characters, and Rory's list actually goes down to 179, if that person's work is accurate. At the same time, I think Rory says in the Harvard episode (season 2) that she's read around 300 books, if that's to be believed. I think I've read about 84 or so out of the list in the quiz.

[@rachaeldiviney712]

If you want to read Joyce I reccomend starting with The Dubliners, it's a short story collection and lays the groundwork for a lot of his techniques. Also the Flowers for Algernon short story is much better than the book, so I recommend just reading that. Gender Trouble is really good and important but also very difficult because ever chapter is addressing a new philosopher so you need to understand the original to get her taken it. My brain melted everything I left that class!!! Also just fin8shed The Shiningaudiobook yesterday and it is INCREDIBLE

[@AmberlyyK.]

75 books from the list as a fellow English student here. When I took the test for the very first time I was equally shocked at how low my score was, but as you said, many books are very niche. And every now and then I take the test again and am happy to see my score climb up. And I love the idea of everyone's read books being each their individual "reading challenge" simply because I'd love to see the percentage overlap of books read/ experiences shared with other readers

[@waltero.8957]

The Adventures of Kavalier & Clay is amazing. Just finished it a couple of weeks ago and it became my favorite book. It's a beautiful story about the importance of escapism, high-brow and low-brow art and fiction during dark times. That said, Chabon might be a bit too verbose over the subjects he finds fascinating but if you're either interested in 1. The golden age of comic books 2. WWII 3. The jewish experience 4. New York in the 30s/40s/50s 5. Magic, illusion and escapism 6. Really long and beautifully written sentences with a jouranlistic flair 7. All of the above, then it's the perfect book for you.

[@CarrieWeidman-lv9dm]

Rorie was a journalism major in both high school (Chilton Academy) and Yal University. Chilton was based on the real life prep school called Choate Rosemary Hall, in Connecticut.

[@Georgiesreading]

I love love love Gilmore Girls and as a teen I adored Rory, she was bookish and awkward and somehow that seemed to make her cool and loved in the show (my real life experience was sadly very different). As an adult I've definetly started noticing how flawed she is as a person, but I still find her to be a very interesting character with a believable arc. Lorelai is also flawed but so much more lovable. The show in general has immaculate cozy vibes and really clever dialogues, somehow it combines 40s screwball comedy style witty banter with 90s-2000s vocabulary /pop-culture references. Stars Hollow itself with the townies community also contributes to make it feel like a very alive world. I think the creators poured so much attention and love in making the show (seasons 1 to 6) it really shows. It is a plus for me that the stakes are also quite low all the time so it feels like a very safe comfort show! 🍂 As for the quiz I think my original score a few years ago was also around 60 books, but I've added to my tbr some of them and my score when I re-took it back in september was 81. 💛✨

[@marie-joseecharest1735]

I did this challenge partially some years ago! I am only at 26% ! And I was dedicated!Gilmore girls is a pretty long serie and the first seasons are better. The best friend of Rory is cool too, she plays in a band, her mother is super strict and catholic, she have to hide cd’s in her room. Many 1990’s grunge music references. Lorelei mother and father are absolutely great characters, snobbish. Rory and her mother, they are film geek too. As a mother, Rory and Lorelei are a model of relation for me, close friends, in their own world, but each one have her own life. Rory study journalism. Some books are just showed, she brings them, read in the beginning of a scene, we see them on her room or even it can be the book of another character. It can be a book that appears in a classroom too, the subject of a lesson. Books are most of the time figurants but linked to the action.

[@soopfm]

Would highly recommend Ella Minnow Pea, for anyone who has not read it! It's a short epistolary novel about a small island community, the home of the creator of the "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" phrase that uses all 26 letters of the English alphabet. This community practically worships the guy (now deceased) and have erected a statue in his honor with the phrase in tiles above it - and then after a storm one night some of the tiles with letters start falling off, and the island government takes this as a sign from beyond the grave that no one can use those letters anymore. I don't want to spoil anything but the islanders all love words and writing and take great pride in their love of language so they start a campaign to stop the edicts banning the letters. One of the best parts is that because it's epistolary the author also has to stop using each letter, and it's just so genius and well done. Highly, highly recommend.

[@paulinechaussette4536]

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame is one of the best and most haunting books I have every read. You have to push through at times because of all the 14th century Paris descriptions but it is soooo worth it! I am pretty sure you will love it if you loved Zola last month ✨

[@SahaMusic1]

I watched this show a really long time ago and Rory might’ve changed majors but I do know that she majored in journalism at one point

[@hyemiyah]

emma, you're glowing. you look so so happy in your new home and that makes my heart full ❤❤❤

[@shrutakirti4640]

I'd been hoping that you made a Rory Gilmore video for ages. Finally, getting one mid November feels like the perfect fall gift 🍂

[@michelehawley7410]

Most of these books were either quoted by a cast member. There was only a few that were actually shown. But I love Gilmore girls it us one of my favorite shows.

[@ellarose8696]

Can we pleaseeee have a part 2 of reading my Rory Gilmore TBR!

[@mattkean1128]

Kavalier and Clay is great and made me cry 😢. Wodehouse is a favorite comfort author. He writes comedies of simple situations that keep growing out of control. It feels like what sitcoms were based on. Fahrenheit 451 and Inherit the Wind were favorites in high school. The latter is a play about the Scopes Monkey trials, a real life court case about teaching evolution in a school. Othello is one of my favorite Shakespeares. Swann's Way is the start of Proust's massive work, and beautiful. I'm in a readalong in March for The Name of the Rose with another booktuber Johanna Reads.

[@caramia2012]

You are correct about your first impression assessment of Rory and she only gets worse as the show goes on lol. However, I did still enjoy the show (especially I'd say the first half). Cozy, comforting, slice of life, most of the characters do feel real and the writing is very smart in my opinion. Also, Lorelai runs a hotel. Give it another try one day!

[@jimcowhand1749]

It still blows my mind that there was a THE CRIMSON PETAL AND THE WHITE reference in GILMORE GIRLS! Will always love that show!!

[@vintagexsellout]

The shining is obviously great, but if we're talking more modern, fairy tale is SO very good.

[@karenmoore9926]

My 5-month-old son loves watching your videos - hopefully I'll make him a reader someday! 💜

[@gitanwalkinshaw]

I read The Count of Montecristo in English my first time and LOVED IT, you made me want to re-read it but now I'll do it in Spanish and see what's the best translation🥰

[@CoffeeBookChick]

I started watching Gilmore Girls a couple of times and literally never connected with it. Then I sat down and couldn’t find anything else to watch and watched a few episodes in a row and I actually enjoy it now. I pop on a few episodes every now and again.

[@michaelavenkrbcova7561]

For me gilmore girls is really not about Rory. The community in gilmore girls is the reason watch it. All the quirky characters, the events that happen or the information revealed which become relevant later... The story just keeps building up, the characters become so rich, having their annoying but often funny flaws, their history, their way of talking and interacting... It simply gets better the longer you watch it.

[@GlacierBlue28]

I also love winter and hotels! If you haven't already you should make a recommendations video for winter and hotel books.

[@kathy2539]

To know Rory Gilmore you need to watch the entire show. It's a wonderful series. Rory is one of the characters but iconic characters are Lorelai, Sookie St James, Lane, Luke Danes, Emily Gilmore, and Michel Gerard who was so funny. There were so many other wonderful characters on the show, it wasn't just about Rory. Rory Gilmore is very bright and she ends up attending Yale or Harvard, I think her grandfather was a Yale student, I remember she wanted to become a journalist/writer. She studied literature and journalism, though I'm not sure what these sat under as far as her degree went.

[@bbogdane]

Hi Emmie! As many of the other fans in the comments have mentioned, this is a list of all books that: appear in the show, are referenced or movies that are based on books. Also, this is not solely Rory's reading list and references so it's not possible to discern Rory's taste and interests based on it. For example, most of the ancient history books are referenced by or in relation to Rory's grandfather while some of the more eclectic reading on music or star biographies are actually Lorelei's (Rory's mother). Still an interesting list with some worthwhile gems. Now to the selling to Emmie part: Gilmore Girls aired in Oct 2000. I started watching it sometime in 2001 when it was first released in Romania. At that time I was turning 18 and in my last year of high-school before starting uni, having changed my mind from going into journalism to comp sci. Rory starts out in the series a bit before her 16th birthday and her dream is to be a journalist. I watched the series throughout its life until 2007 - incidentally the year I finished university, got a job, moved from my home country - with the series finishing as Rory completes her academic life and .. well let's not spoil too much. I identified with Rory over this journey. I wished I had her opportunities and some of her lifestyle. I liked the laid back Stars Hollow with its nature, close knit community and stories. In 2020, while I was fighting through a bout of post-partum depression I saw there's a new 4-episode mini-series trying to bring us back to the Gilmores. I decided to re-watch the series and this time, at 35, I had a completely different view of the characters. I saw the Gilmore girls (Rory, Lorelei and Emily) with completely different eyes. I had left Rory behind and understood Lorelei much better. Lorelei starts the series being around 32-33. It was an eerie feeling of having looked at something I previously loved, seeing the imperfections and leaving it behind. This feeling stuck with me and I wanted to experiment how my perception will further change through the years as I loved the show for offering a completely new set of feelings. I recently re-watched the series as I've passed the 40 year mark and I was wondering if the passing years changed anything. Well, I still love Lorelei, but my favorite is now Emily, the grandmother. Her wit, her humour, her strong base and vulnerabilities, her life experience are things I see in a new light. I think this is the quality of Gilmore girls more than anything else. It's the ability of the writers to create characters which are basically stages of life. In my mind the Gilmore Girls is not a story of three women, but rather a story of experience, growth and change. There are some of Rory's actions that seemed extremely plausible to my 18-20 year old brain while now they are simply laughable, same with some of the other Gilmores' actions. Hindsight is 20-20. This does not make it bad, it just makes it truthful of the context, and truth speaks loudly and persists.

[@uhzel]

you're so real for finding Rory insufferable but I promise you the show is worth watching, you MUST watch it at least once!!

[@cass465]

The voices of Rory and Lorelai are just a way to voice the witticisms of the show runner Amy Sherman Palladino and she considers herself to be clever and worldly. The main character of her other show “Marvellous Mrs Maisel” is the same. It’s got the same quick dialogue and slight mean spiritedness. Nothing about her writing reflects that she was ever a shy bookworm.

[@maiasolaris3255]

My favorite character in Gilmore Girls is Emily Gilmore (Lorelai's mother), played by Kelly Bishop. She recently published a memoir, and it was sooo good.

[@theartistasagirlygirl]

A lot of the books are props, mentioned by other characters, movie references etc. - The Electric Cool Aid Acid Test and the othre beatnik titles relate to a relationship in the show though. And a lot of the literary, movie & pop-culture references really link the plot and characters with each other and with the temporal setting of the show. Many of these references have now aged quite a bit which can make them hard to grasp at times, but they are still so witty and enjoyable for the most part and I think the dialogue writing is one of the things that make the show so fun to watch and re-watch.

[@mooncake262]

I was just looking at pictures of Gilmore Girls because I miss watching it, and then this video popped up! ❤️ Thank you so much for this, Emma!

[@wernerkuhn6822]

Emma - I think I just died a little. My favorite show and favorite channel are at odds.

[@wernerkuhn6822]

In the beginning, She goes to an Elite Prep School called Chilton, but later, she gets into Yale for an English and journalism major

[@velascoescreve]

Definetly Les Mis. I think you'll absolutely love it! And then Notre Dame, after :) very good as well, but not as good as Les Mis

[@liil7463]

Balzac and the Little Chinese seamstress is great! It's a translated quite short novel.

[@verminsoup]

girl! the graduate is a classic movie from the 60s w dustin hoffman and simon and garfunkel on the soundtrack. didnt know it was a book though haha. also david sedaris is hilarious

[@lunaginebra]

Never clicked so fast in my life!! This is the best way to start my week! Also I just finished GG and you are so right on Rory tbh 😅

[@elisabethprice4697]

Lorali and Luke are amazing!!!

[@RowdysMommy74]

Just popping in to say…..finally someone else that DNFd the Name of the Wind! I thought I was the only one on earth lol!

[@eloiseortega]

if you're open to sharing I would love to hear more about the TBR that you're making to prep for your masters.

[@Shreyaaaa0610]

Im shocked you havent read the quixote!!!!! I relate to you so much, and i really think you will love it emmaaaaaaaaaa!

[@roxannehsk6862]

emma, this is offtopic, but i just wanted to say that if u feel like sharing some skincare or makeup you use i would be DELIGHTED!! i discovered the gingseng water from beauty of joseon thanks to ur vids and i love it and have been using it ever since. 💌 hugs!

[@doreene11]

😂😂😂

[@joselocalau123]

finally someone who has the same opinion on Gilmore Girls as me, thank you so much

[@kacie-jobradford2632]

My mom used to read Encyclopedia Brown books with me as a kid. I kind of want to revisit him. Total jam!

[@makennamcelwee8909]

Emma you MUST read “Ella Minnow Pea”! It’s such a fast, silly, read that inspires so much interesting thought on language. I think you would enjoy it and find it endearing

[@alep5561]

actually started count of monte cristo not long ago and im so excited to continue reading !! also i have read both les mis and hunchback and i would 100% go with hunchback, i liked the story more and it does flow better than les mis in my opinion, it's actually one of my favourite books i would love to hear your thoughts about it !!

[@mikouh]

If rory did the emmie reads reading challenge, she would do as well as you did 😅 since you just went through all the books she read

[@jbeattie86]

I feel like you would adore steinbeck I hope to see you read him soon. Also please add Ella millow pea to your tbr its so unique!

[@evien190]

Im so excited for you to read Little Women, I hope you love it😭 it means so much to me, my parents read it aloud to me when I couldnt read for myself last year. Also I just took the quiz and got 51 (but I included the ones where I had only seen the film too😅 so more like 40)

[@starswnames]

watching gilmore girls only because of rory is like… no she’s probably the last reason why I watch the show lol emily, sookie, and just the town as a whole organ is the best for me 🩵

[@demonchildofwar]

The Crimson Petal and the White is really good. I think you'd like it.

[@trinc9015]

I loved Sookie , Lorelei and Luke the best. But I love the coziness of the show. Give it more time .

[@yaelnitzan1058]

THANK YOU! Rory Gilmore is a bully. But the kind of bully who is surrounded by enablers. I did like her mother and the workers of her mother though. This show should have been focused on the inn.

[@yurisama9]

Rory wanted to study journalism at Harvard. The show is very warm and cozy highly recommend.

[@nicole0991]

I just recently read Ella Minnow Pea for the first time and I would recommend it. It's fairly short but the premise (and execution) is really unique and interesting!

[@jenn9049]

" rory gilmore eat your heart out " iconic

[@hellopaulie]

I don't understand why Clockwork Orange would have been confiscated. I had to read this in highschool. As someone who was in highschool in the 1980s, I have to wonder if we weren't sheltered enough or whether your generation was sheltered too much. I love Gilmore Girls because of the (almost) perpetual autumn vibes and the small town aesthetic. Rory has her strengths and weaknesses as a person which I think is realistic and relatable. I kind of like that her character became popular without being overly rebellious and too cool for school. A lot of my generation had that as a model for typical teenaged attitudes.

[@etc4604]

doing the rory gilmore reading challenge and then opening the video by critising her character is what I'm here for lol (she is indeed a disappointing character unfortunately, all her reading served her little) + I would read the hunchback first! les mis can be intimidating but the hunchback is a wonderful starting point

[@red_Bellapepper]

that was an accurate assesment of rory's character actually

[@carolinekouba-marquet695]

Can’t wait for you to Read Notre-Dame, I loved it soooo much, it was fun and beautiful and nobody tales about it !!

[@MsGloomyLamp]

I don't know if people have mentioned it already, but if you like Lorelei, watch it for Lorelei, and know that she works at an inn, then opens up her own inn, and she ADORES snow. This show is far from perfect, and you're not totally wrong about Rory, but it does deliver in many other aspects.

i got 41.... my good there are a huge tbr from the list! challenges are something of the old booktube school and i love it

[@adelinecoelho2166]

I loved Gilmore Girls when I was a teen and it really got me reading, but its kind of weird the ways they picture family relationships, food related topics and even studying. Loved the video, its fun to peak at what they curated for Rory's character, speaks a lot about her, and i dont like her very much haha

[@Irisadii]

Hey Emma ❤ This is a little bit unrelated to the video, but I was wondering if you would ever consider making a video with tips or advice to read books more deeply or get a better understanding/analysis of them? One of the reasons I love your videos so much is because you always provide such a wonderful analysis of the books you read, in terms of the themes and topics those books deal with, and are very eloquent in explaining them. I would love to be able to do the same, so any advice you have would be welcome! (I know a lot of it comes from being a lit student, but what advice would you give to someone who hasn't had the opportunity to study texts so deeply but want to?) Sending you lots of love!! You look really happy in your new home ❤❤❤❤

[@whoisshe123]

Highly recommend High Fidelity, such a good time

[@RachelAnastasiaFurman]

franny and zooey is my favorite salinger , but also one of my faves in general high fidelity is a very enjoyable book i recommend

[@haleythewhitaker]

I will warn you, I'm about 100 pages into the name of the rose and I'd highly suggest having references nearby for the latin translations and/or references from the bible. I have a seminary degree for goodness sakes but this book is taking all of my brain power😂 Super interesting so far though

[@newbooksmell9221]

Gilmore Girls gives me very cozy feelings, but I think it makes sense that you are not a Gilmore girly 😅like many of the books Rory has read that you haven't heard about, I guess the show's popularity feels a little bit topic to me: it made sense back then because we were starved for a particular kind of story and character, but it doesn't hold up so much today honestly. that said, what made me love the show was seeing a (overall) good relationship between a single young witty mother and a quiet bookworm daughter. even with TONS of differences between my Brazilian small town reality and Stars Hollow, it often felt like we were being seen and our way of living valued.

[@sally-k3o]

omg i’ve been hoping for a video all day!!