The ultimate Rory Gilmore reading list to add to your to-be-read pile

Autumn = Gilmore Girls, so we've got the best Rory Gilmore reading challenge for you.

When the weather starts to cool, you start to realise whether you're more of a 'hoa hoa hoa' or 'lalalalala' girl (IYKYK). For the latter, ie. the Gilmore Girls enthusiasts all about the cosy vibes of autumn, you'll normally either hard relate to Lorelai or Rory.

Hundreds of people search for the 'rory gilmore aesthetic' on Google every month, and it's not hard to see why: an enviable mother-daughter relationship, excellent taste in music and films, the dark academia style queen, hard worker with ultimate study goals (let's not talk about dropping out of Yale…), and more than anything, an insatiable appetite for books across genres. If you're a fellow bookworm, who wants to follow Rory's journey and read the books that she has actually read, you're in the right place.

We've put together the ultimate Rory Gilmore reading list, which compiles all of the books that Rory has ACTUALLY read in the series (and not just referenced or another character talks about). Split by each season so you can see her growth, and see how her taste changes as she gets older. If you wanted to see every single literary reference, made by Rory or other characters, there's a list here.

See how many you've already read, or ones to add to your TBR pile. Don't forget to take advantage of excellent student discounts on books for your growing library.

Books Rory Gilmore read in season 1: the highlights

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

In episode 1, we're given our first glimpse into Rory's reading choices, as her first conversation with Dean discusses how she was reading Madame Bovary the week before they met.

Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

… and coming up in quick succession, Dean notices in that same conversation that Rory is reading Moby-Dick this week.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

In episode 16 of season 1, Rory says that Anna Karenina is one of her favourite books, so convinces Dean to read it again.

Other books and poetry mentioned in season 1 of Gilmore Girls

• A Room of One's Own – Virginia Woolf

• New Poems – Emily Dickinson

• The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath – Sylvia Plath

• Sonnet 116 – William Shakespeare

• Ulysses – James Joyce

Books Rory Gilmore read in season 2: the highlights

Candide by Voltaire

In true Rory Gilmore fashion she tackles Candide by Voltaire in season 2, episode 18 when talking to Lorelai about her day.

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

In season 2, episode 13, Rory and Jess are sharing their thoughts on some of their favourite books, and Rory says that she read The Fountainhead, not once, but twice.

Howl by Allen Ginsberg

For the Beat enthusiasts, Howl is a staple. In season 2, episode 5, having just met Rory, Jess steals her copy of Howl and leaves notes in the margins, like a true early noughties

bad boy heart throb.

Other books and poetry mentioned in season 2 of Gilmore Girls

• Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter by Simone de Beauvoir

• Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Wolf

• Summer of Fear by T Jefferson Parker

• The Scarecrow of Oz by L Frank Baum

• Contact by Carl Sagan

• The Children's Hour by Lillian Hellman

Books Rory Gilmore read in season 3: the highlights

The Brontes by Juliet Barker

In the opening scene to season 3, episode 16, Rory is reading The Brontes. With lots of references to the Bronte sisters throughout the series, Rory is clearly a big fan of their work.

A Life of Colette by Judith Thurman

One of the classic books that Rory reads while on the bus to Chilton, we see her reading this in season 3, episode 12.

The Holy Barbarians by Lawrence Lipton

We definitely see Rory going through her Beatnik era while she's with Jess, and The Holy Barbarians is mentioned in season 3, episode 14 when recommending it to Jess.

Other books and poetry mentioned in season 3 of Gilmore Girls

• A Bolt From the Blue and Other Essays by Mary McCarthy

• The Diary of Virginia Woolf, Volume 4: 1931-1935, ed. Anne Oliver Bell

Books Rory Gilmore read in season 4: the highlights

Atonement by Ian McEwan

Season 4 really amps up with the classics that you can spot a mile off – like Rory's first party at Yale, she's spotted reading Atonement by Ian McEwan. Not how we might spend our Freshers', but hey, who are we to judge?

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Never one to shy from reading Austen, Rory is spotted in season 4 reading Northanger Abbey, which she had previously recommended to Dean in season 1.

The Snows of Kilimanjaro by Ernest Hemingway

One thing that's interesting throughout the series is seeing how influences on her life have crept into her book choices. After claiming to be bored and drudging through Hemingway to Jess back in season 2, Rory has clearly changed her mind after reading The Snows of Kilimanjaro while at Yale.

Other books and poetry mentioned in season 4 of Gilmore Girls

• The Trial by Franz Kafka

• Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann

• Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Books Rory Gilmore read in season 5: the highlights

On the Road by Jack Kerouac

Another Beat classic makes the list and honestly, we're surprised it wasn't a little sooner. But if you're a fan of troubled souls making their way around America and the tales along the way, then you'll love On the Road.

Daisy Miller by Henry James

Travelling around Europe with her Grandma, Rory makes a lot of references to books with a biographical undertone about her own life. A short read, pair it with the spooky Turn of the Screw for a good overview of Henry James.

The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer

Season 5 has a brilliant guest appearance from Norman Mailer, with plenty of literary references, as you can imagine. Lorelai remarks that Rory read The Naked and the Dead when she was young.

Other books and poetry mentioned in season 5 of Gilmore Girls

• The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford

• A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

• Fiddler on the Roof by Joseph Stein

• The Iliad by Homer

Books Rory Gilmore read in season 6 & 7: the highlights

A little bit differently, we've combined seasons 6 and 7. In season 6, Rory drops out of Yale and starts working with the Daughters of the American Revolution, so it's actually unusual to spot her WITH a book. When she heads back to Yale, we immediately see her start to discover her passion for reading again.

Sexus: The Rosy Crucifixion by Henry Miller

The Gilmore Girls writers really love a literary reference, even down to the books Rory is reading, and Sexus by Henry Miller is no different.

Eva Luna by Isabel Allende

Rory makes several references to Isabel Allende and remarks to Michel that Eva Luna is her favourite work.

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

In the opening episode of season 7, Rory mentions that Luke would've loved In Cold Blood, and given the differences in their characters it really shows the diversity of her book tastes.

Other books and poetry mentioned in season 6 & 7 of Gilmore Girls

• Walden by Henry David Thoreau

• The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie

• The Vanishing Newspaper by Philip Meyer

How many of these have you already read? And how many are you adding to your list? Time to think like a Gilmore.

Make sure you take advantage of our book student discounts at Student Beans, so your 'to be read' pile never has to stop growing.

If you love reading check out our top audiobook recommendations.