Friday Night Readers: Book Club That Reads Like Gilmore Girls

Welcome to Friday Night Readers. Fueled by coffee, we break down the books referenced on Gilmore Girls. Our little literary corner of the world helps you understand what the characters are talking so fast about, and live in a world of books like Rory. Life’s short; read fast!

Listen to the podcast on: Substack | Apple | Spotify | Amazon | YouTube

Read the full transcript and subscribe to our book club community: Female Friendship Books

Valentine’s Day isn’t just about romantic love! That’s why this week’s podcast episode is focused on Galentine’s Day.

It doesn’t matter if you’re Team Dean, Jess, or Logan today. Here, my new-ish book friend Laura Yamin (host of the What to Read Next podcast) and I share insights on what it really takes to make female friends as an adult, along with the three juicy books we each recommend on the topic.

From true friends to frenemies, these books celebrate platonic female love and all its highs and lows. It’s an extra special episode for an extra special day, so I hope you feel all the feels of our off-the-cuff conversation.

Timestamps for Our Favorite Female Friendship Books:

I focused on recommending books that remind me of the female friendships on Gilmore Girls:

08:21 My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante: one of the best novels of the 21st Century, about two smart young women in 1950s Italy, one of whom focuses on education and the other who focuses on family, for fans of Rory and Lane

17:32 Truth and Beauty by Ann Patchett: a memoir about a difficult, but loving, friendship with an academic contemporary, for fans of Rory and Paris

23:36 Love and Saffron by Kim Fay: an epistolary novel about food, which feels like a balm for the soul, for fans of Lorelai and Sookie

Laura focused on new releases:

12:49 Too Blessed to Stress by Alli Hoff Kosik: a debut novel about coming of age as friends in a church community

20:23 Rachel West and the Fallen Starlet by Emma Mills: a 2008 novel about uncovering the mysterious death of a celebrity friend

26:53 Murdered by Cheesecake by Rachel Ekstrom Courage: a cozy mystery starring the ultimate gal pals, the Golden Girls

More Books Mentioned:

Anne of a Different Island by Virginia Kantra

Little One by Olivia Muenter

Everyone is Lying to You by Jo Piazza

Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy

One & Only by Maurene Goo

Throwback by Maurene Goo

Nancy by E. Lockhart and Sarah Mlynowski

Samantha: The Next Chapter by Fiona Davis

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Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Welcome to Friday Night Readers. Fueled by coffee, we break down the books referenced on Gilmore Girls. Our little literary corner of the world helps you understand what the characters are talking so fast about, and live in a world of books like Rory. Life’s short; read fast!

Listen to the podcast on: Substack | Apple | Spotify | Amazon | YouTube

Read the full transcript and subscribe to our book club community: book adaptations on Gilmore Girls

Timestamps:

02:14 Featured book of the month

03:17 Books with great adaptations from the Rory Gilmore reading list

Links mentioned:

Rory Gilmore reading challenge

Rory Gilmore reading list

children’s books from Gilmore Girls

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Charlie & the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

The Shining by Stephen King

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

previously featured books

Unofficial Guide to the Books on Gilmore Girls

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Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Welcome to Friday Night Readers. Fueled by coffee, we break down the books referenced on Gilmore Girls. Our little literary corner of the world helps you understand what the characters are talking so fast about, and live in a world of books like Rory. Life’s short; read fast!

This month, as we read kids’ books from the Gilmore Girls book list for our Rory Gilmore reading challenge, I’m reviewing my read: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.

Listen to the podcast on: Substack | Apple | Spotify | Amazon | YouTube

Read the full transcript and subscribe to our book club community: https://fridaynightreaders.substack.com/p/lion-witch-wardrobe-always-winter

Timestamps:

01:18 About the book

02:13 Why winter symbolism resonates

04:36 On finding hope during winter

06:21 Reading tips

Links Mentioned:

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is the first of seven classic children’s books in the Chronicles of Narnia series.

C.S. Lewis 

Wintering by Katherine May

Disney’s 2005 film adaptation

movie exhibit

Turkish Delight

Find interesting reading resources at both the C.S. Lewis Institute and C.S. Lewis’s website. I also enjoyed the photos and maps on Into the Wardrobe.

Unofficial Guide to the Books on Gilmore Girls

Advertise: Do you have a book, product, or service you'd like to share with our engaged audience? Learn more and contact us.

Welcome to Friday Night Readers. Fueled by coffee, we break down the books referenced on Gilmore Girls. Our little literary corner of the world helps you understand what the characters are talking so fast about, and live in a world of books like Rory. Life’s short; read fast!

Get my updated Rory Gilmore Reading List of books on Gilmore Girls after 2+ years of work, with 100+ new discoveries nowhere else, and a printable PDF checklist.

Follow the show on your favorite podcast app: https://fridaynightreaders.com/podcast/

Timestamps:

01:50 Why you should trust my Rory Gilmore reading list

04:09 Most iconic books on Gilmore Girls

06:39 Nuances in the list of books on Gilmore Girls

07:43 How to read like a Gilmore

Links mentioned:

Rory Gilmore Reading List (free online for everyone; free printable PDF checklist for email subscribers)

168-page Unofficial Guide to the Books on Gilmore Girls (by episode) (for paid subscribers)

Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge

The most iconic books on Gilmore Girls

But I’m a Gilmore! book

Advertise:

Do you have a book, product, or service you'd like to share with our engaged audience? Learn more and contact us: https://fridaynightreaders.com/contact/

Welcome to Friday Night Readers. Fueled by coffee, we break down the books referenced on Gilmore Girls. Our little literary corner of the world helps you understand what the characters are talking so fast about, and live in a world of books like Rory. Life’s short; read fast!

This month, as we read kids’ books from the Gilmore Girls book list for our Rory Gilmore reading challenge, I’m featuring one top pick: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl.

Listen to the podcast on: Substack | Apple | Spotify | Amazon | YouTube

Read the full post and subscribe to our book club community on Substack.

Timestamps:

01:17 Plot description

02:03 Why Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is relevant today

05:05 On whimsy in our reading lives

06:29 Tips for reading this book

07:47 Poll: book or movie?

Links Mentioned:

Podcast host Laura Yamin (What to Read Next)

Gilmore Girls 1.7 “Kiss and Tell” podcast episode

Full review of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Wonka candy

2003 film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

2023 film Wonka

Controversy about this book

BBC's deep dive into Roald Dahl’s dark side

Advertise: Do you have a book, product, or service you'd like to share with our engaged audience? Learn more and contact us: https://fridaynightreaders.com/contact/

Welcome to Friday Night Readers. Fueled by coffee, we break down the books referenced on Gilmore Girls. Our little literary corner of the world helps you understand what the characters are talking so fast about and live in a world of books like Rory. Life’s short; read fast!

Follow the show on your favorite podcast app: https://fridaynightreaders.com/podcast/

See pictures and video of the printable PDF Unofficial Guide to the Books on Gilmore Girls and Reading Journal mentioned in this episode: https://fridaynightreaders.substack.com/p/books-gilmore-girls-by-episode

Advertise: Do you have a book, product, or service you'd like to share with our engaged audience? Learn more and contact us: https://fridaynightreaders.com/contact/

Welcome to Friday Night Readers. Fueled by coffee, we break down the books referenced on Gilmore Girls. Our little literary corner of the world helps you understand what the characters are talking so fast about and live in a world of books like Rory. Life’s short; read fast!

Subscribe at https://fridaynightreaders.substack.com/ to get notified of new episodes and participate in our virtual book club community that feels like Stars Hollow.

Or, follow the show on your favorite podcast app: https://fridaynightreaders.com/podcast/

Advertise: Do you have a book, product, or service you'd like to share with our engaged audience? Learn more and contact us: https://fridaynightreaders.com/contact/

Today at Friday Night Readers, we’ll be breaking down January’s reading prompt to read a children’s book from Gilmore Girls: all the options, how I rate them, and reading tips.

Subscribe:

Subscribe to the Friday Night Readers' free virtual book club community on Substack. New email subscribers get a printable PDF of the 500+ books on Gilmore Girls. You'll also receive a discount when you upgrade to a paid annual subscription to enjoy our full book club community benefits.

Links Mentioned:

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links that earn me commissions at no extra cost to you.

Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge

Kids' Books on Gilmore Girls

Instagram

Little Women Christmas Guide

Gilmore Girls onesies

MinaLima editions of classics

SSR Podcast episode about Encyclopedia Brown

I'm reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Our featured book will be Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl.

Time Stamps:

00:09 Changes to the podcast

01:42 About the Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge

08:24 Kids' books from Gilmore Girls

09:39 Kids' books I loved

15:23 Kids' books I liked

18:00 Kids' books I didn't like

19:00 Kids' books I didn't read yet

23:06 What I'm reading

24:04 Featured book of the month

Listen on:

Substack

Apple

Spotify

Amazon

YouTube

About the Show:

Friday Night Readers is a virtual book club inspired by Gilmore Girls and hosted by Julianne Buonocore, who has run a Rory Gilmore reading challenge since 2020 and wrote an essay in the book But I'm a Gilmore! Fueled by coffee, she breaks down the books on the show, so you actually understand what the characters are talking so fast about as you read and live like Rory with us. Subscribe to get notified of new episodes and participate in a community that feels like Stars Hollow.

Advertise:

Do you have a book, product, or service you'd like to share with our engaged audience? Learn more and contact us.

Welcome to Changes at Friday Night Readers for 2026 ! In this podcast episode, I share what you can expect from Friday Night Readers in 2026. As we turn the page on a new year, some things will stay the same, and some will change, but one things certain--our Gilmore Girls inspired reading community is getting bigger and better!

Disclosure:

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links that earn me commissions at no extra cost to you.

Sponsors:

Subscribe to the Friday Night Readers' free email newsletter on Substack. New subscribers receive a discount when you upgrade to a paid annual subscription to enjoy our full book club community benefits.

Books, Pop Culture, and Other Mentions:

1. Ann Patchett’s Whistler
2. Rory Gilmore reading challenge
3. The Gazette
4. Bookmarks
5. Book Teases
6. reading and business goals
7. why you should take the Rory Gilmore reading challenge
8. The Wishlist Finder

Full Show Notes For Changes at Friday Night Readers for 2026

Time Stamps:

1. 03:55 Quick Recap of 2025
2. 05:14 What to Expect Here in 2026
3. 12:56 Closing Thoughts

Follow:

Subscribe to Friday Night Readers on Substack to read and live like the Gilmore Girls in our virtual book club community. You'll instantly get a free printable checklist of 500+ books from the show.

Follow us on our most active social media channel, Instagram

Listen on your favorite platform:

Apple

YouTube

Spotify

Amazon

About Friday Night Readers: Literary Rewatch of Gilmore Girls :

Friday Night Readers is a virtual book club inspired by Gilmore Girls and hosted by Julianne Buonocore, who has run a Rory Gilmore reading challenge since 2020 and wrote an essay in the book But I'm a Gilmore! Fueled by coffee, she breaks down the books on the show, so you actually understand what the characters are talking so fast about as you read and live like Rory with us. Subscribe at FridayNightReaders.substack.com to get notified of new episodes and participate in a community that feels like Stars Hollow.

Advertise:

Do you have a book, product, or service you'd like to share with our engaged audience? Learn more and contact us.

Welcome to Best Books of the Year 2025 ! In this podcast episode, I share the best books I read in 2025: seven 2025 titles, three backlist titles from our Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge, and a list of 2025 book releases I wish I had the chance to read in 2025.

Disclosure:

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links that earn me commissions at no extra cost to you.

Sponsors:

Subscribe to the Friday Night Readers' free email newsletter on Substack. New subscribers receive a discount when you upgrade to a paid annual subscription to enjoy our full book club community benefits.

Book Mentions:

1. Heart the Lover by Lily King
2. The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff
3. Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall
4. Buckeye by Patrick Ryan
5. Fun For the Whole Family by Jennifer E. Smith
6. Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett
7. What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange
8. Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino
9. Enshittification by Cory Doctorow
10. A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar
11. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai
12. Kate & Frida by Kim Fay
13. A Long Winter by Colm Toibin
14. The Slip by Lucas Schaefer
15. Workhorse by Caroline Palmer
16. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
17. Misery by Stephen King
18. A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

Full Show Notes For Best Books of the Year 2025

Time Stamps:

1. 00:29 my book of the year
2. 03:48 more 2025 book releases I loved
3. 15:34 2025 book releases I wish I could read in 2025
4. 19:07 my favorite backlist books from our Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge
5. 23:36 statement on the biggest disappointments of 2025

Follow:

Subscribe to Friday Night Readers on Substack to read and live like the Gilmore Girls in our virtual book club community. You'll instantly get a free printable checklist of 500+ books from the show.

Follow us on our most active social media channel, Instagram

Listen on your favorite platform:

Apple

YouTube

Spotify

Amazon

About Friday Night Readers: Literary Rewatch of Gilmore Girls :

Friday Night Readers is a virtual book club inspired by Gilmore Girls and hosted by Julianne Buonocore, who has run a Rory Gilmore reading challenge since 2020 and wrote an essay in the book But I'm a Gilmore! Fueled by coffee, she breaks down the books on the show, so you actually understand what the characters are talking so fast about as you read and live like Rory with us. Subscribe at FridayNightReaders.substack.com to get notified of new episodes and participate in a community that feels like Stars Hollow.

Advertise:

Do you have a book, product, or service you'd like to share with our engaged audience? Learn more and contact us.