14 Books That Surely Belong on Rory Gilmore’s Shelf in 2025

      September 10, 2025

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      When it comes to pop culture and fall, nothing embodies the season quite like Gilmore Girls. While the show encompasses all four seasons, indulging in it outside of autumn feels off. With steaming coffee, vibrant foliage, inviting academic atmospheres, and a quirky small town, it epitomizes fall for me. So, as September arrives, I immerse myself in everything Rory Gilmore-approved, especially literature.

      Rory Gilmore epitomizes the bookworm, and the series even inspired a reading challenge featuring over 500 titles. During my latest rewatch, I contemplated what Rory's bookshelf would resemble in 2025. If you're ready to fully embrace the Gilmore Girls ambiance, here are 14 books that Rory Gilmore would undoubtedly adore.

      Joan Didion

      The show mentions The Year of Magical Thinking, which suggests that Rory would eagerly anticipate the release of Joan Didion’s journals. This publication chronicles Didion's conversations with a psychiatrist as part of a journal intended for her husband, John Gregory Dunne. It delves into themes of alcoholism, adoption, depression, her career, her upbringing, and the poignant complexities of her relationship with her daughter.

      M. L. Rio

      Rory would definitely be drawn to the dark academia backdrop of this novel. It tells the story of Oliver Marks, who, a decade after his arrest, is prepared to reveal the truth to Detective Colborne. Years prior, he was among seven young Shakespearean actors at Dellecher Classical Conservatory where a tragedy unfolded on opening night. The seniors face their most significant performance yet: convincing the police, each other, and themselves of their innocence.

      Kaveh Akbar

      Considered a modern classic and a National Book Award finalist, Martyr! aligns with Rory’s interests. The narrative follows Cyrus Shams, whose mother’s plane was shot down over the Persian Gulf while his father’s life in America revolved around his job in a factory farm. A poet, Cyrus grapples with alcoholism and addiction, and his preoccupation with martyrs leads him to explore the secrets of his past, including a painting suggesting his mother was not who she appeared to be.

      Coco Mellors

      Although Rory may not have sisters, she understands intricate family dynamics like those depicted in Blue Sisters. The three Blue sisters are extraordinarily distinct. Following the death of their fourth sibling, they must return to New York to prevent the sale of their childhood apartment. As they confront childhood disappointments and the loss of their only unifying force, they realize that the biggest secrets they harbor may be from within themselves rather than each other.

      Ali Hazelwood

      Given her academic dedication, Rory would likely swoon over an academic-rivals-to-lovers storyline. Elsie Hannaway works as an adjunct professor and moonlights as a fake girlfriend. Her two worlds collide when Jack Smith, the infuriatingly attractive brother of her favorite client, turns out to be the experimental physicist who derailed her mentor’s career and tarnished the reputation of theorists everywhere. He’s also the same Jack Smith who dominates the physics department at MIT, blocking Elsie from achieving her dream job.

      Kristin Hannah

      Rory gravitates toward books featuring strong female leads, and no one writes them like Kristin Hannah. Frankie McGrath, a 20-year-old nursing student, grew up in idyllic Southern California under conservative parents but yearns for a different future in the face of societal change in 1965. After her brother enlists to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps to follow in his footsteps. Frankie witnesses the chaos of war, but her real struggle lies in returning home to a fractured America.

      Madeline Miller

      Since The Iliad appears in Gilmore Girls, it’s likely that in 2025, Rory would have wept over Song of Achilles along with others. This retelling of the Trojan War focuses on Achilles and his childhood companion Patroclus. As they mature and train together, their bond deepens amid their experiences with battles, war, and suffering. With peace seeming out of reach, they must grapple with their willingness to make sacrifices for each other.

      Sally Rooney

      It’s clear that Rory would resonate with Sally Rooney’s works, particularly the complex exploration of friendship and love in Conversations with Friends. Frances and Bobbi, two students, become intertwined with a well-known photographer they meet at a local poetry event. Frances finds herself both impressed and unsettled by the photographer's sophisticated lifestyle and charming husband, Nick. As Frances and Nick’s interaction evolves from lightheartedness to deeper intimacy, it leads to unexpected complications.

      Ann Patchett

      As a fan of Little Women, Rory would appreciate Tom Lake