Note: This post was originally published on Audible.com.
On October 5, 2000, the first episode of Gilmore Girls aired, forever changing the television landscape and pop culture as a whole. On that night, fans were introduced to the bookish Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel), her young, impulsive mom Lorelai (Lauren Graham), and the cozy, warm atmosphere of Stars Hollow, the fictional town (based on real small towns in Connecticut) where the series is set.
Though so many early fans watched every episode week-to-week, thousands more would come to the show later, marathoning it with joy, tears, and very strong opinions about the women's love lives. (At the end of Season 7, I was Team Logan with the full knowledge that Team Jess was end-game once they both grew up a little. And yes, I refuse to believe that the A Year in the Life "sequel" miniseries is canon.) I know people who dive into the series every autumn, sinking into the show's comforting vibes with a mug of coffee. As Lauren Graham quipped onstage at the 2025 Emmy Awards: “25 years ago, a show called Gilmore Girls premiered, and apparently took the season of fall hostage.”
It's wild to think we've had this show and its characters for a quarter of a century, and that it continues to influence cultural discourse. The portrayal of two strong, compelling, and yes, sometimes deeply flawed women—set in an always-autumn collage of dreamy small-town surroundings—has now enchanted us for more than two decades. And I predict that it's bound to accompany us for decades longer.
I leave you with these words from Rory Gilmore's very literary graduation speech: “I live in two worlds. One is a world of books. I've been a resident of 's Yoknapatawpha County, hunted the white whale , fought , sailed a raft , committed absurdities , rode a sad train with and strolled down . It's a rewarding world, but my second one is, by far, superior. My second one is populated with characters slightly less eccentric, but supremely real, made of flesh and bone, full of love, who are my ultimate inspiration for everything.”
So, as you start your anniversary rewatches, be sure to check out these audiobooks to pair with your marathon. After all, it's what Rory would have wanted.
Audiobooks performed by the stars of Gilmore Girls
Peruse Rory Gilmore's library
A relatable character for all my fellow bibliophiles, Rory Gilmore loves little more than curling up with a good book. Throughout the series, she's seen with her nose buried in one volume or another, ranging from classics to acclaimed contemporary novels, and is so infrequently seen without a paperback that she once mused, "I just take a book with me everywhere. It's just a habit." Want to listen like Rory? Read on for a peek at some of the books she's read over the show's seven seasons.
