5 Coming of Age Books That Define What It Means to Grow Up

👩The Iconic Female Authors Behind Gilmore Girls' Smartest References

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit fridaynightreaders.substack.com [https://fridaynightreaders.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_7] Welcome to Friday Night Readers, a virtual book club inspired by Gilmore Girls, hosted by Julianne Buonocore, who has run a Rory Gilmore reading challenge since 2020 and wrote the Unofficial Guide to the Books on Gilmore Girls. Fueled by coffee, we break down the books on the show, so you actually understand what the characters are talking so fast about, and help you read, live, and write like Rory. Listen to the podcast on: Substack [https://fridaynightreaders.substack.com/] | Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/friday-night-readers-gilmore-girls-inspired-book-club/id1867000524] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/7hSO6jQkCZ0xcZ5UUPmJ2V] | Amazon [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/86f8207d-153a-4f79-8619-0307be6f1530/friday-night-readers-pop-culture-rewatch-of-gilmore-girls] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@fridaynightreaders] Read the full transcript and subscribe to our book club community: Books by Female Authors on Gilmore Girls [https://fridaynightreaders.substack.com/p/female-authors-gilmore-girls] Timestamps: 00:44 June reading prompt for our Rory Gilmore reading challenge [https://fridaynightreaders.substack.com/p/rory-gilmore-reading-challenge-2026] to read one book per month from the Rory Gilmore reading list [https://fridaynightreaders.substack.com/p/rory-gilmore-reading-list]: books by female authors. 02:32 Featured Author of the Month: Jane Austen [https://fridaynightreaders.substack.com/p/jane-austen-novels-ranked] 07:00 10 Uniquely Impactful Books by Female Authors on Gilmore Girls 08:06 Eva Luna [https://amzn.to/2EoQHIf] by Isabel Allende 09:14 A Girl from Yamhill [https://amzn.to/3lkkTon] by Beverly Cleary 09:46 The Joy Luck Club [https://amzn.to/3b5Ugie] by Amy Tan 10:29 Like Water for Chocolate [https://amzn.to/3lrfjRl] by Laura Esquivel 11:31 Little House on the Prairie [https://amzn.to/3D4lwvF] by Laura Ingalls Wilder 12:48 Mrs. Dalloway [https://fridaynightreaders.com/mrs-dalloway-virginia-woolf/] by Virginia Woolf 14:03 Out of Africa [https://amzn.to/4jPVMbL] by Karen Blixen/Isak Dinesen 15:00 Peyton Place [https://amzn.to/2F0X1pE] by Grace Metalious 16:29 The Pursuit of Love & Love in a Cold Climate: Two Novels [https://amzn.to/3jV55XV] by Nancy Mitford 17:08 The Stepford Wives [https://amzn.to/32luxzX]by Ira Levin 18:05 All the Books by Female Authors on Gilmore Girls More Mentions: Most Ardently Yours [https://amzn.to/3RlQIlp] by Freya Sampson The Other Bennet Sister [https://amzn.to/4o5wLvt] Pride and Prejudice [https://amzn.to/4e2QxTw] Northanger Abbey [https://amzn.to/3jIZjZ4] Advertise: Do you have a book, product, or service you'd like to share with my engaged audience? Learn more and contact [https://fridaynightreaders.com/contact/]me. Follow: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/fridaynightreaders/], Threads [https://www.threads.com/@fridaynightreaders], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/fridaynightreaders/], GoodReads [https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/45876711-jules-friday-night-readers], YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@fridaynightreaders], TikTok [https://tiktok.com/@fridaynightreaders], Pinterest [https://www.pinterest.com/fridaynightreaders/], X [https://x.com/fridayntreaders], Reddit [https://www.reddit.com/user/fridaynightreader/], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/friday-night-readers/] Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. These show notes contain affiliate links through which I earn commissions at no extra cost to you.

📚10 Biggest July 2026 New Book Releases for Your Beach Bag

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit fridaynightreaders.substack.com [https://fridaynightreaders.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_7] Welcome to Friday Night Readers, a virtual book club inspired by Gilmore Girls, hosted by Julianne Buonocore, who has run a Rory Gilmore reading challenge since 2020 and wrote the Unofficial Guide to the Books on Gilmore Girls. Fueled by coffee, we break down the books on the show, so you actually understand what the characters are talking so fast about, and help you read, live, and write like Rory. Listen to the podcast on: Substack [https://fridaynightreaders.substack.com/] | Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/friday-night-readers-gilmore-girls-inspired-book-club/id1867000524] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/7hSO6jQkCZ0xcZ5UUPmJ2V] | Amazon [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/86f8207d-153a-4f79-8619-0307be6f1530/friday-night-readers-pop-culture-rewatch-of-gilmore-girls] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@fridaynightreaders] Read the full transcript and subscribe to our book club community: July 2026 Book Releases [https://fridaynightreaders.substack.com/p/july-2026-book-releases] Timestamps: 03:40 Libro.FM [https://tidd.ly/4ne7v5s]: three audiobooks for the price of one when you start a new membership with code FRIDAY. 04:08 July 7 Country People [https://amzn.to/4wFRwSj] Helpless [https://amzn.to/43k0Opo] Man Overboard! [https://amzn.to/4nFa157] The MASH Up [https://amzn.to/4uje8X7] Most Ardently Yours [https://amzn.to/3RlQIlp] 07:50 July 14 The Parisian Heist [https://amzn.to/4ukhiK7] The Romance Revival [https://amzn.to/3RSpHGd] 09:21 July 21 Cool Machine [https://amzn.to/4dja0jS] Crash Into Me [https://amzn.to/49IrX9c] 10:22 July 28 Meet Me in Paris [https://amzn.to/4wBrDmt] Advertise: Do you have a book, product, or service you'd like to share with my engaged audience? Learn more and contact [https://fridaynightreaders.com/contact/]me. Follow: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/fridaynightreaders/], Threads [https://www.threads.com/@fridaynightreaders], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/fridaynightreaders/], GoodReads [https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/45876711-jules-friday-night-readers], YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@fridaynightreaders], TikTok [https://tiktok.com/@fridaynightreaders], Pinterest [https://www.pinterest.com/fridaynightreaders/], X [https://x.com/fridayntreaders], Reddit [https://www.reddit.com/user/fridaynightreader/], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/friday-night-readers/] Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. These show notes contain affiliate links through which I earn commissions at no extra cost to you.

☀️I Read 125+ Books Set in Summer. These Are the Top 10.

Welcome to Friday Night Readers, a virtual book club inspired by Gilmore Girls, hosted by Julianne Buonocore, who has run a Rory Gilmore reading challenge since 2020 and wrote the Unofficial Guide to the Books on Gilmore Girls. Fueled by coffee, we break down the books on the show, so you actually understand what the characters are talking so fast about, and help you read, live, and write like Rory. Listen to the podcast on: Substack [https://fridaynightreaders.substack.com/] | Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/friday-night-readers-gilmore-girls-inspired-book-club/id1867000524] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/7hSO6jQkCZ0xcZ5UUPmJ2V] | Amazon [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/86f8207d-153a-4f79-8619-0307be6f1530/friday-night-readers-pop-culture-rewatch-of-gilmore-girls] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@fridaynightreaders] Read the full transcript and subscribe to our book club community: Books Set in Summer [https://fridaynightreaders.substack.com/p/books-set-summer] Timestamps: 03:15 28 Summers [https://amzn.to/31NLva3] 04:26 Beach Read [https://amzn.to/3Ig9mCk] 05:40 Every Summer After [https://amzn.to/3xZ6FSb] 06:43 The God of the Woods [https://amzn.to/3Aj5eSd] 08:25 The Great Gatsby [https://fridaynightreaders.substack.com/p/the-great-gatsby] 09:44 Just For the Summer [http://amzn.to/45xLR2q] 11:14 Summer Sisters [https://amzn.to/2Vp2Jqp] 12:32 The Summer I Turned Pretty [http://amzn.to/417eqSv] 14:22 The Wedding People [https://amzn.to/3WAtoiS] 15:59 Writers & Lovers [https://amzn.to/3ks5Dqb] 17:26 Take the 90s Summer Reading Challenge 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/]. Follow: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/fridaynightreaders/], Threads [https://www.threads.com/@fridaynightreaders], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/fridaynightreaders/], GoodReads [https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/45876711-jules-friday-night-readers], YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@fridaynightreaders], TikTok [https://tiktok.com/@fridaynightreaders], Pinterest [https://www.pinterest.com/fridaynightreaders/], X [https://x.com/fridayntreaders], Reddit [https://www.reddit.com/user/fridaynightreader/], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/friday-night-readers/] Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fridaynightreaders.substack.com/subscribe [https://fridaynightreaders.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

🏖️10 Buzzy Beach Reads For Summer (Out of 1,000+ Read)

Welcome to Friday Night Readers, a virtual book club inspired by Gilmore Girls, hosted by Julianne Buonocore, who has run a Rory Gilmore reading challenge since 2020 and wrote the Unofficial Guide to the Books on Gilmore Girls. Fueled by coffee, we break down the books on the show, so you actually understand what the characters are talking so fast about, and help you read, live, and write like Rory. Listen to the podcast on: Substack [https://fridaynightreaders.substack.com/] | Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/friday-night-readers-gilmore-girls-inspired-book-club/id1867000524] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/7hSO6jQkCZ0xcZ5UUPmJ2V] | Amazon [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/86f8207d-153a-4f79-8619-0307be6f1530/friday-night-readers-pop-culture-rewatch-of-gilmore-girls] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@fridaynightreaders] Read the full post and subscribe to our book club community: Beach Reads [https://fridaynightreaders.substack.com/p/beach-reads-summer] Timestamps: 00:16 Meet the Expert Beach Reads Panel: Jules, and Kirsten and Jackie of Beyond the Bookends [https://www.beyondthebookends.com/], the Read Carpet Report podcast [https://www.beyondthebookends.com/read-carpet-report-podcast/], and Beach Reads Bonanza [https://www.instagram.com/p/DYA-4QgDqm4/?img_index=1] 04:51 American Fantasy [https://amzn.to/4tgDtj1] by Emma Straub 07:13 Go Gentle [https://amzn.to/3Pdwjhs] by Marie Semple 09:34 Strangers [https://amzn.to/42jrpTe] by Belle Burden 13:17 Summer State of Mind [https://amzn.to/3QKIa7r] by Kristy Woodson Harvey 16:19 Yesteryear [https://amzn.to/4uyJ3OX] by Caro Claire Burke (Jackie’s Yesteryear summary [https://www.beyondthebookends.com/summary-of-yesteryear/]) 20:54 More Beach Reads to Consider: The Summer of Songbirds [https://amzn.to/4dOqkJw] by Kristy Woodson Harvey, These Summer Storms [https://amzn.to/3Py811T] by Sarah MacLean, Man Overboard! [https://amzn.to/3PdVm4i] by Kathleen Rooney, The Shampoo Effect [https://amzn.to/4drp0uQ] by Jenny Jackson, and The Five-Star Weekend [https://amzn.to/49bXEaS] by Elin Hilderbrand Advertise: Do you have a book, product, or service you'd like to share with our engaged audience? Learn more and contact [https://fridaynightreaders.com/contact/]me. Follow: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/fridaynightreaders/], Threads [https://www.threads.com/@fridaynightreaders], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/fridaynightreaders/], GoodReads [https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/45876711-jules-friday-night-readers], YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@fridaynightreaders], TikTok [https://tiktok.com/@fridaynightreaders], Pinterest [https://www.pinterest.com/fridaynightreaders/], X [https://x.com/fridayntreaders], Reddit [https://www.reddit.com/user/fridaynightreader/], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/friday-night-readers/] Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fridaynightreaders.substack.com/subscribe [https://fridaynightreaders.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

🎓10 Books That Shaped Me: Inspired by Rory Gilmore's Graduation Speech

Welcome to Friday Night Readers, a virtual book club inspired by Gilmore Girls, hosted by Julianne Buonocore, who has run a Rory Gilmore reading challenge since 2020 and wrote the Unofficial Guide to the Books on Gilmore Girls. Fueled by coffee, we break down the books on the show, so you actually understand what the characters are talking so fast about, and help you read, live, and write like Rory. Listen to the podcast on: Substack [https://fridaynightreaders.substack.com/] | Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/friday-night-readers-gilmore-girls-inspired-book-club/id1867000524] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/7hSO6jQkCZ0xcZ5UUPmJ2V] | Amazon [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/86f8207d-153a-4f79-8619-0307be6f1530/friday-night-readers-pop-culture-rewatch-of-gilmore-girls] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@fridaynightreaders] Read the full transcript and subscribe to our book club community on Substack: Books That Shaped Me [https://fridaynightreaders.substack.com/p/books-shaped-me] Timestamps: 00:48 Rory Gilmore's graduation speech [https://fridaynightreaders.com/rory-gilmore-graduation-speech/] and literary guide to Rory Gilmore’s graduation speech [https://www.instagram.com/p/DYUvBYkDb_Y/?img_index=1] on Instagram 02:31 The Books That Shaped Me The Polar Express [https://amzn.to/4kk42jf] by Chris Van Allsburg The American Girl books [https://amzn.to/42YmfgA] The Baby-Sitters Club [https://amzn.to/4kf6He2] books by Ann M. Martin Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret [https://amzn.to/43xzDZd] by Judy Blume East of Eden [https://amzn.to/3YNSbBN] by John Steinbeck Harry Potter books [https://amzn.to/4eQGumK] by J.K. Rowling The Lovely Bones [https://amzn.to/44FhSYZ] by Alice Sebold My Brilliant Friend [https://amzn.to/4jYnbaU] by Elena Ferrante Breakfast at Tiffany’s [https://amzn.to/4usQmYY] by Truman Capote The Dutch House [https://amzn.to/42XL8sK] by Ann Patchett 08:18 What books shaped you? Advertise: Do you have a book, product, or service you'd like to share with our engaged audience? Learn more and contact me [https://fridaynightreaders.com/contact/]. Follow: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/fridaynightreaders/], Threads [https://www.threads.com/@fridaynightreaders], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/fridaynightreaders/], GoodReads [https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/45876711-jules-friday-night-readers], YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@fridaynightreaders], TikTok [https://tiktok.com/@fridaynightreaders], Pinterest [https://www.pinterest.com/fridaynightreaders/], X [https://x.com/fridayntreaders], Reddit [https://www.reddit.com/user/fridaynightreader/], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/friday-night-readers/] Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fridaynightreaders.substack.com/subscribe [https://fridaynightreaders.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]