Reading Like Rory Gilmore for a Week

Rory Gilmore is an inspiration when it comes to reading. As we saw last week, the number of books she’s read is staggering, putting me to shame. Though I have been able to read more this year (as the years prior were filled with reading for my studies and content), I realize I still do not read nearly as much as Rory. So, I researched her reading schedule this week and decided to try it out to see if I could handle it.

Rory Gilmore’s Reading Schedule

On the website “Sartorial Magazine,” the writers shared a Rory Gilmore reading challenge and laid out the rules. Here is what they were:

1. Read a novel and biography for 40 minutes before and after work (or, in Rory’s case, classes), which comes to 80 minutes of reading.

2. Read a book of essays and short stories during lunch, which is 30 minutes for me.

3. Carry at least one book with me at all times.

So, with these rules in mind, I looked over Rory’s reading list and chose three novels and, from my library, a book of essays, biography, etc. These were:

1984- George Orwell

Atonement- Ian McEwan

Anna Karenina- Leo Tolstoy

Norton Anthology: American Literature 1820-1865

My Experience

Typically, I read for about an hour daily, but that could be more or less depending on different factors. This week as per the rules, I read 110 minutes or sometimes a little less daily. Strangely enough, remembering to take a book with me was the most challenging part. I am often in a hurry to get out the door, so unless I am going out intending to read, it is hard to remember a book.

Now, while I did not finish all of these, it was still nice to have a change of pace and to try something different. While I didn’t read the same every day, I could experience what it was like to read as much as Rory and let me say; it humbled me. So, in closing, this week was challenging as my average reading time is usually only about an hour a day max unless I’m also listening to an audiobook while I work.

References

“We Read like Rory Gilmore for Two Weeks.” Sartorial Magazine, 21 Jan. 2022, sartorialmagazine.com/opinion/2022/1/20/we-read-like-rory-gilmore-for-two-weeks#:~:text=Read%20a%20new-to-us%20chosen%20novel%20and%20biography%20for,least%20one%20book%20with%20us%20at%20all%20times.