Quote: Rory Gilmore's Graduation Speech

Headmaster Charleston, faculty members, fellow students, family and friends, welcome. We never thought this day would come. We prayed for its quick delivery, crossed days off our calendars, counted hours, minutes, and seconds, and now that it's here, I'm sorry it is because it means leaving friends who inspire me and teachers who have been my mentors - so many people who have shaped my life and my fellow students' lives impermeably and forever.

I live in two worlds.

One is a world of books. I’ve been a resident of Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha County, hunted the white whale aboard the Pequod, fought alongside Napoleon, sailed a raft with Huck and Jim, committed absurdities with Ignatius J. Reilly, rode a sad train with Anna Karenina and strolled down Swann’s Way. 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. Richard and Emily Gilmore are kind, decent, unfailingly generous people. They are my twin pillars, without whom I could not stand. I am proud to be their grandchild. But my ultimate inspiration comes from my best friend, the dazzling woman from whom I received my name and my life’s blood, Lorelai Gilmore.

My mother never gave me any idea that I couldn’t do whatever I wanted to do or be whomever I wanted to be. She filled our house with love and fun and books and music unflagging in her efforts to give me role models from Jane Austen to Eudora Welty to Patti Smith. As she guided me through these incredible eighteen years, I don’t know if she ever realized that the person I most wanted to be was her.

Thank you, Mom. You are my guidepost for everything.

~ Lorelai "Rory" Gilmore's Graduation Speech, Gilmore Girls season 3 episode 22: Those Are Strings, Pinocchio

I always found it interesting that Rory's entire speech wasn't show because as she was continuing with her speech, it cut to another scene. This was just the beginning of her Valedictorian speech where she first started out expressing love and gratitude to her family, it would have been interesting to know what was included in the rest of her speech. However, what was shown was still inspiring but I'm sure the rest of the speech was providing a lot of encouraging words for all the graduates in preparing for their next stage in their lives.

(Gilmore Girls season 3 episode 22: Those Are Strings, Pinocchio)

Book of Interest: Gilmore Girls: The Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge: The Official Guide to All the Books

I know you can find The Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge online but it's just something about having a physical copy especially if it's in a cute little book. I recently found out that Rory's reading challenge had been turned into this book, Gilmore Girls: The Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge: The Official Guide to All the Books by Erika Berlin. Although, I try to stay up to date on Gilmore Girls' news and merchandise but I don't always which is why I totally missed this being released.

Anyway, as a bookworm and Rory Gilmore fan, I think it would be cool to have this.

Book: Gilmore Girls: The Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge: The Official Guide to All the Books by Erika Berlin

Description:

Welcome to the ultimate TBR list! With meticulously researched book descriptions and hundreds of guided prompts and reading tips, The Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge is an officially licensed, one-of-a-kind fan's guide to the Gilmore Girls universe and all 339 books referenced in the series.

For fans of Gilmore Girls, one of the most dedicated ways to tap into the psyche of Rory Gilmore is committing to one Herculean task: The Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge. Over the course of seven seasons, Rory Gilmore and her fellow Stars Hollow residents were seen reading or referencing 339 books. Now you can read along with Rory! This book is a distillation of those zealous inventories and is meant to make you fall back in love with Gilmore Girls all over again. Challenge yourself to reading the 300+ books from the series and exploring hundreds of guided prompts about each selection.

Included in this first-ever officially licensed reading challenge companion are thought starters and prompts pertaining to the books seen, mentioned, and referenced over the series’ seven-season run. This compendium has been carefully researched and is more thorough and verified than any other Rory Gilmore reading list that has been compiled. Whether you choose to start from the very beginning or dive into a particular character’s literary favorites, you’ll find a reading guide within.

You'll also find helpful information for organizing your TBR collection, tips for maximizing your reading time and becoming a more mindful reader, secrets for reading multiple books at once, and an essential episode guide index with checkboxes. And if any part of the challenge feels daunting, take a bit of advice from the bibliophile queen herself: “I just take a book with me everywhere,” Rory once said. “It’s a habit.”

Most Memorable Scene: Lorelai Gilmore Sensing Snow

I can smell when it's going to rain but unlike Lorelai Gilmore I can't smell when it's going to snow. I love that Lorelai has this uncanny ability to know when it's going to snow. It's pretty spectacular that this is one of her character traits. I have to agree, it does feel magical watching the snow fall. The next time it snows, I'll take the time to enjoy it.

Quote: Rory Gilmore and Paris Geller

Rory: What do you mean, she [Nanny] finally got Doyle to sleep?

Paris: He's here. He's sick, so Nanny's taking care of him.

Rory: Why aren't you doing it?

Paris: Sick people freak me out.

Rory: You're Pre-Med!

Paris: I'm really tired of having that constantly thrown in my face.

~ Lorelai "Rory" Gilmore and Paris Geller, Gilmore Girls season 5 episode 19: But I'm a Gilmore!

Paris always had this attitude that she was so much smarter and better than everyone especially while she was in high school. But throughout the series, it's been shown that she is not good at a lot of things. Such as in the sixth season when she was Editor of the Yale Daily News student newspaper. She did such a terrible job at it that she ended up getting voted out by the other students on the paper.

Which is why I find it interesting that despite being Pre-Med, she was having a difficult time dealing with the fact that her boyfriend Doyle McMaster was sick. And I still can't believe she called in her former Nanny to help take care of him because she couldn't (and wouldn't). Prior to the revival, I thought Paris would have gone into Medical Research or some area in medicine where she doesn't have to be in contact with sick people. Especially since she has such an issue with it.

(Gilmore Girls season 5 episode 19: But I'm a Gilmore!)

Quote: Richard and Rory Gilmore

Richard: Now, what do you know about golf?

Rory: That it's a good walk spoiled.

~ Richard and Lorelai "Rory" Gilmore, Gilmore Girls season 1 episode 3: Kill Me Now

(Gilmore Girls season 1 episode 3: Kill Me Now)

Fashion meets Fandom: Rory Gilmore's Backpack

When Lorelai "Rory" Gilmore started attending Chilton Preparatory School, her old backpack which was a small and cute brown leather (or faux leather) backpack, wasn't going to work. Attending Chilton brought with it more class assignments and homework and Rory also needed to get caught up to the level of her new classmates. Which is why she needed a bigger and more sturdier backpack.

Characters Reading: Rory Gilmore

In the first season episode P.S. I Lo..., Rory Gilmore was reading Ulysses by James Joyce. She was sitting outside Doose’s Market reading while she waited for her best friend Lane Kim who went into the store. Although it wasn't mentioned, I'm sure since Rory was trying to avoid her ex-boyfriend Dean Forester who worked at Doose's Market, she must have asked Lane if she could go into the store for her and buy the few things that she needed.

As for the book that Rory's reading, I've never read Ulysses but I've heard it's an interesting read. I think I'll add it to my list.

(Gilmore Girls season 1 episode 20: P.S. I Lo...)

Fandom Friday: Random Fandom Thoughts #25: Rory, Jess and Dean + House Party (Gilmore Girls) and Eddie's Intro (9-1-1)

Happy Friday, I do hope you had a good week. And hopefully the weekend will be as well. I wanted to know what fandom thoughts are on your mind? I have two that I want to talk about:

- I don't know why but I've been thinking about the Gilmore Girls episode Keg! Max! (season 3 episode 19) well mainly the storyline about the house party. There were so many things that happened at the party from Lane Kim's band Hep Alien performing to Lane getting drunk. But there were two really big issues that happened, first was Rory Gilmore's boyfriend Jess Mariano trying to pressure her to have sex with him at the party. There is no excuse for what he tried to do. It doesn't matter that he was feeling down about not being able to graduate from high school as well as not being able to go to prom because he had missed a lot of days (I believe at least 30 days) from school. Instead of him talking to Rory about how he was feeling he decided instead to try to get her to have sex with him in an upstairs bedroom at a party. She obviously didn't want to because why would she want to have her first time at a random house party?

Quote: Dean Forester and Rory Gilmore

Dean: What do you have in here?

Rory: I don't know. A lipstick, five dollar bill. Gum, hair spray, a book.

Dean: A book?

Rory: Yeah.

Dean: You brought a book to the dance?

Rory: Yeah.

Dean: You thought there'd be a lot of downtime?

Rory: No. I just take a book with me everywhere. It's just habit.

Dean: So, uh, what are you reading?

Rory: The Portable Dorothy Parker.

~ Dean Forester and Rory Gilmore, Gilmore Girls season 1 episode 9: Rory's Dance

Rewatch Review: Step Up 5: All In

I finished my Step Up rewatch on Monday with Step Up 5: All In and I have to say, I still really enjoy watching this movie. It has an interesting story that centers around many of the characters struggling to follow their dreams of being professional dancers. I think Sean Asa finding The Vortex dance competition was just the thing he needed to keep his dream going because the winner will receive a three-year paid contract to perform in Las Vegas. Sean was truly struggling, with The Mob having a difficult time finding dance jobs, it was becoming abundantly clear that it was not working out for them in Los Angeles. Sean didn't want to go back to Miami and truly in need of help, he ended up getting a job doing maintenance at Moose's grandparents' dance studio and did I fail to mention that his only option for room and board was sleeping in the storage closet at the studio.

If it wasn't for Moose, I don't know what Sean would have done. He barely had any money and even if he wanted to go back to Miami, I doubt he had enough money to do that. Which is why this competition was something he needed to do because it not only gave him a chance to regroup but the other dancers (Moose, Andie, Jenny, the Santiago twins, Vladd "The Robot", etc.) as well and they created a new team to go after their dreams. I loved seeing the characters grow into a strong team and a romance slowly developing between Andie and Sean. While Moose and Camille's relationship was strong and steady despite a little hiccup that came up. As with any Step Up movie, the dances were amazing especially LMNTRIX's final dance that included The Mob.

Despite all of this, Step Up 5: All In isn't considered a fan favorite and I'm not sure why fans were disappointed. I do wonder if it had anything to do with seeing so many of the characters struggling. I think it can be hard sometimes to see your favorite characters having setbacks. This made me think of how some of the Gilmore Girls fans reacted to Rory's journey in the Gilmore Girls revival A Year in the Life. They were disappointed with how Rory was shown in the revival because her life (professional and personal) seemed to be in a downward spiral and nothing seemed be working out for her. She was truly undergoing a major setback in her life but what I like is that by the end of the revival, Rory had found that old spark and was writing again and despite the big bombshell at the end I think Rory was on her way to living the life she wanted.

Which is how I saw Step Up 5, these dancers were not where they wanted to be career and life wise but The Vortex dance competition was a good way back into the dance world that they loved so much and they were willing to take a chance on entering the competition. What I like about this movie is that the dancers never gave up on their dreams, it's very inspiring. I love all five of the Step Up movies and I think Step Up 5 is still a good movie that perfectly closed out the franchise.

Quote: Rory Gilmore

I can't believe we get to sit around and talk about books and get graded on it.

I mean, there's almost nothing I like more than talking about a good book or a bad book or a really thick magazine.

~ Lorelai "Rory" Gilmore, Gilmore Girls season 4 episode 5: The Fundamental Things Apply

I totally agree. It's just something about sitting around talking about books with other bookworms that's so wonderful.

Why do you think Dean Forester invited Rory Gilmore to his Wedding?

In the Gilmore Girls fourth season fourth episode Chicken or Beef?, I think Dean invited Rory to his wedding for closure. Although, he still loved her (there were unresolved feelings from both of them), I think he wanted to show that they had both moved on. But thankfully Rory didn't attend due to Luke Danes asking her not to because he knew that Dean (along with Rory) still had feelings for each other and her attending wouldn't be a good idea.

As the season and series moved along, the viewers saw just how unresolved those feelings were because Rory and Dean started to grow closer causing them to act on those feelings when they definitely shouldn't have. Bad decisions aside, I think everything happened to show that Dean and Rory still cared about each other unfortunately they would eventually crash and burn.

(Gilmore Girls season 4 episode 4: Chicken or Beef?)

Quote: Rory Gilmore

I'm here because I enjoy books and because I read books.

~ Rory Gilmore, Gilmore Girls season 4 episode 19: Afterboom

I've never related to a quote so much because like Rory I do enjoy books and reading them. See this is why she is one of my favorite fictional bookworms.

Fandom Friday: Random Fandom Thoughts #10

Happy Friday evening, what are your fandom thoughts for today?


- When 9-1-1: Lone Star returns for the third season, I hope the characters Firefighters Marjan Marwani, Paul Strickland, Mateo Chavez and Police Officer Carlos Reyes will get more scenes. Honorable mentions goes to characters Paramedic Captain Tommy Vega, 9-1-1 dispatcher Grace Ryder and her husband Firefighter Judd Ryder for receiving slightly more screen time compared to the four mentioned above. As much as I really like Firefighter Captain Owen Strand and his son Paramedic T.K. Strand, they both get a lot of screen time and I just hope that the other characters will receive more in the new season.

Quote: Rory and Lorelai Gilmore

Rory: Okay, our house is burning down, and you can save the cake or me. What do you choose?

Lorelai: Well that's not fair. The cake doesn't have legs.

~ Rory and Lorelai Gilmore, Gilmore Girls Season 2 Episode 3 "Red Light on the Wedding Night"

Quote: Rory and Lorelai Gilmore

Rory: I can't finish all this and sleep at the same time.

Lorelai: You have to sleep. It's what keeps you pretty.

Rory: Who cares if I'm pretty if I fail my finals?

Lorelai: Okay. You've got this so completely backwards.

~ Rory and Lorelai Gilmore, Gilmore Girls season 3 episode 21: Here Comes the Son

Beauty: Hairstyles That I Love: The Bob

A hairstyle that I've always loved is the Bob. I had my hair cut into this style a few times especially after my hair would grow out a little too long. It's one of my favorite go to styles. I like the bob because it's a style that is so versatile and easy to wear. From curly to straight or short to mid-length, it always looks amazing. It's a statement-making cut but it also has this casual understated feel to it as well.


Sleek and Face-framing

Ali Martin (9-1-1)

You Don't Need a Reading Nook to Read, Rory Gilmore Certainly Didn't!

I love having a reading nook in my bedroom but I don't think one necessarily has to have one. Something, I always found interesting was that Rory Gilmore from the Gilmore Girls TV series never had a reading nook. I was really surprised that she didn't carve out a special little reading area in her bedroom at her mother's home nor at any of the apartments and dorm rooms she lived in. She was usually shown reading on the sofa, her bed, park benches, cafes and just about anywhere. There wasn't a place that seemed special to her for reading. Unless you count the episode An Affair to Remember (season 4 episode 6) in which Rory had a tree that she really enjoyed studying at in the Yale University quad. However, it was being used by another student but she so desperately wanted that tree that she paid the guy I believe $20 so she could have her favorite studying tree back.

I guess, Rory really did enjoy reading anywhere and just needed one unique special place to study from (her favorite tree) because she felt no need to have a reading nook. She was notorious for carrying around books everywhere she went. As I mentioned before, I have a reading nook in my bedroom which is nothing more than a really comfortable chair and ottoman near my bed, however, it's currently being occupied by my Grogu (The Child) plush leaving me (since I don't feel like moving it) to mainly read on the sofa in the living room. As much as I think it's great to have a reading nook, I think Rory who is one of the biggest bookworms not having one is rather cool. One of the things I like about Rory is that she embodies the spirit that you don't need a special place or space to read because you can read wherever you are.

Pre-pandemic I used to love reading outside or at a cafe or just about anywhere when I had a spare moment and I've missed that. But due to the pandemic, I've enjoyed reading at home just as much. And although, I'm currently enduring a reader's block I still feel like you don't need a special place to read a book because you can read anywhere.

Fashion Meets Comics & Fandom: 3 Summer Looks (Nakia, Pepper Potts and Rory Gilmore)

Summer is about fun, sun and relaxation and not to mention cute summer clothes. I was inspired by Nakia, Pepper Potts and Rory Gilmore to create three summer looks. What I love about each of the characters' outfits is that they are effortlessly stylish from a colorfully printed jumper to a modern hippie look each outfit gives you that feel of summer.


Nakia (Black Panther)

Even while trying to convince King T'Challa that Wakanda could do more to help the world, Nakia looked amazing in this African print green one shoulder jumper. I love this, the jumper has a casual yet sophisticated feel that could easily go from day to night.

Rory Gilmore and the Health Benefits of Dancing

I finally watched Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life and I loved watching every minute of the four episodes: Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. Throughout each episode, Rory Gilmore was experiencing a setback not only career wise but in her life in general. She was stressing out which is understandable because her life wasn't turning out the way she had hoped. Journalism is a tough career even more so as a freelance writer which is what she was doing. You could tell that she loves writing (and she's great at it) but she was having a difficult time finding work.

In the episode Winter, Rory was dealing with some of her stress by tap dancing albeit in the middle of the night in her mother's kitchen. She said tap dancing was the only way to shut off her brain from constantly over-thinking. It also lessen her anxieties which allowed her to relax.

Dancing does have a lot of health benefits such as improved cardio, muscle strength and toning; reduce stress and it boost your self-confidence. Rory was right, it is a great way to shut off your brain because you will be so focused on dancing that you will not worry about anything else.

If you're looking for a stress relief option perhaps try dancing. To get the health benefits, you don't have to take dance classes (unless you want to), all you have to do is turn on some music and dance for about 20 to 30 minutes.

(Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life - Winter)