Life's Short, Talk Fast

I finished this book in an afternoon as i couldn't put it down! I am an avid Gilmore Girls fan and i adored reading about other people's Gilmore Girls stories. I in turn thought about my own Gilmore Girls story. The truely iconic tv show that is the Gilmore girls was so great to read other people's perspectives of it. What a perfect time for this lovely book to come to us just in time for Gilmore Girls season. I SMELL SNOW ⛄️ !

A must-read for fans of Gilmore girls!

Like most women my age, as soon as September comes around, something primal in me feels the urge to rewatch Gilmore Girls - the classic, small town autumnal American comfort show.

I devoured this collection of essays, which cover everything from Lorelai’s coat collection to the issue of class mobility.

I loved reading how others related to the show from their life experiences ; as a single mother, as a bookworm, as someone who is frivolous with money, or as someone with a difficult relationship with their mother.

Freya North said it best in her essay: “Gilmore Girls holds a mirror to life whilst also providing a breather from reality.”

Five stars from me!

Essential reading for Gilmore Girls enthusiasts. Thoroughly enjoyed a book offering diverse perspectives on the series.

This book made me feel so nostalgic for the show and with even more love and appreciation for Gilmore Girls. It reminds me of the power of connecting and how it’s incredible when you can relate to a story and feel like you’re not alone, whether that’s in how you feel or just how you think. It’s truly a book for fans, it tells stories of people who are fans and how they connected with the show and their stories.

I didn’t particularly enjoy the men’s essays as much as the women’s. My favorite essays are probably Ann’s and Freya North. Ann Hood perfectly captured in her essay my thoughts, and I loved it. Even though our stories are not alike in any way, I related to what she wrote that we all need to get our hearts broken by a Logan, to appreciate the love of the right person (and we share the same team even though we understand who’s the right person ultimately). And the one for Freya really touched me, and what her son wrote in the end, I truly connected to it, and he said it just perfectly: “Gilmore Girls’ success comes from it’s innate sense of familiarity without sacrificing comedy. (…) It’s not a show one simply watches, rather you become part of the cast”.

And since it’s fall, it’s about time for that rewatch, it came with the perfect timing.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I'm rewatching Gilmore Girls at the moment - my daughter has recently gone off to university, and escaping to Stars Hollow is helping in a very small way to fill the gap she has left. So when the chance to read this collection of essays arose, I snapped it up.

Rather than any detailed analysis of Gilmore Girls, for most of the contributors here the show is more of a jumping off point for reflection on aspects of their own lives. Many speak of mother-daughter relationships, good and bad, both of the Lorelai-Rory variety and the Emily-Lorelai variety, or of leaving home at sixteen, or on romantic relationships that find echoes in those of the Gilmores.

One writer reflects on Lorelai's plethora of coats and its potential implications for her financial situation; another writes in defence of the often-criticised Rory. Two of the essays are even written by men. And unlike the various memories of watching the show with daughters, Freya North recalls watching it with her son.

A great collection for those who watch and love the show - and if you don't, it might just inspire you to do so.

Such a fun read which has prompted me into yet another Gilmore Girls rewatch. I especially enjoyed the diversity of voices represented, although if I had one small niggle, it was - perhaps inevitably given the author's demographics - somewhat dominated by older writers and I would have enjoyed hearing from more people who watched the show as teenagers when it first aired in the early 00s. But overall this would make the perfect Christmas gift for any Gilmore Girls fans in your life.

I am a massive Gilmore girls fan and I enjoyed these short stories by people from all walks of life on how the show has affected their life.. I particularly like the story about the south Asian lady who began to realise how she related to the Kim family.
It definitely felt like a slow read but I’m glad I got a chance to read and review, thanks NetGalley!