Books That Give Me Those Stars Hollow Vibes

A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Read it if you want: a seaside Stars Hollow and a heartwarming family story

Immediately after reading this I looked up Beaufort, NC to see if perhaps I could really find my own real life Stars Hollow and, after looking it up, I’m tempted to at least go visit because it looks promising. Apparently it was even named one of America’s Coolest Small Towns by Budget Magazine in 2012.

I just need promises that The Dockhouse Dames are real because I loved them among many of the fictional characters that make up this small town.

I initially thought this was going to just be a good beach read but this book turned out to be so much more as it weaves this family story in and out of this small, vividly written town with its memorable characters that just leap right from the pages. It also made me cry so just know it’s not 100% light and fluffy.

I loved watching Keaton — in need of a break and fresh start — tackle this project of getting her grandparent’s house (that she didn’t even know existed) ready to sell and discover her family history/secrets in the process — especially everything surrounding their death.

The biggest delight in all that is watching all these wonderful town busybodies — who care about this historic home and her family — embrace her and her project while helping her discover what she might want her future to look like.

These characters and this town sprung to life and made me feel the kind of comfort Stars Hollow does and I can’t recommend this book enough.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Read it if you want: a little less shiny Stars Hollow but with just as much heart

This small town of Sunshine Falls, NC was one I could vividly see in my head eating at Pop-A-Squat to perusing the cozy but rundown bookstore.

It’s maybe a little less vibrant and bustling as Stars Hollow but what the exterior lacks it makes up for in warmth in the characters that live there and the strong sense of community and love/pride for their town they have.

Great townsfolk and small town setting that really adds to this story about a cutthroat big city literary agent who reluctantly takes this sisters trip to Sunshine Falls — at her sister’s request — as an escape from the hustle and bustle of life.

The small town daydream meet-cute that could have been is burst when she runs into someone from her NYC literary orbit who she isn’t all that fond of. This romance plays out all around this charming town — where the male lead’s family lives — with its lively townspeople who are easy to want a whole other book about.

Cute romance, great sister story and a dash of self-discovery. Oh and hey if you like the Luke/Lorelei banter, it’s the cherry on top of this reading experience.

When in Rome by Sarah Adams

Read it if you want: a charming small town romance full of nosy & quirky townsfolk with a romance that also gives a bit of Luke/Lorelei as a double bonus

This books is the first book in a series taking place in Rome, Kentucky and is all about a burnt out pop star in need of an escape and ends up stranded in the charming and quirky small town of Rome — quite literally stranded in the front lawn of resident town grump (but lowkey sweetheart) and local pie shop owner.

He decides to let her stay in a spare bedroom but ONLY until her car is fixed. In the meantime she’s introduced to the charm of Rome and, as he gets to know her, finds some of that gruff exterior slip away towards her.

(If you are getting some Luke vibes, you aren’t wrong for doing so. And Amelia has a lot of similar characteristics being a bit of an opposite to Noah the way Lorelei is to Luke).

But let’s get to why the town gave me Stars Hollow feelings because oh boy it felt like it’s own character similar to my beloved Stars Hollow!!

There is an abundance of quirky town residents and neighbors who like to poke their noses in things and talk too much. There’s a wonderful main street full of staple town businesses that are the hubs of the community and add to the character of the town much like Stars Hollow.

The best part is if you fall in love with this book there’s a second book set in this town called Practice Makes Perfect and another book coming out in January 2025.

Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber

Read it if you want: Stars Hollow but infused with a bit of magical realism aspects

If you love magical realism infused stories, this one is a must. Even if you don’t typically go for that I still think that settling into the cozy town of Wicklow, Alabama is going to make up for reading outside your typical genre.

It’s a small and charming Southern town and, similarly to how Luke’s Diner is one of the biggest hubs and heart of the community and stories, the Blackbird Cafe is that to this town.

One of the main characters is the granddaughter of the Blackbird Cafe’s owner and is back home to bury her beloved grandmother and settle her affairs quickly only to find out a stipulation to the will includes her running the cafe — famous for a certain pie — for 60 days.

That’s her plan — to do what her grandmother wished and get the heck out of this town that her mother ran away from a long time ago.

But she finds herself growing connections with some of the regulars and folks who make up this town — including another woman who has returned to this town hoping for answers only the cafe can answer.

The characters are quirky and the town is vividly drawn with dynamics to the community and families that were so reminiscent of Stars Hollow. Especially the way the town feels like a character in its own right.

Oh and, I have to say, if the constant food related scenes in Gilmore Girls makes you hungry — this one is going to also have you drooling.

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

Read it if you want: a heartfelt story of second chances set in a realistic Stars Hollow setting

This one is set on Amelia Island which sits right off the coast of Massachusetts. The town has that similar New England vibe but the fact its an island adds its own unique vibe to the community and town. The townspeople are quirky and have fullness as side characters — including the bookstore itself that takes on being a character in some sense.

It centers around A.J. Fikry — the owner of the island’s bookshop — who is going through it personally and professionally with the bookshop having one of its worst years.

In such a small tight-knit community, the locals notice how down A.J. is and try their best to not let him isolate from them but he definitely settles into the role of town curmudgeon.

The story is a lot about how the community rallies around him especially when A.J. is met with an unexpected surprise at his bookstore that changes his life towards one of hopefulness and connection. It was so evocative of the way folks come together in support for one another in Stars Hollow — in the small ways and the grand ways.

It’s tender, humorous at times and at times emotional and I fell in love with this charming community.

The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller

Read it if you want: a cozy Fall / wintry read

Escape to this little Vermont village as the season changes from Fall into Winter. I think Stars Hollow is at its best in those two seasons because the vibe is truly magical and this town is evocatively written, capturing that quintessential New England coziness.

It’s got a charming and historical downtown with a strong community built around all these local businesses and full of community events — though they aren’t all as quirky as the ones in Stars Hollow.

One of these businesses is the charming Sugar Maple Inn (I kept picturing the Dragonfly) and that’s where our big-city baker lead finds herself taking a job after only coming to the town for just a temporary escape and visit after losing her job.

I read this one totally on a recommendation for a couple of friends who answered my call for books that have settings reminiscent to Stars Hollow and they did not lie!!

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan

Read it if you want: a light & easy read set in a rural Scottish village that still gives Stars Hollow feels

This one doesn’t quite have the same type of town to me as Stars Hollow but I felt like even though it was a more rural community the community connection became just as strong as the story progressed and made me feel those feel-good feels the way Stars Hollow does.

It’s about a woman who until recently was a librarian in a big city library who decides to move to a sleepy village and open a mobile bookshop. In driving around to serve her community, the sense of community and her relationship just blossoms as she slowly starts to feel a sense of belonging.

It’s a total light and feel-good read, too! There’s also two more books in this loose series that feature their own similar vibes in small town goodness focusing on new characters.

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez

Read it if you want: a fantastic romance at the center of a book that boasts an awesome small town and loveable side characters that inhabit it

I love Abby’s books so much — they are romances that are just so layered and weave together a lot of emotional depth and grounded real life themes that many can relate to. The characters and humor are unparalleled and I love this one in particular because the town/the folks in it added so much for me.

Head to the town of Wakan where you will immediately feel at home thanks to the community that always looks out for its own and every body knows everybody.

This is the town that Alexis, an ER doctor, finds herself in after she is saved by a super handsome local who gets her car out of a ditch. He’s kind of the Kirk of the town in that it feels like he wears many hats among town but TRUST ME — Daniel is NOT Kirk. He also happens to be the owner of a local B&B and the mayor.

I loved experience this small town charm alongside of Alexis whose life couldn’t be any different than life here for Daniel and the rest of the town. I loved getting swept up, alongside her, in the life of these characters in Wakan and start to care about them.

You’ll walk away feeling like you are a part of their big ol’ town family just like I always do after watching Gilmore Girls. I am a bonafide resident at this point.

*while a light and romantic read it does delve into some more serious issues such as domestic abuse/emotional abuse*

Three Holidays and A Wedding by Uzma Jalauddin and Marissa Stapley

Read it if you want: a more diverse Stars Hollow but especially one set during the holiday season

I love Christmas romances and as I was listening to this one and getting acquainted with the town that everybody ends up stranded in I immediately thought of Stars Hollow during the holiday season — especially if Taylor could finagle the town being used in the set of a Hallmark-y holiday movie.

It’s diverse and full of quite the cast of characters and I so badly wanted more stories from the townspeople who so warmly welcome the stranded passengers who get snowed in there.

It’s a cute and fun romance set during the holiday time and has the celebrity/regular person trope that I love. I listened to it on audiobook and really enjoyed it for what it was — a nice wintry escape with romance and a memorable setting/residents.