Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
For the next 31 days, I’m reading like it’s 1885.
Not because I want to cosplay the Victorian era—but because books from the late 19th century were written for a completely different kind of reader: someone who read most nights, in long stretches, with fewer distractions and a lot more commitment.
In this video, I talk about what it was actually like to be a reader in 1885:
How expensive books were
How circulating libraries worked
Why people read one book at a time
How much time readers spent reading every day
And why novels from this period assume immersion instead of skimming
This is the reading environment that produced authors like H. Rider Haggard, whose books were designed to be devoured—not sampled.
If you’ve ever struggled with older novels, felt distracted while reading, or wondered why certain classic books feel flat when read in short bursts, this experiment might change the way you read entirely.
You don’t need to read everything.
You don’t need to read fast.
You just need to read the way the books were written to be read.
Welcome to Haggard January.
My illustrious co-hosts include:
@michaelk.vaughan8617
@anotherbibliophilereads
@JamesRuchala
@BookTimewithElvis
@royreadsanything
@joesbookandmoviecorner
#adventurebooks #readingchallenge #classicbooks #booktube #haggardjanuary
For the next 31 days, I’m reading like it’s 1885.
Not because I want to cosplay the Victorian era—but because books from the late 19th century were written for a completely different kind of reader: someone who read most nights, in long stretches, with fewer distractions and a lot more commitment.
In this video, I talk about what it was actually like to be a reader in 1885:
How expensive books were
How circulating libraries worked
Why people read one book at a time
How much time readers spent reading every day
And why novels from this period assume immersion instead of skimming
This is the reading environment that produced authors like H. Rider Haggard, whose books were designed to be devoured—not sampled.
If you’ve ever struggled with older novels, felt distracted while reading, or wondered why certain classic books feel flat when read in short bursts, this experiment might change the way you read entirely.
You don’t need to read everything.
You don’t need to read fast.
You just need to read the way the books were written to be read.
Welcome to Haggard January.
My illustrious co-hosts include:
@michaelk.vaughan8617
@anotherbibliophilereads
@JamesRuchala
@BookTimewithElvis
@royreadsanything
@joesbookandmoviecorner
#adventurebooks #readingchallenge #classicbooks #booktube #haggardjanuary
