Uploaded September 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
0:00 Intro
8:24 My prompts
Victober is a month-long readathon, all about celebrating Victorian literature (British and Irish literature published and/or written 1837–1901).
Challenges and hosts:
1. Kate’s challenge: Read a Victorian book where friendship is featured.
youtube.com/@katehowereads @katehowereads youtube.com/watch?v=HmcjpgJwayE
2. Katie’s challenge: Read a work of Victorian literature that is not a novel (i.e. a play, short story, poem or work of non-fiction).
youtube.com/@katiejlumsden @katiejlumsden youtube.com/watch?v=_RWZlJaUU-E&pp=0gcJCR0AztywvtLA
3. Marissa’s challenge: Read a work of Victorian literature where a character experiences a change in class status (social mobility, rags to riches, fallen women, etc.)
youtube.com/@BlatantlyBookish @BlatantlyBookish youtube.com/watch?v=ztsTdAcdmcw
4. Ros’s challenge: Empire spotting: see how many times you can spot signs of the Empire in your Victober reading.
youtube.com/@scallydandlingaboutthebooks @scallydandlingaboutthebooks youtube.com/watch?v=kvMoJGm0YAs
5. Elizabeth’s challenge: Read a work by an underrated Victorian woman writer (meaning not the Brontes, Elizabeth Gaskell, George Eliot, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, or Christina Rossetti).
youtube.com/@elizabethaliteraryprincess @elizabethaliteraryprincess youtube.com/watch?v=Egpr2t6NQIQ
6. Hannah’s challenge: Read a Victorian work that discusses education.
youtube.com/@HannahsBooks @HannahsBooks youtube.com/watch?v=ZrN1y5VK3Z4
7. Jess’s challenge: Step back in time—read a Victorian work set in a different era.
instagram.com/dickens.and.docks (our instagram champion!) youtube.com/@dickens-and-docks @dickens-and-docks youtube.com/watch?v=qMttOTjhLVk&pp=0gcJCR0AztywvtLA
8. Milena’s challenge: Spin a (digital) colourwheel and pick a Victorian book with a cover that primarily features that colour. You can pick any edition.
youtube.com/@MilenaReads @MilenaReads youtube.com/watch?v=ExhyaqrJff0
9. Roy’s challenge: Read a Victorian work of fantasy.
youtube.com/@royreadsanything [is me!]
10. Catherine’s challenge: Read a Victorian book that has a connection to Jane Austen.
youtube.com/@takingteawithcatherine @takingteawithcatherine youtube.com/watch?v=cRWSGhLwkFk
Completed 1–3 challenges = Mr Micawber level
Completed 4–6 challenges = Jane Eyre level
Completed 7–9 challenges = Sherlock Holmes level
Completed 10 challenges = Dracula level (because you have to be an immortal magical being in order to complete all ten challenges!)
Group Read:
Hester, Margaret Oliphant
Victober Discord: discord.gg/fG3q8mB2c2
Download the Bingo Card: drive.google.com/file/d/168mYn9yPWY1WbAvZZqAoC6Ny3IjCm_O8/view?usp=drive_link
My recommendations:
Phantasmion, Sara Coleridge
The Wood Beyond the World, William Morris
Lilith, George MacDonald
The Three Imposters, Arthur Machen
Goblin Market, Christina Rossetti
Idylls of the King, Alfred Lord Tennyson
She, H. Rider Haggard
Vice Versa, F. Anstey
********
This channel is informal chat about books and other reading, unaffiliated to any entity.
My Discord server: discord.gg/VaVQBmJwbd
If you want to support the channel, please like and subscribe.
I have an Amazon wishlist: amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/HJ8WB0DVYTRZ
So does Jennie!
amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/2D9INI62HXMC7
Buy me a coffee should you so wish ko-fi.com/roy65583
Email royabayfield [at] gmail.com
#royreadsanything #royreadseverything #RoyWhoReadsAnything
0:00 Intro
8:24 My prompts
Victober is a month-long readathon, all about celebrating Victorian literature (British and Irish literature published and/or written 1837–1901).
Challenges and hosts:
1. Kate’s challenge: Read a Victorian book where friendship is featured.
youtube.com/@katehowereads @katehowereads youtube.com/watch?v=HmcjpgJwayE
2. Katie’s challenge: Read a work of Victorian literature that is not a novel (i.e. a play, short story, poem or work of non-fiction).
youtube.com/@katiejlumsden @katiejlumsden youtube.com/watch?v=_RWZlJaUU-E&pp=0gcJCR0AztywvtLA
3. Marissa’s challenge: Read a work of Victorian literature where a character experiences a change in class status (social mobility, rags to riches, fallen women, etc.)
youtube.com/@BlatantlyBookish @BlatantlyBookish youtube.com/watch?v=ztsTdAcdmcw
4. Ros’s challenge: Empire spotting: see how many times you can spot signs of the Empire in your Victober reading.
youtube.com/@scallydandlingaboutthebooks @scallydandlingaboutthebooks youtube.com/watch?v=kvMoJGm0YAs
5. Elizabeth’s challenge: Read a work by an underrated Victorian woman writer (meaning not the Brontes, Elizabeth Gaskell, George Eliot, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, or Christina Rossetti).
youtube.com/@elizabethaliteraryprincess @elizabethaliteraryprincess youtube.com/watch?v=Egpr2t6NQIQ
6. Hannah’s challenge: Read a Victorian work that discusses education.
youtube.com/@HannahsBooks @HannahsBooks youtube.com/watch?v=ZrN1y5VK3Z4
7. Jess’s challenge: Step back in time—read a Victorian work set in a different era.
instagram.com/dickens.and.docks (our instagram champion!) youtube.com/@dickens-and-docks @dickens-and-docks youtube.com/watch?v=qMttOTjhLVk&pp=0gcJCR0AztywvtLA
8. Milena’s challenge: Spin a (digital) colourwheel and pick a Victorian book with a cover that primarily features that colour. You can pick any edition.
youtube.com/@MilenaReads @MilenaReads youtube.com/watch?v=ExhyaqrJff0
9. Roy’s challenge: Read a Victorian work of fantasy.
youtube.com/@royreadsanything [is me!]
10. Catherine’s challenge: Read a Victorian book that has a connection to Jane Austen.
youtube.com/@takingteawithcatherine @takingteawithcatherine youtube.com/watch?v=cRWSGhLwkFk
Completed 1–3 challenges = Mr Micawber level
Completed 4–6 challenges = Jane Eyre level
Completed 7–9 challenges = Sherlock Holmes level
Completed 10 challenges = Dracula level (because you have to be an immortal magical being in order to complete all ten challenges!)
Group Read:
Hester, Margaret Oliphant
Victober Discord: discord.gg/fG3q8mB2c2
Download the Bingo Card: drive.google.com/file/d/168mYn9yPWY1WbAvZZqAoC6Ny3IjCm_O8/view?usp=drive_link
My recommendations:
Phantasmion, Sara Coleridge
The Wood Beyond the World, William Morris
Lilith, George MacDonald
The Three Imposters, Arthur Machen
Goblin Market, Christina Rossetti
Idylls of the King, Alfred Lord Tennyson
She, H. Rider Haggard
Vice Versa, F. Anstey
********
This channel is informal chat about books and other reading, unaffiliated to any entity.
My Discord server: discord.gg/VaVQBmJwbd
If you want to support the channel, please like and subscribe.
I have an Amazon wishlist: amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/HJ8WB0DVYTRZ
So does Jennie!
amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/2D9INI62HXMC7
Buy me a coffee should you so wish ko-fi.com/roy65583
Email royabayfield [at] gmail.com
#royreadsanything #royreadseverything #RoyWhoReadsAnything
