Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
My Victober reads for two of the challenges:
@katehowereads re friendship -
My First Picture by Rosa Mulholland
@BlatantlyBookish re social mobility -
Lizzie Leigh by Elizabeth Gaskell
+ lots of digression into the world of magazines, including those edited by Charlotte M Yonge, Florence Marryat, L T Meade, M E Braddon and Charles Dickens
+ + Ally Sloper merch!
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
********
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
My Victober reads for two of the challenges:
@katehowereads re friendship -
My First Picture by Rosa Mulholland
@BlatantlyBookish re social mobility -
Lizzie Leigh by Elizabeth Gaskell
+ lots of digression into the world of magazines, including those edited by Charlotte M Yonge, Florence Marryat, L T Meade, M E Braddon and Charles Dickens
+ + Ally Sloper merch!
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
********
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
