VICTOBER 2025 discussion

Most of our discussions this year are happening over on Discord: https://discord.gg/CzmtyGAnwJ, but I'm still setting up an introductions thread over here, for those who prefer Goodreads.

Hi, I'm Katie from Books and Things on Booktube, and I love Victorian literature a lot.

I'm Lisa. I like Victorian lit very much and find the culture in general very interesting.

I couldn't get the link to work.

I'm not sure what I'm reading for this semester. Grad school is tough this semester. If anyone has suggestions for poetry and or short story collections, I might be able to fit those around my course work.

Thanks for setting this up, Katie. (For some reason, Discord is beyond my tech skills, so am glad for this space.)

This is my 4th year participating in Victober, although I've been reading Victorian lit all my life without thinking of it as something special--it just always appealed to me. Looking forward to everyone's choices and insights.

Rebecca wrote: "I'm not sure what reading for this semester. Grad school is tough this semester. If anyone has suggestions for poetry and or short story collections, I might be able to fit those around my cour..."
If you like Elizabeth Gaskell, I'd recommend Cousin Phillis and Other Stories. I especially loved "Cousin Phillis" which is a novella set in a rural village about to be invaded by the railroad. Cranford is always a good choice, and can be read like short stories. I'll be reading My Lady Ludlow and Other Stories by Gaskell, which contains Round the Sofa narrative and meets Katie's format prompt.

Hi, I am Theresa and look forward to Victober more every year. Some years I read more than others but always find something new to love.

Hi, I am Jim. Victober was the first event I participated in as a booktuber. I started my channel in September 2020 during the pandemic. I have a long term project to read all Dickens' novels. Last
Victober I read Martin Chuzzlewit, this Victober I plan to read Barnaby Rudge. I first came across Booktube and Victober when I was looking for commentary on Dickens' novels and came across Katie Lumsden's channel "Books & Things".

Hi everyone,

Michelle from Ireland here. This is my third Victober.
I look forward to the chats.

Hi, I'm Bella and this is my first Victober. I want to read more classics and someone on Threads suggested Victober, so here I am. I'm excited!! I just have Frankenstein and Jane Eyre on my list so far.

Hi Bella. Welcome.
Your choices are excellent.

Michelle Hyland wrote: "Hi Bella. Welcome.
Your choices are excellent."

thanks! Apart from Austen I haven't read a lot of classics so I'm really looking forward to victober!!

Hi Bella,

You are very welcome.

Jane Austen is my favourite writer.

Hi all,
I'm Rachel. I have done Victober before a few times - found amazing Victorian classics to read through this challenge - to name my favourites so far which I've discovered because of this = Antony Trollope 'the way we were' (I can't rate this highly enough, loved it) and also Charlotte Bronte 'Shirley'... So it is needless to say I'm excited!

I prefer Goodreads so am happy Katy set this up 😊

Looking forward to Victober starting again... I felt this year has gone so fast. Feel like JAJ was yesterday and now we're already nearly at Victober! ❤️ It's great though, can't wait... Will plan what to read this week and get it ready

Kathy wrote: "I'll be reading My Lady Ludlow and Other Stories by Gaskell, which contains Round the Sofa narrative and meets Katie's format prompt."

Oh, I'm so curious what you'll have to say about My Lady Ludlow! No one ever talks about that one... I read it last year (though in August, so not really for Victober) and it was such an interesting read - especially in relation to discussion of disability. As a story it wasn't one of my favourites, but still definitely don't regret reading it...

I have been considering reading Round the Sofa this year too for the prompt, but I actually already read most of the stories separately, so I might leave it for future years when I don't remember it so well anymore...

Also, yeah, I forgot to introduce myself.

Hi everyone! This is my third Victober and I'm just so happy to see so many familiar... names here already, I can't wait to chat about books with you all!

Hi Alan in Toronto. I’m planning on reading Barry Lyndon because I’ve heard such great things about the movie. I hope to start this weekend.

Hi Alan,

Welcome to one of the best readathons. Barry Lyndon what a different choice. There was a film version of this made in Ireland many years ago with Ryan O'Neal(I think).

That is correct. Apparently the costumes were incredible,especially the hats.

Hi everyone! I am Janice from Alberta, Canada and I have been doing Victober since 2021 so I am still relatively new to Victorian literature. :) I am so happy to be participating again and for finding Katie's Booktube channel which introduced me to this wonderful world of Victorian literature, thank you, Katie! :)

Hi Janice,
Welcome. I too began the readathon in 2021.

Hi, David in London, UK. I'm new to Victober. Have been contemplating the three physical copies I own that qualify:

1. Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
2. William Morris, News from Nowhere
3. George Gissing, Sleeping Fires

Though I looked up Grub Street by Gissing and liked the look of the plot (struggling writers!), so reserved this from a local library. :)

I’m Alice. I’ve done some version of Victober for the last few years, even if it’s only reading one book. I always look forward to it even if I can’t always follow through. This year I’m focusing more on short stories and novellas.

David wrote: "Hi, David in London, UK. I'm new to Victober. Have been contemplating the three physical copies I own that qualify:

1. Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
2. William Morris, News from Nowhere
3...."

Hi David,
Welcome.
I like your choices as they are different.

Alice wrote: "I’m Alice. I’ve done some version of Victober for the last few years, even if it’s only reading one book. I always look forward to it even if I can’t always follow through. This year I’m focusing m..."

Hi Alice,
Welcome.
Even reading one Victorian book counts so enjoy whatever you read.

Hi, everyone! I'm Lorri from Minnesota, USA. This is my 5th Victober and I love Victorian literature. Jane Eyre and North and South are two of my all-time favorite novels. I plan to fulfill all the challenges so I've chosen shorter texts because my son is getting married on November 2. I find Discord a bit overwhelming, so I will participate more fully here.

Hi Lorri,

Welcome.

"North and South" is one of the first Victorian novels that I read and I enjoyed it alot.

Michelle Hyland wrote: "Hi Lorri,

Welcome.

"North and South" is one of the first Victorian novels that I read and I enjoyed it alot."

And the mini-series. I love the mini-series of North and South almost as much as the novel.

Michelle Hyland wrote: "Hi Janice,
Welcome. I too began the readathon in 2021."

Thanks, Michelle! I always look forward to Victober every year! :)