Victober 2025: TBR and Plans
In which I explain what Victober is and how I will be participating
Hello! Happy Victober to all who celebrate! 🥳📚
Yes, ’tis the season for all the classics-loving lads and lassies to lift a pinky as they raise their cup of tea to the memory of Queen Victoria and the astounding body of literature her subjects left to posterity. Come on, you know you want to.
If you’re unfamiliar with Victober, it’s an annual readathon held in October that focuses on literature written in Britain during Queen Victoria’s reign (1837-1901). Here’s this year’s announcement video from the readathon’s founder, Katie at BooksAndThings. I think I’ve taken part in 6 Victobers now, but this is the 10th year it’s been held. To mark the occasion, there are going to be 10 hosts this year, and each host has come up with a challenge to encourage participants to diversify their Victober reading. I, overachiever that I try to be, have picked a book for each challenge except one, and I hope to write an essay here on my blog for that last one.
Yes, that’s 9 books. Actually 10, because I randomly added one for my own personal challenge. And yes, I’ll still review NetGalley ARCs and new releases throughout the month as well (check my posting schedule for more info on those). Hey, the more books the merrier, right? Right??
In which I reveal my TBR
Okay, so here are the 10 Victorian books I plan to read this October, along with the challenges I’ll be reading them for. Don’t worry, most of them are short. Just ignore the crazy-long one, it’s fine.
Kate’s challenge: Friendship is featured. For this one I’ve chosen The Odd Women by George Gissing. I’ve never read it before, but I’m told that it works for this challenge. All I know is that it’s about a group of unmarried, and therefore “odd,” women.
Katie’s challenge: Not a novel. For this one I’ve chosen The Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole in Many Lands by Mary Seacole. It’s a memoir about a free Black woman from Jamaica who became a nurse during the Crimean War. I’ve heard that Florence Nightingale took credit for some of Mary Seacole’s accomplishments.
Marissa’s challenge: Change in class status. For this one I’ve chosen Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell. I’ve read most of Gaskell’s works, but for some reason I haven’t gotten around to this one yet. From what I understand, it was the first novel to follow a “fallen woman” as its protagonist.
Ros’s challenge: Empire spotting. This is the challenge I haven’t picked a specific book for, since that isn’t really Ros’s intention. She wants us to be looking as we read whatever we read for signs of the British Empire’s impact on daily life. I plan to take notes throughout the month and write something on this blog about what I find.
Elizabeth’s challenge: Underrated woman writer. We all know the Brontes, Gaskell, and Eliot, but what about the other Victorian ladies who put pen to paper? For this challenge, the Victober group read of Hester by Margaret Oliphant fits perfectly, so I’m going with that one. I’ve never read it before and actually have no idea what it’s about. That’s rare for a classic, so I’m trying to keep it that way!
Hannah’s challenge: Discusses education. For this one I’ve chosen Villette by Charlotte Bronte. I’ve read it before, but it’s been at least 20 years. I remember liking it more than Jane Eyre at the time, though Jane Eyre went on to become my second favourite book of all time on re-read. I’m curious to see what a re-read does for Villette! It’s about a teacher in a boarding school, so it definitely fits the prompt.
Jess’s challenge: Set in a different era. This can mean forward or backward in time, just so long as it isn’t set in the Victorian period. I’ve chosen A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens for this one, which is set during the French Revolution in the 1700s. It’s my favourite book of all time, and I’ve read it several times over the years. Haven’t picked it up in a while, so I’m excited for a re-read!
Milena’s challenge: Spin a colourwheel, pick a matching cover. I spun and got amber, which proved a little bit tricky. But my second-hand copy of Silas Marner by George Eliot has an amber-ish border around the cover, so I’m going with that. I read it many years ago, and I feel like it’s time for a re-read. It’s about a cranky old weaver finding redemption.
Roy’s challenge: Fantasy. For this one I’ve chosen At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald. I’ve already read Phantastes, Lilith, and The Princess and the Goblin by MacDonald, and I enjoyed those. I’m interested to see what this one is like. I’d actually never heard of it before.
Catherine’s challenge: Connection to Jane Austen. This year will mark Jane Austen’s 250th birthday, so Catherine wants us to find a link to her or her work in a Victorian book of our choosing. I’ve chosen Doctor Thorne by Anthony Trollope for this one, since it’s the next one in the Chronicles of Barsetshire series that I need to read, and Catherine mentioned that it has many similarities to Austen’s novels.
My own personal challenge, because apparently that wasn’t a big enough TBR: Canadian author. Most of Canada was technically a British colony during most if not all of the Victorian era, and since I’m trying to read a Canadian book each month, I thought I’d try to find a Canadian writer of the period. I’ve settled on Thomas Chandler Haliburton from Nova Scotia, whose satirical works apparently rivalled the popularity of Dickens in his day. His most famous (and still somewhat in print) book, The Clockmaker, was written slightly before the Victorian era, but I found The Attaché; or, Sam Slick in England (from 1843) available on Project Gutenberg. I’m excited to see what Canadian satire of the Victorian era was like!
In which I am excited but somehow already exhausted
Okay. So. Yeah, that’s a lot of books. But it’s totally doable! As long as I don’t try to have any kind of life in October… but hey, reading is 90% of my personality, so that’s nothing new. 🤣
Are you participating in Victober this year? Do you plan to read any of these books? Feel free to hit me up if you are, because I’m open to buddy reading. Happy Victober one and all!!