Since We’re All Stuck at Home Anyway…
The internet has provided so many opportunities to connect with people engaged in all sorts of hobbies. By doing a quick search you can find yourself part of a community of people with similar interests. It’s honestly incredible!
One of the communities I have the blessing to be a part of on both YouTube and Instagram is the book community. For those who love reading, or even just want to get into reading more, this community can provide such great inspiration and motivation. One of the common activities hosted within the book community are readathons. People from all over the world get the chance to read books with similar themes and discuss them online. It’s such a blast to be a part of, regardless of how much you regularly read.
This week we’d like to invite you, for those who are interested, to participate in an upcoming readathon perfect for those who’d like to read more classics. It’s called Victober, or the Victorian Readathon. Throughout the month of October participants are encouraged to read at least one piece of Victorian literature (anything written in the UK or Ireland between the years 1837 and 1901, the years when Queen Victoria was on the throne). This includes many well-known books and authors, such as Charles Dickens, the Brontë sisters (think books like Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights), Treasure Island, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and many more.
Below we have linked the announcement videos on YouTube for you to watch if you’re interested. Each of their videos provide a variety of suggestions for things to read. Additionally, we have provided a list of well-loved novels (including some keywords regarding what they’re about) below that you can choose from if you’d like. It’s seriously such a great experience for readers at all levels, regardless of how much or little you typically read. Since we’re all stuck at home anyway, consider giving it a shot!
Recommendations:
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë – Coming-of-age, Gothic, Mystery, Strong Female Heroine, Controversial Romance
- The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde – Mysterious Portrait, Vain Young Man, Suicide, Murder, Deal with the Devil
- Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy – Independent and Flawed Woman, Love Square (Three Men, One Woman), Obsession, Secret Marriage, Rural Farm Life
- Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson – Pirates, Buried Treasure, Treasure Map, Mutiny, Wild Man on a Desert Island
- Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë – Revenge, Obsession, Prejudice, Racism, Cycle of Abuse, Mysterious Wealth
- The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë – Marital Abuse, Strong Female Heroine, Ahead of its Time, Alcoholism, Romance
- North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell – Similar to Pride and Prejudice, Factory Workers, Industrialization, Fascinating Lead Female Character
- Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens – Orphans, Found Family, Dark Side of London, Criminal Masterminds, Thievery
- A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – Sherlock #1, Mystery, Friendship, Murder, Detectives
- The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins – Mystery, Mustache-Twirling Villain, Supernatural Moments, Gothic, Multi-Perspective, Insanity
Links to Videos:
- Kate Howe: https://youtu.be/eidSDkBuwXE
- Books and Things: https://youtu.be/vD0-QV0kxmE
- Lucy the Reader: https://youtu.be/Q-Gr-idpezw