OcTBR Challenge

Thanks to everyone for joining in. We can't wait to do this again with you all soon. Have a wonderful rest of your year!
🎃📚🎃📚🎃
Team OcTBR x

And there we have it. Another year, another OcTBR Challenge done and dusted! How did you do? If you're anything like us, you've probably added to your TBRs... but that's okay! It's fine!

There's always next year. :)

bookshelf coloring page. shelves are colored various browns. in addition to the books are an hourglass, a globe, some plants, a candle, and...what I'm assuming is some kind of lamp (or at least I colored it yellow). the first 43 books (all but one on the second shelf) are colored and greyed out (because I read them in the previous weeks). total number of books colored (in random colors) is 50.

fourth week of the @octbrchallenge.bsky.social
is over. have an updated image of my reading shelf.

greyed out (read earlier this month) books now number 43 (I lied last week and said 44 because apparently counting is hard).

only read 7 this week, bringing my total so far to 50.

awesome!!!

THE WAY UP IS DEATH 🛕by @danhanks.bsky.social

#OcTBRChat

And that brings our festive fun to an end!

Thanks to all who've joined us for this year's #OcTBRChat, either along with us or afterwards. As always, we've loved chatting with you about all things books.

Until next time!

Last question of this year's #OcTBRChat!

Question 4:

What book would you be most excited to find under your tree this coming Christmas?

#OcTBRChat

Can I say @dan_hanks again? I promise I'm not getting paid to say this! 😂

But also, Andrev Walden. Not sure his books have been translated into English just yet, but I think he can write a beautiful wintery story, his way with words are truly something else 💙❄ #OcTBRchat

The answer is…. @erinmorgenstern.bsky.social

Bring me a traveling, disappearing, romantic Christmas circus please and thank you.

But also WE LOVE THIS IDEA TOO!

Oh YES. 😍

The devil in me wants to say Kafka
#OcTBRChat

Wait, are you volunteering?

*rubs hands together*

Ooooh!!! Whatcha got, friends??

#OcTBRChat

We have liked this, but only in solidarity with the awfulness of that possibility.

@dan_hanks Swashbucklers! Honesty quite possibly the best Christmas book ever - with a big twist... 😉🎅 😍 #OcTBRchat

Medieval Christmas stuff really does hit hard, doesn't it.

And yes love all this.

Ohhhh we're halfway there-ere! Ohhhh-ohhh...

Question 3:

You are a publisher tasked with creating the ULTIMATE festive, wintry novel!

What author, living or dead (because you can do that), do you hire to write it?

#OcTBRChat

Great for some 80s nostalgia :)

Okay yeah, we love that idea. You should write it!

The obvious one for me is the Left Hand Of Darkness, a sci fi set on a planet of eternal winter.
Give me some solar punk set during Christmas - the very name seems to militate against it, but the future will need punk and DIY solutions for the cold too :)) #OcTBRChat

That someone is clearly very wise. 👀

Ooh that's a fascinating recommendation! Is there any particular reason?

I would love love love more Christmas or winter horror stories, but we do have quite a few already. I think fantasy has a bunch too.

So how about a cyberpunk Christmas?

#OcTBRChat

Question 2:

Christmas books are classically linked (with good reason) to romance/rom-coms or Dickensian stories. What are some great Christmas or winter-set books in other genres?

Or, alternatively, what genre would you LOVE to get more Christmas/winter-set books?

#OcTBRChat

Okay, we're sold on that description alone.

I think of all of Angela Carter’s dark fairytales as Christmassy, simply because of the unashamed richness of the prose, its sensuality. Burnished bronze, evergreen and darkest burgundy.
#OcTBRChat

Not a specific book, but all the books from Swedish author Åsa Larsson. The books are all set up north, during the wintery season. The beautifully written details makes me long for Christmas. #OcTBRchat