Yuletide recs!
Pile of 34 recs in no order from fandoms including Vorkosigan, Twin Peaks, Bond, Entourage, Holmes, Tim Gunn RPF, Little Miss Sunshine, Slings & Arrows, Enchanted, Little House on the Prairie, Georgette Heyer's Cotillion, Wiseguy, Jeeves & Wooster, Jane Austen's Mansfield Park, Robin McKinley's Damar, Burnett's A Little Princess, From Eroica With Love, Merlin & Arthurian Legend.
Because I am lazy these are just adapted from my comments on the stories, but all were awesome and well worth reading. And so many more left! <3
Vorkosigan
Blundering Tactically
okay, all I've got is a big helping of AWWWW. ♥
Proposals and Propositions
ahahaha: poor Ivan! I love the ending, and how Ivan doesn't see through it at all. ♥
Twin Peaks
I am a lonely soul.
Wow, this is fantastically creepy and amazing -- it exactly captures in words (and actually, makes much more terrifying) the circularity and horror of the Black Lodge, the repetition and the inability to escape. And somehow just seeing BOB on the page was as frightening as those glimpses of him on the show. *shivers in fear*
James Bond (Daniel Craig edition *g*)
Training: A Hands-On Manual
This was totally excellent. I love the concept and the making-of-a-Bond, and the ice-cold implications of the lack of a retirement plan.
Better Days
Bond/M! \o/ This packs a serious punch despite the brevity -- just an awesome captured moment between them.
Attendant
I love love loved this. Perfect M voice, and so captures the prickly-tense-grudging relationship between her and Bond.
Sometimes you suspect you have too little patience with agents, though God knows however much you give them, they'll want more, and you have better uses for it.
Entourage
Life in a Glass House
I always want it to work for Eric and Vince, but I love it when they have to struggle some, too, and discover they're still as necessary to each other as air. And the last line is perfect. <3
No Disgrace, No Calamity
This story makes me want to say "poor Ari" which is a real achievement. *g* And I love high-as-a-kite Eric (although I am sorry for the hangover he is going to wake up to). <3
What Happens in Vegas
wow, *smoking* hot and bitter, and I really love how the author uses all the outsider perspectives to start to show us how broken things are, and then moving into Vince and Eric's heads to not-quite fix it.
hungry
I really loved the New York vs LA dichotomy and the whole running theme of hunger and want. I also really liked the bit with Eric not wanting to mix personal relationship with business relationship -- it makes perfect sense, and is great foundation for this AU, because it makes me not mind as a reader that Eric isn't Vince's manager -- well played! *g*
Sherlock Holmes
The Adventure of the Expert Cracksman
Perfect, perfect Holmes voice! Love the extra backstory and just the fun of seeing H&W in action together again.
Incalzando
This is really beautiful Holmes POV, which is so often hard to do well; he's made human and vulnerable enough to relate to without taking off his edges, and Watson through his eyes (and his jealousy) is lovely.
RPF - Misc Actors
This Ain't A Red Lobster (The Speed-Dating Misadventures of One Timothy Gunn)
shayheyred sent me over for the David-squared shoutout, but I stayed for the speed-dating and the fabulous snark.
Little Miss Sunshine
Little Miss Curious
I have zero knowledge of this fandom, but I feel that is unnecessary to appreciate the hilarious brilliance of this small but perfect story.
"I'll tell him," said Olive. "I'm not sure you're his type, but it will do him good to get out of the house. That's what mom says," she added.
Poor Mr. Bingle. ♥
Slings and Arrows
Five Times Geoffrey Really Should Have Admitted That Darren is a Fucking Genius
I have never seen S&A but bopped over from a rec by loneraven, and this is just completely delightful! And the ending made me sniffle a bit, and see the whole thing & the title as being from Darren's POV abruptly, and I agree with him entirely!
Enchanted
Reprise
I love Edward and Giselle having their second time around, and the twist at the end is great. Also, the *title* is ridiculously perfect here.
Little House on the Prairie
Little Settlement on the Moon
Yes, everyone has recced it, I don't care! ♥
Georgette Heyer - Cotillion
Kissing Cousins
"Kit won't mind. She likes you too, after all."
Jack's eyes briefly opened wider. "Now that, sweet coz, is a fascinating statement."
The author nails Freddy's voice here. <3
Wiseguy
Ceremonies
Fantastic and all set to break Vinnie's heart. Keeps the shadow of his undercover work over the story but manages to still show the relationship with Sonny as otherwise almost uncomplicated -- which of course makes it all the more heartbreaking.
Jeeves & Wooster
The Aunt and the Ankh
Heee, oh, Bernie. *shakes head* This was perfect, totally Wodehouse.
"Well," I said. "Well, well, well." And then I added another "well," just for good measure.
♥
Jane Austen - Mansfield Park
Love and Marriage
This is so beautifully written, so sad and so real. I've always felt the ending of Mansfield Park was a deus ex machina, and this story seems like the case for letting Jane Austen get away with it. lovely. ♥
Robin McKinley - Damar
Dreams and Visions
I love how this intertwines Harry & Aerin's stories anew, and it is just awesome to see more of Damar. <3
Frances Hodgson Burnett - A Little Princess
Cartography
I adored this. The author took a one-dimensional "magical helper" character and made him real and human and wonderful, practical and sentimental at once. Awesome. <3
From Eroica With Love
An almost perfect alibi
I cannot even imagine a more nail-on-the-head convincing Eroica story than this. Even if you don't know anything about the series, I think you can love this. I adore Dorian's FANTASTIC articulation of why he and Klaus are made for each other, and how that, in the end, is what pulls Klaus in.
PS: ridiculously hot.
Some Live Like Lazarus
"Yes," he said, "yes, all right. You surprised me. Well done, you."
Klaus smiled to himself. That was all right, then.
It wasn't a good idea, in his line of work, to get too predictable.
How to make Klaus cross the line: make him feel like he'd be putting one over on Dorian. <3
Invisible Man
How Not To Make Your Move
Bobby/Darien! \o/
The kid could kiss, Bobby would give him that.
After a moment he pulled away, and the crazy red eyes made the next bit easier. "Let's try that again," Bobby said, and hit him.
Perfect. <3
and then the, uh, giant Arthurian subsection. Yay new fandom?
Merlin
Wings of Desire
WINGFIC. ♥_♥
Much Sorrow We Walk In
Chilling and perfect.
The Last Word
Totally lovely. The narrative voice of this is beautiful. <3
Tentacles
Somewhere towards the Care Bears end on the scale of deeply wrong. <3
Four Kisses
I really loved this -- so wistful and so full of love and melancholy.
Walking into Legend
A happy ending that I could actually believe in! And I'm really fascinated, because I realize to me it all seems to hinge on Gwen, that it's the changes (from the legend vs Merlin canon) in her -- her practicality and moral center -- that make it all come out differently in this story, and that makes me incredibly happy.
Arthurian Legend
What Is And What Seems To Be
I really love this Guinevere and the way the author has rewoven the Arthurian legend around her and the historical touches.
The Laws of Love
It always makes me so happy to see the Arthur/Lancelot/Guenevere triangle resolved in different ways, and this is a lovely version, with fabulous voices for all of them, and all that palpable mutual love. <3
Because I am lazy these are just adapted from my comments on the stories, but all were awesome and well worth reading. And so many more left! <3
Vorkosigan
Blundering Tactically
okay, all I've got is a big helping of AWWWW. ♥
Proposals and Propositions
ahahaha: poor Ivan! I love the ending, and how Ivan doesn't see through it at all. ♥
Twin Peaks
I am a lonely soul.
Wow, this is fantastically creepy and amazing -- it exactly captures in words (and actually, makes much more terrifying) the circularity and horror of the Black Lodge, the repetition and the inability to escape. And somehow just seeing BOB on the page was as frightening as those glimpses of him on the show. *shivers in fear*
James Bond (Daniel Craig edition *g*)
Training: A Hands-On Manual
This was totally excellent. I love the concept and the making-of-a-Bond, and the ice-cold implications of the lack of a retirement plan.
Better Days
Bond/M! \o/ This packs a serious punch despite the brevity -- just an awesome captured moment between them.
Attendant
I love love loved this. Perfect M voice, and so captures the prickly-tense-grudging relationship between her and Bond.
Sometimes you suspect you have too little patience with agents, though God knows however much you give them, they'll want more, and you have better uses for it.
Entourage
Life in a Glass House
I always want it to work for Eric and Vince, but I love it when they have to struggle some, too, and discover they're still as necessary to each other as air. And the last line is perfect. <3
No Disgrace, No Calamity
This story makes me want to say "poor Ari" which is a real achievement. *g* And I love high-as-a-kite Eric (although I am sorry for the hangover he is going to wake up to). <3
What Happens in Vegas
wow, *smoking* hot and bitter, and I really love how the author uses all the outsider perspectives to start to show us how broken things are, and then moving into Vince and Eric's heads to not-quite fix it.
hungry
I really loved the New York vs LA dichotomy and the whole running theme of hunger and want. I also really liked the bit with Eric not wanting to mix personal relationship with business relationship -- it makes perfect sense, and is great foundation for this AU, because it makes me not mind as a reader that Eric isn't Vince's manager -- well played! *g*
Sherlock Holmes
The Adventure of the Expert Cracksman
Perfect, perfect Holmes voice! Love the extra backstory and just the fun of seeing H&W in action together again.
Incalzando
This is really beautiful Holmes POV, which is so often hard to do well; he's made human and vulnerable enough to relate to without taking off his edges, and Watson through his eyes (and his jealousy) is lovely.
RPF - Misc Actors
This Ain't A Red Lobster (The Speed-Dating Misadventures of One Timothy Gunn)
shayheyred sent me over for the David-squared shoutout, but I stayed for the speed-dating and the fabulous snark.
Little Miss Sunshine
Little Miss Curious
I have zero knowledge of this fandom, but I feel that is unnecessary to appreciate the hilarious brilliance of this small but perfect story.
"I'll tell him," said Olive. "I'm not sure you're his type, but it will do him good to get out of the house. That's what mom says," she added.
Poor Mr. Bingle. ♥
Slings and Arrows
Five Times Geoffrey Really Should Have Admitted That Darren is a Fucking Genius
I have never seen S&A but bopped over from a rec by loneraven, and this is just completely delightful! And the ending made me sniffle a bit, and see the whole thing & the title as being from Darren's POV abruptly, and I agree with him entirely!
Enchanted
Reprise
I love Edward and Giselle having their second time around, and the twist at the end is great. Also, the *title* is ridiculously perfect here.
Little House on the Prairie
Little Settlement on the Moon
Yes, everyone has recced it, I don't care! ♥
Georgette Heyer - Cotillion
Kissing Cousins
"Kit won't mind. She likes you too, after all."
Jack's eyes briefly opened wider. "Now that, sweet coz, is a fascinating statement."
The author nails Freddy's voice here. <3
Wiseguy
Ceremonies
Fantastic and all set to break Vinnie's heart. Keeps the shadow of his undercover work over the story but manages to still show the relationship with Sonny as otherwise almost uncomplicated -- which of course makes it all the more heartbreaking.
Jeeves & Wooster
The Aunt and the Ankh
Heee, oh, Bernie. *shakes head* This was perfect, totally Wodehouse.
"Well," I said. "Well, well, well." And then I added another "well," just for good measure.
♥
Jane Austen - Mansfield Park
Love and Marriage
This is so beautifully written, so sad and so real. I've always felt the ending of Mansfield Park was a deus ex machina, and this story seems like the case for letting Jane Austen get away with it. lovely. ♥
Robin McKinley - Damar
Dreams and Visions
I love how this intertwines Harry & Aerin's stories anew, and it is just awesome to see more of Damar. <3
Frances Hodgson Burnett - A Little Princess
Cartography
I adored this. The author took a one-dimensional "magical helper" character and made him real and human and wonderful, practical and sentimental at once. Awesome. <3
From Eroica With Love
An almost perfect alibi
I cannot even imagine a more nail-on-the-head convincing Eroica story than this. Even if you don't know anything about the series, I think you can love this. I adore Dorian's FANTASTIC articulation of why he and Klaus are made for each other, and how that, in the end, is what pulls Klaus in.
PS: ridiculously hot.
Some Live Like Lazarus
"Yes," he said, "yes, all right. You surprised me. Well done, you."
Klaus smiled to himself. That was all right, then.
It wasn't a good idea, in his line of work, to get too predictable.
How to make Klaus cross the line: make him feel like he'd be putting one over on Dorian. <3
Invisible Man
How Not To Make Your Move
Bobby/Darien! \o/
The kid could kiss, Bobby would give him that.
After a moment he pulled away, and the crazy red eyes made the next bit easier. "Let's try that again," Bobby said, and hit him.
Perfect. <3
and then the, uh, giant Arthurian subsection. Yay new fandom?
Merlin
Wings of Desire
WINGFIC. ♥_♥
Much Sorrow We Walk In
Chilling and perfect.
The Last Word
Totally lovely. The narrative voice of this is beautiful. <3
Tentacles
Somewhere towards the Care Bears end on the scale of deeply wrong. <3
Four Kisses
I really loved this -- so wistful and so full of love and melancholy.
Walking into Legend
A happy ending that I could actually believe in! And I'm really fascinated, because I realize to me it all seems to hinge on Gwen, that it's the changes (from the legend vs Merlin canon) in her -- her practicality and moral center -- that make it all come out differently in this story, and that makes me incredibly happy.
Arthurian Legend
What Is And What Seems To Be
I really love this Guinevere and the way the author has rewoven the Arthurian legend around her and the historical touches.
The Laws of Love
It always makes me so happy to see the Arthur/Lancelot/Guenevere triangle resolved in different ways, and this is a lovely version, with fabulous voices for all of them, and all that palpable mutual love. <3