Yuletide 2019 Recs
After such a long, intense holiday season, it’s been extremely lovely to relax and spend time reading this year’s Yuletide crop! I have so many more I want to read, but since I’ve already been more thorough than I manage most years, I thought I’d put together some pre-reveal recs for a change!
First things first: I received two gifts this year, one in the main collection and one Madness treat. They’re both really fantastic - I am the luckiest to have stories for two of my obscure fandoms, written by such talented writers. <3
The Enchanted April - Elizabeth von Arnim
Do You See Me?
Lotty Wilkins/Caroline Dester, G, 5447K
This lovely fic is everything I could have asked for - it effortlessly takes up the dreamy, atmospheric quality of the source’s prose, puts plenty of delightful bite into Lady Caroline’s POV, and fixes the major painful problem I had with canon, beautifully. The sweetness of Lotty and Scrap’s dynamic is complimented by the cathartic reworking of Scrap’s reaction to Mr. Briggs. So good!
Chronin
Travelers
Mirai Yoshida/Hatsu, G, 1093K
Aaah! I’m so beyond pleased to get fic for this! It’s a delightful little post-canon conversation between Mirai and Hatsu that showcases everything I love about their dynamic (the way Hatsu challenges Mirai and all her expectations at every turn) and pokes at the whole topic of time travel a bit more. Deftly written and full of possibility. <3
I’ve been reading all over the archive in whatever order fancy takes me, and trying to really mix things up, so I haven’t read every story in nearly any fandom that has more than one. Here are some entirely random favorites:
14th Century CE RPF/The Book of Margery Kempe
The Facebook of Margery Kempe
gen, T, 4505K
Does exactly what it says on the tin, with face-palmingly hilarious results. It’s been a good 15 years since I read Margery, but she leaves an impression, and this fits it beautifully.
Captain Marvel
The Wildest of Them All Was the Cat
gen (background Carol Danvers/Maria Rambeau), G, 3368K
Monica misses her other mom a lot, but a certain flerken develops a habit of wandering through her life and improving things a bit. Very sweet.
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Brass Pots and Black Beans
gen, T, 5979K
Post-season-two, the Spellmans resurrect a disused witchy holiday with predictably mixed results. I have a good deal of fondness for this weird family, who are very much themselves - and we get some familiar spirit POV, which I appreciate very much, since my biggest complaint about canon is that Salem isn’t much of a character.
Gideon the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir
Good Morning
Gideon/Harrowhark, G, 1132K
Post-book, on the ship, the remnants of Gideon keeps needling Harrow to get some damn exercise. Funny and off-kilter and sad - the absurd banality of grief and some choice one-liners. Good stuff.
The Good Place
Free Netflix Subscription
Eleanor/Tahani, T, 10103
A fabulous take on the neighborhood iteration where Eleanor and Tahani are soulmates, Everything Is Gay (so can it really be the Bad Place? really really?), and the character voices are so. Completely. Spot. On. And delightful.
Oxford Time Travel Series - Connie Willis
A Cup of Kindness
gen, G, 2807K
Lovely, quiet little post-series story in which Colin encounters a contemp acquaintance and there is gentle humor, wistfulness, anti-climax, and yes, kindness. Heartwarming and a little sweet, and beautifully executed.
Slings and Arrows
Geoffrey Tennant and the Cursed Play
gen (background/implied Geoffrey/Darren), G, 1194K
Geoffrey Tennant is forced to direct Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. His famous "cousin David" shows up in New Burbage to lend his, er, expert assistance. The cast stages a shipper rebellion. Darren, overseas, is insufficiently sympathetic. I laughed, lots.
Victor/Victoria
What A Victor You Are
Victoria/King, Victor/King, Victor/Toddy, E, 1157K
The queer Victor/Victoria story i didn’t know I needed (at least, specifically), which will change and improve all future viewings of one of my favorite movies. Toddy teaches Victoria how to top King Marchand. So hot. So satisfying in what it does to undermine the irritatingly heteronormative recuperative attempts of canon. More like this, please.
Wayfarers Series - Becky Chambers
To Wander Still
gen (background Isabel/Tamsin), G, 2727K
Post-Record of a Spaceborn Few, the Exodus Fleet needs a new ritual for adoptees. This is approached with all the care and consideration you would expect. Lovely little canon tag, absolutely in keeping with the spirit of the series (which I love beyond measure).
The Mountains of Hashkath
Rosemary/Sissix, T, 1141K
Rosemary and Sissix take a hiking vacation on Sissix’s home planet, allowing for a brief, quiet exploration of their maturing relationship (and Rosemary’s maturation in general). Lovely.
I’m looking forward to sharing a bit about my own story after reveals. After all these years, Yuletide continues to be one of my favorite fannish holiday traditions, period. And I really needed it this year!
This entry was originally posted at my dreamwidth. (
comments)
First things first: I received two gifts this year, one in the main collection and one Madness treat. They’re both really fantastic - I am the luckiest to have stories for two of my obscure fandoms, written by such talented writers. <3
The Enchanted April - Elizabeth von Arnim
Do You See Me?
Lotty Wilkins/Caroline Dester, G, 5447K
This lovely fic is everything I could have asked for - it effortlessly takes up the dreamy, atmospheric quality of the source’s prose, puts plenty of delightful bite into Lady Caroline’s POV, and fixes the major painful problem I had with canon, beautifully. The sweetness of Lotty and Scrap’s dynamic is complimented by the cathartic reworking of Scrap’s reaction to Mr. Briggs. So good!
Chronin
Travelers
Mirai Yoshida/Hatsu, G, 1093K
Aaah! I’m so beyond pleased to get fic for this! It’s a delightful little post-canon conversation between Mirai and Hatsu that showcases everything I love about their dynamic (the way Hatsu challenges Mirai and all her expectations at every turn) and pokes at the whole topic of time travel a bit more. Deftly written and full of possibility. <3
I’ve been reading all over the archive in whatever order fancy takes me, and trying to really mix things up, so I haven’t read every story in nearly any fandom that has more than one. Here are some entirely random favorites:
14th Century CE RPF/The Book of Margery Kempe
The Facebook of Margery Kempe
gen, T, 4505K
Does exactly what it says on the tin, with face-palmingly hilarious results. It’s been a good 15 years since I read Margery, but she leaves an impression, and this fits it beautifully.
Captain Marvel
The Wildest of Them All Was the Cat
gen (background Carol Danvers/Maria Rambeau), G, 3368K
Monica misses her other mom a lot, but a certain flerken develops a habit of wandering through her life and improving things a bit. Very sweet.
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Brass Pots and Black Beans
gen, T, 5979K
Post-season-two, the Spellmans resurrect a disused witchy holiday with predictably mixed results. I have a good deal of fondness for this weird family, who are very much themselves - and we get some familiar spirit POV, which I appreciate very much, since my biggest complaint about canon is that Salem isn’t much of a character.
Gideon the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir
Good Morning
Gideon/Harrowhark, G, 1132K
Post-book, on the ship, the remnants of Gideon keeps needling Harrow to get some damn exercise. Funny and off-kilter and sad - the absurd banality of grief and some choice one-liners. Good stuff.
The Good Place
Free Netflix Subscription
Eleanor/Tahani, T, 10103
A fabulous take on the neighborhood iteration where Eleanor and Tahani are soulmates, Everything Is Gay (so can it really be the Bad Place? really really?), and the character voices are so. Completely. Spot. On. And delightful.
Oxford Time Travel Series - Connie Willis
A Cup of Kindness
gen, G, 2807K
Lovely, quiet little post-series story in which Colin encounters a contemp acquaintance and there is gentle humor, wistfulness, anti-climax, and yes, kindness. Heartwarming and a little sweet, and beautifully executed.
Slings and Arrows
Geoffrey Tennant and the Cursed Play
gen (background/implied Geoffrey/Darren), G, 1194K
Geoffrey Tennant is forced to direct Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. His famous "cousin David" shows up in New Burbage to lend his, er, expert assistance. The cast stages a shipper rebellion. Darren, overseas, is insufficiently sympathetic. I laughed, lots.
Victor/Victoria
What A Victor You Are
Victoria/King, Victor/King, Victor/Toddy, E, 1157K
The queer Victor/Victoria story i didn’t know I needed (at least, specifically), which will change and improve all future viewings of one of my favorite movies. Toddy teaches Victoria how to top King Marchand. So hot. So satisfying in what it does to undermine the irritatingly heteronormative recuperative attempts of canon. More like this, please.
Wayfarers Series - Becky Chambers
To Wander Still
gen (background Isabel/Tamsin), G, 2727K
Post-Record of a Spaceborn Few, the Exodus Fleet needs a new ritual for adoptees. This is approached with all the care and consideration you would expect. Lovely little canon tag, absolutely in keeping with the spirit of the series (which I love beyond measure).
The Mountains of Hashkath
Rosemary/Sissix, T, 1141K
Rosemary and Sissix take a hiking vacation on Sissix’s home planet, allowing for a brief, quiet exploration of their maturing relationship (and Rosemary’s maturation in general). Lovely.
I’m looking forward to sharing a bit about my own story after reveals. After all these years, Yuletide continues to be one of my favorite fannish holiday traditions, period. And I really needed it this year!
This entry was originally posted at my dreamwidth. (
comments)