(no subject)
Well, the half-week-long storm is over -- I wore a t-shirt again today, and I fear this will be the last rain we will see this year.
I finished Pratchett's Nation today; since my iPod is gone and my dad has reclaimed his Kindle, I read the second half of the book on my laptop Kindle reader, and that book, man. I was near tears by the end. I love the way he writes about religion and science, and it was interesting to see him do it in a world that is 99.9% like our own instead of on the Disc. I love Mau and Daphne both. And I loved the closing paragraphs; there is something so satisfying in well-written endings, which is something I forget when reading fics, where 90% of the time fics will end with a smile or a kiss or falling asleep.
Sigh, I am feeling a little pissy tonight and am trying not to take it out on anyone. Some links and assorted recs:
help_japan -- you've probably heard about this. I won't be offering anything, seeing as I still owe charity fics from over a year ago and I don't want to not follow up again, but I might try bidding one someone.
Remix 9 sign ups are open -- I love Remix, but I think I'm not going to sign up this year. Which gah, it pains me to say! But. the deadlines are not great for me, and I don't think I even qualify as a participant -- my masterlist is too full of crossovers to be of any use to remix -- so my best hope is snagging a pinch hit at some point and writing something without worrying about it for a month. It's a really fun experience though, truly. Muchly recced. And hey, if you ever want to remix any of my stories independently of Remix, or write prequels or sequels or podfics or whatever, feel free! I should add blanket permission to my masterlist at some point. *is lazy*
Recs:
Contractions and Split Infinitives by P.I.D (Tangled) -- Repunzel and Flynn, PG. Repunzel befriends a few princesses from neighboring kingdoms. Really sweet. (thanks, sabra_n!)
I'm Not a Sucker so I Don't Need a Bodyguard by
musesfool (DCU/Angel) -- Cordelia, Bruce, PG. Cordelia's been in the game long enough that she can spot a secret identity from a mile away. Oh, Cordy ♥ I love her POV, and the way her moving to Gotham and meeting Bruce plays out.
We're not playing games, and we're not playing lovers by eleanor_lavish (Bandom) -- Spencer/Shane, NC-17. Brendon fucking Urie, ladies and gentlemen. Boy most likely to turn you queer, and least likely to ever fucking notice. I've loved every one of her fics that I've ever read, and this is no exception; she makes this pairing work.
New Kid Makes a Rule by sinsense (Bandom) -- Spencer/Joe, PG-13, LOLOL. This fic cracked me up so much. It takes a lot (= really good writing) to make me veer off my very singleminded Panic ships when I'm in the ~zone, and this tab was left open and unread for at least a week after sinjah recced it to me that eventually I figured fuck it, I'll never read this anyway, I'll just close the tab and she'll never know. And then I glanced at the first paragraph just to see what I was passing up on and ended up reading the entire thing and it is hilarious and adorable and a really really fun office AU.
And as promised, here is the list of Hunger Games fic recs
minglingcrab sent me :D I have't read them all yet -- have hardly even begun -- but it looks like a whole lot of awesome, so here it is in her words (you will also note that she is a far superior reccer than myself):
1) Series from mithrigil, puella_nerdii, and lindensphinx. Well, series in the sense that all these fics (and probably a few more that I included separately because it seemed neater) exist in the same universe, not in the sense that they follow some narrative arc. This is the highest quality fic you will find in this fandom IMO, spanning Finnick's Games through some point in Mockingjay. The first two are Finnick-heavy, and the rest swing the focus over to Cinna.
ALSO IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO READ THE BOOKS BASED ON THESE RECS, I AM GOING TO INFORM YOU NOW (SPOILER!!!) THAT FINNICK [REDACTED IT'S A HUGE FUCKING SPOILER --R]. APPARENTLY IT’S A BIG DEAL THAT I FORGET MINOR CANON DETAILS OF THIS SORT. PSHHH. [REDACTED], WHATEVER, EVERYONE [REDACTED], THE BACKSTORY FIC IS STILL AWESOME. AND THAT’S WHAT I WANT WRITTEN ON MY TOMBSTONE.
Achilles Heel by mithrigil: 9,500 words. Gen. Everyone loves Finnick. Or: Finnick's Games and their aftermath.
GMKLE;SKRG;SRKGJLSOI;R MY FAVORITE FIC. I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT IT. I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T TRY. OH WELL. Warning: it will break your heart into a million pieces. It’s beautiful and terrible and everything that I wished the books had been in the way it handles themes, characterization, everything. The prose is very rhythmic, but in a way that is effective instead of gimmicky. I love: Mags, who Finnick is at fourteen, all the OCs, the use of canon characters, the way what we know of Finnick’s Games is woven into something so much bigger, that last fucking line. This fic got into my head and heart and burrowed in there and stayed.
Scylla and Charybdis by mithrigil and peulla_nerdii: 61,300 words. Annie/Finnick. Annie's Games and their aftermath, Finnick POV. Seems a lot more predictable at first than Achilles Heel in terms of the kind of story it’s telling, i.e. how far along Finnick has gotten towards becoming the person he is when we meet him in the books. But it gets more interesting as he moves even further along, and not only do I really like the secondary characters we get a glimpse of, I totally fucking love Annie. She's like the antithesis of Katniss - nothing tough about her at all, nothing self-sufficient or independent, and eventually she’s completely broken, yes - but she manages to retain a certain identity and agency (and maybe I’m just a geek but I do feel that these are themes that carry over from Achilles Heel in new and interesting ways) in spite of that, or even because of it, and it’s a strength she shares with Finnick, eventually. Meep. Don't judge me. Or my run-on sentences.
Wisely, I Say, I Am A Bachelor by mithrigil: 23,000 words. Cinna/Finnick, Annie/Finnick (implied). Cinna is Finnick's stylist in the, um, off-season? And needs to figure him out in order to best show him off. Very hurty, h/c heavy on the h. I liked it more for the glimpse inside Cinna's head than for the Cinna/Finnick or even the deconstruction of Finnick that Cinna does, but hey, it's all good. I don't know if this is my Personal Canon Cinna, but I like him anyway.
You Do Not Talk About the Revolution by mithrigil: 2,100 words. Gen. Short snippet in which Cinna meets with Haymitch to discuss fashion. Again, I love Cinna, so I loved seeing more of him. I also liked seeing these characters freed from Katniss' POV.
Piecework by lindensphinx: 10,000 words. v. v. minor Cinna/Trajan and Cinna/Finnick and implied Annie/Finnick. What happens to Cinna in the end. Closure, if you can call it that, for his character. Get yourself some tissues and comfort food.
2) Other Finnick-centric fic:
Fish In a Barrel by gilleonen: 9,000 words. Gen. Another version of Finnick's Games. I don't actually remember much of this one, or at least -- I think it gets all tangled up with mithrigil's in my head, because I read them one after the other, but -- I do remember that it was utterly devastating and utterly excellent. More akin to canon, maybe. And in second-person POV. So there's that.
The Light In Me Will Guide You Home by puella_nerdii. 850 words, Finnick/Annie. I really don't remember this, but I think it's just a snippet about Annie?
Half Hitch by mithrigil. 3,500 words. Finnick/Annie. Rope bondage porn. I... don't really remember it? But I think it was sweet. Yeah. Sweet rope bondage porn.
3) Other Cinna-centric fic:
Differences by Mici. 2,500 words. Gen. UGH I LOVE THIS SO MUCH. Cinna backstory that feels right, second person POV but so good. It should feel too easy that he never really got taken in by Capitol culture, but I can just picture little Cinna and. It's right.
Those Who Favor Fire by allthingsholy: 2,745 words. Gen. Little snippets of Cinna, tied up with the revolution. Dark. I'm not sure how well this fits with the Cinna in my head, but it has some good moments.
To the Victors by Isis: 1,600 words. Haymitch/Cinna. During Katniss' Games, both of them trying to deal. I like this Cinna and I think the writer pulls this off, even though I'm still squinting at the pairing.
Foxglove by Annwyd: 4,000 words. Gen. Cinna backstory. I don't remember this, but I think it was okay.
Apprentice by florahart: 1,450 words. Gen. An absolutely perfect little snapshot of Cinna at work, pre-canon.
4) Haymitch-centric fic:
All Things Are Mine Since Truth I Found by mithrigil: 15,000 words. Haymitch/OFC. The aftermath of Haymitch's Games. Excellent Haymitch POV, nailing a much younger version of his -- misanthropy? Bitterness? And a version of President Snow that's seriously fucking terrifying and enraging.
Backscatter by sprat: 4,500 words. Gen, background Katniss/Peeta. It's futurefic and kidfic and I remember feeling like it was trying to offer some sort of realistic healing, but I don't remember much else.
Scenes From A Revolution by electrumqueen: 2,200 words. Gen. This author's stuff is completely hit or miss for me, but I think this one was mostly hit. Little snippets of Haymitch interacting with various people over time.
To the Victor, the Spoil by annkovsky. 13,300 words. Haymitch/Katniss. The aftermath of the Games in an AU in which Katniss kills Peeta in the arena and is sold like Finnick. When I read the first bit I thought it was going to be wildly OOC, and maybe it is, in a lot of ways, but that's also a function of getting Haymitch's POV instead of Katniss'. It works in a lot of ways, too, mainly the ways in which it is depressing as all hell.
The Couch Comes First by mithrigil. 2,100 words. Haymitch/Johanna. THIS. IS. OKAY. IT'S. Above all it's just so fucking dirty, but, you know, with this bittersweet emotional payoff. I love these two characters, and hello, apparently I love them together, fighting over couch rights.
Here's The Smell of Blood Still by athousandwinds: 2,000 words. Gen. Thirteen vignettes from various points in Haymitch’s life.
5) Random one-offs:
Closer to the Sun by sexonastick. 1,500 words. Gen. A little bit about Rue. I don't think this was great, but Rue needs fic, so here it is.
Why Beetee Doesn’t Sleep with Victors by mithrigil. 1,000 words. Gen, or possibly everyone with everyone. LOL. This fic is weirdly, sweetly... domestic? IDEK.
6) Katniss-centric
Out of the Night: An Interview With a Mockingjay by athousandwinds: 2,500 words. Katniss/Peeta. Exactly what it says in the title. Post-canon. I really don't remember much about this, but I think it was good.
THEIR LAST NIGHT OF LOVE: A SPECIAL VERITY PRESENTATION, EXCLUSIVELY FOR PREFERRED CUSTOMERS by Yahtzee: 5,000 words. Katniss/Peeta. I think this one was great in concept but only good in execution, although I also remember thinking that it would fit almost creepily well into canon. The one where their lives after the Games are an on-demand cable reality show. Specifically: their wedding night.
Learning to Swim by imaginarcircus: 5,530 words. Katniss/Peeta. Nice attempt at filling in the blanks of them healing together at the end of Mockingjay. The POVs do at least feel very genuine, in character and real.
LOL. WHAT. I TOLD YOU I HAD NO KATNISS FIC. SHE TURNS INTO A MARY SUE IN FIC. IT MAKES ME MAKE THIS FACE :|
Although it’s not like I’m an expert on the fandom, I mainlined all of this in about a week. Where is all the good Katniss fic, people???
7) Fics that deal with Gale and Peeta and their feelings for Katniss, yes this is a category
Even When You Win, You Lose by angelan: 1,800 words. Katniss/Peeta. No plot except that Peeta has a crush and comes to the capitol and okay, I love this Peeta. He's so awkward and young, it kills me.
The Heart I Gave To You (I Cannot Find) by electrumqueen: 1,100 words. Gale/Katniss, background Katniss/Peeta. Powerful look at Gale post-Mockingjay. I told you this writer is hit-or-miss, yeah? Well, have another hit.
Peeta Mellark's Very Awkward Stag Party by puella_nerdii: 2,600 words, Katniss/Peeta. LOL so, okay, I only like this one for the title and the last line, but those two things did make me laugh because the whole thing is so absurd.
OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD. HOW THE HELL IS THIS SO LONG? I AM DONE FOR NOW.
<------- <33333.
comments on Dreamwidth.
I finished Pratchett's Nation today; since my iPod is gone and my dad has reclaimed his Kindle, I read the second half of the book on my laptop Kindle reader, and that book, man. I was near tears by the end. I love the way he writes about religion and science, and it was interesting to see him do it in a world that is 99.9% like our own instead of on the Disc. I love Mau and Daphne both. And I loved the closing paragraphs; there is something so satisfying in well-written endings, which is something I forget when reading fics, where 90% of the time fics will end with a smile or a kiss or falling asleep.
Sigh, I am feeling a little pissy tonight and am trying not to take it out on anyone. Some links and assorted recs:
help_japan -- you've probably heard about this. I won't be offering anything, seeing as I still owe charity fics from over a year ago and I don't want to not follow up again, but I might try bidding one someone.
Remix 9 sign ups are open -- I love Remix, but I think I'm not going to sign up this year. Which gah, it pains me to say! But. the deadlines are not great for me, and I don't think I even qualify as a participant -- my masterlist is too full of crossovers to be of any use to remix -- so my best hope is snagging a pinch hit at some point and writing something without worrying about it for a month. It's a really fun experience though, truly. Muchly recced. And hey, if you ever want to remix any of my stories independently of Remix, or write prequels or sequels or podfics or whatever, feel free! I should add blanket permission to my masterlist at some point. *is lazy*
Recs:
Contractions and Split Infinitives by P.I.D (Tangled) -- Repunzel and Flynn, PG. Repunzel befriends a few princesses from neighboring kingdoms. Really sweet. (thanks, sabra_n!)
I'm Not a Sucker so I Don't Need a Bodyguard by
musesfool (DCU/Angel) -- Cordelia, Bruce, PG. Cordelia's been in the game long enough that she can spot a secret identity from a mile away. Oh, Cordy ♥ I love her POV, and the way her moving to Gotham and meeting Bruce plays out.
We're not playing games, and we're not playing lovers by eleanor_lavish (Bandom) -- Spencer/Shane, NC-17. Brendon fucking Urie, ladies and gentlemen. Boy most likely to turn you queer, and least likely to ever fucking notice. I've loved every one of her fics that I've ever read, and this is no exception; she makes this pairing work.
New Kid Makes a Rule by sinsense (Bandom) -- Spencer/Joe, PG-13, LOLOL. This fic cracked me up so much. It takes a lot (= really good writing) to make me veer off my very singleminded Panic ships when I'm in the ~zone, and this tab was left open and unread for at least a week after sinjah recced it to me that eventually I figured fuck it, I'll never read this anyway, I'll just close the tab and she'll never know. And then I glanced at the first paragraph just to see what I was passing up on and ended up reading the entire thing and it is hilarious and adorable and a really really fun office AU.
And as promised, here is the list of Hunger Games fic recs
minglingcrab sent me :D I have't read them all yet -- have hardly even begun -- but it looks like a whole lot of awesome, so here it is in her words (you will also note that she is a far superior reccer than myself):
1) Series from mithrigil, puella_nerdii, and lindensphinx. Well, series in the sense that all these fics (and probably a few more that I included separately because it seemed neater) exist in the same universe, not in the sense that they follow some narrative arc. This is the highest quality fic you will find in this fandom IMO, spanning Finnick's Games through some point in Mockingjay. The first two are Finnick-heavy, and the rest swing the focus over to Cinna.
ALSO IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO READ THE BOOKS BASED ON THESE RECS, I AM GOING TO INFORM YOU NOW (SPOILER!!!) THAT FINNICK [REDACTED IT'S A HUGE FUCKING SPOILER --R]. APPARENTLY IT’S A BIG DEAL THAT I FORGET MINOR CANON DETAILS OF THIS SORT. PSHHH. [REDACTED], WHATEVER, EVERYONE [REDACTED], THE BACKSTORY FIC IS STILL AWESOME. AND THAT’S WHAT I WANT WRITTEN ON MY TOMBSTONE.
Achilles Heel by mithrigil: 9,500 words. Gen. Everyone loves Finnick. Or: Finnick's Games and their aftermath.
GMKLE;SKRG;SRKGJLSOI;R MY FAVORITE FIC. I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT IT. I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T TRY. OH WELL. Warning: it will break your heart into a million pieces. It’s beautiful and terrible and everything that I wished the books had been in the way it handles themes, characterization, everything. The prose is very rhythmic, but in a way that is effective instead of gimmicky. I love: Mags, who Finnick is at fourteen, all the OCs, the use of canon characters, the way what we know of Finnick’s Games is woven into something so much bigger, that last fucking line. This fic got into my head and heart and burrowed in there and stayed.
Scylla and Charybdis by mithrigil and peulla_nerdii: 61,300 words. Annie/Finnick. Annie's Games and their aftermath, Finnick POV. Seems a lot more predictable at first than Achilles Heel in terms of the kind of story it’s telling, i.e. how far along Finnick has gotten towards becoming the person he is when we meet him in the books. But it gets more interesting as he moves even further along, and not only do I really like the secondary characters we get a glimpse of, I totally fucking love Annie. She's like the antithesis of Katniss - nothing tough about her at all, nothing self-sufficient or independent, and eventually she’s completely broken, yes - but she manages to retain a certain identity and agency (and maybe I’m just a geek but I do feel that these are themes that carry over from Achilles Heel in new and interesting ways) in spite of that, or even because of it, and it’s a strength she shares with Finnick, eventually. Meep. Don't judge me. Or my run-on sentences.
Wisely, I Say, I Am A Bachelor by mithrigil: 23,000 words. Cinna/Finnick, Annie/Finnick (implied). Cinna is Finnick's stylist in the, um, off-season? And needs to figure him out in order to best show him off. Very hurty, h/c heavy on the h. I liked it more for the glimpse inside Cinna's head than for the Cinna/Finnick or even the deconstruction of Finnick that Cinna does, but hey, it's all good. I don't know if this is my Personal Canon Cinna, but I like him anyway.
You Do Not Talk About the Revolution by mithrigil: 2,100 words. Gen. Short snippet in which Cinna meets with Haymitch to discuss fashion. Again, I love Cinna, so I loved seeing more of him. I also liked seeing these characters freed from Katniss' POV.
Piecework by lindensphinx: 10,000 words. v. v. minor Cinna/Trajan and Cinna/Finnick and implied Annie/Finnick. What happens to Cinna in the end. Closure, if you can call it that, for his character. Get yourself some tissues and comfort food.
2) Other Finnick-centric fic:
Fish In a Barrel by gilleonen: 9,000 words. Gen. Another version of Finnick's Games. I don't actually remember much of this one, or at least -- I think it gets all tangled up with mithrigil's in my head, because I read them one after the other, but -- I do remember that it was utterly devastating and utterly excellent. More akin to canon, maybe. And in second-person POV. So there's that.
The Light In Me Will Guide You Home by puella_nerdii. 850 words, Finnick/Annie. I really don't remember this, but I think it's just a snippet about Annie?
Half Hitch by mithrigil. 3,500 words. Finnick/Annie. Rope bondage porn. I... don't really remember it? But I think it was sweet. Yeah. Sweet rope bondage porn.
3) Other Cinna-centric fic:
Differences by Mici. 2,500 words. Gen. UGH I LOVE THIS SO MUCH. Cinna backstory that feels right, second person POV but so good. It should feel too easy that he never really got taken in by Capitol culture, but I can just picture little Cinna and. It's right.
Those Who Favor Fire by allthingsholy: 2,745 words. Gen. Little snippets of Cinna, tied up with the revolution. Dark. I'm not sure how well this fits with the Cinna in my head, but it has some good moments.
To the Victors by Isis: 1,600 words. Haymitch/Cinna. During Katniss' Games, both of them trying to deal. I like this Cinna and I think the writer pulls this off, even though I'm still squinting at the pairing.
Foxglove by Annwyd: 4,000 words. Gen. Cinna backstory. I don't remember this, but I think it was okay.
Apprentice by florahart: 1,450 words. Gen. An absolutely perfect little snapshot of Cinna at work, pre-canon.
4) Haymitch-centric fic:
All Things Are Mine Since Truth I Found by mithrigil: 15,000 words. Haymitch/OFC. The aftermath of Haymitch's Games. Excellent Haymitch POV, nailing a much younger version of his -- misanthropy? Bitterness? And a version of President Snow that's seriously fucking terrifying and enraging.
Backscatter by sprat: 4,500 words. Gen, background Katniss/Peeta. It's futurefic and kidfic and I remember feeling like it was trying to offer some sort of realistic healing, but I don't remember much else.
Scenes From A Revolution by electrumqueen: 2,200 words. Gen. This author's stuff is completely hit or miss for me, but I think this one was mostly hit. Little snippets of Haymitch interacting with various people over time.
To the Victor, the Spoil by annkovsky. 13,300 words. Haymitch/Katniss. The aftermath of the Games in an AU in which Katniss kills Peeta in the arena and is sold like Finnick. When I read the first bit I thought it was going to be wildly OOC, and maybe it is, in a lot of ways, but that's also a function of getting Haymitch's POV instead of Katniss'. It works in a lot of ways, too, mainly the ways in which it is depressing as all hell.
The Couch Comes First by mithrigil. 2,100 words. Haymitch/Johanna. THIS. IS. OKAY. IT'S. Above all it's just so fucking dirty, but, you know, with this bittersweet emotional payoff. I love these two characters, and hello, apparently I love them together, fighting over couch rights.
Here's The Smell of Blood Still by athousandwinds: 2,000 words. Gen. Thirteen vignettes from various points in Haymitch’s life.
5) Random one-offs:
Closer to the Sun by sexonastick. 1,500 words. Gen. A little bit about Rue. I don't think this was great, but Rue needs fic, so here it is.
Why Beetee Doesn’t Sleep with Victors by mithrigil. 1,000 words. Gen, or possibly everyone with everyone. LOL. This fic is weirdly, sweetly... domestic? IDEK.
6) Katniss-centric
Out of the Night: An Interview With a Mockingjay by athousandwinds: 2,500 words. Katniss/Peeta. Exactly what it says in the title. Post-canon. I really don't remember much about this, but I think it was good.
THEIR LAST NIGHT OF LOVE: A SPECIAL VERITY PRESENTATION, EXCLUSIVELY FOR PREFERRED CUSTOMERS by Yahtzee: 5,000 words. Katniss/Peeta. I think this one was great in concept but only good in execution, although I also remember thinking that it would fit almost creepily well into canon. The one where their lives after the Games are an on-demand cable reality show. Specifically: their wedding night.
Learning to Swim by imaginarcircus: 5,530 words. Katniss/Peeta. Nice attempt at filling in the blanks of them healing together at the end of Mockingjay. The POVs do at least feel very genuine, in character and real.
LOL. WHAT. I TOLD YOU I HAD NO KATNISS FIC. SHE TURNS INTO A MARY SUE IN FIC. IT MAKES ME MAKE THIS FACE :|
Although it’s not like I’m an expert on the fandom, I mainlined all of this in about a week. Where is all the good Katniss fic, people???
7) Fics that deal with Gale and Peeta and their feelings for Katniss, yes this is a category
Even When You Win, You Lose by angelan: 1,800 words. Katniss/Peeta. No plot except that Peeta has a crush and comes to the capitol and okay, I love this Peeta. He's so awkward and young, it kills me.
The Heart I Gave To You (I Cannot Find) by electrumqueen: 1,100 words. Gale/Katniss, background Katniss/Peeta. Powerful look at Gale post-Mockingjay. I told you this writer is hit-or-miss, yeah? Well, have another hit.
Peeta Mellark's Very Awkward Stag Party by puella_nerdii: 2,600 words, Katniss/Peeta. LOL so, okay, I only like this one for the title and the last line, but those two things did make me laugh because the whole thing is so absurd.
OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD. HOW THE HELL IS THIS SO LONG? I AM DONE FOR NOW.
<------- <33333.
comments on Dreamwidth.