Currently

[loaded_march]

Just to quicky catch up, because this trend of not-posting is as much avoidance as anything, because I never know what to post about these days -- even with the prompts.  I want to do the prompts justice, but, yeah, well.

Okay, just the highlights, instead of multiple actual long!posts like I'm prone to doing.  In the last little while:

- I've had minor dental surgery to try to fix two botched root canals on the same tooth which had ultimately become infected despite my complaints that Something Was Wrong.  It's healing, but it'll take a while before I can eat on that side of the mouth.

- I've had two altercations with the Special Snowflake at work who drives me fucking batshit because he's a patronizing asshole who treats everyone like shit.  Both confrontations ended with Special Snowflake storming away from me in a huffy tiff when I called him on his crap.

- I've worked a ridiculous amount of hours trying to stay on top of things, but it's a desperate Spartan-like battle to try to get to the top of the muddy slide.  In most recent news, however, I've figured out that the fastest way to get rid of the coworker who is a fucking time drain because all he does is tell me what he's working on but doesn't actually go and do it is to ask him if he wants to hear what I'm working on.

- I've finished writing ACBB, my lovely beta returned her edits, which I've gone through, and now I'm doing a final, final pass.  If there's a freaking spelling mistake in the final posting, it's my own fucking fault.

- I have a million ideas for original fic ideas (and a half million more half-written up) and it's driving me crazy.  Likewise, someone who knows who they are but shall remain unamed for their protection, has been giving me ideas for writing Captain America Steve/Bucky fic.  I might be in a little trouble.

- Speaking of fanfic and work, both of those worlds collided when someone heard my name mentioned at a scientific conference.  In Japan.  I thought this was fantastic, completely random and excellently hilarious.

- In news that will surprise everyone, myself included, my tomato plants are officially as tall as a tall 10 year old child.  I'm concerned but also curious to see if I can grow my own Little Shop of Horrors version.

- The Spouse and I are planning a trip to Ireland in mid-September (thank God.  Fucking finally.  A VACATION).  Do I know anyone who lives in Ireland?  It's going to be one of those self-driving tours, and depending on which package we go with and how long we go for, we may or may not have some leeway.  Also, any tips for Sights To See would be wonderful.  If a hike in the wilds is involved, all the better.

- I am going to a baseball game this weekend, which involves an out-of-town trip and will probably include a lot of heckling of the local team.  I can only hope that this year we have a repeat of last year's game, which involved almost getting beaned by a fly ball, the Spouse cursing a blue streak when he almost caught a different ball, and meeting 4 of the big name players in completely random locations.  All of which was awesome.

More soon.

Oh!  Yes, one more thing.  I'm in need of reading recommendations, either original fic or fanfic.  Original fic-wise, I usually read anything science fiction or fantasy, but I read pretty much anything if it's got a good premise, and my collection of non-fiction is kind of ridiculous.  Fanfic-wise, I really do prefer long fic (>50k), but I've gone through everything Merlin and Teen Wolf, so other fandoms would be great -- Harry Potter, Captain America/Marvel, X-Men/Marvel, and, erm.  I'm not sure.  If it's well-written and engaging I'll probably read it.

Comments

[brunettepet.livejournal.com]

That dental surgery and the two botch jobs and subsequent infection sound very, very nasty. Hopefully this will put an end to your trouble there.

Special snowflake sounds the opposite of special. how do people like that keep their jobs?

Yay to ACBB being nearly done. i can't wait to read it.

Have fun at the baseball game and Ireland sounds like a fantastic break in the action.

[dreamlandloner.livejournal.com]

I have to say thank you to the person who's been giving you ideas for steve/bucky fic. I can't imagine the awesome if my favourite author starts writing fanfic for my second favourite paring (after methur, naturally)!

I went to Ireland recently on a weekend trip, and we did a day trip up north. It was my absolute favourite part. I highly recommend going to Giant's Causeway and Carrick-a-rede. They were such beautiful and amazing places.

I have lists upon lists of Marvel fanfic I could rec you. I really love the Ipseity series by SkyisGray. It's well written, but mostly I think I just like the idea behind it because it's a little different and out there. The idea is that instead of becoming the Winter Soldier, they accidentally created a couple of alternate personalities in Bucky. http://archiveofourown.org/series/118750

A Higher Form of War by sabrecmc is also awesome - Tony is the King, Steve is a soldier fighting on the other side, against all odds... etc. It's really really well written and includes some of the Marvel events in a medieval way which is really cool. http://archiveofourown.org/works/2482181

And the last one I'll rec is I (created from fantasies) exist solely for you by Mizzy, which is a pre Tony/Steve slash and the idea is that Steve is a secret agent who's been assigned to keep an eye on things in Stark Tower - and he does this by working with Nat, Tony, Clint, etc. who are writing a comic about the 'Retaliators'. http://archiveofourown.org/works/565273

Yay to ACBB being almost done, yay to your tomatoes growing, hope you have fun at the baseball game and in Ireland!

[geekslave.livejournal.com]

Hope your teeth heal soon.

Glad you're still putting that guy in his place.

Congrats on finishing your ACBB!

Speaking of fanfic and work, both of those worlds collided when someone heard my name mentioned at a scientific conference.

LOL that's awesome.

That's really great about your tomato plants.

Ireland trip! Cool! Wish I could go there!

Stacey

[rubic-cube.livejournal.com]

Have you thought about caravan-ing around Ireland? It's crazy fun. Enjoy your holiday when it comes.

Here is a few suggestions for reading: -

Keira Marcos (http://keiramarcos.com ) stories (SGC, Harry Potter, Star Trek, Sentinel & Criminal Minds) are amazing and are in ebook format already and all you have to do is sign up to the website to access them.

http://ladyblahblah.livejournal.com/60673.html - Spock/Kirk fiction called Streetlight People by ladyblahblah - brilliant.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/1869273/chapters/4024746?view_adult=true The Darklist by dysonrules Harry/Draco

http://archiveofourown.org/works/1552202?view_full_work=true Iron Man: Director of S.W.O.R.D. by Pookaseraph is Tony Stark/Steve Rogers deals with what happens after the fall of Shield.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/2271921/chapters/4991661 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Oblivion by sabrecmc Stark/Rogers what happens if they meet before Avenger Assemble.

and I don't know if you seen the film 'The Eagle' with Jamie Bell and Channing Tatum? But I do like this fic - http://archiveofourown.org/works/236944/chapters/363181
set in modern times and deals with slavery and underground fighting.

Reccs

[tawnyowl781.livejournal.com]

Is this my chance to get you hooked on Marauder era fic? I think it is.

(Also, I'm a lurker and so have never commented before. I'm not creepy, I promise.)

Actually, as of right now, I can't think of many >50k Marauder fics. Huh.

If you haven't read it already though, there is The Shoebox Project (http://shoebox.lomara.org/shoebox-pdf-chapters/). This is a fandom classic and is absolutely brilliant. It starts off all epistolary, which put me off at first, but most of it is text. Anyway, even if you don't ship Remus/Sirius, it really captures the spirit of the era. It's also in PDF and is extremely long.

If you prefer AUs, there's Long Live Living (If Living Can Be This) (http://archiveofourown.org/works/315289/chapters/505632). This is more of a character plot than a really plotty one, buts its nostalgic and heartwarming and funny and... I really love it. It's also James/Lily and Remus/Sirius, but it's more about all the friendships than the relationships. I especially like how Peter is handled.

And onto original fiction! If you haven't already, I really recommend Ian Banks, particularly The Bridge (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/249606.The_Bridge) and Whit (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/290569.Whit?from_search=true&search_version=service), though The Crow Road (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12021.The_Crow_Road) is also great, if a little long winded.

I'm currently reading It (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/830502.It), if you want something less profound. It's a bit of a mammoth read (my copy is over 1300 pages!) and looks to be pretty scary, although it's hard to tell yet.

As for nonfiction, I can only recommend you history stuff. Witchfinders (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/513969.Witchfinders) is chilling and very clearly well researched. An Utterly Impartial History of Britain (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1935045.An_Utterly_Impartial_History_of_Britain_or_2000_Years_of_Upper_Class_Idiots_In_Charge) is extremely funny, if you're looking for something a bit more lighthearted. The hilarity may be a matter of taste, but I personally find it really entertaining. It's best read in chunks though. Reading it all at once will ensue boredom. It's very easy to pick up for a few minutes and then discard, but it's not the kind of book that stays funny or interesting if read in a span of three hours all at once.

Anyway. Congrats on your ACBB! I can't wait to see it.

~Rossy

Reccs

[(Anonymous)]

(Tried to post this logged in but was marked as spam? Sorry if I've broken some kind of rule. I don't really know how lj works.)

Is this my chance to get you hooked on Marauder era fic? I think it is.

(Also, I'm a lurker and so have never commented before. I'm not creepy, I promise.)

Actually, as of right now, I can't think of many >50k Marauder fics. Huh.

If you haven't read it already though, there is The Shoebox Project (http://shoebox.lomara.org/shoebox-pdf-chapters/). This is a fandom classic and is absolutely brilliant. It starts off all epistolary, which put me off at first, but most of it is text. Anyway, even if you don't ship Remus/Sirius, it really captures the spirit of the era. It's also in PDF and is extremely long.

If you prefer AUs, there's Long Live Living (If Living Can Be This) (http://archiveofourown.org/works/315289/chapters/505632). This is more of a character plot than a really plotty one, buts its nostalgic and heartwarming and funny and... I really love it. It's also James/Lily and Remus/Sirius, but it's more about all the friendships than the relationships. I especially like how Peter is handled.

And onto original fiction! If you haven't already, I really recommend Ian Banks, particularly The Bridge (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/249606.The_Bridge) and Whit (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/290569.Whit?from_search=true&search_version=service), though The Crow Road (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12021.The_Crow_Road) is also great, if a little long winded.

I'm currently reading It (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/830502.It), if you want something less profound. It's a bit of a mammoth read (my copy is over 1300 pages!) and looks to be pretty scary, although it's hard to tell yet.

As for nonfiction, I can only recommend you history stuff. Witchfinders (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/513969.Witchfinders) is chilling and very clearly well researched. An Utterly Impartial History of Britain (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1935045.An_Utterly_Impartial_History_of_Britain_or_2000_Years_of_Upper_Class_Idiots_In_Charge) is extremely funny, if you're looking for something a bit more lighthearted. The hilarity may be a matter of taste, but I personally find it really entertaining. It's best read in chunks though. Reading it all at once will ensue boredom. It's very easy to pick up for a few minutes and then discard, but it's not the kind of book that stays funny or interesting if read in a span of three hours all at once.

Anyway! Congrats on your ACBB, I can't wait to see it.

~Rossy.

[kernel1.livejournal.com]

Have you read the Magpie Lord series by KJ Charles?
https://www.amazon.com/Magpie-Lord-Charm-Magpies-Book-ebook/dp/B00C6ZTNAU

It's m/m romance in a Victorian gothic AU setting where magic is known.

[fionnuala walsh (from livejournal.com)]

Yay for ACBB in the pipeline, so excited to read!

From an Irish person, it depends where you're heading. I would personally recommend visiting Galway City for the artsy vibes and nice cobbled streets and river walks. The shops are lovely and there's always traditional music along the streets and great food.

Killarney is also a nice town to visit in County Kerry the rivers/lakes/waterfalls in that area are beautiful especially around the Ring of Kerry.

I you're looking for history/castles, my favourites are Ashford Castle in County Galway and Bunratty castle too.

MORE HISTORY I would really recommend Newgrange, which is a prehistoric monument which is 2000 years older than the pyramids. Its a passage tomb aligned to the solstice, which lets in the light of the sunrise into the passage on the summer and winter solstices. A very interesting visit for Celtic history, and just damn cool.Any questions I'd be glad to answer.

Best of luck with the writing and the holiday!

Ireland and Recs

[and-on-again.livejournal.com]

Well why yes, I do have recs for both ireland and steve/bucky! What a coincidence!

Haha, my spouse and I went to Ireland for our honeymoon and ho-ly crap was it incredible.
So there’s the obvious: Cliffs of Moher, drive up the coast and see castles, etc. But before we left, I accidentally came across an NPR segment on “the best smelling places in the world” - weird, right? So I was listening and the top pick was a spice market in India, and the #2 pick just so happened to be a place we would be driving through in Ireland called The Burren Perfumery. Now, when we went it was in the middle of winter so pretty much everything was closed up, but the inside shop and grounds were really sweet/lovely and we really enjoyed our time. The tea I picked up there was literally the best i’ve ever had in my life, and I cannot wait to go back when everything is thriving. Also, in the same area not that far away we were driving to our next location and just so casually passed a 5,000 year old tomb called Poulnabrone dolmen. So bizarre and simple, literally just off the side of the road like it’s No Big Deal. Loved it.

Alright, and so I’ve also recently gotten into steve/bucky and have consumed… a lot of fic. Thanks, frequent work-related airplane rides! There are definitely a lot of fun, fascinating fics that are perfect for the pairing and perfect for the fandom, but there are also 3 loooong fics that have kind of changed my life, the way I think about things, and how I think about the world around me. These 3 are now in my top 10 favorite things I’ve ever read, ever, full stop. So here we go:

1. The Not Easily Conquered Series. Pt 1: A Long Winter, Pt 2: The Thirteen Letters, and Pt 3: Not Easily Conquered by dropdeaddream and WhatAreFears. https://archiveofourown.org/series/115516
117,692 words, complete.
Summary:
“In 1945, Steve Rogers jumps from a nosediving plane and swims through miles of Arctic Ocean to a frozen shore.
In 1947, Steve Rogers marries Peggy Carter. In 1966, the New York Times finds the lost letters of Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes.”
But it’s so much more than that. I spent a week after reading this just… thinking. It’s about shaping the century, rewriting public and institutional memory, how a single event would change academia, journalism, community, relationships, choices, etc. The global historical and political references are so intentional and taught me a lot, and I just… it’s genuine poetry. I appreciate everyone’s characters, choices and developments.

2: Ain’t No Grave Series by spitandvinegar. https://archiveofourown.org/works/5094785
127,178 words, complete.
Summary: “It's six in the morning, and Steve is heading out on a run when he nearly trips over a bouquet of sunflowers on the front steps of his brownstone.
For a second paranoia takes over, and he kicks the flowers a little, waiting for them to explode. They don't. They also came with a card, which he picks up. The front of the card has a tasteful picture of the Brooklyn bridge at sunset. It's very nice and sedate, like the kind of card you would buy to give to your boss. On the inside someone has written a short message in big, shaky block letters.
I AM SORRY FOR SHOOTING YOU.
Steve sits down hard on the steps.”

So, there are DEFINITE trigger warnings for this, and let’s get them out of the way first. Drug use, ptsd, past mentions of sexual abuse, catholic steve rogers and homelessness. On paper this fic would never, never be for me, but in practice it’s just SO wonderful, fresh, hilarious, and charming. It’s simultaneously so out of left field while so definitive of every Steve/bucky trope, compiled into something completely unforgettable. I cry-laughed so often I had to read passages out loud to my spouse so we could laugh together. This fic stayed with me for it’s sheer uniqueness, determination, and lessons in self-care.

Sorry... long comment, pt 2! Here is the last rec :)

[and-on-again.livejournal.com]

3: Your Blue-Eyed Boys series by Feather (lalaietha) https://archiveofourown.org/series/107477
123,090 words technically, but there is a sequel companion series that carries where this left off, so there are at least over 300,000 words in universe. So… series is complete, but also ongoing in the sense that it’s a post-Winter Soldier recovery fic, and recovery is a long, long process.
Summary: “Steve has no plan. Not because he hadn't tried to make one. He'd tried to make lots of plans. Plan, adapt, plan again, tried to think of every contingency.
And then he'd thrown them away, because there wasn't much point. What could you plan for? He couldn't guess the possible contingencies, the situations, the potentials. And he sure as sure hadn't figured on what's happened now, on coming back to his place and finding Bucky here. He hadn't even hoped for that.
He hadn't realized he could.”

This is a long, character-driven, realistic what-would-happen-post-winter-solider story. It’s about relationships, community, recovery, identity, personhood, caregiving, and self-worth. It follows Steve and bucky through their every-day in their NY apartment complex, but it’s about the people’s lives they impact too, namely their neighbors around them and their friends. I have fallen in love with literally every OC, I can’t even begin to describe how much for I care about every character in this universe… as if they were people I’ve known and cared about my whole life. Characterization and intense thought/action analysis are this author’s forte, and I have learned so much about myself and my relationships through this story. The authors analysis of things have shifted how I view people and power distributions and have definitely made me a better listener and friend.

Hope that helps :)

[hyraethwrites.livejournal.com]

Aah can't wait to read your entry for ACBB!!

Harry Potter fic wise, have you ever read anything by Lomonaaeren? I love waaay too many fics, but these two short (for Lomo) one-shots are one of my favourites http://archiveofourown.org/series/362228

I love that despite the amount of fics (mostly Drarry, but other pairings as well), they all have different plots, from crack to horror, ususally with complex and interesting (and long!) plots with a new approaches to the magical world, exploring magical theory and the universe itself. Tbh, it was finding Lomo years ago that made me really like the HP universe!

Btw, this was the first fic I read, a horror fic and it hooked me like no fic had ever before http://archiveofourown.org/works/333775/chapters/539243

[scinscire]

I can warmly recommend Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland. It's breathtaking. (Slightly touristy, but still. I loved it.)

fic rec's

[(Anonymous)]

Harry Potter: (all on ff.net unless otherwise specified)
- Faith, by Dragongirl16
- To Walk A Narrow Path, sequel to Faith
- anything else by Dragongirl16, but I'm pretty sure she stopped writing, so beware the most recent piece will likely not finish
- Broken Mind, Fractured Soul, by Sensibly Tainted
- Shadows Within the Light, sequel to BM,FS
- Flying With Tattered Wings, epilogue to SWtL
- What the Future Holds, follow up to FwTW
- anything else by Sensibly Tainted, but they tend to be equal parts darkness and joy so just know going in it tends to be heavy reading.
- anything by Beren (AO3) but especially The Corruption Sequence, Black Magic By Moonlight, and Gold Tinted Spectacles
- Secrets, by Vorabiza (hpfandom.net)

Teen Wolf (AO3)
- The Sum of It's Parts (series) by KouriArashi, list of which order to read stuff in is in series info.

Books
- The Black Jewels Trilogy and all following books (yes, including The Invisible Ring, even though comparatively it sucked monkey balls) by Anne Bishop. First is Daughter of the Blood.
- the Cal Leandros series by Rob Thurman (although all her other stuff kicks ass, too. Yes, you read that right: her. Guys never believe you until they see a picture; it's awesome AND hilarious). First is Nightlife.
- Kitty and the Midnight Hour, by Carrie Vaughn (and every following book in the series)
- Chasm City, by Alastaire Reynolds
- 1632, by Eric Flint

Children's Books worth your time:
- the Percy Jackson series, by Rick Riordan, and the follow up series, The Heroes of Olympus. To give you an idea of the accuracy of the movies: they cut the main bad guy from the first one. My sister & I went to the midnight showing; halfway through it had become a Rocky Horror Picture Show style spot-what's-wrong-with-this-scene free for all amongst the audience. The books, however, are hilariously fantastic.
- Dragon Slippers, by Jessica Day George. To quote the front cover: She wanted dragon gold. She got a pair of shoes.
- Ranger's Apprentice Series, by John Flanaga. Classic non-magic, hardcore fantasy tale. Decidedly less humor woven into the writing style than every other book mentioned (except Chasm City) but still well worth a read.

Aaaaannnnd finally, Teen Novels
- Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld. Alternate history of WW1; this book and it's sequels (Behemoth, and Goliath) became my go-to book for every advanced reader that visited my department (why yes, I used to work @ a book store. Head of the Kid's & Teen's department, how could you tell? Lol)
- Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld
- in case I haven't mentioned it yet: Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld. Seriously, you write for Big Bang, you will love more than just the story in this trilogy.
- Infinity, by Sherrilyn Kenyon (and every following book in the Chronicles of Nick). If you are already familiar w/ the Cal Leandros series, then all I have to say to peak your interest is that Nick strongly reminds me of a young, less jaded Cal. If not, well, put it this way: I never expected to like a romance author, but I may have to broaden my horizons for her.
-I Am Number Four, by Pittacus Lore. No clue if the sequels are as good as the first b/c I had to quit before they came out, but the first was a promising classic alien-living-as-human sci-fi.

And now I really need to get back to cleaning. :(
Enjoy!!!

[tabu-shechka.livejournal.com]

I had had my days in the past when I could not read any fanfiction and now remembering it I feel bad for those me because I would never get aquanted with finishing chapters of Loaded march and so.
This is a Supernatural fic in process with 300k words done and it is practically on its finishing line so far. It is mostly about stochkolm syndrom, but I'd like to recommend it to you or to anybody in the better sence, because in some places it cought me close to crying, so... Here it is.
http://archiveofourown.org/works/4907965/chapters/11258833

[sidara.livejournal.com]

I'm gonna throw a few long recs out there even though this comment is almost a month after your post. Hope you don't mind. Long fic ahoy!

http://archiveofourown.org/works/1907085 - I'll Keep You Safe Here With Me. Bucky/Clint fic that is long and gritty and very good. Basically anything by sarah_holmes is awesome.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/6004771 - The Other Man Out of Time. Bucky/Clint by same author. WIP right now but she always finishes her stories.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/3889561 - Clint Barton's Super Secret Sniper Club. Bucky/Clint by same author.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/2660255 - To Memory Now I Can't Recall by Etharei. Steve/Bucky and a gut punch of story.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/2537363 - Silent Thunder, as of a Thousand Wings by kaasknot. Steve/Bucky and a really cool angel/religion-au take on their story.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/639003 - Through the Glass by dentalfloss. More of a Clint focused team gen story but really good.

http://archiveofourown.org/series/2522 - Reboot Series by Seperis if you're into the new Star Trek and Kirk/Spock. An older set of fics but still really good.