shut up and let me see your jazz hands

Man, I have really not been reading fic much at all these days, but I do read something here and there and have collected some reviews. They mostly kind of suck as reviews, as I can't seem to think of much to say, especially when it's something I read a while back and made the mistake of not reviewing at the time (because I didn't have the energy) and now I've forgotten what it was about. >_<

I like the idea of keeping a record of everything I read, but feeling like I have to review after everything I read has made me avoid reading, I think (though that's not the only reason I haven't been reading fic; a large part of it is just that I have just been reading books or manga instead). Meh. :-/

( 9 reviews: 1 each of Glee, Homestuck, Hot Fuzz, Nobuta wo Produce, and Supernatural, 2 each of Bandom and Harry Potter )

So apparently I've felt like reading fic a lot lately? idk.

Harry Potter

Souvenirs and Lost Luggage by girl_tarte Rec
5900 words. PG. In 2003, Petunia leaves Little Whinging for good. It is four years before she can talk about it.

The Dursleys are so over the top in canon, they really don't fit with the rest of the story. It's like for those sections, she's telling a fairytale, but for the rest it's a more realistic story. It's not just that the Dursleys are bad people, but they're bad people in a way that is ver cartoon-y, so I really like fics that try to humanise them. Not erase all their flaws and make them perfect, but make them more realistic. This does a really great job of that with Petunia.

Dudley Dursley and the Elusive Difference by kahvi Rec
4800 words. R. Dudley is intersex, outwardly appearing male. Vernon and Petunia choose to keep this fact from everyone. Even Dudley.

Another one that doesn't make the Dursleys less horrible, just makes them more human. I liked this a lot, and I especially like that things aren't wrapped up all neat and tidy at the end. (And I'm always amazed at fics (especially this long!) that manage to avoid using pronouns altogether and still feel natural.)

Unity by notalwaysweak Rec
4400 words. Teen. Scorpius feels more at home in his Animagus form than in human form. Al likes boys instead of girls. And Rosie's more in love with knowledge than with people. Sometimes people don't fit into the places expected of them.

Having a boy/boy/girl friend trio feels kind of like trying to do Harry/Ron/Hermione all over again, but I do like these three together, and aside from Rose being The Smart One who helps the two boys with their studies, their personalities are different enough that it doesn't feel like a clone of H/R/H. This has a bit of Al/Scorpius, but mostly it's a friendship story touching on various issues of growing up. I enjoyed it.

Sherlock Holmes

Intemperance by basingstoke Rec+
17,800. Mature. "Intemperance," a story from the secret journals of Doctor John H. Watson, intimate friend and long-time companion of the infamous Sherlock Holmes: A most curious and instructive report of the great man's improbable fecundation, gestation, and parturition.

The fic already has well over a hundred comments, so I'm sure most people who might be interested have already read it, but I will rec it all the same! I clicked on it because I am interested in Holmes transfic, and it was excellent in that regard (I really love how everything was handled), but my absolute favorite part was Mary. How so awesome? This Watson is prudish and easily shocked and Mary is just the opposite (omg the ending, ha; I love the idea of Mary going off and having adventures with Holmes, too). This is such a great mesh of books and movie, too. It's not Holmes/Watson, but Holmes is queer and while John is straighty mcstraighterson with eyes only for Mary, the story is from his oblivious POV, so there is certainly room to see Holmes as having a thing for Watson (and I can't see movie!Holmes not). Anyway, I highly recommend this to anyone with the slightest Holmes knowledge. It's a really great story.

Supernatural

I'm Your Villain by fleshflutter Rec+
2900 words. NC-17. The only thing of the old life that Dean keeps is Crowley, and that's only because he can't figure out how to get rid of him.

Wow, this was very cool. I haven't seen more than a couple eps of S6, but so I haven't been too interested in SPN fic lately, but this seems to be written just after the end of S5. I love how things slowly progress between Dean and Crowley as Dean makes deal after deal.

Stargate: Atlantis

What It's Made by bluflamingo Rec
7700 words. Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose.

Oh, I liked this a lot. I don't like everyone's gay fics when they're set in canon (unless the canon is, like, QAF or something!) because it's just not believable that everyone in a random group of people would be gay. But I do love fics like this, where everyone's gay because it's about a group of friends and their community. (And I liked Rodney being John's one straight friend, too.) Plus! Jinto has a minor part as a trans student at the school where John teaches. Yay! :D

And there is imperfect sex, which is another favorite of mine. A story that starts off with John whacking his head with his surfboard could easily go to the H/C place, but instead it went to John having a concussion and a headache and not being able to get it up when his boyfriend gets back in town and they have their big reunion. Hee. I love it.

Living Is a Gamble by telesilla Rec+
2900 words. Ten years after the Plague, life's a little like an RPG. Or is it more like a comic book?

Wow! This is such an awesome idea and really well executed. Lots of stuff there in only ~3000 words, and aside from a small bit of exposition towards the end, you really get all the info you need about the universe through the events of the story itself. I love being dropped into the middle of something and having to figure it out, especially something like this where there's a lot of stuff going on and a lot of difference from canon. ( Spoilers )

Just really awesome overall.

All the Colours Came Out by fizzyblogic Rec
3900 words. John and Ronon navigate Earth life.

This is just quiet and sweet and I really liked it a lot.

Synthesis by thingswithwings Rec+
1100 words. Because they have the technology, Rodney's rebuilding him.

Wow, this is so cool! Atlantis finds an Ancient lab with tech that lets them make fake body parts, skin, organs, everything. But the story is about how that begins to change Atlantis. Or how John feels it's changing them. It's not an action story at all, and it could easily feel summaryish, but it doesn't. It feels complete as it is. Just very cool and very well-written.

Big Bang Theory

Moonpie and Meemaw by damalur Rec+
3200 words. Meemaw came through the front door Velociraptor-first.

Oh man, this is awesome. It's 100% pure crack (Meemaw has a pet velociraptor!), but the voices are spot-on (I could totally hear Sheldon in my head) and despite being Penny/Sheldon, it actually works (seeing it was Penny/Sheldon in the headers, I had braced myself for some sort of romance, but it wasn't like that).

Supernatural, Sherlock Holmes, The Simpsons

Three untitled ficlets by bossymarmalade Rec
300 words, 400 words, and 300 words respectively. Three ficlets based on icon keywords for Supernatural, Sherlock Holmes, and The Simpsons.

I wasn't sure if I should write up each of these separately or what, but in the end decided on this format, since there aren't individual cut tags or anything to link to, so it would be the same URL three times over. Each of these is based on someone's icon keywords. The SPN one is all right, just a little Sam and Dean interaction/banter, but the Holmes and Simpsons ones are really great. The Holmes one is based on everyone's favorite Hark! A Vagrant "new Watson likes jam", and the Simpsons one is a very cool look at Patty. I really, really want more fic about this Patty!

Sherlock Holmes RPF

Down the Rabbit-hole by gloriamundi Rec+
600 words. "He sits there, pretending to be Holmes who's pretending to believe that the cocaine is going to open doors."

This is really amazing. I have stayed away from RPF for this fandom because so much of it is so, so bad, but I really do want to read fic for it! This has tiny hints of RDJ/Jude, but is mainly just about RDJ and Holmes and what it's like for him to be playing an addict. Really good stuff.

Hmm, I'm tired of long fics. Time to take a break from Big Bang and read some Remix maybe.

I've Seen the Future, Brother (It Is Murder) by kroki_refur 4/5 Recommended
37,500 words. It’s May second, and tomorrow is the first day of the end of the world, but Dean doesn’t know that.
( Awesome. )

And God, I Know I'm One by newredshoes 1/5
20,000 words. So Sam is willing to let his younger brother find their missing dad all by himself, but when his fiancee Jessica disappears, he'll drop his position at a D.C. law firm and hit the road to hunt again? Fine. Whatever. Dean can deal with that, just like he can deal with the strange dreams and crippling headaches. The demons, though? That part he doesn't want to do alone.
( Nothing more than a 20,000 word partial summary of a promising AU. Why is there not a warning for THIS? )

Black Soul Choir by busaikko 5/5 Recommended
Supernatural. 25,400 words. The Winchesters' dying thoughts on shaping your own destiny and making deals; in which Mary is a hunter, John is a father, Dean is a transsexual man, and Sam is pretty happy being Dean's B-side. Featuring 4 hunters, 3 deals with the devil, 2 brothers, 1 blessing, and 1 curse.
( This is just amazing. )

The Violet Hour by zooey_glass04 3/5
5500 words. In the bright glare of the overhead light it's impossible to ignore what he's been seeing all along: the broad, masculine shape of his sister's shoulders underneath the jacket.
( Better than the other one that used this prompt, but my like never quite became love. )

Three Shots Fired by jargonelle 2/5
3000 words. Jo tries to find her place in the hunting community.
( I wanted to like this more, because Jo! But alas. )

Bloody Knuckles by chasingtides 2/5
3800 words. Sam never figured a bar fight in Nowheresville, Tennessee would lead to learning so much about his brother - or the hunting community.
( Exactly the sort of thing I dread from this fest: the exposition-heavy coming-out story. )

Caught My Heart in the Middle of a Feeling by beckaandzac 4/5 Recommended
5900 words. Sam goes looking for new friends and finds something he never would have expected.
( Cute. )

Hrr, so. I had this last batch of lgbtfest fics from last year that I never read. XD And now the fest is running again, so I figured I'd better get these out of the way first before I start on the new ones. ^_^;;

Four Years Later by ria_oaks 2/5
Supernatural. 4800 words. Retelling of the pilot, but the reason Sam left home was because he's gay.
( Needs editing. )

The Braid by pandore27 2/5
Star Wars. 5400 words. Dormé loves Amidala. Amidala loves politics. That's the problem.
( Not really my style, but not horrible. )

Fantastica by pandore27 2/5
Star Wars. 2200 words. Everything feels the same, and yet everything's changed.
( I'm not sure why this is even labelled fanfic... )

A Remote Aspect by lilfluffykitten 2/5
Dracula. 1600 words. Jonathan finds his enforced loneliness leads him to some uncomfortable realisations.
( Fits the tone of the novel well, but I just wasn't feeling it. )

Marching Orders by bwinter 3/5
Discworld. 2900 words. Polly's next war, and Maladicta.
( Cute, though I think I would probably have enjoyed it more if I could actually remember much from Monstrous Regiment... )

How Stephen Colbert Proved Jon Stewart Is a Lady by sarken 4/5 Recommended
Colbert Report. 4900 words. Stephen is a straight man. Stephen is attracted to Jon. Therefore, it logically follows that Jon must be a woman.
( Hilarious. )

Just a handful of short fics here. I really have not been reading a lot of fic lately. I need something to suck me back in...

Untitled by lunabee34 3/5
300 words. Most of Eldon Thompson's left cheekbone is ground into Jo's low ponytail.
( Enjoyable. )

Wind from the North-North-West by tabaqui 5/5 Recommended
300 words. Megan scrubbed the towel through her hair - looked at the girl in the mirror. New girl - pretty girl. Girl who was going places, doing things - not running away, just....
( Oh, oh, oh, love. )

Lazarus Falling by rivkat 3/5
1300 words. Castiel smiled, dimpled and guileless. Dean wished he hadn't. "I am commanded to make you fit for what is to come."
( Interesting, though not as much so as I'd hoped. )

Family Resemblance by fryadvocate 3/5
1400 words. Dean's first three years of life.
( The summary talks about Dean, but this is really a story about Mary (incorporating the new info from S4). )

The Memory Remains by messageredacted 2/5
Supernatural. 6400 words. Sam always wanted to have a normal life. Why is that so hard to come by?
( Just felt unbelievable to me. )

Foundations by st_aurafina 5/5 Recommended
Harry Potter. 3800 words. A thousand years or more ago, the first stones are being laid at Hogwarts and Rowena is determined that there will be no secrets between the four wizards.
( Excellent. )

A Hundred Happy Things by busaikko 5/5 Recommended
Stargate: Atlantis. 30,000 words. Kaleb's long gone, Jeannie's got a career, Madison has problems, Rodney's got Inner Power!, and Sheppard...is pretty much the same.
( I wish I could give this higher than a 5! )

What Is Essential by layangabi 2/5
Superman Returns. 2500 words. Lois and Richard want Clark to move in with them, but he's worried about what people will say.
( Enjoyable, but needs editing. )

Teaching It to Dance by wolfshark 2/5
Stargate: Atlantis. 3400 words. John is surprised that Rodney is even further in the closet than he is.
( Lots of unnatural-sounding dialogue and over-telling. )

Plain Sight by cho_malfoy 2/5
Supernatural. 3200 words. Ellen enlists Sam and Dean's help on a job and fails to mention where the job takes place.
( Should've tried to do the prompt without a case. )

Don't Do as You Wish, Do as I Ask by liseuse 3/5
Harry Potter. 3100 words. Pansy struggles to balance her mother's desires with her own.
( Enjoyable. )

Kind Words by molly_commas 2/5
Harry Potter. 1600 words. Regulus doesn't want to be gay.
( Overly tell-y and has some POV glitches. )

I'm not doing these by day, since not every day has fics in fandoms I know, but I'll probably make a post every four or five fics I read. So far not bad. :)

Those People: On the History of Wizarding Britain's Attitude Toward Sexuality by obfuscate3 4/5 Recommended
Harry Potter. 2800 words. The Wizarding World's LGBT history in a few thousand pointed words, patched together from actual history, canon history, and wholecloth lies. Covers Dumbledore, the Founders, the International Warlock Convention, Francis Bacon, Dilys Derwent, Daisy Hookum, Mumbilius Collins, Phineas Black, and others.
( This could easily be done badly, but it wasn't. )

Walk Like a Man by mmoneurere 3/5
Harry Potter. 2000 words. When you've forgotten how to be yourself, sometimes it helps to try being someone else.
( Not great, but interesting. )

In Civilized Parts by penknife 4/5 Recommended
Pirates of the Caribbean. 3000 words. It wasn't that Jack grew up without any rules, but he's not sure he likes these.
( Very believable young Jack. )

Five Kinds of Bars by sanj 3/5
Supernatural. 2100 words. Sam and Dean never like the same kinds of places.
( Enjoyable. )