Yuletide recs! Part 1!

[labellementeuse]

Oh man, I so badly wanted to get these up before reveals, but JUST TO PROVE that I did write all of this stuff before New Year, here are my prelim recs!

YOUNG WIZARDS

Aschesis, Darryl, Ronan post-W@W gen. AWESOME. Very clever, thoughtful look at these two boys that seems to me as if it's exactly how this would happen in canon, if it happened in canon. Even if you're not that into these guys, I really recommend that you give this a go. [Full disclosure, I was already pretty sure this one would be by aria.]

Quartet, four Christmases in the life of Nita Callahan. This was just sweet and lovely and, of course, a Christmas fic so it's Yuletidey. I liked it a bunch. [It turned out to be by raven, who I don't think I know?]

Detour of Art, a kind of epically-scaled fic about Harry and Betty and also some other stuff. My favourite bits are actually the Carl bits right at the beginning; not sure why - perhaps because I like the glimpse into the Tom-&-Carl daily routine? [Turned out to be by araine]

Other Fandoms

No Second Coming (The Dark is Rising: Will/Bran, Simon/OFC, Drews) [This one also turned out to be by aria].
Possibly the best fix-it fic for Silver on the Tree I have ever read, and I have read quite a few. I loved it.

all over these eyes a storm is rolling over (The Dark is Rising, Will/Jane) OKAY I KNOW BUT I REALLY LIKE WILL/JANE and I really enjoyed the way this story explored that, and also Jane and the Lady. I dig it. [by electrumqueen]

This kid I once knew, Calvin & Hobbes, Susie, Calvin. So Calvin & Hobbes always gets great fic for Yuletide, I have no idea why but it's just trufax, and I really enjoyed this unique spin on it - Calvin writes a webcomic about Spaceman Spiff. Susie reads it. [by minnow]

Of Smiting and Sugar Mice, Chrestomanci - Marianne at Chrestomanci Castle. Also, Marianne beats up Gwendolen (metaphorically) and it is awesome. Absolutely perfect dynamic between all the characters - as if they'd leapt out of Charmed Life and the Pinhoe Egg. [by Rosie_Rues]

Relative Terms (Or, Not Exactly Christmas Elves), Young Avengers, Billy/Teddy, Just Freaking Adorable/Silly/Perfect Christmas giftfic. [by traincat]

Five Goals, Breakfast with Scot, Eric-centric. I liked this a bunch. I really liked seeing Eric begin the process that he's sort of stalled in, half-way through, at the beginning of the movie. [By scintilla10]

The Three Stages of the Aeneid, Black Books, Bernard reads Harry Potter. Well, what are you waiting for? Read it already! [By Tiriel]

I wrote two stories but they weren't very good (not being modest, I really am not pleased with either of them): Some Blessing in Disguise Nikita, Nikita/Daniel, for templemarker, which was not very good despite some stupendous beta efforts from just about everyone I know as well as two delightful Yulechat strangers, Hsifeng and someone whose Yuletide name I don't know (went straight to email and it was not obviously fannish name); and too young to know the time, Circle of Magic, Sandry/Daja, Lark/Rosethorn, for trialia, beta'd by Grevling. Darlingest Tria, I hope you had a good Christmas anyway.

On the other hand, I beta'd some awesome stories! I think this is vaguely in the order in which I read them.

What You See is What You Get (If You're Looking Hard Enough, sixth_light, The Mentalist, Steampunk AU. So like, I know nothing about this TV show, but I know that this story is fabulous. If you know the Mentalist, you probably will think so as well.

I've Got Four Voices On The Line (the only one I hear is mine, by sushiflop, Animorphs, Tobias-centric. This is as awesome a Tobias fic as anyone could want to read.

The Indian Rope Trick by dustyasymptotes, The Children's Book, Julian Cain. OKAY SO I can't really say I beta'd this because I am the worst person in the world and *forgot it was sitting in my inbox* and then I'm pretty sure she went away. So I'M TERRIBLE. But this story? Not terrible! Julian Cain, at the end of his life.

I know there are a few last-minute yulechat betas I did that I'm forgetting about BUT. I'm also going to sneak in a TOTALLY NON-YULETIDE RELATED rec for...

The Anonymous Tip Job and Professional Contacts by china_shop, White Collar/Leverage, Neal, Hardison, and then the sequel is Neal/Hardison. LOOK AT THAT PAIRING. That is one hell of a pairing, people, is what I'm saying. These were a treat to beta, and they are just exactly right.

ALSO AND FINALLY. a) I did a blog post about the books I read last year; and b) I made the DW post where I've been reading/reviewing/listing these books public, so if you're interested in my (mostly seriously mundane) commentary on more of them, have a look.