secretsolitaire

If, like me, you're reading more at DW than LJ these days, you might be missing out on some awesome art being posted daily by mywitch under the heading 25 Days of Drawing. Here are a few of my favorites.

Severus/Hermione/Lucius (NWS): Gorgeous composition and colors. Also -- GUH.

Albus Severus/Scorpius (WS): A sweet little kiss in the snow. ♥

Albus Dumbledore/Horace Slughorn (WS): A lovely moment by a glowing fire. I love the warm colors.

Just saw the movie and enjoyed it quite a bit. :)

( Spoilery thoughts under the cut )

I've spent the last several days completely engrossed in a couple of novel-length Brokeback Mountain stories. I am usually pretty wary of fanfic as long as this -- the first one is 274,000 words, and the sequel is 244,000 words -- because in my experience stories this long usually don't need to be this long and would benefit from a good editor. But I found that the stories in this universe were well written and held my attention despite their length.

The series is called Force of Nature by Jenna Hilary Sinclar. In this universe Jack never died, and he and Ennis are starting a life together in Eagle Nest, New Mexico. The series is about how they learn to live together after so many decades apart and how they balance becoming part of their local community while trying to hide their relationship. The author has a very readable writing style, and she doesn't skimp on the porn, which is sexy while not being idealized. (Just the way I like it. *g*)

The series currently consists of two novels that are part of a planned trilogy, as well as a few oneshots set in the future, after the main trilogy. (If you enjoy the stories available on AO3, don't miss the oneshot hiding at the author's LJ: part one, part two, part three.)

The third novel hasn't been updated since 2014, though the author said on her LJ in December 2016 that she does still hope to finish it. If you're wondering whether you should tackle this WiP, there is one significant plot point that's left hanging at the end of the second novel, but I didn't find it to be an agonizing place to stop; the author resolved what I felt to be the major conflict of that story and left the boys in a relatively good place, emotionally speaking. That said, I would say the first novel felt more "finished," so if you're sensitive about WiPs you may want to stop there. (If you can. *g*)

1. I just discovered that my local public library system has a bunch of M/M romance novels available as ebooks! I'm so excited.

2. HP art rec: Make Me by anemonen (James Sirius/Scorpius, NWS) -- Two gorgeous boys sneaking a moment of privacy in what looks like a shed. My favorite part is James' freckles. ♥

3. Read A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman on a recent trip and really enjoyed it. It's about a curmudgeon who inspects his neighborhood at 6:00 every morning (just in case someone is breaking the rules!) and generally thinks the world is going to pot. It sounds boring, but the writing is absolutely hilarious and the plot is unexpectedly touching. It made me laugh out loud quite a few times, even though I was in public (on a plane). Give it a try. :)

HP Art: Such a Good Boy by akatnamedeaster (Charlie/Draco, NC-17, chan, implied spanking and daddy kink, creampie)
Hot, hot, HOT.

The Atlantic: The Simple Psychological Trick to Political Persuasion
I thought this was fascinating -- it talks about how to reframe certain issues/arguments/policies for conservatives vs. progressives. (For example, liberals are more likely to see value in funding the military if you talk about how it offers opportunities for lower-income people than if you talk about patriotism or the greatness of the nation. True for me!) Could give some of us some food for thought when trying to convince folks on the other side.

The Nation: What Can Ivanka Trump Possibly Have to Say to Women Who Work?
Scathing look at Ivanka and how completely distant she is from most working women (including most of her father's own voters). It also mentions the disgusting ways in which POTUS has sexualized his own daughter. Ugh, ugh, ugh.

I've backed up my LJ to Dreamwidth and will be posting in both places from now on. This is my first attempt at crossposting -- we'll see how it goes. :/

Apologies if you saw this entry posted earlier in an incomplete form -- I hit the wrong button and posted too early. Argh.

Have some HP recs.

HP fic: Five Times Ron and Draco Almost Had Sex (And One Time They Did) by Anonymous (Ron/Draco, NC-17)
This is an eighth year story in which Ron brings Draco back to the Burrow for Christmas. I liked the characterizations in this and the way the author dealt with some of the emotional issues in the aftermath of DH.

HP art: Breakfast Is for Eating In by Anonymous (Harry/Draco, NC-17, rimming)
a;lsdkfhal;dkhfa;lkhfa;lsdkfha;dlfh This is gorgeous and so HOT.

In other news, I've been rewatching Queer as Folk (the U.S. version) for the first time in probably seven or eight years. I was so into this fandom for a while; it's kind of interesting to watch it again after being away for so long. I've made it through 204.

( S1 thoughts )

Watching the show again makes me want to finish up those QaF character pic spams I did a million years ago. I always regretted that I never had the chance to do one for Emmett, whom I adore. The other two I had planned were Lindsay and Hunter. But I'm not sure I even have any QaF fans still on my flist these days! We'll see. :)

So I can close some tabs...

HP Art: Farmer Granger and the Most Glorious Cock by Anonymous (Severus/Hermione, NWS)
I can thank kitty_fic for pointing me to this brilliant piece, which is drawn in the style of a children's book but full of hilarious, very adult innuendo. I cackled.

HP Art: Make the darkness fade away by Anonymous (Harry/Draco, G)
This is just gorgeous. I love the progression from the first panel to the last.

HP Art: Harry/Draco by mywitch (WS)
Love this vibrant, wintry pic. Very sweet. :)

Essay: I Rewatched Love Actually and Am Here to Ruin It for All of You by Lindy West
This essay is several years old, but I recently read it again and just about died laughing. I've seen "Love Actually" a few times and found it entertaining, but it really is problematic as hell.

Website/Podcast: Afford Anything by Paula Pant
I read and listen to a lot of stuff on personal finance, and to me this website is a cut above a lot of many of the other offerings out there. Her posts go in depth with a lot of useful details, and she covers not just strictly finance-related matters but also behavioral things such as changing habits and thinking big. I thought this podcast was a particularly good listen.

Apologies to anyone who saw my errant quibbler_report post, which I put here instead of at the comm. *headdesk* Thanks to besamislabios for the heads up.

But while I'm here, I'll throw you a few HP recs. :)

Fic: The Great Gryffindor Dating Game (No Money Back, No Guarantee, Accept No Imitations) by shaggydogstail (Remus/Sirius, background James/Lily, PG-13)
R/S fic from shaggydogstail! Feels like the good old days of fandom. \o/ This fic is so fun. Sirius declares his interest in Remus in an over-the-top way, Remus thinks he's taking the piss, and then their friends try to get these idiots straightened out -- with hilarious results. If you need a smile, give this a read.

Fic: Weeds or Wildflowers by Anonymous (Harry/Draco, NC-17, light spanking)
Draco is using a magical matchmaking service, and somehow it keeps setting him up with Harry Potter. Draco being outfoxed by the dating service made me laugh, and then the sex made me bite my fist. (What a sexy Harry, hnngh.)

Art: Untitled Snape/Hermione by mywitch (Severus/Hermione, WS, angst, character death)
This one will not make you smile, but it's gorgeous.

I'm trying to ease my way back into LJ fandom, so...hi! Have some recs. :)

Star Trek fic: the ship in port is the safer one (but it's not the reason it was made) by KiaraSayre (Ensemble, background Spock/Uhura, R)
You wouldn't think a 43,000-word gen fic featuring a mundane mission and squabbles over toilet paper would be riveting reading, but this one absolutely is. It's a funny, smart story about Jim figuring out how to do this captain thing, with great appearances from the rest of the ensemble.

Hockey RPF fic: This Is How It Works series by sophia_helix (Jonathan Toews/Ben Smith, NC-17)
I don't read hockey fic anymore, but I couldn't resist finishing the last installment of this lovely series when the author posted it a few months ago. Jonny is just gorgeous through Ben's eyes, and the development of their relationship feels realistic and intimate.

HP fic: Adagio by lupinely (Remus/Sirius, R, light bondage)
This fic brought back all my angsty love for this pairing. It covers the first war through the "lie low at Lupin's" period, and all the times when Remus or Sirius could've said "I love you" but didn't.

Interesting links:

Some thoughts on hope: Increasingly, I'm convinced the critical choice (i.e. the crisis) we face as a species now is not hope/hopelessness so much as care/carelessness. Hope seems like an individualistic-- an essentially private -- balm. Care, on the other hand, is inherently relational, reciprocal (even self-care requires a kind of imaginative giver-and-receiver). But we have to be prepared to bump into pain -- our own and others' -- because that’s what care will touch when it's really needed.

The American City Is a Machine That Kills Fascism: Let's hope this is true. :)

It's been approximately eight years since I posted any recs, so I figured I'd take an afternoon to clean out some of my "Hockey Recs" file. But first, I wanted to point to a Harry Potter story recently written for me!

Adventures in Gift Wrapping by katmarajade (George/Lee, PG-13)
This is a sweet and funny story about Lee getting roped into helping with gift wrapping at George's shop. I love how willing Lee is to do ridiculous things just to make George smile. Warning: There is much talk about donuts in here, so it will probably make you hungry. ;)

Going to put the hockey RPF links behind a cut since there are quite a few of them!

( Hockey RPF Recs )