Holiday Recs

[lesyeuxverts]

Right. I'm succumbing to peer pressure and have decided to rec some of my favorites from the holiday fests. I feel a need, though, to say something disclaimer-y since I haven't ever really done any recs before and I'm not sure that I'll be very good at it ... anyhow. A couple of things to keep in mind: there's no way that I could rec everything that I like, and I like many of the things that I don't/haven't rec'ed, so this is a rather incomplete list; like everybody else, I'm totally swamped with reading material right now and am usually a couple of days behind, with some things just bookmarked for reading later; and finally, if I've seen something rec'ed all over the place, I probably won't rec it myself ... sorry, I'm just that lazy.

From hp_holidaygen:

Merlin and King Arthur (Snape, OC, rated G)
I thought that the tone of this story was really fantastic, and it was a quiet, understated way of looking at a glimpse of Snape's life - a vignette, as it were, through another person's eyes. Very nice imagery and the sort of narrative that shows rather than tells, leaving lots of spaces for the reader's busy imagination to roam. Plus, there's Merlin and King Arthur, a definite bonus in any story!

A Word with the Twins (Ron, Fred, rated PG)
This is a great look at Ron and his relationship with the twins, and the characterization throughout is outstanding, especially the characterization of Ron. A deft, not overbearing treatment of some of the moral issues involved in war, and a lovely story.


From harry_holidays:

Pestilent Parasitic Foliage (Harry/Draco, Harry/Snape, rated R)
A lovely post-war Snarry, with just a hint of Draco. I swoon for fics where Severus rescues Harry and this is no exception, especially with a delightfully snarky (and slightly insecure) Severus. Beautifully descriptive, wonderful imagery, and a bit of hot action up against the wall.

His Hand in Fate (Harry/Draco, NC17)
For a full disclosure of conflicts of interest, I want to note that I beta'ed this one, but I'm not rec'ing it because of that! Despite having read this one several times, I still love to go back and reread this again and again ... because this is deliciously, bone-chillingly angsty. This story is gripping and powerful, despite foreshadowing throughout of the ending ... okay, I can't say. Go read it! :)


Taking Stock (Snape, PG)
Beautiful and descriptive, with a perfect use of Potions ingredients for my favorite Potions Master. I love the characterization of Snape here, and the brief, tantalizing vignettes are a very effective way of telling his story. Very evocative and well-written, and I enjoyed this one a lot.

From merry_smutmas:

A Remedy to Boredom (Charlie/Draco, rated NC17)
A lovely story with fantastic characterization of everyone from the Weasley twins to Snape as well as of Charlie and Draco. Stories like this, where two unlikely people fall in love and it's a slow, realistic process ... well, it's just amazing. Detailed and rich, with a lot of cute and funny moments.

A Theory of Glass (Remus/Sirius, Remus/Bill, Sirius/Lucius, rated NC17 - note the warnings)
There are so many things to love about this story, but one of my favorite parts is Luna ... her characterization is dead-on, I think, and she's ethereal and knowing and charming. Of course, the premise is also fascinating, the alternate universes are really interesting, and the sex is really hot ... altogether, a fantastic story.


More recs later, I suppose - this has barely scratched the surface of the stories that I've loved so far this month - but for now I'm tired and going to bed.