kennahijja

About a year ago, I made a post asking for people's recommendations on books to read. As themes of interest I pointed to "fantasy, horror, character-driven SF, gay lit, dark, unusual, stylistically beautiful, erotic." Today, I would probably add "non-traditional fantasy, historical fantasy, no dragons, no romance unless it's twisted" :).

I got a wow-esque amount of responses, and spent the past year slowly looking through a lot of what was recommended (bless you, City Library!). Some I couldn't get my hands on or overlooked. Some, of course, I already knew. Some are still on the 'check out' list.

Anyway, before (predictably) asking "what knocked my f-list's socks off recently" that I might like, here's what I read from your lovely recs list last year:

( Loved )

( Will give a second try )

( Not my thing )

Had a beautifully sunny (if bloody cold) day wandering 'round Carlisle with chthonya while sadly missing our number three, who, I hope, is feeling better now after a day's rest!

Also, a beautiful full moon which I might not have appreciated without chthonya's text-message heads-up :). I howled... a little ;).

And finally, that fandom meme going 'round (fileched from kellychambliss)...

( Harry Potter )

HP is the only of my fandom with enough characters to make it worthwhile ;).

Perhaps I shouldn't waste my evenings watching Yes Minister backwards and forwards, but it's by far the best and brightest comedy I've ever seen in my life :). Hysterically funny, and cuttingly intelligent. Sad to know it could never be possibly matched nowadays...

( Read more... )

My milk is frozen!

Well, it's 0.1 fat UTH, not too far away from water (*watches lazy_neutrino shudder*), and the sort of tetra pak where you cut off one corner, but my fridge dial was on 3 of 6, and is now down to 2 of 6, and it's *still* frozen... Ok, not solidly frozen, but the surface was and there are frozen bits that keep swimming 'round in it.

And yeah, I've had this brand before often enough, and it never happened before.

*mindboggles*

It's three in the morning, and I can has cat.

There was this terrible mournful crying outside my tenement building a while back, and when I looked out of the window there was a shadow running round on the pavement outside. So I went down and called the critter - it's frigging cold and snowing, although it looks halfway chipper.

Well, it came in, examined the stairwell, followed me upstairs, examined the corridor and living room, and is currently rolled up on my couch - pretty relaxed, but not quite enough to sleep yet.

Anyway, it's a uniform dark grey, yellow eyes, rather sizeable ears, decent coat. It looks a lot like one that once halfway followed me home a few roads up, but well, I've got no idea where it might live.

It's just too cold to throw it out, although it definitely looks like it belongs to someone and anyway, I only have some chopped cheese and milk, no cat food... Let's see whether it'll decide to want out again in a while.

But it's purring like mad when stroked, and it's amazing how much better the room looks with a feline draped somewhere :).

Am back home! And yes, Edinburgh all snow-white with the late afternoon sun was pretteh!

And bearing fic - originally intended as a Christmasficlet for son_of_darkness to make up for me being too scatterbrained to send the Christmas card I got... anyway, it can probably sneak in under the radar as a *very* belated Happy New Year ficlet :).

Title: Ghosts of the Past
Author: Hijja
Pairing: Harry/Lucius
Rating: R at most
Warnings: dub-con, coercion
Summary: "I am not thinking about the Dark Arts, Auror Potter." His voice dropped into a languid drawl. "I am thinking of pain and humiliation. I'm thinking of having the 'Boy who Lived' entirely at my mercy."

( Ghosts of the Past )

Still too scatterbrained to do a proper recs post, but this needs to be said, rightnow ;).

Remedial Potions by anonymous [Snape/Harry, mild NC-17]
Summary: It turns out Harry probably shouldn't have spent his sixth year cheating, because now he needs Remedial Potions for real...

I've been suffering from severe Snarry burn-out syndrome for ages, but this fic is amazing - it takes both characters right after the battle in DH and throws them together in 'remedial potions', all raw emotions, rage, fear, loneliness... I haven't seen a Snape ringing this true for a *very* long time. It's so not a love story, and despite the rating has a delicious gen feeling - *and* then manages a perfectly convincing switch to slash, which not often works well, but certainly does here. If you're in any way into Snape and/or Harry, do read it!

Title: In Silence Gone from Danger
Author: Hijja
Fandom: Alex Rider (spoilers right up to and including 'Crocodile Tears')
Characters: Alex, Yassen
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Trouble finds Alex even on the most mundane of assignments...
Note: Originally intended for flash_rider, but wordcount ran way over the limit. Thanks to the incomparable annephoenix for beta and advice. Title filched from Joan Baez's 'Who Do You Think I Am'.

( In Silence Gone from Danger )

Ok, dears, off to catch my plane home on the most wintery afternoon yet (hope I'll make it out of London before the snow warning hits...).

liriaen, against all odds, I got your postcard from London today. Thanks *so* much!

And yes, intermittent net access over the coming weeks, unless one of my parents' neighbours has decided to run an unlocked wifi :).

Ok, I think it's time to owe up that I've branched out into a second fandom... I mean I've written a few non-HP fics over the past year, but usually as gifts for people who're into them, not because I had persistent plot bunnies of my own.

Now... this has changed :).

I've been enticed into the Alex Rider books by the ever-evil annephoenix two years ago, and devoured them all in no time. There's also a film that isn't too bad.

Being a creature of simple tastes, what attracts me is the fact that here is a writer who tortures his hero even worse than J K Rowling. What's not to like?!? Basically, it's James Bond for teenagers, with wild plots, mad, evil villains, non-stop breathless action, and a lovely bit of angst and conflicted loyalties. Not much brain-fodder, but great fun. If you're at all that way inclined, have a look at the books :).

I wrote my first story not even thinking about the possibility that there might be a fandom... Well, I was wrong, and have been enjoying AR fic ever since (especially since some of my favourite HP writers are participating!). I don't think discovering this new fandom diminishes my overwhelming love for HP, but it's giving me a nice fresh burst of creative energy. And plot bunnies like hell ;).

Anyway, the reason I'm chattering about this is...

spy_fest (here on LJ)!

Signups are still running until December 19, so if you're in any way so inclined, and have encountered the canon, give it a thought :).