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I'm beginning to realize that in my reading and watching habits, I am willing to forgive a lot when it comes to plot and science and even feasibility and logic, particularly in the name of good characters. But take one misstep with characters and characterization and I'm out of there, no matter how fascinating or original or interesting a premise/plot/etc. Primarily this revelation is coming from my reaction to the Lost finale, but also this book I just finished reading called The Forest of Hands and Teeth. In the book, I find the setting and mythology potentially interesting (zombies and stifling community rules for Your Own Good!), but the characters are so underdeveloped and wishy-washy and just...I don't know, sort of one-dimensional, that it completely ruined the book for me. I think you're supposed to care if the protagonist dies or not. And I so wanted to like it! I mean, zombies! Meh.

Speaking of awesome, amazing, three-dimensional characters: I'm getting very excited for Burn Notice, especially after doing some rewatches with katcorvi . As much as I love Michael/Fi (oh, you just know that ship hits all my kinks), and all the characters really, it's Maddie all the way who has won my heart in that show. She is so awesome it cannot even be expressed. If you love Maddie, read the first part of this fic: The Last Smoke. (spoilers for season 3 finale). I need more Maddie fic! Maddie fighting the zombie hoard with a cigarette would be even better. Lol.

Fly by fic recs for what I've been reading lately.

A Tale Retold-At World's End by Laura H and Sal R (Pirate of the Caribbean, R, Jack/Elizabeth with various other pairings)
I'm not a huge Pirates fan, but I certainly loved the first two movies and surprisingly have a bit of a thing for Jack/Elizabeth. This epic fic takes all the characters from the movies, treats them all with interest and respect and conflict and gives them all a destiny and a part that makes sense. It is loooong, and wonderful and definitely pays off. I admit, the cahracterization of Elizabeth bugged me a bit in the beginning, but the author's evolve her so wonderfully and completely by the end that I totally forgave them. The story also treats Elizabeth/Will with respect and tenderness and believability and that is always a bonus to me when there is a love triangle. If you like Pirates and have an inkling for Jack/Elizabeth, you can't miss this epic, epic fic.
My biggest beef is that they didn't consistantly link from the end of one chapter to the beginning of the next, nor is there a comprehensive table of contents page or whatnot. So you have to dig through this tag some.

Unlimited Minutes by artaxastra  (SG-1, R, Sam/Jack)
This is a lovely fic covering the evolution of Sam and Jack's relationship over the years through various phone calls they share over the years. It is subtle and believable and carefully characterized to show growth in their relationships and the individual characters. Definitely don't miss this one!

Unlahfulliche in Lyhte by pepper_field  (SG-1, R, Sam/Jack)
Oh, aliens made them do it at its best. The build up is magical. And the aftermath. And the frank conversations. I am sure you have all already read this, but in case you haven't: GO NOW.

v.2 by Suz (SG-1, PG-13, Sam/Jack)
An oldie but goodie that has been getting a lot of re-reading from me lately. Fantastic what-if for '2010'.

+It's possible I just made myself cry while writing a scene. *breaks out the tissues*

+Summer is a lifetime away! Damn you, Leverage! You make me love you with your awesomeness and brilliance and joy and TEAM=DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY OF DOOM, and then leave me to live without you for months on end? WHY?

+Getting bored of Olympics. I *never* get bored of Olympics. What is wrong with me? Hm. Maybe I'd rather be watching Burn Notice. Must get hands on season 2 DVDs.

+I've started saving up Lost episodes rather than watching them as they air. That show is way too annoying to watch in one hour increments. I can appreciate it's awesomeness better in five hour chunks. (Why don't we watch all TV on DVDs instead?)

+Mmmm. Girl scout cookies. I think I'll even forgive them for the high fructose corn syrup. Just this once. *throws thin mints in the freezer*

+What in the world has happened to In Plain Sight, Eureka, Royal Pains, and Lie To Me? Dear network ptb, Making me wait a year between seasons makes me start to forget exactly why I love your show and get distracted by new shiny. Please to be adopting a predictable, regular schedule, m'kay?

+I've been watching White Collar and generally enjoying it. But there is something bugging me about it, like I feel embarrassed about liking it. Can't quite put my finger on it yet, but I'm sure it will seem embarrassingly obvious once I wrap my mind around it.

+If you're into Austen and don't mind WIPs, I'm following a fun fic over at the Pit. Miss de Bourgh in Bath. Darcy's poor cousin Anne de Bourgh leaves Rosings and finally gets her chance to actually, you know, live. Great slow awakening, and gentle evolution of Anne's decidedly warped view of the world when she finally gets to step out of Lady Catherine's dominant shadow. I'm not an expert on historical details of this period, but this fic seems to miss the major pitfalls of most Austen-era romances. At least so far!

+Speaking of Austen, nothing bothers me more than fanfic that hyper-sexualizes this period. I mean, sex between married people, whatever. (Say, Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife) But having Darcy and Elizabeth running around making out in shrubbery when they aren't even engaged, let alone married? No. (I'm looking at you, Abigail Reynolds and your Pemberley Variations.) For me the pull of Austen is the subtlety. The tension drawn so tight and subtle in glances and word play and dances and the flick of the fan. The capacity for minsunderstandings and constraints of propriety and the inability to just be able to say, "Hey, wait. I like you. A lot. Let's go out on a date." There's a place for smut, but I so appreciate the slow burn. So that when one tiny kiss or hand hold at the end finally happens, man do you feel like they've earned it.

I've been thinking about how you can love a fic so much or just read it so much that eventually you become convinced that you actually saw it rather than read it. Or maybe it just feels so damn right it gets stuck in your head. Not just adopting them as personal fanon, but becoming certain they are canon. So here's a short list from me: Five Scenes I'm Convinced Happened in Canon.

( Five Fanfic Scenes I'm Convinced Happened in Canon )

In case anyone was wondering what is really behind snomaggedon 2010, syxp explains all. We all really should have known.

So...I'm still alive. Really. I'm in this weird stretch I hit sometimes when the words just stop (usually because there is some plot hole or major issue with a story that I refuse to admit). This is when my reading phase kicks in. I get strangely voracious after not reading much of anything for a long time. I think it's the distraction factor. My brain is subconsciously churning away at whatever writing block I'm pretending doesn't exist, while I read, read, read, read until a solution presents itself, BAM, usually in the middle of something. (Got a lot of half-finished paperbacks abandoned around the house due to this.)

Unfortunately, I am reading stuff so fast that I'm desperate to get my hands on enough stuff. Inevitably this means I get desperate enough to hit the paperback historical romance rack, even though I know this only ends up torturing me. (BUT! I picked up 'Silent in the Grave' on a stupid supermarket whim once! I could discover another Lady Julia Grey to fall madly in love with! Really! Suuuuuuuuuuure.) Needless to say, I did not stumble upon my next great beloved heronine of snark this time. No. This time picking up the first novel with a minimally embarrassing front cover with no half naked people humping on it, I stumbled unknowingly into some of my most HATED elements. Some I had been fooling myself into thinking were only the foibles of young, eager fangirls writing their first grade school fanfic. I don't know why it's so much worse to find them in print. Maybe it's the back section where the author pimps all their other novels and you realize they've written 25 of these hideous things, many of which sat on the best-sellers list at some point and seem to repeat the SAME EQUATION. This particular novel's sins?

( Cut for ranting and mention of non-con )

Ok. I'm done ranting now. Really. And since I feel it's bad karma to dump vitriol out into the world without at least a little squee to balance, here are some things that don't suck and that I quite love:

Any Persuasion fans out there? As much as I love Pride&Prejudice, I think Persuasion may be my favorite Austen book. I think it's the maturity of the characters, the subtlety of their ship, not to mention the drawn out angst of missed chances. (no, I am not predictable in my kinks. Lol.) Anyway, I have just finished Susan Kaye's 'None But You' which is a retelling of Persuasion from the point of view of Captain Wentworth. I haven't read the second half 'For You Alone' yet. (HURRY UP UPS, do you have any idea what I have been reading in the meanwhile?!) But I can comfortably say that the first half alone is enough to make me love and adore it. Great tone, delicate touch, and more Mrs. Croft. What more could you possibly want?

If SJ smut is more to your taste today, make sure you don't miss: Drink That Sun by penknife 

Oh, and dsudis  continues her awesomeness with the next in her Bechdel Fix-it's for Stargate. Really great Sam piece. Solidarity

Yes, it's always good to remember that for every piece of crap out there, there are some pretty freaking awesome things too.

I've been lax about pointing out fic I love lately, so here's a list. Hopefully I can remember everything!

Turn the Other Way by a_loquita  (Sam/Jack, PG)
Wonderful Jack and Sam figuring out how to date fic. Wedding!fic that has great tone and Jack voice and dialog.

Rocket Fuel by rowan_d  (Sam/Jack, Mature)
Lovely Post-Heroes hurt/comfort. Tender and tentative and graceful.

The Epitome of Indiscretion or Four People Who Discovered Sam and Jack’s Secret (And One Who Didn’t) by kirsty841  (Sam/Jack, PG)
I'm probably biased, as this was written for me as a Secret Santa gift, but it's really great. Hits all my kinks, basically the perspectives of everyone around Sam and Jack as they get together. Bonus for great secondary characters who never get enough fic time!

Lorne/Novak Christmas Comment Fic by kellifer_fic  (Lorne/Novak, PG)
I jumped at the chance to request a ficlet by kellifer. And she wrote me Lorne/Novak! Squee!

Life Lessons by pepper_field  (Sam/Jack, PG)
While stranded on the planet from 'The Light', Jack teaches Loran important life lessons. Like how to flirt. Sam gets more than she bargained for. So cute! (And butterflies in the stomach inducing!)

Just Like Breathing by mrspollifax  (Sam/Jack, PG-13)
Cute, fluffy Sam and Jack storage closet fic! What's not to love?

The Art of the Return by artaxastra artaxastra (Gen, Sam, PG)
Early Sam's thoughts on gate travel. Lovely view of SG-1 and their place in the galaxy, and the tricky art of the return.

And last but not least, and oldie, but goody that I just read again the other day:

The Little Red Engine That Could by lyssie  (Sam/Jack, R)
My favorite Sam/Jack in the fireman AU from 'The Changeling' fic.

The sg_rarepairings ficathon is finally up and running. See prompts here. I'm a little dismayed that it is starting so late because I still have every intention of doing NaNoWriMo this year, but the due date for the ficathon is December 7th. Booo! I even had this ficathon down in my New Year's Fic Resolutions. *pouts*

Oh, well. Still trying to decide what idea to go with for NaNo this year. Pick up the failed idea from last year? Or move on to the creepy scifi idea instead? Or just give up this foolish attempt at writing something original and just pick a Stargate idea instead? Lol. Less than a month to decide now!

Be sure to read holdouttrout 's Five People (Or Beings) Who Inhabit the SGC. (Gen) Written for aurora_novarum 's birthday, this is a brilliant take on the people behind the scenes, perhaps neither as blessed nor cursed as SG-1. Great read.

Uhh...I was sure there was something else. But I have forgotten. Clearly it is going to be one of those days.

One for the ship_whores:

I’ve been doing a lot more broad fannish reading lately, skimming my way through various fandoms and pairings (mostly thanks to the awesomeness that is het_reccers ). Now, usually the thought of trying to read in a new fandom blind is enough to make me lie down until the impulse goes away, because facing The Pit or some such with no recs or point of reference can be a scary, scary thing. So I thought about writing a sort of a meme, to make it way less painful. Mainly, I just want to know everyone's absolute single favorite fic for all the pairings they've spent time reading. So, here we go.

The Meme: If someone was only ever going to read one fic for a particular pairing, which one would you want it to be? List your pairings and fandoms and pick one fic that you think could sell someone on the awesomesauce of your pairing. Then, list the pairings you would be curious/interested/eager to read a fic about that you just don’t know where to even start reading, and hopefully someone on your trusted flist will be able to provide a rec.

(Yes, I picked one Sam/Jack fic. And let me tell you, it was HARD. Plus, I had to, you know, read a bunch of my old favorites to choose. It is almost physically killing me to only put one. Lol. But in the end I picked one that had the angst, the stupid cute, and the resolution all tied into one.)

( My Ships and Fics Picks ) *     *     *
( Looking for fic...help a fangirl out. )

It feels like it's been ages since I've been on LJ. Which isn't true, really. I've been lurking about. But I have the feeling I have missed a whole slew of birthdays recently, including many a someones near and dear to me. I will brainstorm a way to repent later. Luckily there has been some awesomesauce fic lately that I have gotten to get back to read in my free time now. Just in case you managed to miss them:[Poll #1457700][Poll #1457700]