Distracted by shiny things

Day 1 in the library without a laptop has been more than productive, have become super paranoid though and log a huge stack of books with me even during coffee breaks. The situation is Not That Bad, because I have wonderful friends who will give me notes, I had in fact emailed a fair amount of things to myself and I hadn't actually read that much in the first place, I am still upset, but trying not to think about it. Am now using mum's old laptop and readjusting myself to XP (probably only person in world to actually like Vista...)

I am extremely disaster prone when it comes to computers, the speed with which I go through laptops is actually pretty spectacular and this one had survived without spontaneously combusting for 15 months, so it was clearly time for it to go. (seriously I went trawling through old posts to try and find accounts of previous laptop disasters, though I am sure there are at least two more)

Anyway, the reason for this post is that apart from notes, photos, music and films I also lost my bookmarks (yes I am weird and outdated and don't understand how del.icio.us works, so it was all in my browser) so now I have lost all the Merlin fic I had planned on reading. (and my big bang, but let's not talk about that now) Some would say that is a good thing, as I have to study, but really I just want long Merlin/Arthur AUs and haven't got the time to thrawl through comms too find it...

So PLEASE REC ME MERLIN FICS, or even better rec lists, any really, I haven't been reading very much recently, so please don't leave out the obvious fic that everyone has read, as chances are that's exactly what I can't remember the title of and have been looking for!

P.S. That is why I love Gossip Girl

Hey all! I hope those from you that celebrate it have had a lovely Christmas and the rest of you have had a lovely week! :D I predictably have a new lap top as everything we did with my old one failed to save it, and it is shiny and new and most importantly it works which is wonderful. My track record with computers is appalling, but hopefully this one will not break after a year *craddles*

I am actually very much alive and have had a really nice holiday so far, sadly not as productive as I had promised myself, but there is still some time that this can change in, after all what are New Year resolutions for? I have been going to London quite a bit and Oxford and went to Paris after Christmas for a couple of days and in the few days I have spend at home I watched lots of cheesy  tv, thanks to lauds I became briefly obsessed with Nearly Famous, afterwards started watching Gossip Girl and have been ctaching up with Ugly Betty. I am not ashamed.

I have also been reading Yuletide, I love Yuletide so very much, though for the first time this year I didn't sign up, I have read more fics than ever before and they quality is really high.

So here be recs:

Scrubs
My Secret Magi I love Scrubs and it is funny in a way that is difficult to write, and yet this fic does it very well, it is absolutely hilarious and holiday themed and light.

His Dark Materials: Philip Pullman (Another thing I have done this holiday is reread these, oh I had forgotten how much I loved them!)
The Ivory Horn: This fic is absolutely brilliant. One of my most favourite from the fest, it tells the story of Will after the end, where he studies Physics in Oxford (Exeter, of course) and tries to get Lyra back. Wonderful and shocking twist, well not exactly a twist but you'll see what I mean. (Wow judging from the amount of comments, most of you must have read this already, but if you have missed it by some chance, do read it!!)
Christingle: Another lovely story about Will in Oxford. I like this very much. This sounded like it is written by someone at Oxford, because the little details, which people tend to get wrong are all right. (loneraven, this reminds me of you, if you haven't written it, you should read it!)

One Tree Hill
if you shake her heart enough she will appear: It is about what Brooke does after finishing school, it's about friendship and more. It is quietly lovely and so very Brooke.

Billy Elliot
Dancing Boys: Wonderful, wonderful Billy/Michael, after many years apart Billy finishes school and comes home. Michael's POV, the sort of fic I have always wanted, and never quite realised it. Perfect.

The Devil Wears Prada
Still Life with Lipstick: Miranda/Andy. It's fashion week and they meet again. Lovely Miranda characterisation.

Daria
Are We the Fools for Being Surprised? It is a Daria/Jane fic set in college, I was always going to love it, but it also has spot on dialogue, so that I can completely visualise it. The world always needs more Daria fic.

Friends (I don't think I have ever read Friends fic in my life)
The One Where Chandler Sneaks A Pee : Pre series, Chandler and Joey have lived together for only a few weeks and Chandler really needs to pee. It is one big misunderstanding with hilarious consequences.
The One Where Chandler Isn't Gay: Because really blowjobs totally don't count. Brilliant, made me laugh so much. Oh Joey.

Goodbye Lenin
Mmm-Mmm Good! Alex/Denis, short, porny and utterly awesome.

Little Miss Sunshine
A fucking conversation about whatever: I love this film, it is darkly funny and this fic is incredibly true to the spirit of the film, a conversation between Dwayne and uncle Frank. Really good.

Susan Coolidge - What Katy Did series
Snow White and Rose red: It has been a long time since I have read these, the plot is very fuzzy in my head, but this was written so well, so very true to the books, full of innocence and subtleness, Clover/Rose Red.

Ugly Betty
Setting the Record Straight: This was the fic that stopped me reading more and made me catch up on ugly betty, Marc give Justin advice, it is so cute. Also I love Cliff.
No Place Like Home: This is absolute Crack but I liked it, Amanda dreams of being Dorothy and it all goes to Oz from here.

More to come I am sure, there are a few more fandoms I need to get through.

Yay, the Boatrace is tomorrow...I actually watched a programme about it on ITV today. So sad. Am going to London to watch it. Is anyone else going to be there? Well, mostly to meet people, but also watch it. I am quite excited, considering I haven't been down to the river once during the past two terms and have never ever watched a race before. Not going to the after party though, going back in the evening. To revise. Have done little revision still. :(

Have been reading fic though! Mostly OC, after much struggle was able to find a lot of good OC fic. Especially this, also this and this! :D No idea why I am linking to OC fic, there is like no one else here who watches it/cares. Own reference I guess. Not to worry, am still mostly about the HP. In fact just listened to Slashcast

which was really, really awesome. Go and Download it people! It is like amazingly professional and fun!

I have little else to say. I wish someone would prank me, but no one has. :( I want to fool someone else, like my brother. But I don't know how. Oh life. I think I am going to go wash my hair and then return to my data (ahaha. wrote date instead...) project. Or catch up on the last few episodes of the L word. For which I was spoiled for... :'( despite being in the bathroom at the time of the conversation, I could HEAR. :((

It just started raining again. I think that it hasn't stopped raining in the past week, and just when I was about to say that it is finally sunny. Woe. What the hell is wrong with me??? Why am I talking about the weather?! :( I am going away now. This was brought to you by severe boredom.

A rant about icons might follow soon enough.

PS. Please fill in my nohari (negative character traits) and johari (positive character traits) for I am terribly curious.

Hello! Have not updated in ages and too many things have happened for me to attempt a proper update. Will try anyway. :D

1. It is very cold and crisp, walking through the starlit quads at night gives me such a wonderful feeling of happiness and content and a general sense of belonging. Cannot quite believe that on Saturday I will be going home for just under six weeks. Will miss Oxford and all the wonderful people I have met, Ahmed's Kebab Van, Ben's Cookies, The Bodleian, even Hall food! Well, not that last one, but still. Also my room, can't believe candidates will sleep here whilst I am gone, can't believe it has been almost a year since my own interview. Remember exactly how terrified I was.
2. FRANZ FERDINAND tomorrow, hopefully will be able to get to Alexandra Palace, not sure how exactly. Thought that I could stay the night in London, but not sure anymore, as don't know where and will have to be back at college for 11 on Thursday for an important meeting.
3. The vast majority of my friends are at a Ball tonight, I didn't go because have not got a spare fifty quid for a ticket or a dress, instead went to Sainsbury's and bought bread then went to the JCR and watched Trainspotting, had not seen it and it was one of those films I have always wanted to see. Um, I did like it, but I am not sure why and I want to see it again.
4. Had lovely dinner with the other people that do PPE here and then watched The Rules of Attraction, omg how awesome was that, yes I am shallow and Ian Somerhalder kissing boys is enough for me to squee over a film, I cannot believe there is no fic in which Sean/Paul happens in a more real way than Paul's daydreams. I want to read the book.
5. I am sure most of you have seen this, however OMG so awesome! You put in music you like and it makes you a radio station that consists of what you said and similar songs, it is awesome and so far no adverts.
6. Last Bop of term is on Friday, theme's Fantasies. I am sure there are other ways to interpret this, but my interpretation is sexual, have not completely decided on a costume, but am leaning towards a nurse's outfit, because one of the themed nights for the Ski trip is Pirates and Nurses so I will end up wearing it again. The other is white trash. Ugh.
7. Lots of people have already decided who to marry for next year, we get to be College parents for next year's freshers and I don't know who to marry! Wah, I didn't want to marry a PPEist and so my closest friends have found someone and now I don't know who to marry. Wangst, I know, heh. Will propose to someone as soon as I have figured out who I want.
   
8. On Saturday had first cocktail party, to celebrate the end of The Christ Church regatta (rowing competition), I couldn't care less about rowing, but dressing up and going to Freud's, a gorgous converted church was well worth it. It was an amazing night, everyone thought I was drunk and I only had two drinks! Grasshoppers are awesome, I love chocolate minty things, chocolate Mint Bliss at Starbucks is like the best thing ever!
9. Have only a bit of logic left to do and no more tutorials this term, finishing off the last economics work was sort of hell, but it was then that I realised how happy I was. It was one am, I was wondering around college, (had to retrieve a copy of my text book from a friend's room where I'd left it), it was ridiculously cold, I'd slept too few hours the night before. And yet, I felt sort of elated, it is hard to explain why really. I hadn't even started writing up the three short (two page) essays due in the next morning. I think it had something to do with running into people on the way there and back and stopping for casual chats despite the late hour, seeing the lights of the other PPEists and knowing they too are working on this, calling them at half one to go buy chips and cheese as a break. Sleeping for four hours and still somehow making it to the 10 o'clock lecture. Um. Yeah, I am a freak. :))
10. I bought Christmas Cards, they are wondreful and have snuggling polarbears and penguins!!

And on a final note, I have a Cedric/Harry bunny that refuses to go away and shall have to be written. Yeah I know I haven't written anything in months and am afraid, but will try my best. In the mean time, have a few (too few, seriously, where is the Harry/Cedric?) Harry/Cedric recs:

• Beautiful Harry/Cedric art by lizardspots: Bubbles R, and K-I-S-S-I-N-G, PG.
• Kissing is accompanied by Get A Clue by emmagrant01, which is so utterly adorable and happy that you almost forget the doomed ending.
• This is not the case with Everything You Want by iscaris which was incredible but you will need a tissue

I have spend the majority of today reading a classic novel length Draco/Hermione fic.

It is fabulous and I love it, and I am not ashamed. Much. Plz people do not defriend me over this, I suspect the random D/Hr love is passing and it will go away. I mean I thought they would work pretty well as a pairing back when I got into fandom but didn't read much as the H/D was so much more and better. Still. I love Hermione and I love Draco and so it sort of makes sense. Am I alone? Oh and I have never seen it before, but Harry/Draco/Hermione must exist as a threesome, right? Am very curious about that.

The fic I've been reading is We'll Always Have Paris which I'd heard of but never read, the reason I did is the premises of it. Draco and Hermione are chosen to go on an exchange program to Beauxbatons. It is sort of a cliche, but it is one of those cliches that I crave and that got me thinking about the other plot cliches that I rather like and so I made a list. It is shortish, but that is because I didn't spend too long pondering it and so those are the things that I very definitely like.

( List of favourite cliches with explanations )

Now I shared mine, I would be really interested in hearing some of your secret cliche needs?

Veela!Draco seems to be a favourite one, but I have to say that not only have I NEVER read such a fic, I have actually never come across one. I feel depraved and am not exactly looking for recs but if you happen to have a link to a good Veela Draco I will appreciate it.

I am sick :( I thought I was getting ill a week ago, and luckily I escaped it, but not anymore. I don't like it. But at least I didn't have to go to school today and slept till noon. Also I woke up to the sequel to Left My Heart, Surrender The Grey, which has an adorable first chapter! <333 And everybody should read it. It's been so long, I remember waiting for LMH last year and how it brightened up the mid week slump. Yay!

And now because I am bored and sick a meme.

Which authors have you read 10 or more books by?

Not that many, though I am sure I am forgetting some, so expect ETAs. :) Oh and alphabetically, because why not.

Astrid Lindgren- My childhood is defined by her books, they are probably what I learned to read on. So wonderful and different and yay. Sadly no one here has heard of her and only of Pippi, probably due to the film.

Erich Kastner- It took me ages to discover how to spell his name in English, but yes, someone else whose books I love, I don't know how many times I've reread "The 35th of May"

Christopher Pike-I love his Remember Me trilogy, really made me think. My Pike stage overlapped with my LJ Smith stage, I guess I can see why. :) 

Jacqueline Wilson-I went through a phase of reading so many of her books in a row, I think it was just after I came here, when I convinced myself that I need to catch up on English Children's literature.

Karl May- Another German author that no one here has heard from, he was my favourite author for I don't know how long. I was eight when I started reading him, now that I look back I can't believe I was so young. I still love him though.

LJ Smith- I was obsessed with the Night World series when I was in year 9/10. Read them all, and the Forbidden Game trilogy (where I promtly fell in love with Julian) and Vampire Diaries and everything else I could find. Joined mailing lists, I guess it was my first fandom.

RL Stine-Um, I went through a Goosebumps stage in year 8...

Roald Dahl-Matilda was probably the first book I read after coming to England and since my English was not exactly good, it was a nice strart, the second was Great Expectations, so I guess I was a quick learner...

Terry Pratchtett- I love his style and his humour and his books so much, want to read them all.

And that's it. Now that I have it all written down, I can see not only my ability to completely obsess over things, but also the different stages I've gone through, back then before Fandom took over my life and stopped my constant reading.

  Happy Valentine's Day!

I know that it is all a commertial sham etc, etc. But it doesn't really matter, does it? Love is a good thing, and I, personally have never felt bad about not being in a relationship or anyhing like that. In theory we should show love every day, but what is wrong with having one extra special day?

The Good

Look at my icon! Isn't it lovely? <3333 The pic is for me from duckpuppy click here for full picture!

This H/D note exchange by crumbcake is possibly the sweetest thing ever.

And I am pretty sure that everyone has seen this H/D art by _lile already, but it is possibly my favourite fan art ever! It is simply exquisite.

Also this fic Look Closer H/D by cherryflavour is adorable. Short and cute, but with substance. Perfect for VDay.

I watched more Queer as Folk yesterday and I love it OMG!

The Bad.

Yahoo mail is being a bitch. Takes minutes to upload and it's pissing me off.

I have yet to write the Drabbles, well ficlets, since I don't do drabbles. *hides*

I haven't had any breakfast yet and am very hungry.

***

Hi. I am supposed to revising now, being in study leave and all, but I am not. There are only two exams left and I don't know anything about them..yet.

I had things to say. I did, but LJ ate my entry TWICE! And now I can't be bothered to write it all again. But it will suffice to say that it really pisses me off when I keep forming posts in my mind when things happen (Hope I am not the only one?) and then forget and never post. Especially now, when I am too busy to update, but things happen and it is too late by the time I decide to say something. I hate this feeling. Also when I don't update it seems like I am not online and revising like I am supposed to, and often I am here and reading my flist and pretending I am not. None of this makes sense, oh well.

Obligatory exam babbling, behind cut, because I am nice that way. ( Stuff, including musings on Iago's sexuality, not studying enough and how sad it is to know tons of Shakespeare quotes that you will never need again )

I am Draco Malfoy? *gasp* Really did not expect that, I did it yesterday and I got Remus Lupin, I only changed my answer slightly to a few questions today and I am Draco. How odd. I swear I have no ambitions to become the next Dark Lord..

( Which HP character are you? )

And I wanted to be Remus. I have so much love for him, Recently I've been all about the Lupin. I don't know why. And I want to ship him with everyone, from Harry and Hermione to Snape and have been even warming up to S/R. But that is all anniesj fault, because when I went to vote on hp_journos I realised how many of the fics I hadn't read and then I had to read because otherwise I felt bad about voting. And three of the fics in the R/S category are by her and I read and loved soo much. Now I need more. Only you know after exams. Yes, not now. But if anyone has any recs for Remus fic, feel free to share. I won't read now, of course. Just to have it all for...later. And I mean anyone paired with him. *begs*

I know I failed my maths test today. Badly. But am stragely not concerned. In other news, I had an interesting conversation with a friend in my maths lecture (no, that's not why I failed the test) and it turns out she reads and writes fanfiction and knows what slash is. How cool is that. Well I already knew she was reading CSI fic, (she'd mentioned a couple of times) she is majorly obsessed with it and I promised her I'll watch it to see what it's all about. But today she said that she started writing (well not so much said, but wrote, we tend to write notes to each other in our books, as it is sneakier than talking. Well we talk too, only I am the one that gets told off all the time, and she is not, ever.) (also I promise to stop with the brackets, really) And I asked he what and she said fanfiction, but not slash. And I wrote I do, above the not slash part. She wrote kinky and I said yes. Considering I've never told her I read or write fic before that, it went rather well, I did specify it's Harry Potter and she said she'd seen links to HP fics. She didn't seem too keen on the idea of slash, and said it's not her thing, to which I added yet, and said I'll corrupt her yet. Am planning to, she didn't seem to mind and told me to show her what she is missing. She even showed me her notebook with things she's written and I showed her my book which has the drabbles I wrote recently, (I write in the library in my frees, more fun than doing homework, also the thought of  having porn amongst my work is strangely uplifting, also it's in the library with lots of my friends around, good thing my handwriting is appaling.)

Now what I need is to live up to my word and show her that slash is indeed great, I just don't know how. Do I get her to read something very mild, or not, should it be long or short, angsty or funny, and what pairing. It has to be HP, I am not looking through CSI fics without having seen a single episode, but she likes the books. Can you rec me fics that would be a good first time dip into slash?

I have to go write an english essay for tomorrow, will be working 4 days a week for the next 5 weeks, me thinks survival won't be easy.

PS. If you missed them, I finally wrote the Drabble requests! :D