New Recs!

[kelly_chambliss]

Well, now that I've wallowed in nostalgia for the "good old days", I'll let you in on a little secret: it's still the good old days, at least in terms of recs.

Let me alert you to the wonderful rec lists of consistentsquash. This fine reccer first came to my notice a couple of months ago, when they were kind enough to alert me to the fact that they'd included one of my fics in a rec list. Since then, Consistent Squash has prepared many more lists, all beautifully curated with rationales, explanations, detailed and thoughtful blurbs, links, and more.

It feels like the glory days of crack_broom; I've got tons of new fics and new pairings and new authors to explore as well as old friends to revisit. Consistent Squash has excellent fanfic taste, and I am not surprised to see many of my dear flisties among the rec-ees.

21 Slash Recs for 21 Years
I can't imagine how much work went into preparing such a list. Of course the choices represent CS's personal taste, but what fine taste it is! Lots of HP fandom classics here -- mostly Snarry with some other pairings and F/F, too.

A to Z Recs for Intense, Unique, and Unforgettable HP Slashfics
When Consistent Squash says "A to Z," they mean A to Z! An amazing list covering almost every letter of the alphabet, an interesting range of pairings (mostly M/M with some F/F), and some of the best slash writers in the fandom.

25 Slash Recs for 25 Snape Pairings
Twenty-five -- 25! -- different Snape pairs! I had no idea that Snape/Cornelius was even a thing. Or Snape/Hagrid.

Ten Femmeslash Recs for Ten Pairings
Love this one! Consistentsquash gives us a wonderful range of old, young, and in-between female-identified and genderqueer characters in these pairings. Don't be surprised to find a lot of flisties here: eldritcher, atdelphi, writcraft, purplefluffycat, pauraque, tetleythesecond. And Minerva galore!

Ten Het Recs for Ten Minerva Pairings
Be still, my heart! Reading this list immediately had me thinking what stories I'd choose for a list of my own.

There's plenty more rec goodness where these lists came from -- Go check out Consistentsquash's Collections on AO3. You'll find recs for transgender, cross-dressing, long fics with rare pairs, Albus pairings, and more.

For each list, be sure to scroll down to read the detailed blurbs.

Comments

[pauraque]

I almost mentioned consistentsquash on your other post, but I figured you must know of them since they always seem to make an effort to contact the authors they rec, which is a really nice thing. I also like that they share their recs on different platforms; I was only dimly aware of there being a presence for HP fandom on Reddit, but apparently it's quite active there.

[kelly_chambliss]

I do love CS's habit of alerting us to their recs -- so thoughtful. I hadn't known anything about fandom on Reddit, either, but CS has now inspired me to create an account.

[paulamcg]

Oh, it's wonderful of you to share this in addition to nostalgia! I found this reccer a few days ago through eldritcher's latest story, and now I've looked at the lists more closely... And thanks to one of them, I've now found out that you've written an original goblin character as a protagonist! I know there are a lot of fascinating stories by you (among other great writers) I haven't read, but Subversive must be the next one I read.

[kelly_chambliss]

I hope you'll enjoy it! I have very fond memories of writing "Subversive."

Consistent Squash is such a boon to the fandom; thanks to them, I have dozens of new fics to read and old ones to enjoy rereading.

[mina_harker]

Omg, thanks for sharing these rec lists, I can't wait to explore them! I recced some fics back in the day on One Bad Man, but completely forgot about rec communities when I moved off livejournal many years ago! It's such a delight to see that people are still recommending fics. I've also loved the fic recs on your blog, and I've sometimes recommended fics on mine and will try to do more of that in the future, as I miss sharing fics I love with others who'd also enjoy them.

[kelly_chambliss]

I understand that times and fandoms and platforms inevitably change, but I was so sorry to see the migration off LJ. I get why it happened, but LJ was a such great platform for discussion in its heyday.

I'm with you about the pleasures of sharing and reading recs. I think Consistent Squash has inspired me to make a few new rec lists of my own.

[walgesang]

I feel like I am and always will be a terrible reccer (I get about to the point of "I loved this!" and then don't feel like I have the cohesive language to make the rest of it make sense.) so it's great to hear of old and new rec(cers) and recs!

[kelly_chambliss]

I look back at a lot of my recs and see that I use the same words over and over. As you say, it can be difficult to pull together a coherent response -- especially if a story is really powerful. Sometimes I have to wait a while to let the impact of a fic subside before I can say anything about it. I really admire super-articulate reccers like Consistent Squash and perverse_idyll.