~ Lilo's 2024 fic rec list ~ (another Ao3 year in review)
I already made several posts about my writing year in review, so no I'm doing one about my reading as well! The Ao3 Wrapped already touched on this: I read A Lot, it's impossible to show it all, go through my Ao3 bookmarks, recs or my Lilo Reads tumblr tag (web archive) for more, so instead of trying to give any sort of overview I'll just rec you the fics that have accompanied me this year the most, either because it took me a while to read (because they are very long or because they were active wips or because I read several very similar stories in one go) or because I have thought of them long after I finished reading them or both, and I love all of them to bits!
I read mainly Star Wars this year and it shows in the fics I'm remembering, so I made an entirely separate post for that, the rest here are from completely different fandoms but I did sort them into separate sections: first twilight, then Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings, and finally all the femslash ones (Avorah, Berena, Keebecca, Swan Queen)!
~~~ continue reading ~~~
Twilight
SIOC fics like Twilight: Another Self-Indulgent Self-Insert by aclysm: "Though Bella’s mother often joked about her ‘old soul’, it’s doubtful she ever realised just how right she was." 6k wip M, and Hearts Beating in Sync by @mysanaf "Isabella Helen Swan is born first, at 1:07 in the afternoon, she is shortly followed by her sister, Katherine Marie Swan born at 1:13." 27k wip T
I love, love, love the SIOC or isekai trope, normal people from 'our' world or people of a different fandom ending up in fantastical worlds... And I especially love them in twilight, because a) the twilight world has lots of potential (derogatory) (the canon doesn't do much with it), and b) if I had to get isekaid into a fantasy world i wouldn't want to end up in some medieval place or gods forbid a world that doesn't have the LotR extended editions on TV. I think I'd be okay as a twipire! I could handle not doing anything against the evil volturi because that's on par with not doing much against evil irl politicians and the like (kudos to whoever shot that CEO, couldn't be me tho), and I think I'd be okay not having any hair (it doesn't grow back and it likely all rips out pretty fast, fanon says all the twipires just wear wigs), and anyway all the fics are great. However I've read most of them at least ten times so I was happy to find some new-ish wips!
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Suspect Associates by calliopeia419: "Female boxers, illegal betting, a missing person and a cold-case murder...and Mac is in a little too deep for Phryne's liking." 32k, rated M, no warnings
Dr.Mac x OC femslash & Phrack, an amazing casefic, honestly this could have been a canon episode and I love it so much
the Rosie & Phryne friendship AU by rain_sleet_snow: "An AU in which Phryne met and befriended Rosie before Jack." 10k, rated T, no warnings apply. Series still ongoing but the first two parts are complete.
I never would have thought of this, but it's such an interesting take on how one little meeting could change all of their interactions! It all feels very in tune with the show, they're all written very well and in character, just the settings is the teensy bit different.
Harry Potter
What's Coming to Me by kyra516: "This story explores Bella Burton, an OC, as she navigates being a muggleborn in the wizarding world while making the most out of her knowledge of the future for purely selfish purposes." fOC x Snape, potions, plot, and a love story. 260k E
I don't know how or why I stumbled across this, probably ran out of twilight SIOCs and looked for other isekai fics? Either way I was very lucky to find this thrilling, captivating then-wip with regular updates, I followed along religiously, it was the only fic in the fandom I was reading at the time which made it easier to remember what's going on but I still had to re-read some chapters from time to time between updates (this was before I had the idea to write my own summaries in my bookmarks - I used to only read finished or abandoned works, never active wips, because I know my horrid memory, but this one was definitely worth the effort and probably part of the reason why I had the idea with the summaries). I started reading some time in May and finished in July, but it felt even longer than that, I sometimes checked for updates multiple times a day xD
On a similar note but an older fic, Pride of Time by anubisankh: "Hermione quite literally crashes her way back through time by roughly twenty years. There is no going back; the only way is to go forward. And when one unwittingly interferes with time, what one expects may not be what time finds..." Snamione, M, Violence, lots of plot, 500k
I don't just read Snape fic lmao but they just happen to be Really Good! And this one is one of those stories, book fic movie doesn't matter, that I just remember time and time again. I don't think I've actually re-read it this year, but I've read it so many times it's just part of who I am at this point :} Hermione is ruthless and wonderful, more book!Hermione than how she was in the movies, and her being Snape's handler as he turns spy is just *chef's kiss*. And it's a time loop story, not a changing the past story, so my favorite kind of time travel logic!
Out of Bounds by anon: Tom Riddle is working on gaining influence in Slytherin. Everything is going well for him until a time-traveling Harry Potter with absolutely no fucks to give strolls into Slytherin house wearing a huge snake Britney Spears style and immediately claims to be the Heir of Slytherin. Harry takes people on tours to the Chamber of Secrets, lets his friends ride on the Basilisk's back, taunts Tom in parseltongue, and Tom loses his mind. adult Harry, 12k wip, not rated.
I went back to HP later in the year after again, predictably enough, running out of fics of a trope in a different fandom, this time Time Travel fics in Star Wars. I'm happy I found this one, it's pretty damn funny and still updating, I should go continue reading the newer chapters some time!
How Like Home by @waitingondaisies: "During the battle at the department of mysteries, Harry follows Sirius through the veil. He arrives at a strange, alternate version of his world where there is no Voldemort, his parents are still alive, and there is already a Harry Potter in existence." 180k, T, wip last updated Jul24.
I have to admit I don't much remember this fic (bad memory strikes again - that's what the bookmark summaries are for), but I do know I went from time travel to dimension swap fics and read a bunch of them in one go (which is probably why they blur together in my mind lmao), and my bookmark of this one is tagged 'really good' 'to continue reading' and also 'dimension hopping' and 'ACAB' which, honestly, intrigues me! I'm sure past-me had good taste xD I came across it now because the tab's still open on my phone, but I think I'm caught up with the latest chapters.
LotR
The Battles You Have Fought Won't Go To Waste, You Know by lulamay: "Somehow, Boromir survived." rated G, 35k words
Love love Love this fic. Doesn't need a longer summary, just go read!
All hail the High Warden of Gondor by @emilybeemartin, a humorous comic fic right here on tumblr!
It's so funny, I reblog it every time I see it, it just had to go on the list!
Femslash:
Avorah (Hacks HBO)
Stopping to Breathe by @dkc2017: "What if Deborah actually knew Ava was lying to her about the meeting in L.A. with the British producers? What if these two infuriating women actually spoke about all that goes unsaid between them?" Season 1 ending rewrite. 30k, rated M
My bad memory strikes again, so I'll have to reread this some time xD but I know I've not just bookmarked this one but also backuped the text to be extra sure I'll always be able to read it again, so it has to be good!
Now Listen Honey by @emeraldorchids: "After Deborah dropped the lawsuit, Ava thought she'd never see her again. But when Deborah showed up out of the blue and asked Ava to take a little road trip with her, she was too curious to say no." 12k, rated E, no warnings apply
Really really sweet with all those hurt/comfort-y vibes I like so much :)
Berena (Holby City)
Open When by @madam-wakefield: "When a few years into their relationship Bernie is asked to go back to the army and deploy Serena isn't sure how she's going to get through the nine months without her girlfriend. What she doesn't expect is for it to be her girlfriend who has the perfect set of surprises to get her through both the best and the worst days. Canon divergent - Elinor lives (well actually the accident never happens), Raf lives, and Cameron isn't a total ass!" 60k T no warnings
I should probably go and comment on this one some time - it's been my designated downloaded fanfic for when I don't have internet for ages now, so I've been slowly reading a chapter at a time, and I had planned to comment once I finish it but I hadn't expected it to take so long to actually read it! I think I used to be without internet more often xD anyway, I really adore the fic, all the letters are so sweet and it's beautifully written.
Keebecca (Ted Lasso)
parentheses by @chainofclovers: "It’s only been a few days since Rebecca last saw her for drinks, but nothing could have prepared her for the sight of Keeley marching into her office at Nelson Road in a knit mini-dress the color of marigolds and black knee-high boots, a leather folio in hand, ready to negotiate." 2k, rated T, no warnings apply
Such a short fic especially compared to what I usually read and rec, and it is So Adorable <3 definitely deserves all the love
I did read a whole lot of other Keebecca fics but because I've binge read them all one after the other in the span of like two weeks they all blur together in my mind and I don't remember any specific ones o.O I do remember some authors, @Welton4Jones @miricleo (miri_cleo) @finalgirlkateausten (robinsonswerehere) y'all's are awesome <3
all the Keebecca fic I bookmarked can be found here!
SwanQueen (OUAT)
Under the Soil by @insanetwin: "Emma has never wanted to be a princess. Her whole life seems to be going on without her. Until one day, when on a mindless walk in the forest, she stumbles upon an evil Queen who has been under a sleeping curse for years and years. And accidentally marries her." 50k words, rated T, no warnings apply
When a couple friends/mutuals got (back) into Swan Queen at the beginning of last year, I finally caved and started reading some SQ for the first time in my life xD mostly just lurking on stories my friends recced to me, this one stood out to me and I still remember it, maybe because it's an AU and so different to most of the other fic I read, but it's also just really really good!
And because I turn everything into a tag meme, maybe some of you also want to show your appreciation for the writers who got us through the last year - everyone who sees this feel tagged, and remember to leave your authors some comments especially if they can't be @-ed on tumblr :) @toboldlynerd @viharistenno @mrtroi @10-4ward @fearlessplatinums @toastedpinata @galadriel1010 @thearchdemongreatlydisapproves @lesbianlovelife @panicatthesocialmedia @observethewalrus @my-gaydar-is-on-point @wibblywobblyida @linguini17 @katieswain123 @kristinsmindinpictures
lilo's fic writing masterpost tagging memes more fic recs
