Yuletide

[wakeupnew]

I hope everyone had a fabulous new year! I definitely did -- I got to spend it with friends and to go to the Winter Classic (HABS HABS HABS) and Women's Outdoor Classic (ending in a tie was so appropriate), which were A++ incredible. I also had a thoroughly delightful Yuletide -- thanks again to zopponde, Missy, and kindness_says. ♥

This year, I wrote three fics for Yuletide! I had several more in mind too, but as usual, my eyes were bigger than my time management skills. They'll be for NYR eventually, maybe -- my goal for 2016 is to finish at least a couple of non-Yuletide fics.

Black Flag for kiyala (Ballister Blackheart/Ambrosius Goldenloin, Nimona)
When I wander home for littledust (Larissa "Lardo" Duan/B. "Shitty" Knight, Check, Please!)
Jewel of the Indian Ocean for Rhea (Fenella Carruth/Pat Merton, Think of England by KJ Charles)

I think many folks on my f-list are already familiar with Nimona and Check, Please!, both of which are thoroughly delightful and I really recommend, so I won't bother evangelizing for them, but now that reveals are done and I can talk about Think of England: oh man, I really loved this book. So did Goodreads, apparently. I wasn't totally sure what I was getting into, at first (I stumbled across this through reading two other people's Twitter back-and-forth, where someone mentioned it in passing as a book she'd liked), and I didn't love the other KJ Charles book I'd tried. BUT THIS ONE, MAN.

I love the early 1900s, Agatha Christie-esque isolated mansion setting, I liked the hero, I loved the love interest (HE'S SO GREAT), and I loved two members of the supporting cast. I devoured the book on my commute one day last month; I hope fellow commuters enjoyed the spectacle of me sitting there silently crying with strangled laughter. I want a bazillion more queer love story books with bonus action/suspense plots. I read it too late to ask for it for Yuletide, but there's always next year!

Comments

[ceitfianna]

I've only read one book by K.J. Charles, the first Magpie book. I love KJ Charles' mixture of romance and setting. Think of England is on my to read list.

[wakeupnew]

I read the first two books in her current series, which I wasn't a huge fan of, but I was thinking I'd try the Magpie series next. I loved Think of England so much that maybe my expectations were too high!

[summerstorm]

People I know on twitter keep recommending Think of England. I'm not much for historical novels, but I may have to give that one a try.

[jothra]

I'm in ur AO3 page, readin ur fanfic

[ceitfianna]

I liked the Magpie Lord, it can be pretty dark but it worked for me. Its become one that I reread and I keep feeling grateful for how good it is, the last two romance books I've read have me going eh at them. I have the first book of her next series which I'm curious about.

[wakeupnew]

I'm not even sure what exactly didn't work for me with the "Society of Gentlemen" series; there was just something about the two books I read that didn't sit right with me, though I think I'm going to finish the series anyway. "Going eh at it" is probably a good way to describe how I felt! I'm so obsessed with Think of England, though, that I want to keep trying her stuff, so I think I'm gonna give the Magpie series a shot! I'm glad to hear you liked it.

[wakeupnew]

I was a big fan! It was tangentially recommended to me by two Twitter friends, and I really loved it. Granted, I didn't have a lot to compare it to -- most of the queer romance novels that I'd tried in the past were pretty, well, yikes. But I liked this one a lot; I'd definitely recommend giving it a shot.

[wakeupnew]

♥