Reading Room V - The Lads on Holiday - Reccers Wanted!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I'd planned to make this post a week ago yesterday, so many apologies that it's so late - work ran straight into a wee weekend holiday without giving me time to post, and when I came back poor old lj was under attack. I'm posting now in the hope that we'll stay up (though I had a few scary "bad gateway" pages a few minutes ago, so cross fingers...) Anyway...

Thanks everyone who replied to the poll and/or made suggestions the other week. Our next theme, by popular vote, will indeed be The Lads on Holiday! And we should probably define "the lads on holiday" as stories where the lads purposely go away from the job on holiday. They might stay in London, but they should be on holiday!

I don't yet have a list of Lads on Holiday stories over at Palelyloitering, though I could have sworn we made one once (or maybe that was just PhotoShoot Snap! *g*), so...

1 - What are your favourite Lads on Holiday fics, and we'll start a list now?
2 - and most importantly - would anyone like to volunteer to rec/review a Lads on Holiday story, please? Dates as below, to start with...

Thurs 4th August - Since Eve At the Apples by Callisto - milomaus
Thurs 11 August - Of Sunshine and Cemeteries by Slantedlight - unoriginal_liz
Thurs 18 August - Nice Boys by Lizzie - byslantedlight
Thurs 25 August - Alfresco by Cherilyn - moonlightmead
Thurs 1st September - Sun, Sea, Sand and Absolutely, Categorically, No Excitement by Jojo - callistosh65

Lads on Holiday Storylist:

Aardvark by O. Yardley
Al Fresco by Cherilynn
B & D Beside the Sea by Sebastian
Blackpool and Rock by Ailcia
Busman's Holiday by Jay Trent
Devices and Desires by M. Fae Glasgow
Et In Italia Ego by Sebastian
Gods and Goddesses by Kiwisue
He Kindly Stopped for Me by Slantedlight
Holiday by PFL
Holiday by HambelandJemima
I Hold It True Whate'er Befall"
Nice Boys by Lizzie
Of Sunshine and Cemeteries by Slantedlight
Old Lions by Verlaine
Photographs and Memories by Ice Bear
The Pushbike Song by Jane
Since Eve Ate Apples by Callisto
Springtime in Paris by Anonymous 1
Sun, Sea, Sand and Absolutely, Categorically, No Excitement by Jojo
Time Will Tell by Callisto
Two on a Treasure Island by Slantedlight

And finally the next Reading Room Themes, as suggested, will be:
Reading Room VI - Time Travel fics (including Historical AU)
Reading Room VII - Told through Letters/Diaries
Reading Room VIII - Third Party Viewpoint
Reading Room IX - Where the Lads are Outed
Reading Room X - Stories of the Elements (this one may be a special Reading Room series)
Reading Room XI - Fusion Stories (not crossovers, but stories inspired by other media: films, novels etc)
Reading Room XII - Crossovers
Reading Room XIII - AU Stories that haven't been covered in more specific themes!
Reading Room IVX - Younger Lads

And I'm not including the mpreg suggestion, because a) I don't think there are any - at least not properly, where the lads are still lads, and b) I don't think there are any... either that or I've seen them and immediately scrubbed my eyes out with bleach. If anyone wants to list such existing stories and insist that it's a theme we should include, then feel free... *g*

Comments

[moonlightmead.livejournal.com]

Okay, I am mostly testing that I can post at least short messages. Even if I can't post long ones. There's an O Yardley story, 'Aardvark', which is the pair of them going off to use a hotel reservation originally made by Bodie's girlfriend and him. (She dumps him, he decides it would be a shame to waste it.) It's on the Circuit Archive. Does that count as holiday?

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh no, are you still have trouble with lj? It seems to be okay for me right now... And yes, Aardvark should certainly count! (And skimming through the start, I see it contains one of your bugbears, so that'd be interesting... *g*) Fancy taking a turn and rec/reviewing it?

[potztausend.livejournal.com]

"Et In Italia Ego" by Sebastian (happy and funny and melancholic) http://www.oblique-publications.net/archives/paeanvi/italia.pdf
"B&D Beside The Sea" by Sebastian (just happiness) http://www.thecircuitarchive.com//tca/archive/8/bd.html

I've read some more holiday stories but I don't remember the titles ;-(

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Excellent - thank you! Fancy reccing one or the other? *g*

[unoriginal-liz.livejournal.com]

Hullo *waves* - pretty much a newbie here...and I hope it's okay to just butt in :) I really love this Reading Room idea - I've been looking through past posts, and it's so interesting to read other people's thoughts on different stories.

I love 'Et in Italia Ego' (which someone already mentioned), and also 'Of Sunshine and Cemeteries' by byslantedlight (which I read recently, really enjoyed and absolutely need to leave feedback on!)
http://hatstandfic.net/viewstory.php?sid=40&chapter=1

- and 'Sun, Sea, Sand and Absolutely, Categorically No Excitement' by JoJo
http://hatstandfic.net/viewstory.php?sid=391&chapter=1

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Hello! Welcome! Brilliant to see new people around - here's wishing you years of Pros-y bliss... *g*

And thank you for the stories, duly added. If you fancy having a go at reccing something, you'd be very welcome for that, too... *g*

(Also - I'm really pleased you liked Of Sunshine and Cemeteries, thank you very much for that too! *g*)

[unoriginal-liz.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the welcome! I'm a long time lurker in Pros-dom - but enthusiasm finally overcame me :)

I'm not wildly good at reviewing stuff, but if people don't mind a somewhat incoherent rec, I could certainly give it a go :)

(Also - I'm really pleased you liked Of Sunshine and Cemeteries, thank you very much for that too! *

Not at all :) I've really enjoyed so many of your stories - 'Pwnco,' and 'Doubt Thou' and 'Never the Words They Say'...it's nice to venture out of lurkerdom to say as much :)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh, my reviews are always totally incoherent, so I think that's just fine... *g* Would you like to choose a holiday story and a date (dates available are in my post above, but so far only one's been taken!)?

And awww - personally I'm very pleased you're out of lurkerdom! *g*

[unoriginal-liz.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Pros is really different from a lot of the shows/fandoms I've been into - I'm really enjoying it :)

RE: the rec/review - sure thing :) I'd like to go for the 11th August slot, and I'll incoherently rec Of Sunshine and Cemeteries since I've read it most recently, if that's okay :P

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I'd like to go for the 11th August slot
You're a star!

And eep! (But *g*)

And ooh, I'm intrigued that Pros is so different from other shows you're into - cos it's older, or...? Also - cute icon, I've only just looked properly at it! *g*

[unoriginal-liz.livejournal.com]

Yay - I'm looking forward to it :)

And ooh, I'm intrigued that Pros is so different from other shows you're into - cos it's older, or...?

I think it's just that the tone of the show is so different to what would normally grab me :) I'm not usually into action-adventure-y stuff. Even Due South (which is how I hopped into Pros, via justacat's ship manifesto) is a lot more whimsical. So going by the ingredients - shoot-em-ups, terrorists, near-lethal levels of testosterone - it's not a show that I would have figured would ever grab me. Shows how well I know myself, since it ended up grabbing me so hard that it left nail marks :)

Also - cute icon, I've only just looked properly at it! *g*

Ha - I went looking for a Pros icon a few days ago...only to end up with around eight of them :)

Oh! And another fic for the holiday list - there's 'Blackpool and Rock' by ailcia
http://discoveredinalj.livejournal.com/112810.html

[moonlightmead.livejournal.com]

Hello! From another new arrival - who also delurked in the Reading Room, funnily enough.

..and whilst I know and love both the others, ooh, I hadn't seen "Sun, Sea, Sand...". Thank you!

[unoriginal-liz.livejournal.com]

Hullo! Nice to meet you, fellow new arrival :)

..and whilst I know and love both the others, ooh, I hadn't seen "Sun, Sea, Sand...". Thank you!

There's so much in Pros fandom, isn't there? And there's nothing like finding a new-to-you story that *clicks* :) This comm is great for that, with all the themed lists!

[starlite876.livejournal.com]

Springtime in Paris by Anonymous 1 (on the ProsLib CD under Sharon Fetter) or at the Circuit Archive http://www.thecircuitarchive.com/tca/archive/12/springtimein.html

Bushman's Holiday by Jay Trent http://www.thecircuitarchive.com/tca/archive/11/busmansholiday.html

Since Eve Ate Apples by Callisto http://hatstandfic.net/viewstory.php?sid=236&chapter=1

And I was thinking of this story last week as I was watching the Tour de France coverage (cheering for our very first Australian TDF winner *g*):

Pushbike Song by Jane http://www.thecircuitarchive.com/tca/archive/4/pushbikesong.html

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Excellent, thank you! Fancy reccing one of them? *g*

[starlite876.livejournal.com]

It looks like messages with external links are being screened by Livejournal, and will not be allowed to be posted to the community until the community maintainers choose to unscreen it. Here is the post I posted earlier without the links:

Springtime in Paris by Anonymous 1 (on the ProsLib CD under Sharon Fetter) or at the Circuit Archive

Bushman's Holiday by Jay Trent at the Circuit Archive.

Since Eve Ate Apples by Callisto at The Automated Hatstand.

And I was thinking of this story last week as I was watching the Tour de France coverage (cheering for our very first Australian TDF winner *g* ): Pushbike Song by Jane at the Circuit Archive.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

You're unscreened! Yeah, livejournal does screen messages with links, but you know messages with coded links seem to be okay, if you want to learn the <*a href= bit? I can send you the code and you can just cut and paste whenever you like, then?

ETA - mind you, they didn't screen the other links left up above... and I was surprised that they screened comments left by members, whether they contain links or not, so... you are a member of the comm? Or just watching?

I'll reply in a Reading Room way to your other comment! *g*

[starlite876.livejournal.com]

Thanks BSL for "unscreening" me! I am a member to this community so I'm not sure why the other posts with the links didn't have any issues but mine were screened.

I think you are right about LJ not liking direct links but seem to be okay with links embedded in html code (which is what I used when I posted my review of "Fire Held High and Away" and didn't seem to have any problems with screening).

Here are some more holiday fics:

A Beach to Walk On by ET from Gryphon Press. From the Gryphon Press flyer: After the Parsali Op Doyle is confused and depressed. The last thing he wants is a clichéd holiday on the south coast with his partner!

Many of my favourite holiday fics are located over at the discoveredinalj (http://discoveredinalj.livejournal.com/tag/summerhols08) community.

Also I know Alexandra's Summer's End (http://www.thecircuitarchive.com/tca/archive/0/summersend.html/) is not exactly a holiday fic (the lad's are told by Cowley to officially take leave but "unofficially" is working on a case), but it is a lovely story and has a gorgeous cover by Suzan Lovett.


Let's see if this post will be "screened"…*g*

[starlite876.livejournal.com]

It looks like it must be me ….

I just posted some holiday fics links using html codes and got the same "your comment was marked as screened" message.

Strange since I didn't have this problem when I posted previously my review for "Fire Held High and Away" two weeks ago.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

You're not the only person having screening issues in the comms, if that's any consolation - maybe it's a glitch left over from the recent attacks... I'm not sure this post of yours was screened though - did I unscreen it yesterday? - though you reckon you got the message, so... how annoying! I think it's that the domains linked to aren't "whitelisted", because that's the only screening thing we have at CI5hq (the lj default). I've turned it off for now, but if we get lots of spam again, I might have to turn it back on. We should be okay, though...

And thank you - of course there's all the Discovered on Holiday fics! *g* Not sure we can use Summer's End for this particular storylist/Reading Room, cos as you say the lads are on a case - there could be a later Reading Room about cases outside London though... *g*

[caffyolay.livejournal.com]

My 'Nice Boys' was a holiday fic. Cotswolds and all that. :-)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

It was indeed - and I just re-read it not long ago too, gorgeous stuff! *g* Thank you!

[moonlightmead.livejournal.com]

Zine-only, but there's 'Al Fresco' by Cherilyn in Unprofessional Conduct 8 too.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh I don't remember that one - I must re-read it immediately! *g*

Fancy having a rec? *vbg*

[moonlightmead.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed it, but it might be a little short to do a long discussion on. Also, I don't know how much it's fair to say about or quote from stories which are not online - especially when they're short.

On the other hand, there is one thing that springs out at me immediately. Will ponder.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I tend to think that the only way to encourage people to read fic that isn't online is to talk about it - otherwise it's going to just disappear onto the dusty shelves of a few fen in the know, and...and... and the stories will die! We must speak of them! Clap your hands, children! (No, wait, that's fairies, but... speak of them! *g*)

I don't think there's a particular length requirement for discussion, either - I supect that some very short fics would make lovely discussions, and some very long ones wouldn't really give us much to talk about, so...? *g*

But please do ponder and think about volunteering to rec! We've only just got a volunteer for Thursday, and if we don't have volunteers then there will be no Reading Room! (I'm happy to rec myself, but I'm sure people get tired quickly of just me banging on about stories... *g*)

[moonlightmead.livejournal.com]

Well, I shall be busy both the first two Thursdays this month, but you can put me in reserve for the (erm...) 18th or 25th. Probably 'Al Fresco', but I'll have a look at 'Aardvark' too.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Excellent - cheers! I shall take the other date then, and you can just let me know if you'd prefer one over the other when the time comes. I've put you down for the 25th at the moment, if that's okay!

[milomaus.livejournal.com]

I would rec "Since Eve ate apples" thursday 4th, if there isn´t anyone else volunteering?

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes please! I was just contemplating a look-if-no-one-volunteers-to-rec-then-it's-all-a-bit-rhetorical post, so thank you!

[milomaus.livejournal.com]

I knew you´d jump at that offer.
I never thought you´d jump that fast! *g*

Good agent that you are, I should´ve not been surprised.
Prosrastinating work for the PBB I am...

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Lol - that's me, a jumpy slantedlight... *g* I'll rec one myself too, but I'm sure people are bored with hearing me bang on about stories, and like to hear what other people think, sooooo - yeah, I'll always jump! *g* Thank you, you procrastinator, you... (think of it as research and inspiration, right? *g*)

[milomaus.livejournal.com]

Ha, your proven wrong, LOADS of people want the feedback of old time agents, especially such expierenced ones as you are!

think of it as research and inspiration, right? *g*
Oh yeah, I´d just love that...*lol*
Just can´t help myself, but I can see absolutely NO point, how it could be that...*g*
Maybe I´ll just get started right away...

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Heeee - and thanks! I'm not likely to shush any time soon I guess, so I'm glad you said that!

[callistosh65.livejournal.com]

As long as it's before the week starting September 12th, I'll happily write/host a review of JoJo's 'Sun, Sea, Sand and Absolutely, Categorically, No Excitement'.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Excellent - no reason why we can't go into September, so I shall put you down for Thursday 1st, if that's alright! (Nice to see you over here again, too! *g*)

[callistosh65.livejournal.com]

Yup, that's fine. I tend to lurk in Pros more than anything these days. But I will always come out of the woodwork to review a JoJo story.*g* And I do love lads-on-holiday fics.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Hee - I shall bear that in mind, and wiggle Jojo stories in front of you when we're looking for reccers! *g* Thanks - got you down!

[moonlightmead.livejournal.com]

Wildly behind the times, but two more!

That one on the CD where they end up in a Californian lodge with hot tub and monarch butterflies.

And Ellis Ward's The Third Week in April.