Reading Pros...

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

...is anyone still doing it? *g*

It's been about a month since the last post in this comm, and the one before was also a month before, so I thought it might be time to ask the question:

Are you reading Pros fic right now? What are you reading?

I'm on holiday, so I actually have been catching up on some re-reading from my Kobo. I had half-read stories that I finished:

Discovered in a Hatstand by The Hag (always a favourite)

Chalk and Cheese by Thomas (desperately needs a sequel! I've forgotten whether there is one...)

Six Different Fruits by someone or other. *g*

And then I had to open something "new":

Limbo by Thomas, because I'd forgotten how much I liked her writing. This one feels finished. *g*

And now I'm reading Honours Even by HG, and I'd forgotten how much I like this one too - though I forgot that the pov switched to Bodie in the middle, and it made me blink. But I was quite sleepy at the time. *g*

So I have two questions really:
Are you reading Pros fic right now? What are you reading? and
What do you recommend I put on my Kobo?

Okay, and the pic has no bearing on the post really... although reading Pros usually makes me feel happy and relaxed like our lads here. *g*

Comments

[cim3745.livejournal.com]

I am reading Pros and I love it Ok, I am new and there are a lot of stories 😁 for me. Just finished one of my favorite writer lbc.
One of my favorite stories - Saints and miracles. And I love your selected pic.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I'm so jealous of you having all the new Pros stories still ahead! Although I guess I do like re-reading my favourites too, it's cosy. *g*

Do you mean Saints and Miracles by Jack Reuben Darcy? That's one of my favourite fics too!

And this is one of my favourite pics of the lads too - so happy, and peaceful... *g*

Happy reading!

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

Still working my way through A Balcony and a View of the Sea. I'm very much enjoying it, it's just that time seems to be at a premium right now.

As far as recommending something for your Kobo, it's hard for me to imagine that you wouldn't already have everything on it! But just in case, how about Catch a Fallen Star, by Rosemary Callahan?

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm glad you're enjoying A Balcony and a View of the Sea! I stumbled over parts, but I enjoyed it too. And there always needs to be more time for reading...

Lol - for some reason I haven't put much Pros fic on my Kobo yet. I'm not a massive fan of reading on an e-reader, to be honest, but I admit they're handy when you don't have much space - and they meant I could bring Pros fic with me on holiday (cos easier to read than on my laptop).

Catch a Fallen Star I've not read for ages... though I'm not always convinced by their life after the rescue, if I'm remembering rightly... But yes! That should go on, thank you!

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

I just finished Strange Days Indeed on my Fire and I always enjoy it. I shall delve into Hunted by Devils next. I go through spurts, reading Pros and the not, but I always come back.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh, I re-read that a few months ago, and I always like it too - and Hunted by Devils, which I've not read for a while, so must be on my soon list... *g*

I know what you mean about spurts as well - me too!

Hunted by Devils

[beauregard.livejournal.com]

I recently reread this one and love it. Followed it up with The Cassidy Legacy and plan to dig out Griffin by Courtney Gray.

RE: Hunted by Devils

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

Rereading is always such fun!

Re: Hunted by Devils

[beauregard.livejournal.com]

I have approximately 350 Pros zines that I have already read (some of them like Harlequin Airs and Hunted by Devils almost once a year for years) so I am currently working my way through the lot, then there are all the ones on the CD and a two huge boxes filled with old circuit stories. I figure at least a year of my life will be devoted to rereading. Already some frustration at WIPs that go nowhere or the next piece is in a zine I don't have. Begging for Hauntings and Others which has a follow up story from Free For All zine. sigh There are so many that are loved as much as Hunted by Devils. The bottom of the pile, I am afraid to say, are all the Paean to Priapus zines...so dark and sad and the boys treat each other so badly that I don't think I will have the heart for them.

RE: Re: Hunted by Devils

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

I don't have time or energy for the lads not being happy even if they're angst before they get there.

Hunted by Devils

[beauregard.livejournal.com]

I don't mind a little angst but not when it waffles on for half a zine with one or the other of the boys being downright awful and then magically all lovey and forgiven...so unrealistic..it gags. I plan to reread every zine one final time and sort into three piles..keepers, favourites to be reread often, get rid of asap. Oh heck, probably a fourth pile of WTF?
Then to see if I can actually bring myself to sell or give away the get rid of pile. I have read 50 of them since July 1st and there are only four in the 'to be gotten rid of" pile and one of those is a duplicate I discovered.

[loxleyprince.livejournal.com]

I'm working on art for two Pros BB stories currently, so I'm reading the rough drafts and studiously avoiding reading anything else that might distract me.

Love the pic! :-)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Lol - a very focused reader, then! *g*

And isn't it lovely - so calm and happy and content... *g*

[macklingirl.livejournal.com]

I love Fire and Ice (http://archiveofourown.org/works/11464164?view_adult=true) by LilyK.

And The Gift of the Moggy (http://thecircuitarchive.com/tca/archive/8/thegift.html) by TheHag.

But it is difficult to say which one you should put on your Kobo because I have most of the stories from AO3 on my Oyo, even if I like reading Pros on paper even more.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh, Gift of the Moggy is one of my favourites, so joyful!

And lol - I think I was reading Torchwood fic when I first got my Kobo, so I actually have more TW fic on there than Pros right now, cos I like to read my Pros curled up in bed, which usually calls for paper... but there are times I need our lads on my Kobo, so... yeah.

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

Yup, definitely still reading Pros and recently getting back into longer stories. Just finished rereading Callisto's Into the Fire and Aerye's The Rules of Engagement. Am now in the middle of reading (for a third time I think?) Fictionwriter's Cold Water Morning. All wonderful stories which make me so grateful to the writers. A while back I read Pale Rider's (Boothross) My Time which was an extraordinary story and unforgettable. All of the stories mentioned can be found at Archive Of Our Own.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Is Fictionwriter's Cold Water Morning a sequel to the other stories, then? How fun to think people are picking up from the older stories out there, if so...!

I've not re-read Callisto for a while either, so that's definitely another good tip, thank you! And I don't think I've ever read My Time, so... lots of things to get my hands on there, thank you! *g*

I'm so glad that people are still reading Pros, even when the comms and lj seem quiet.

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure which stories you mean but I don't think Cold Water Morning was a sequel.... could be wrong, though. And I think you'd enjoy My Time, it's entirely from Doyle's point of view, has a very different setting and once you start to read it, it's very hard to put down.
.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Argh, I don't have my laptop on just now, but I could have sworn we'd talked about the series - years ago, mind... One of the "fix the fic" kind of series, iirc. I'll try and find it when I'm back on line properly.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Found it at last - Cold Water Morning by SJ, on ProsLib. It's one of the Consequences fix-it stories (http://palelyloitering.com/universes/consequencesUniverse.html). Not the same as the Fictionwriter story you mentioned, obviously now - but it seemed like an unusual title to have been used twice with no connection.

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

Yes, it does seem an unusual coincidence when there's no obvious connection between the two. According to a note at the end of Fictionwriter's work she was inspired by the lyrics of a Neal Diamond song so maybe SJ was as well Thanks for that!

[siskiou.livejournal.com]

I'm currently reading "Calibre" by JGL.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh, I think I picked that one up to re-read not too long ago (well, months...) and for some reason put it down again. I shall have to look at it again too... *g* Thank you!

[bodiecuddle.livejournal.com]

Well, since a long time i am reading pros fictions, only.!!!! My tolino has only pros on it. I am re reading R for revange.... at the moment. Lots of typing and grammar struggles, but i love the h/c bodie one. A great story about a blind Bodie who wants to escape his past !

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Ah, I don't know R for Revenge, I shall have to look it up. Although I might not last long if the writing is really bad... Unless I fixed it first somehow... *g*

I didn't read much but Pros for years, and it was lovely... *vbg*

[ariss-tenoh.livejournal.com]

Actually there is a question I've been meaning to ask for a while now, is there a Pros Rec page or journal? It would really help in introducing fans to the stories. I know that I've read only a few Pros fics because it's hard to find recs.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

There are one or two places where you can get recs for Pros stories, yeah... *vbg*

Palelyloitering (http://palelyloitering.com/Reviews/Reviews.htm) has a reviews page
Crack Van (http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=crack_van&keyword=The+Professionals+Fanfic+Recs&filter=all) (crack_van) is probably the biggest multifandom rec site (here's a list of all the Crackvan Pros recs (http://palelyloitering.com/Reviews/ReviewsAtCrackVan.htm))
Alicambs (http://alicambs.dreamwidth.org/112375.html) has a longstanding Pros recs page
ci5hq has lots of recs, check out the tags page (left-hand sidebar - it's the "index")
Here's some other links (http://palelyloitering.com/OtherLinks.html) to rec sites via Palelyloitering.

I have three of them listed in my own lj sidebar, and I suspect other Pros fans have also got links to rec sites they like - that's where I started off, just trawling around other people's ljs.

But that said, recs are difficult - what one person recs, another person thinks is awful, so I'm always looking for people/sites who seem to have similar tastes to mine.

You could also post to one of the Pros comms asking for recs - I'm sure people would love to reply with their favourite stories!

[ariss-tenoh.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'll certainly give them a try!

Pros zines I Am Reading

[beauregard.livejournal.com]

Oh god. At the beginning of July, after at least five or six years of wishing I could find the interest to dive into my huge collection of Pros zines...something twigged. My multi-region DVD packed it in and I ordered a new one that promised to play all kinds of disks...so I dug out all my music vids (ah Mary Van Duesen I love you) and fell in love with Bodie and Doyle all over again and found myself on my knees in the closet with piles of zines around me and started to read. I decided that I would sort them into keepers and must read again and get rid of. I had a notebook with a couple stories I meant to follow up on so I started with Free For All 1&3, then because KRaeTravers is my friend I read Running All The Way, Sir 1-4. Then I had a copy of Pig Tales unbound that I took to copy shop to get comb bound and then read. Then I read two large home made zines of favourite circuit stories I had put together.
Next I read two that I bought and never read before:
Never Far Apart 1&2 - very nice.
My bound copies of An Affair to Remember/Heir Apparent.
New ones of A Lovesome Thing, Two Loves and Septet.
The Return by Ellis Ward
Exile by PR Zed
Then two more large home made zines with a lot of Meg Lewtan's stories
Then I read Turn of a Friendly Card, Achates Quest and Sea of Solaris - those three go in the get rid of pile.
On Faith and Trust - Highlander cross had me digging out and reading a couple of old favourite Highlander stories.
The Remember Me Affair
Twist of Fate
Close Doubles
Concupiscence 1-5
Unprofessional Conduct 1-12
Hunted by Devils - a very favourite zine
Jigsaw Puzzle - also desert island choice
Diamyien
Diamyien Too
The Cassidy Legacy - desert island choice
The Yellow Brick Road - good
The Die is Cast
Paper Flowers
Fruit of the Spirit
Camera Shy - so good
Stage Fright - so good
Falconhurst
Cleopatra's Nose
Harlequin Airs -- desert island fic
Right now I am reading The Larton Chronicles
One thing I must comment on is that so many of these zines were produced by Gryphon Press and the quality is consistently outstanding. The writers who wrote for Sara were wonderful and the editing and choice for zines was outstanding.