Wow. 8 years is a record for me for not updating a journal or blog. I re-stumbled on this and my first blog when checking one of the folders in my email.

I know this is my Fic Rec blog but I think a little update on what I've been doing the past 8 years is in order. It'll be short, promise.

Moved to the States in late November 2002, first staying in LA then moving to Las Vegas where I've been stuck (yes, stuck) ever since. Worked in a bookstore owned by one of the casino-hotels. It was closed last year and ever since I've been working in the retail department of the hotel. Planning on moving to a new apartment at the end of the month. I should actually be packing but I procrastinate a lot.

My fic reading habits have changed in the past 8 years. I still read Harry Potter fics but I no longer read Harry/Ginny fics. I can still read the old ones, the ones I first started out reading but I no longer actively search out good ones. You could even say I'm allergic to H/G fics now, as I hit the back button as soon as I realize the pairing is H/G or even Harry/Hermione. Canon fairly pissed me off with getting Harry and the Lily Potter lookalike together in the epilogue.

Aside from HP fics and the occasional BatFamily fics, I read a lot of fics in other fandoms now. Lord of the Rings, certain Anime series and television series are among the other fandoms. For a complete list, see my Fanfiction.net profile.

Also, I read a lot more slash now than I do het or gen stories. 85% of the fics I read now are slash and the other 15% is gen and rarely het. What this means is that the fic recommendations on this blog are now going to be mostly if not all slash.

Woops, my bad.It's been 2 weeks since I updated, and since then I've increased my already vast List of Fics to Recommend. This week, I'm actually going to recommend 3 just to make up for the 2 weeks I missed as well as this week's Fic.

The first fic is the one I promised, Imogen's follow-up to "Carpe Diem", Alpha and Omega. It's the summer before Harry's seventh year and Voldemort is steadily gaining in power. While spending the last part of the holidays at the Burrow, Dumbledore visits and has a shocking proposal for Harry. Revelations abound, plans for the future are suddenly moved up, and Harry forgets Valentines Day. Huh? What does that have to do with anything? Read and find out!

The second fic is a humour/humor fic. Snape is prowling the Hogwarts corridors one Hogsmeade weekend and overhears a converstion in the Trophy Room that's a bit hard to believe. FUNNY. I swear, I was alternately giggling and sniggering while reading this. Lina Inverse the Dramata's Trapped will give you a prime example of why you shouldn't eavesdrop on a conversation.

And lastly, a fic that has nothing to do with Harry Potter (See? I do read other fandoms!!) and everything to do with the Dark Knight. First, a bit of background. I first stumbled across this fic last May of 2001. Completely bored and suddenly curious, I clicked on a link and found this fantastic author of Batman and Nightwing fics (some of her Hogan's Heroes fics are good too). I first read "Little Boy Lost" (LBL) and was absolutely hooked onto BatFamily fics, especially those dealing with Bruce and Dick's father/son relationship. LBL was the start for me and even if you're not a fan of the Bat Family you may just become one, like what happened to me.

Little Boy Lost deals with what happens when a nine-year old Dick Grayson is taken from the circus and everyone he has ever loved after the deaths of his aerialist parents. He is placed in a "temporary" shelter while waiting for a foster home but soon runs away into a seedy Gotham. Bruce Wayne does everything in his power to bring a little boy that reminds him of himself to a family that cares and out of a heartless system. "LBL" is Syl's rendition of Dick's first meeting with the Bat and how he found a new family.

Next entry: I'm still thinking about it. You'll see when I do. =)

Feed me!!! I need feedback!!

Y'know, I wasn't quite sure how to do this. At first, I asked myself a few questions: how many fics per entry? should I put the slash stuff too or just stick to the hetero fics? Is this a good idea anyway? Will anyone even read this?

So this is a trial run (yah, i know I said that first entry but this is the real thing). First fic? Hmm...I'll stay safe with a general fic.

For the Harry/Ginny fans out there, here is the epic fic. It starts in the summer before Harry's fifth year when he goes to the Burrow to stay until September 1st. Ginny's having nightmares, Ron and Hermione are acting oddly, Harry's using the Imperius Curse on Ginny and Voldemort's up to something. Carpe Diem is Imogen's wildly popular H/G fic that has snared unwitting readers to read until the end and even until the sequel. Riveting, funny and not in the least bit Out of Character (OC), I read the whole (novel-length) fic in one sitting and moved on to the sequel and side stories.

Next entry: the Sequel...

By the way? Feedback is good.

So, this is experimental. I may or may not get other people to submit recommendations here, it will all depend on how many people will read this. A proper introduction will appear here when I get enough feedback from the viewing public, if any.