jasmasson

[jasmasson]

Rec: X-Men: Lucid Dreaming by listerinezero

Fandom: X-Men Pairings/Characters: Erik Lensherr/Charles Xavier Rating: Mature Length: 28,567 words Creator Links: Listerinezero at AO3 Theme: (Not really) Unrequited Love, Time-travel fix-it

Summary:

Magneto finds himself in 1962, on the morning they go to Cuba, in the bed of the young Charles who'd spent months letting him think they were in love before breaking his heart. But he is not the same man he was forty years earlier, and as he gets to know young Charles again, he discovers that things might not have been exactly the way he remembered them after all.

Reccer’s Notes: Lovely take on an older Magneto finding his perceptions of what happened before being challenged. Magneto and Professor X are the poster children for this theme as they continually just miss and challenge each other. This fic portrays them beautifully.

Fanwork links: Lucid Dreaming

[jasmasson]

The 2025 Fanfic Reading Challenge

Welcome to another year of the Fanfic Reading Challenge (FRC)!

I won't bore you with the history of the challenge, this year, but I will welcome you to check out past posts that do explain some of it, as well as include a brief overview of what, exactly, this challenge is, though it does change year to year. (Essentially you read fics to complete goals and win bragging points and an artsy badge.)

This year is especially different, as I had the extreme pleasure of having @noxsoulmate as a partner in crime in keeping me hostage on track to completing this year's FRC. Another valued member of the mod team is @jandjsalmon and speaks for all of us if you need questions answered!

As for the challenge....

This is, indeed, a challenge. Of course.

First of all... you must obviously read fanfiction. As if you don't already!

You also need to download and make your own copy of the spreadsheet, which can be found here, as well as below in the important links section.

To participate in the challenge, you read fics that match the tasks in the challenge. An example of a task can be: "read a fic with a title containing the word purple in it." Should be easy! Of course, there are harder ones.

Which is why there are different modes of challenge to the FRC. These are as follows:

Participation (Complete 1 task)

Regular Mode (Complete 80 tasks)

Hard Mode (Complete 150 tasks)

Extreme Mode (Complete 220 tasks)

Complete (Complete 250 tasks)

The challenge lasts from January 1st, 2025, to December 31st, 2025.

There are badges that go with the modes completed, and even a secret 6th badge that will be fairly obvious if you look at the spreadsheet! Doesn't mean it'll be easy to complete though. *smirks* (Blame Noxy)

Most important of all: this challenge operates on the honour system. We don't check your work, or your reading logs (see below), so I mean, I guess if you want to be slippery with the rules, you do you, and that's on your conscience, but honestly it's so much fun to see how much you can get done by following the letter of the law/tasks! You can be slippery even with following the tasks fully. It's great fun. ;D

I think that's enough for an intro, really, maybe too much.

Important Links and Reading Logs/Trackers

As there is a component of the FRC that includes tracking numbers of words read, most of us use a reading log/tracker to keep count of how many fics we read, including data such as words, of course, chapters, month completed, ship, author, title, fandom, link to the fic, and such. It's a great place to mark what fics you want to read in the future as well!

This year we have FOUR trackers on offer, quite different from one another, so take a look, play around with them and check out their "intros", and choose according to what you think will work best for you!

Fic Tracking Sheets

Juulna's 2025 Reading Log

Noxy's 2025 Reading Log

2025 Jandy's Fic Tracker

Taru's Fic Tracker 2025

Discord

We have a blast on Discord. From general chatter to sharing pet pics to being there for each other during the tough times to forming lasting friendships and making friendships you’d never make in a ship- or fandom-specific Discord, to asking for help ‘rolling the dice’ (pick a number between 1-10!) to choose the next fic to read, to finding some of the really challenging task fills in fandoms people might not have ever read but are willing to try, or finding fandoms someone has never read and is very tentative about stepping out of their box, but they’re being 100% supported and know they don’t need to complete the fic for it to count for the task, stepping out of their comfort zone… we’ve formed a very odd group of, if not friends, then companions (but there are definite friendships that have formed!! Just ask the people who have started watching NHL and NFL together in our off topic channel!).

In any case, our Discord is not necessary, but it is a worthy and tactical element to completing many of the tasks of this challenge. 💙

And.... without further ado....!

The 2025 Fanfic Reading Challenge! (link)

There is an info/rules page as the first sheet on the spreadsheet that should fill in any further questions you have. It also has more contact info than just this page if you have any further questions and perhaps need a more immediate answer for your needs.

*Occasionally you will run into something that looks like an error, and it may in fact be one! Let us know if you see it. It's hard not to make a mistake on as large a spreadsheet as this.*

Please, first of all, have fun and just read fanfiction that you enjoy! I (Juulna) did that last year and didn't even come close to completing the entire challenge, and I still had a blast because I was enjoying what I was reading and rereading. Others took the challenge right to the completed end. Others forgot about it halfway through but still had fun, and some even went back and filled in the sheet for a really good showing! The challenge is what you make of it, what you want from it. So... just have fun. Read fic. Smile. Enjoy. :)

Second of all... well, we would love if you signal boost this post!!!!

Third of all, we do have our pinned post that includes a link to this page and that will include a link to our Discord and all our trackers as well, including past links for memento and informative purposes.

Thank you, and a blessed 2025 to all!

[jasmasson]

Rec: Bandom: Unholy verse by Bexless

Fandom: Bandom; MCR Pairings/Characters: Frank Iero/Gerard Way, Ray Toro/Mikey Way, Bob Bryan/Brian Schechter Rating: Explicit Length: 187,000 words in the 5 work series Creator Links: Bexless at AO3 Theme: AU, Religion, Demons, abuse references

Summary:

“He thinks I have stigmata,” Frank said, because what the fucking hell, it couldn’t get any worse. He might as well just lay it out.

“Oh, well,” said Brian into his hands. “Of course.”

Reccer’s Notes: A totally unique fic. The storytelling is compelling from start to finish. Gerard as a priest, Frank suffering from stigmata and the supernatural challenges they face are so well written. The continued series after the first fic I have been all things unholy is an incredibly satisfying read.

Fanwork links: Unholyverse series

[jasmasson]

Rec: Inception: Pants on Fire by Helenish

Fandom: Inception Pairings/Characters: Arthur/Eames Rating: Explicit Length: 15,169 words Creator Links: Helenish at AO3 Theme: Amnesia, trope inversion Summary: “Ah," Yusuf says, lifting a reproving hand, "are we calling less than 24 hours of memory loss amnesia now?"

Reccer’s Notes: An absolute classic in this fandom. Arthur experiences memory loss coming out of a dream and forgets the past few years. He has to piece together his life, and some of his conclusions are right, and some… are not. To say too much would be spoilery, but I cannot recommend this highly enough.

Fanwork links: Pants on Fire

[jasmasson]

Rec: Bandom: Forever, Now series by harriet_vane

Fandom: Bandom; MCR and P!atD Pairings/Characters: Frank Iero/Gerard Way, Ryan Ross/Brendon Urie, Spencer Smith/Jon Walker, Brian Schechter/Greta Salpeter by the end of the series. Rating: Teen Length: 227,100 words in the 7 work series Creator Links: harriet_vane at AO3 Theme: AU, Kid!fic

Summary:

Kidfic! Brian rescues kid!Gerard and Mikey from life on the streets, and eventually everyone finds a family.

Reccer’s Notes: Absolutely epic. Warm, funny, exciting, with great dialogue and completely convincing characters. Growing up is hard; helps when people love you, though.

Fanwork links: Forever, Now series

[jasmasson]

Rec: Inception: I bet Nureyev never had to deal with this shit by cobweb_diamond

Fandom: Inception Pairings/Characters: Arthur/Eames Rating: Teen Length: 21,409 words Creator Links: cobweb_diamond at AO3 Theme: AU, ballet

Summary: Modern-day AU. Arthur is a ballet dancer recovering from a serious injury, and is lucky enough to land the role of Oberon in Dom Cobb's reimagining of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Reccer’s Notes: A lovely AU with Arthur, Eames and Mal are dancers in Dom’s ballet production. Their developing relationship is a delight.

Fanwork links: I bet Nureyev never had to deal with this shit.

[jasmasson]

Rec: Bandom: An Inexplicable Occurrence of Angels by stele3

Fandom: Bandom; MCR Pairings/Characters: MCR, Frank/Gerard Rating: Teen Length: 35,000 words Creator Links: stele3 at AO3 Theme: AU, Canon Divergence, Angels

Summary:

Wing!fic; angel!fic; yes I wrote Frank Iero as a fallen angel; WHAT OF IT I REGRET NOTHING

Reccer’s Notes: After a Frank-less MCR doesn’t work out, Gerard and Mikey get a small, tattooed angel dropped on their doorstep. Surprise! A very unusual premise and lovely writing.

Fanwork links: An Inexplicable Occurrence of Angels

[jasmasson]

Rec: Inception: Simple Math by Foxxcub

Fandom: Inception Pairings/Characters: Arthur/Eames Rating: Explicit Length: 45,684 words Creator Links: Foxxcub at AO3 Theme: AU, High school AU, fake dating

Summary: “So," Eames says slowly, leaning back against the school wall as he idly taps his cigarette. "We've got a problem here."

or, The Fake Boyfriend High School AU

Reccer’s Notes: The clash between Eames and Arthur’s personalities is one of the reasons why this fandom worked so well, and therefore the High School AU is perfect for this fandom because of the varied cliques in High School. The staple in this fandom of Arthur’s reluctance is delightfully done here.

Fanwork links: Simple Math

[jasmasson]

Rec: Bandom: The Risen by Adellyna

Fandom: Bandom Pairings/Characters: Jon/Spencer, Frank/Gerard, minor Tom/Butcher, various other bandomy folks Rating: R Length: 22,000 words Creator Links: Adellyna at LJ Theme: AU, Zombies

Summary:

AU. They all work on a cruise ship. Shit starts to get bloody after a shore excursion brings something unnatural on board.

Reccer’s Notes: The people of Bandom work on a cruise ship and then… zombies. Lovely characterisations and storytelling.

Content Notes: Character death.

Fanwork links: The Risen

[jasmasson]

Rec: Smallville: Aphrodisia by Lenore

Fandom: Smallville Pairings/Characters: Clark/Lex Rating: Explicit Length: 6,186 words Creator Links: Lenore at AO3 Theme: Sex pollen

Summary:

Clark can’t eat saffron.

Reccer’s Notes: Short and spicy (see what I did there). Clark’s alien physiology acts up after he eats saffron. Lex through Clark’s eyes is very sexy, and they stay nicely in character.

Fanwork links: Aphrodisia

[jasmasson]

Rec: Inception: Towards Zero by Mirabella

Fandom: Inception Pairings/Characters: Arthur/Eames Rating: NC17 Length: 10,000-15,000 words Creator Links: Mirabella fic at dreamwidth Theme: First meet, first time

Summary: Five levels down, and five to dig yourself back out. Arthur met Eames' projection long before he met Eames.

Reccer’s Notes: Arthur meets Eames in stages. The A/E fic I sought out to reread coming back to fandom after 10 years. An all-time favorite.

Fanwork links: Towards Zero

[jasmasson]

Rec: Bandom: Our Comedies are not to be Laughed At by Adellyna and Maleyka

Fandom: Bandom Pairings/Characters: Bob/Spencer, Frank/Gerard, Pete/Mikey, Pete/Patrick, Greta/Jon, William/Travis, Ryan/Keltie, Jon/Tomrad (if you squint) Rating: NC17 Length: 30,000 words Creator Links: Adellyna at LJ and Maleyka at LJ Theme: AU, Film school

Summary:

AU. Bands? What bands? Everyone's in film school!

Reccer’s Notes: Just an awful lot of fun here. A well-told story with lovely characterisations and interactions. I particularly like the Spencer/Bob and Spencer & Ryan; very sweet. Enjoy some light-hearted pleasure.

Fanwork links: Our Comedies are not to be Laughed At

[jasmasson]

Rec: Smallville: Mercy by Koi

Fandom: Smallville Pairings/Characters: Clark/Lex Rating: Explicit Length: 26,546 words Creator Links: None Theme: Dark

Summary:

What is truth?

Reccer’s Notes: This is a dark fic where Lionel Luther persuades Lex that Clark is an alien threat and that justifies them capturing, torturing and using Clark. This fic is through Lex’s eyes and his tormented point of view is incredibly compelling.

Fanwork links: Mercy

[jasmasson]

Rec: Inception: We can do this until we pass out by delires

Fandom: Inception Pairings/Characters: Arthur/Eames Rating: Explicit Length: 28,478 words (series 49,299) Creator Links: Delires at AO3 Theme: AU, Class issues

Summary: Disturbing London, baby, we about to branch out. (The one where Eames is a chav)

Reccer’s Notes: An AU where canonical Arthur and Dom meet chav!Eames in London pre-canon. Arthur has a one night stand with Eames, which against his better judgement develops into something else. This is a wonderful fic, sexy, funny, clever, and while changing a few fundamentals still keeps them in character and the plot leading up to inception perfectly believable. The Arthur/Eames fandom burned hot but short, but during that time there were great authors in the fandom and some brilliant fics. This is one of them.

Fanwork links: We can do this until we pass out (The Chav!Verse)

[jasmasson]

Rec: Generation Kill: The Latent Bonding of Devil Dogs at War by Luxover

Fandom: Generation Kill Pairings/Characters: Brad/Ray Rating: Mature Length: 54,000 words Creator Links: Luxover at AO3 Theme: Soulmates

Summary: “You should be so lucky,” Brad says, and he watches Ray tighten his grip on the steering wheel before looking back out the window. “Nothing worse than getting tied to one person and having no say in who you have to fuck for the rest of your life.”

“Oh, yeah, Reporter,” Ray says, as if this is only now occurring to him, “Brad only likes prostitutes. Write that down.”

In which Brad winds up bonded to Ray, and isn't exactly happy with the situation.

Reccer’s Notes: Nate was my favourite character in Generation Kill, so mainly I read Nate/Brad. However, there were two Brad/Ray fics that are too good not to rec, and this is one.

Brad’s canonical dislike of monogamous relationships collides with the soulmate au trope and is not at all happy about it. The character voices are excellent here; completely convincing.

Content Notes: This work is locked on AO3, so you’ll need an account to access.

Fanwork links: The Latent Bonding of Devil Dogs at War

[jasmasson]

Rec: DCU/Batman: Little Bird by Icannotthinkofapenname

Fandom: DCU/Batman Pairings/Characters: Dick Grayson & Slade Wilson, Dick Grayson & Batman members Rating: Teen Length: 25,206 words Creator Links: Icannotthinkofapenname at AO3 Theme: Magic, De-aging

Summary: Slade finds a young, frightened, amnesiac five-year old Dick Grayson, and decides it's time to be a father again.

. . .

Little Dick does not have amnesia…but it feels kinda late to admit that now…

. . .

Meanwhile, the rest of the Batfam wanna know where their big brother is?!

Reccer’s Notes: An extremely fun fic, where everyone loves Dick Grayson (as indeed they should). This fic is lighthearted and mostly free of the angst and violence that is in the majority of Slade fics, which makes a nice change. This one should make you smile; I very much enjoy both Slade and the Batbros’ interactions with mini-Dick.

Fanwork links: Little Bird

[jasmasson]

Rec: SPN: The Time Dean was Sam's Girlfriend and Jess Entered the Winchester Family Business by Fleshflutter

Fandom: Supernatural Pairings/Characters: Sam/Dean, Sam/Jess Rating: Teen Length: 11,000 words Creator Links: Flesh at AO3 (Limited fics there) and Fleshflutter at Livejournal Theme: Magic, Bodyswap, Genderswap, preseries

Summary: The title kind of says it all. I couldn't make up my mind whether to write bodyswap or genderswitch so I wrote both. And I can't believe there aren't a million and one fics about the effects of Dean and Jess sharing a birthday!

Reccer’s Notes: Fleshflutter’s wonderful comic voice very much in evidence here, and she makes Jess an appealing, rounded character while giving us the Sam and Dean we already know so well. A delightfully lighthearted and just plain fun fic.

Fanwork links: The Time Dean was Sam's Girlfriend and Jess Entered the Winchester Family Business