10+ Recs from January
Jan. 30th, 2026 05:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tafadhaliLet's keep this monthly rec party going into the new year! Festivids goes live tomorrow and I will definitely have a huge rec post for that in the next week, but for now here are 10 things I read/watched this month that I enjoyed, beginning with non-Heated Rivalry stuff (since, predictably, I've gotten sucked into that fandom):
❖ 🎥 Heavy in the back end by sleepy mango (Hockey RPF, Sidney Crosby, fanvid): I'm late to this party, lol, but nothing made me laugh harder this month than this vid dedicated to Sid's assets.
❖ 🎥 Hope for the Hopeless by heresluck (Shelter, Shaun/Zach, fanvid): I thought the other day "Has there ever been a vid for Shelter made for Festivids?" and the answer was, yes, obviously, this gorgeous vid by heresluck. It's a beautiful Zach character study that captures everything I love about the movie.
❖ 🎥 House by evewithanapple (The Black Phone, gen, fanvid): An extremely creepy and atmospheric vid for The Black Phone, with an incredible sense of setting.
❖ Knife by lightningwaltz (Rope, Brandon/Philip, 5k): A dark and compelling backstory for the murderous duo in Hitchcock's Rope written for Yuletide 2025.
❖ There's No Discharge in the War by remiges (The Long Walk, Stebbins gen, 12k): Another late Yuletide read for me. This is a phenomenal time loop story, focused on a character I found fascinating but enigmatic in the book (and very underwritten in the movie). Captures the horror of repetition.
And now for the Heated Rivalry recs! I most enjoyed/sought out fic about Shane and Ilya getting to know each other's family and friends or about public perception of their relationship, so that features heavily here:
❖ as reliable as the sun by astrolesbian (Shane/Ilya, 7k): "shane does not like change. he does not like shifts in the status quo. he also honestly doesn't really like when people are in his house. however. shane does like ilya. maybe enough that none of that matters." Romantic story set in episode 6 with a focus on Shane's autism.
❖ Closer to the Heart by norgbelulah (Ilya & Yuna, Shane/Ilya, 7k): One of many great fics I've read this month looking at Yuna's perspective on the Shane/Ilya relationship.
❖ the gift by stammiviktor (Shane & Svetlana, Shane/Ilya, 8k): "Only a few months after the cottage, Shane meets Svetlana—and goes to great lengths to defeat his jealousy."
❖ it'll cost you, not enough to bring you down by notlichenthis (Ilya & Kip, background Shane/Ilya and Scott/Kip, 3k): A moving conversation between Ilya and Kip post-season 1.
❖ something you can fix [series] by some1_around (Shane/Ilya, AU, 135k): You've probably read this already, but it's great! A canon AU where Shane's conversation with Rose is recorded and leaked online, with all of the fallout that ensues.
And then ahhhhhh there was such a glut of good Heated Rivalry vids all at the same time. Here are three I really liked: 11:11 by Nestra, Blow by bingeling, and Naked in Manhattan by sisabet.
❖ 🎥 Heavy in the back end by sleepy mango (Hockey RPF, Sidney Crosby, fanvid): I'm late to this party, lol, but nothing made me laugh harder this month than this vid dedicated to Sid's assets.
❖ 🎥 Hope for the Hopeless by heresluck (Shelter, Shaun/Zach, fanvid): I thought the other day "Has there ever been a vid for Shelter made for Festivids?" and the answer was, yes, obviously, this gorgeous vid by heresluck. It's a beautiful Zach character study that captures everything I love about the movie.
❖ 🎥 House by evewithanapple (The Black Phone, gen, fanvid): An extremely creepy and atmospheric vid for The Black Phone, with an incredible sense of setting.
❖ Knife by lightningwaltz (Rope, Brandon/Philip, 5k): A dark and compelling backstory for the murderous duo in Hitchcock's Rope written for Yuletide 2025.
❖ There's No Discharge in the War by remiges (The Long Walk, Stebbins gen, 12k): Another late Yuletide read for me. This is a phenomenal time loop story, focused on a character I found fascinating but enigmatic in the book (and very underwritten in the movie). Captures the horror of repetition.
And now for the Heated Rivalry recs! I most enjoyed/sought out fic about Shane and Ilya getting to know each other's family and friends or about public perception of their relationship, so that features heavily here:
❖ as reliable as the sun by astrolesbian (Shane/Ilya, 7k): "shane does not like change. he does not like shifts in the status quo. he also honestly doesn't really like when people are in his house. however. shane does like ilya. maybe enough that none of that matters." Romantic story set in episode 6 with a focus on Shane's autism.
❖ Closer to the Heart by norgbelulah (Ilya & Yuna, Shane/Ilya, 7k): One of many great fics I've read this month looking at Yuna's perspective on the Shane/Ilya relationship.
❖ the gift by stammiviktor (Shane & Svetlana, Shane/Ilya, 8k): "Only a few months after the cottage, Shane meets Svetlana—and goes to great lengths to defeat his jealousy."
❖ it'll cost you, not enough to bring you down by notlichenthis (Ilya & Kip, background Shane/Ilya and Scott/Kip, 3k): A moving conversation between Ilya and Kip post-season 1.
❖ something you can fix [series] by some1_around (Shane/Ilya, AU, 135k): You've probably read this already, but it's great! A canon AU where Shane's conversation with Rose is recorded and leaked online, with all of the fallout that ensues.
And then ahhhhhh there was such a glut of good Heated Rivalry vids all at the same time. Here are three I really liked: 11:11 by Nestra, Blow by bingeling, and Naked in Manhattan by sisabet.
