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Beach Trip / Writing Retreat reading list

I'm headed out in a few hours for a little beach-trip/writing-retreat weekend with my writing group. On a normal day, it's a nearly four-hour drive, but today, a gorgeous Friday in May in the DC metro area, I imagine the traffic is going to be hellacious. To prepare, I'm loading up my iPad with fic, and I thought I'd share what I'm bringing along.

We Can Burn Brighter by ingberry. Pairing: Merlin/Arthur. Recommended here just today by badjujuboo. Excellent timing! Thanks, Cass =)

Tintagel by seperis. Pairing: Merlin/Arthur. I've loved pretty much everything else I've read of hers. Seemed a no-brainer.

Resolution Rush, Fractured Fairytale, and Spartacus and the Open Taxi by fuzzytomato. Pairings: Merlin/Arthur. I was browsing through one of marguerite_26's rec lists and came across Fractured Fairytale. That led me to the other two. I read a few of her one-shots while I was browsing and really enjoyed them. 

Missed Connections (Glory, Glory, Holelelujah) by tourdefierce. Pairing: Merlin/Arthur. Found this... well, I don't remember where. But it sounds amusing! 

Return from the Isle by marguerite_26. Pairing: Merlin/Arthur. I figured I needed some canon AU in my list, and all of her stuff is so good. 

Nothing Ever Promised and After the Storm by cait_roswen. Pairings: Merlin/Arthur. I honestly don't remember how I found these either. marguerite_26 rec list? badjujuboo delicious links? Hmm. Either way, they both caught my interest. Both are Canon/Canon AU. Nothing Ever Promise is a Big Bang; After the Storm is a novella.

Steam by new_kate. Pairing: Merlin/Arthur. Steampunk reincarnation fic. I really liked Arcane Asylum by the same author, so I thought I'd try this.

Savage by marguerite_26. Pairing: Harry/Draco. Recommended here by dysonrules as one of her 100 Things. I don't usually do werewolf!fic, but it's a hard rec to ignore.

Rinse and Repeat by fr333bird. Pairing: Jasper/Peter. It's been forever since I've read a Jasper/Peter (my original slash OTP), and I really like fr333bird's writing, so I thought I'd try this one out. (I linked to her posting on AO3, though it's on her LJ as well. But anyone who knows me will know why I can't link to that copy once they see the banner for the story. Sigh.)

Let's see how many I can get through while we're undoubtedly stranded on the Bay Bridge for a dozen hours.

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[05/21/2012 update....]
Update on 5/21/2012: What I ended up reading...

What I managed to read between bouts of stop-and-go-traffic nausea, reading before bed, and a few other quiet moments:

We Can Burn Brighter: Very, very good. Lovely angst that never got too overwrought or sappy. Enjoyed this very much.

Resolution Rush: I got about 60% of the way through this before it sort of slowed down and I got a little bored. I'd enjoyed it to that point and will probably finished it.

Return from the Isle: Lots of good stuff in this one--slightly older and wiser Merlin and Arthur; magic in the kingdom; Arthur meets the dragon; Excalibur; a big battle.... All sorts of good stuff wrapped up into a really enjoyable and smart read.

Missed Connections: Despite the summary on this one, it was very good and not at all as crazy as it sounds. It certainly has a very crazy premise with huge potential for being crack, but I think the author did a great job making it a legitimate non-cracky story.

Spartacus and the Open Taxi: Entertaining, quick read.

Tintagel: This was complex and a little confusing in the middle but after I figured out what was going on (you're supposed to be confused, I think), it was pretty brilliant. This is the sort of story that makes me think, "Wow, that works so well, but how on earth did she come up with that?" An answer for "How did their Destiny become their Destiny?"

After the Storm (read this one after I got back): Interesting look at what might happen if Destiny gets totally screwed up. Pretty dark, ultimately.

I also snuck in Treaty Negotiations by marguerite_26. Merlin's-a-druid, Arthur-allows-magic-in-Camelot story. Good stuff.