Rich and Strange Aeons

I could talk about some of these in more detail at some point, but figured I'd dump for now. Also, this my first table of text and images, because I thought I'd try more images and wrapping text in HTML seems hard. Images are mostly HTML-scaled (to 150 pixels high) and larger if you 'view' them in your browser.
(Edit: I discovered the Livejournal version of this looks like shit in chromium. If you're reading this there in that, might try Firefox or the Dreamwidth link.)

Re-watching Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Still excellent and a danger to my bed time.
Re-watching Mahou Shojoutai Alice, aka Tweeny Witches, more slowly (I was using it as entertainment while treadmilling at the gym, but haven't gone in a while). Still something like a live acid trip, but with an actual story, unlike famous mindfuck anime such as Serial Experiment Lain. Beautiful art, okay story, happy-oriented character who would have annoyed my grumpy teenage self. For beauty, check out the the first three minutes (Youtube). Then stop, painful dub, but jump to 21:20, to sample some of the ending, and then the trailer, which is also distinctive.
Reading Red River, a shoujo manga in the Hittite Empire. Story just okay so far, and I'm not sure we know enough about the Hittites to justify a mangaka's 'research', even without fantasy overlay. It's basically "schoolgirl kidnapped to fantasy kingdom" except instead of being entirely made up, it's Hittites. Which is enough to keep me giving it a try, because what the fuck, Hittite shoujo, man.
Recently sampled (for manga club) xxxHolic and Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service manga. As with most of CLAMP, the former is very pretty and light, at least in the first three volumes; I'm told plot starts advancing later. The latter is interesting though not addictive. I might read more of both.
I also re-read Ready, Sette, Go!", a Nanoha fanfic, for the third or more time. Still hilarious. Someone told me it was hilarious for them too despite no exposure to Nanoha material. Fairly short. Stuff like FMA:B and RSG are calibrations that help justify "yeah, I didn't like them that much" for other things.
Re-read The Crystal Cave, Mary Stewart, about young Merlin. Decent, I don't feel compelled to chase down the next two. In lieu of an image, have a totally unrelated filk song.
Re-read a lot of Liaden books recently. I still consider them candy, romantic fantasy space opera of sorts. But very tasty candy, reading 7 novels straight through. (The main sequence + the Crystal books, for the at least one person who cares. I realized I still have three books unread -- the second trade book, a Surebleak book, and Dragon Ship -- but I've run out of stamina for reading the predecessors.)
Read the Paksenarrion trilogy by Elizabeth Moon, long described as having gotten paladins right. First one was meh, kind of like mil-SF except fantasy. Battle slog. Second one a bit better, third one the most interesting, also the one where she's actually an anointed paladin.

If you want a blind recommendation out of all this, I'd go with RSG, because it's good and pretty short so what do you have to lose? and FMA:B, because it's awesome. Or the original FMA manga, also awesome. I have no opinion on the first FMA anime, I just know the story diverges massively. Oh, and the opening/ending of Mahou Shojoutai, because it's only 4 minutes total, and so pretty and weird. I wish I had someone to share the rest of the series with, but I can't make it a high priority cold recommendation.