Holiday fic recs
It's been a couple of months since I updated my rec lists, but there are so many wonderful things that I want to share/pimp that I'm probably going to have to make more than one post :P This one is to share ALL THE THINGS that were gifted (to me, or to others) during the holiday exchanges ~ ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
yuletide & fandom_stocking.
First and foremost: FELLOW BSC FANS! If you love to squee about our awesome canon and amazing characters, you would be remiss not to joinbsc_squee! What could possibly be better than having an entire community devoted to nothing but squee? Nothing, that's what! SO JOIN!!!
bsc_squee
Yuletide Recs
TITLE - The Sun Always Shines in Sweet Valley (2011)
AUTHOR -![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
nic
FANDOM - Sweet Valley
UNIVERSE - post-SVH, pre-SVU
GENRE - Angst
RATING - T
WORD COUNT - 4,592
PAIRING - Bruce Patman/Lila Fowler
SUMMARY - Lila reflects on what was supposed to be her Perfect Summer. (Aren't they always?)
WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THIS PIECE - Well, first and foremost, this is just a well-written story. I asked for Lila-centric fic, and nic just knocked it out of the park. She captures all of the little nuances that make Lila Lila: we see into her disgustingly rich world, but we also see how lonely that leaves her. She was supposed to have an incredible adventure the summer after graduation from high school, but instead, she's stuck in Sweet Valley while Hurricane Jessica blows through Europe. The contrast of Lila's indifference to Jessica's manic tour of Italy is absolutely brilliant =)
The Lila and Bruce interaction is snarky and awesome, instead of straight-up romance. I've always enjoyed their somewhat prickly relationship in canon, and here, it's just extended a bit further - behind closed doors, when it's just the two of them, they can be themselves (and get along). Bruce convinces her (as only he can) that he's just the antidote she needs to her boring summer, and invites her along on his own European trip. This ties in really wonderfully with SVU canon, as Lila came back to town an Italian countess - so maybe this was the trip where she met the man she would marry?
nic throws in *wonderful* little mentions of canon - 1BRUCE1, warm wine in paper cups, the John Pfeiffer storyline, Jessica's inordinate love for the number 137 =) It's hard to believe this is the first story she's ever written for this series, because it is so evocative of the classic escapist SVH years - the characters feel familiar, but still sharp; the conversations are witty and fun and even a little heart-rending. If you were never sympathetic to Lila before, reading this story just might change your mind. It was pretty much the most awesome Yuletide gift I could've asked for, and I feel honored to have received it ♥
TITLE - I Move in Circles Round You (2011)
AUTHOR -Silver_Queen
FANDOM - Instant Star
UNIVERSE - Post-canon
GENRE - Drama, Romance
RATING - T
WORD COUNT - 7,934
PAIRING - Tommy Quincy/Jude Harrison
SUMMARY - "Maybe it's time to let go of the things we wanted when I was sixteen."
WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THIS PIECE - "He can hear her smiling, and he thinks about how loving someone is like being blind. When you can't see them anymore, you learn to tell everything you need to know just from the sound of their voice."
This is one of the most amazing fanfics I've ever read, period. I'm a sucker for solid OTPs and reading about musicians doing what they do best, and this fic is full of both. Even better, the author has taken a much-reviled and cut-too-short series finale and shaped it into something beautiful.
Jude Harrison and Tommy Quincy have been in each others' orbits for five years, but they've never quite been able to get it together, and both be in a good place at the same time. The series ends on this sour note, and here we see what happens after - they fight, they separate, their work through their personal pain and sorrow and grow, as individuals and, eventually, as a couple. Both artists complete separate solo albums over the course of the story, and we see how their interactions inspire them both in unexpected ways.
The author goes the extra mile, sprinkling in bits of articles, Twitter battles, and late-night text conversations between the scenes, which fill in the gaps and round out the story, adding to the sense of isolation the characters feel as they struggle through their forced separation. It makes their reconnection all the sweeter, and brings them full circle, from raw anger and resentment to a new, quieter, more mature kind of love.
I could probably write more words than the author did in praise of this story ~ it's *that* amazingly good =) Behind my own gift, this is probably my most favorite Yuletide story of the year.
TITLE - Unreasonable Degrees of Happiness (2011)
AUTHOR -catie56
FANDOM - Clueless (1995)
UNIVERSE - Post-canon
GENRE - Romance
RATING - K
WORD COUNT - 3,574
PAIRING - Josh/Cher
SUMMARY - Cher and Josh: one year, five years, and ten years later.
WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THIS PIECE - This was probably one of the darlings of Yuletide 2011, but for very good reason: catie56 takes the light, fluffy, frothy atmosphere of the movie and extends it beyond the events we were privvy to in canon. It's hilarious and touching and romantic and heartwrenching, and the characters are so amazingly in-character. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll squee ~ it's just *that* amazing!
TITLE - how we spin (and spin) (2011)
AUTHOR -tree
FANDOM - The Cutting Edge (1992)
UNIVERSE - Post-canon
GENRE - Romance
RATING - K
WORD COUNT - 2,428
PAIRING - Douglas Dorsey/Kate Moseley
SUMMARY - Doug wondered if he’d ever get the goofy smile off his face.
WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THIS PIECE - A beautiful coda for the plot of the movie, here we see what happens beyond that breathtaking kiss on the ice. Doug and Kate celebrate their victory and try to figure out how to be a couple - how to laugh, how to love, how to feel after that diggy first rush of love and desire. They struggle to fit themselves into each other's lives; this story is worth the price of admission just to see Kate attempting to bowl. It's beautiful and fluffy and perfect if you're a romantic sap like me, hehe =)
TITLE - The Cheesecake of Christmas Present (2011)
AUTHOR -SweeneyAgonistes
FANDOM - Golden Girls
UNIVERSE - Canon
GENRE - General
RATING - T
WORD COUNT - 2,709
PAIRING - N/A
SUMMARY - There's no place like home for the holidays.
WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THIS PIECE - This is a really lovely, introspective piece, delving into each of the girls' thoughts as they lay awake at night the day before they are to split up and go home for Christmas. We see Rose's sweet nature, Blanche's nostalgia, Dorothy's melancholy ~ and a pitch-perfect Sophia story, right before they devour one last holiday cheesecake =) I never thought I'd find Golden Girls fic (much less anything I'd like!) but this is really great, and feels like a missing scene from the canon.
Recommendations:fandom_stocking
TITLE - Hospital (2011)
AUTHOR -![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ozqueen
FANDOM - Baby-sitters Club
UNIVERSE - Mid-canon (#81 Kristy and Mr. Mom)
GENRE - Family, Angst
RATING - K
WORD COUNT - 4,281
PAIRING - N/A
SUMMARY - Charlie Thomas rushes to his mother's side after Watson has a heart attack.
WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THIS PIECE - I...I just don't even know what to say. This is absolutely, amazingly, wonderfully gorgeous ~ ozqueen captures the essence of what makes Charlie one of my all-time favorite characters. He's older than his years, so used to being responsible for Sam and Kristy, for taking charge in the touch situations, for being the reassuring voice of reason - and yet, he's still a kid himself. I don't know what I loved more - his scenes with his mother at the hospital, offering comfort he can scarcely feel himself, or the end, with Kristy and Sam, when he slips into the role they need him to play so badly.
I like how she lightened it up at the end, the jokes with Sam, and how evocative that is of early canon when they shared a room in their house on Bradford Court =) I know I've mentioned before that I can't ever really choose which Thomas brother I like best, and that's a great scene to illustrate my struggle ~ both sensitive and kind and brotherly and awesome, LOL =)
I still can't believe this is a gift for me. It is one I will cherish always, and will probably go down as one of my favorite BSC fics *ever*
TITLE - Date (2011)
AUTHOR -miss_slipslop
FANDOM - Baby-sitters Club
UNIVERSE - Early canon (#1 Kristy's Great Idea)
GENRE - Family, Romance
RATING - K
WORD COUNT - 1,596
PAIRING - Sam Thomas/Stacey McGill
SUMMARY - Sam and Stacey have another encounter on a rainy weekend. Takes place during Kristy's Great Idea.
WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THIS PIECE - Another that will go down as one of my favorites? This one :D I received a double dose of Thomas family fic this year, and for as angsty and heart-wrenching as "Hospital" was, this fic is equally light and fluffy and romantic ♥ It's a perfect demonstration of why I love Sam Thomas so much - he's not afraid to bake cookies with his little brother (!!), get into a flour fight, and still attempt oh-so-smooth conversation with a girl he finds impossibly attractive. I love the camaraderie he has with David Michael (and Kristy, LOL), and the shy attraction he feels for Stacey. I love the cheeky TMNT reference ;) and the affirmation that "sheep are in" and the reference to his mother dating Watson and Kristy's bluntness and yeah - this story just has it all ♥ For someone who's never tried to write this ship, miss_slipslop does an amazing job!
TITLE - Paths of Life (2011)
AUTHOR -![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
desertvixen
FANDOM - Baby-sitters Club
UNIVERSE - Post-canon
GENRE - Family, Romance
RATING - T
WORD COUNT - 561
PAIRING - Sam Thomas/Stacey McGill (with hints of Charlie Thomas/Janine Kishi)
SUMMARY - Someone's getting hitched in Stoneybrook...
WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THIS PIECE - Wedding fic is not generally my cup of tea (kinda amazing, considering what a hopeless sap I am), but this is a great take on the idea ~ we see Sam and Stacey's wedding through Charlie's eyes. We see his somewhat bemused observations on the wedding party, prep, and the ceremony itself ~ just as Charlie finds himself eyeing Janine Kishi out in the audience, Stacey walks down the aisle, an absolute vision in white. DesertVixen has wonderful powers of description, with just one gorgeous turn of phrase after another. My favorite one was probably this: Charlie watched the way [Sam and Stacey] exchanged a smile and look that shut everyone else in the world out. That, to me, is the essence of what makes an OTP an OTP ♥
TITLE - Christmas is Love in Action (2011)
AUTHOR -gloriafan
FANDOM - Baby-sitters Club/Kids Incorporated crossover
UNIVERSE - Post-seres
GENRE - Family
RATING - K
WORD COUNT - 356
PAIRING - Sam Thomas/Stacey McGill, Mickey/Gloria
SUMMARY - Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas. - Dale Evans
WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THIS PIECE - A wonderful slice-of-life post series (for both canons), we see the sending and receiving of a Christmas card between old friends: Kristy's harried rush to send out the family card, and Mickey's and Gloria's ecstatic reaction to receiving one =) Worth the price of admission, just to see the sheer number of characters who managed to pair off with their childhood sweethearts ;) A lovely little bit of fluff for the holidays!
TITLE - Christmas is the Time (2011)
AUTHOR -pressdbtwnpages
FANDOM - Instant Star
UNIVERSE - Post-canon
GENRE - Romance
RATING - K
WORD COUNT - 539
PAIRING - Jamie Andrews/Jude Harrison
SUMMARY - Every present Jude has thought of for Jamie are best friend presents, not I’m-pretty-sure-I-love-you-in-all-possible-ways presents.
WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THIS PIECE - Yay! Jude/Jamie fic! :D They were (and are) my OTP for Instant Star, because I love relationships that grow out of very close friendships =) The characters are wonderfully in-character, and the scenario is pure holiday fluff/romance. What more could one ask for? Except more Jamie/Jude fic of course, LOL. (Tommy's cameo is also pointed and hilarious :P)
TITLE - Laundry Day (2011)
AUTHOR -baseballchica03
FANDOM - Baby-sitters Club
UNIVERSE - Post-canon
GENRE - Friendship
RATING - K+
WORD COUNT - 607
PAIRING - Charlie Thomas/Janine Kishi
SUMMARY - Two old acquaintances meet in an unlikely place.
WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THIS PIECE - Something of a prequel to Close Encounters of the Father Kind, we have a glimpse into how Janine and Charlie met, all those years after both left Stoneybrook. The two bump into each other while doing their laundry (after Janine oogles Charlie from behind, hehe), and their easy conversation ends with an equally casual date ~ but one that promies so much more. I love the way baseballchica03 writes this pairing, and this was a wonderful little surprise to find in my stocking! Definitely worth a read if you have any interest in this pairing ♥
TITLE - The Dearest Darlings (2011)
AUTHOR -isabelquinn
FANDOM - Baby-sitters Club
UNIVERSE - Mid-canon (Super Special #9 Starring the Baby-sitters Club!
GENRE - Family
RATING - K
WORD COUNT - 289
PAIRING - Sam Thomas/Stacey McGill (aka Mr & Mrs Darling)
SUMMARY - N/A
WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THIS PIECE - :D This is pretty much a missing scene from one of my favorite Super Specials, expounding upon poor Stacey's dilemma of dealing with Sam's shenanigans, especially his intense interest in referring to her as "Darling." It's especially cute because of the little things biting into the otherwise normal in-universe rehearsal. I think this was quite cleverly written, especially considering its length =)
TITLE - untitled (2012)
AUTHOR -mkrobinson
FANDOM - Sweet Valley
UNIVERSE - Post-canon
GENRE - Angst, Romance
RATING - N/A
WORD COUNT - 1,487
PAIRING - Max Pennington/Elizabeth Wakefield, Todd Wilkins/Elizabeth Wakefield
SUMMARY - N/A
WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THIS PIECE - An angsty look at Elizabeth's life post-canon, as her relationship with her dreamboat noble (and the man she finally gifted her virginity to) falls apart amid gossip, lies, and rumors. She turns to an old familiar friend for comfort, but in the end, still wonders how her life turned out as it did. I like the structure of this piece, as fifteen separate moments in time; it adds to the angst of the entire piece. Though it ends on something of a downer note, who am I to turn away compelling Sweet Valley fanfic? No one, LOL.
Fic wasn't the only thing I received forfandom_stocking ~ I was also graced with an OTP fanmix, California Dreams icons and squee, as well as ultra-cute BSC OTP icons! :D :D :D I'd definitely say I lucked out this year ~ I'm still enjoying my bounty of gifts, as well as those amazing things gifted to others for the holiday season!
My rec lists are static at the top of my journal ~ Inuyasha | Baby-sitters Club | Multifandom/Miscellaneous ~ and you're welcome to look at them any time =)
I have another barrage of recs still to come, because this was hardly the tip of the iceberg, LOL! =)
yuletide & fandom_stocking.First and foremost: FELLOW BSC FANS! If you love to squee about our awesome canon and amazing characters, you would be remiss not to join
bsc_squee! What could possibly be better than having an entire community devoted to nothing but squee? Nothing, that's what! SO JOIN!!!bsc_squeeYuletide Recs
TITLE - The Sun Always Shines in Sweet Valley (2011)
AUTHOR -
FANDOM - Sweet Valley
UNIVERSE - post-SVH, pre-SVU
GENRE - Angst
RATING - T
WORD COUNT - 4,592
PAIRING - Bruce Patman/Lila Fowler
SUMMARY - Lila reflects on what was supposed to be her Perfect Summer. (Aren't they always?)
WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THIS PIECE - Well, first and foremost, this is just a well-written story. I asked for Lila-centric fic, and nic just knocked it out of the park. She captures all of the little nuances that make Lila Lila: we see into her disgustingly rich world, but we also see how lonely that leaves her. She was supposed to have an incredible adventure the summer after graduation from high school, but instead, she's stuck in Sweet Valley while Hurricane Jessica blows through Europe. The contrast of Lila's indifference to Jessica's manic tour of Italy is absolutely brilliant =)
The Lila and Bruce interaction is snarky and awesome, instead of straight-up romance. I've always enjoyed their somewhat prickly relationship in canon, and here, it's just extended a bit further - behind closed doors, when it's just the two of them, they can be themselves (and get along). Bruce convinces her (as only he can) that he's just the antidote she needs to her boring summer, and invites her along on his own European trip. This ties in really wonderfully with SVU canon, as Lila came back to town an Italian countess - so maybe this was the trip where she met the man she would marry?
nic throws in *wonderful* little mentions of canon - 1BRUCE1, warm wine in paper cups, the John Pfeiffer storyline, Jessica's inordinate love for the number 137 =) It's hard to believe this is the first story she's ever written for this series, because it is so evocative of the classic escapist SVH years - the characters feel familiar, but still sharp; the conversations are witty and fun and even a little heart-rending. If you were never sympathetic to Lila before, reading this story just might change your mind. It was pretty much the most awesome Yuletide gift I could've asked for, and I feel honored to have received it ♥
TITLE - I Move in Circles Round You (2011)
AUTHOR -
FANDOM - Instant Star
UNIVERSE - Post-canon
GENRE - Drama, Romance
RATING - T
WORD COUNT - 7,934
PAIRING - Tommy Quincy/Jude Harrison
SUMMARY - "Maybe it's time to let go of the things we wanted when I was sixteen."
WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THIS PIECE - "He can hear her smiling, and he thinks about how loving someone is like being blind. When you can't see them anymore, you learn to tell everything you need to know just from the sound of their voice."
This is one of the most amazing fanfics I've ever read, period. I'm a sucker for solid OTPs and reading about musicians doing what they do best, and this fic is full of both. Even better, the author has taken a much-reviled and cut-too-short series finale and shaped it into something beautiful.
Jude Harrison and Tommy Quincy have been in each others' orbits for five years, but they've never quite been able to get it together, and both be in a good place at the same time. The series ends on this sour note, and here we see what happens after - they fight, they separate, their work through their personal pain and sorrow and grow, as individuals and, eventually, as a couple. Both artists complete separate solo albums over the course of the story, and we see how their interactions inspire them both in unexpected ways.
The author goes the extra mile, sprinkling in bits of articles, Twitter battles, and late-night text conversations between the scenes, which fill in the gaps and round out the story, adding to the sense of isolation the characters feel as they struggle through their forced separation. It makes their reconnection all the sweeter, and brings them full circle, from raw anger and resentment to a new, quieter, more mature kind of love.
I could probably write more words than the author did in praise of this story ~ it's *that* amazingly good =) Behind my own gift, this is probably my most favorite Yuletide story of the year.
TITLE - Unreasonable Degrees of Happiness (2011)
AUTHOR -
FANDOM - Clueless (1995)
UNIVERSE - Post-canon
GENRE - Romance
RATING - K
WORD COUNT - 3,574
PAIRING - Josh/Cher
SUMMARY - Cher and Josh: one year, five years, and ten years later.
WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THIS PIECE - This was probably one of the darlings of Yuletide 2011, but for very good reason: catie56 takes the light, fluffy, frothy atmosphere of the movie and extends it beyond the events we were privvy to in canon. It's hilarious and touching and romantic and heartwrenching, and the characters are so amazingly in-character. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll squee ~ it's just *that* amazing!
TITLE - how we spin (and spin) (2011)
AUTHOR -
FANDOM - The Cutting Edge (1992)
UNIVERSE - Post-canon
GENRE - Romance
RATING - K
WORD COUNT - 2,428
PAIRING - Douglas Dorsey/Kate Moseley
SUMMARY - Doug wondered if he’d ever get the goofy smile off his face.
WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THIS PIECE - A beautiful coda for the plot of the movie, here we see what happens beyond that breathtaking kiss on the ice. Doug and Kate celebrate their victory and try to figure out how to be a couple - how to laugh, how to love, how to feel after that diggy first rush of love and desire. They struggle to fit themselves into each other's lives; this story is worth the price of admission just to see Kate attempting to bowl. It's beautiful and fluffy and perfect if you're a romantic sap like me, hehe =)
TITLE - The Cheesecake of Christmas Present (2011)
AUTHOR -
FANDOM - Golden Girls
UNIVERSE - Canon
GENRE - General
RATING - T
WORD COUNT - 2,709
PAIRING - N/A
SUMMARY - There's no place like home for the holidays.
WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THIS PIECE - This is a really lovely, introspective piece, delving into each of the girls' thoughts as they lay awake at night the day before they are to split up and go home for Christmas. We see Rose's sweet nature, Blanche's nostalgia, Dorothy's melancholy ~ and a pitch-perfect Sophia story, right before they devour one last holiday cheesecake =) I never thought I'd find Golden Girls fic (much less anything I'd like!) but this is really great, and feels like a missing scene from the canon.
Recommendations:
fandom_stockingTITLE - Hospital (2011)
AUTHOR -
ozqueenFANDOM - Baby-sitters Club
UNIVERSE - Mid-canon (#81 Kristy and Mr. Mom)
GENRE - Family, Angst
RATING - K
WORD COUNT - 4,281
PAIRING - N/A
SUMMARY - Charlie Thomas rushes to his mother's side after Watson has a heart attack.
WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THIS PIECE - I...I just don't even know what to say. This is absolutely, amazingly, wonderfully gorgeous ~ ozqueen captures the essence of what makes Charlie one of my all-time favorite characters. He's older than his years, so used to being responsible for Sam and Kristy, for taking charge in the touch situations, for being the reassuring voice of reason - and yet, he's still a kid himself. I don't know what I loved more - his scenes with his mother at the hospital, offering comfort he can scarcely feel himself, or the end, with Kristy and Sam, when he slips into the role they need him to play so badly.
I like how she lightened it up at the end, the jokes with Sam, and how evocative that is of early canon when they shared a room in their house on Bradford Court =) I know I've mentioned before that I can't ever really choose which Thomas brother I like best, and that's a great scene to illustrate my struggle ~ both sensitive and kind and brotherly and awesome, LOL =)
I still can't believe this is a gift for me. It is one I will cherish always, and will probably go down as one of my favorite BSC fics *ever*
TITLE - Date (2011)
AUTHOR -
miss_slipslopFANDOM - Baby-sitters Club
UNIVERSE - Early canon (#1 Kristy's Great Idea)
GENRE - Family, Romance
RATING - K
WORD COUNT - 1,596
PAIRING - Sam Thomas/Stacey McGill
SUMMARY - Sam and Stacey have another encounter on a rainy weekend. Takes place during Kristy's Great Idea.
WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THIS PIECE - Another that will go down as one of my favorites? This one :D I received a double dose of Thomas family fic this year, and for as angsty and heart-wrenching as "Hospital" was, this fic is equally light and fluffy and romantic ♥ It's a perfect demonstration of why I love Sam Thomas so much - he's not afraid to bake cookies with his little brother (!!), get into a flour fight, and still attempt oh-so-smooth conversation with a girl he finds impossibly attractive. I love the camaraderie he has with David Michael (and Kristy, LOL), and the shy attraction he feels for Stacey. I love the cheeky TMNT reference ;) and the affirmation that "sheep are in" and the reference to his mother dating Watson and Kristy's bluntness and yeah - this story just has it all ♥ For someone who's never tried to write this ship, miss_slipslop does an amazing job!
TITLE - Paths of Life (2011)
AUTHOR -
desertvixenFANDOM - Baby-sitters Club
UNIVERSE - Post-canon
GENRE - Family, Romance
RATING - T
WORD COUNT - 561
PAIRING - Sam Thomas/Stacey McGill (with hints of Charlie Thomas/Janine Kishi)
SUMMARY - Someone's getting hitched in Stoneybrook...
WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THIS PIECE - Wedding fic is not generally my cup of tea (kinda amazing, considering what a hopeless sap I am), but this is a great take on the idea ~ we see Sam and Stacey's wedding through Charlie's eyes. We see his somewhat bemused observations on the wedding party, prep, and the ceremony itself ~ just as Charlie finds himself eyeing Janine Kishi out in the audience, Stacey walks down the aisle, an absolute vision in white. DesertVixen has wonderful powers of description, with just one gorgeous turn of phrase after another. My favorite one was probably this: Charlie watched the way [Sam and Stacey] exchanged a smile and look that shut everyone else in the world out. That, to me, is the essence of what makes an OTP an OTP ♥
TITLE - Christmas is Love in Action (2011)
AUTHOR -
gloriafanFANDOM - Baby-sitters Club/Kids Incorporated crossover
UNIVERSE - Post-seres
GENRE - Family
RATING - K
WORD COUNT - 356
PAIRING - Sam Thomas/Stacey McGill, Mickey/Gloria
SUMMARY - Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas. - Dale Evans
WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THIS PIECE - A wonderful slice-of-life post series (for both canons), we see the sending and receiving of a Christmas card between old friends: Kristy's harried rush to send out the family card, and Mickey's and Gloria's ecstatic reaction to receiving one =) Worth the price of admission, just to see the sheer number of characters who managed to pair off with their childhood sweethearts ;) A lovely little bit of fluff for the holidays!
TITLE - Christmas is the Time (2011)
AUTHOR -
pressdbtwnpagesFANDOM - Instant Star
UNIVERSE - Post-canon
GENRE - Romance
RATING - K
WORD COUNT - 539
PAIRING - Jamie Andrews/Jude Harrison
SUMMARY - Every present Jude has thought of for Jamie are best friend presents, not I’m-pretty-sure-I-love-you-in-all-possible-ways presents.
WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THIS PIECE - Yay! Jude/Jamie fic! :D They were (and are) my OTP for Instant Star, because I love relationships that grow out of very close friendships =) The characters are wonderfully in-character, and the scenario is pure holiday fluff/romance. What more could one ask for? Except more Jamie/Jude fic of course, LOL. (Tommy's cameo is also pointed and hilarious :P)
TITLE - Laundry Day (2011)
AUTHOR -
baseballchica03FANDOM - Baby-sitters Club
UNIVERSE - Post-canon
GENRE - Friendship
RATING - K+
WORD COUNT - 607
PAIRING - Charlie Thomas/Janine Kishi
SUMMARY - Two old acquaintances meet in an unlikely place.
WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THIS PIECE - Something of a prequel to Close Encounters of the Father Kind, we have a glimpse into how Janine and Charlie met, all those years after both left Stoneybrook. The two bump into each other while doing their laundry (after Janine oogles Charlie from behind, hehe), and their easy conversation ends with an equally casual date ~ but one that promies so much more. I love the way baseballchica03 writes this pairing, and this was a wonderful little surprise to find in my stocking! Definitely worth a read if you have any interest in this pairing ♥
TITLE - The Dearest Darlings (2011)
AUTHOR -
isabelquinnFANDOM - Baby-sitters Club
UNIVERSE - Mid-canon (Super Special #9 Starring the Baby-sitters Club!
GENRE - Family
RATING - K
WORD COUNT - 289
PAIRING - Sam Thomas/Stacey McGill (aka Mr & Mrs Darling)
SUMMARY - N/A
WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THIS PIECE - :D This is pretty much a missing scene from one of my favorite Super Specials, expounding upon poor Stacey's dilemma of dealing with Sam's shenanigans, especially his intense interest in referring to her as "Darling." It's especially cute because of the little things biting into the otherwise normal in-universe rehearsal. I think this was quite cleverly written, especially considering its length =)
TITLE - untitled (2012)
AUTHOR -
mkrobinsonFANDOM - Sweet Valley
UNIVERSE - Post-canon
GENRE - Angst, Romance
RATING - N/A
WORD COUNT - 1,487
PAIRING - Max Pennington/Elizabeth Wakefield, Todd Wilkins/Elizabeth Wakefield
SUMMARY - N/A
WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THIS PIECE - An angsty look at Elizabeth's life post-canon, as her relationship with her dreamboat noble (and the man she finally gifted her virginity to) falls apart amid gossip, lies, and rumors. She turns to an old familiar friend for comfort, but in the end, still wonders how her life turned out as it did. I like the structure of this piece, as fifteen separate moments in time; it adds to the angst of the entire piece. Though it ends on something of a downer note, who am I to turn away compelling Sweet Valley fanfic? No one, LOL.
Fic wasn't the only thing I received for
fandom_stocking ~ I was also graced with an OTP fanmix, California Dreams icons and squee, as well as ultra-cute BSC OTP icons! :D :D :D I'd definitely say I lucked out this year ~ I'm still enjoying my bounty of gifts, as well as those amazing things gifted to others for the holiday season!My rec lists are static at the top of my journal ~ Inuyasha | Baby-sitters Club | Multifandom/Miscellaneous ~ and you're welcome to look at them any time =)
I have another barrage of recs still to come, because this was hardly the tip of the iceberg, LOL! =)