Recommendations

[luxken27]

Because its hard keeping up with the flow of amazing fic...here are some of the best I've read in the last couple of weeks. (How much do I love that I can update my rec lists on practically a weekly basis now? Fandom, you're awesome &hearts)

Fandom: Kids Incorporated

Title: Christmastime is Here '83 (2011)
Author: GloriaFan
Fandom: Kids Inc
Genre: General
Rating: K+
Warning(s): N/A
Pairing: N/A
Word Length: 545
URL: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6735401/1/
Author's Summary: The kids exchange Christmas presents for the first time.

Why I'm recommending this piece: One of GloriaFan's emerging strengths as a writer is his ability to write really nice character-centric genfic, and this piece doesn't disappoint. A rarity, this is set at the beginning of the very first season, and focuses on the Kid's first Christmas with his fellow bandmates. He somehow manages to choose the perfect gift for each of them, including Stacy =) With lots of great little bits of meta, this is a story that goes down easy and unleashes the happy, even long after the Christmas season as passed.


Title: Dim All the Lights (2011)
Author: GloriaFan
Fandom: Kids Inc
Genre: Romance
Rating: K
Warning(s): N/A
Pairing: Ryan/Stacy
Word Length: 294
URL: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6735386/1/
Author's Summary: "Ryan! What on earth are you doing?" she exclaimed unhappy over being pulled off her seat. "Just wait and see, Stacy, dearest." He said as he led her across the house.

Why I'm recommending this piece: This is an ooey-gooey slice of life piece (focused on my original OTP ship &hearts) set a few months after the inevitable [see also - the next rec]. I don't know that I've seen *any* married-life-post-canon fic for this series, much less this pairing, but this little ficlet certainly hit all my squee buttons. There's a real sense of ease between the characters, and Ryan's surprise for Stacy on their anniversary is very touching.


Title: The Wedding (2011)
Author: GloriaFan
Fandom: Kids Inc
Genre: Friendship/Romance
Rating: K+
Warning(s): N/A
Pairing: Ryan/Stacy
Word Length: 2,649
URL: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6740749/1/
Author's Summary: Ryan and Stacy's wedding day.

Why I'm recommending this piece: HOLY SHIT. Just, holy shit. Talk about a beautiful, wonderful, amazing story, one that goes far, far beyond its description. If I tried to list everything I loved about this story, I'd probably spend more words than GloriaFan spent writing about it, LOL!! First of all, there's the obvious - the "official" joining in holy matrimony of my original and forever OTP, which, let's face it, hapless romantic fangirls like myself will always think about deep down inside &hearts . This is a fairly standard wedding story, detailing the nervous jitters before the ceremony all the way through the slightly cheesy reception, but it's the little things that GloriaFan packs into this piece that really put it over the top. You see that genre tag? That's no mistake - this story is just as much about the friendships the members of the band formed during their years together as it is about the romance between Ryan and Stacy. If anything, I enjoyed *those* parts of this story more - the interactions between Mickey and Gloria, Gloria and Renee, Devyn, Kenny, and Ritchie, and even some extra special conversations between Mickey and Ryan (who never met in canon but get along wonderfully here), Gloria and Ryan, and Kid and Stacy. It's a beautiful story, one I know I'll treasure always, and one which will reside at the very top of my KI rec list for quite a few years to come.



Fandom: Baby-sitters Club

Title: The Charlie Thomas Hypothesis (2008-2011)
Author: baseballchica03
Fandom: Baby-sitters Club
Genre: Romance
Rating: T
Warning(s): N/A
Pairing: Charlie Thomas/Janine Kishi
Word Length: 2,392
URL: (1) http://community.livejournal.com/babysitters100/25924.html | (2) http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4183454/1/
Author's Summary: In which Janine Kishi contemplates her relationship with Charlie Thomas. Same universe as "Five Things About Janine Kishi." Now complete.

Why I'm recommending this piece: This was one of the first Charlie/Janine stories I read, by probably my most favorite author to ever write these two characters, so I was mondo excited when baseballchica03 popped into the babysitters101 comm, looking for a beta for the finalized version. And boy, talk about no disappointment - this story ended even better than I could've imagined it &hearts This is probably my favorite "alt" pairing for BSC, and it was so interesting to see the events through Janine's eyes, as one careless remark from Charlie basically tilts her world on its axis. They have a fight and Janine wonders if she's blown it...when Charlie makes damn sure to let her know she didn't. It's a beautifully written story, with great scenes between Janine and Claudia to boot. There is more to come in this universe, and I can't wait!


Title: Snob (2011)
Author: isabelquinn
Fandom: Baby-sitters Club
Genre: General
Rating: K
Warning(s): N/A
Pairing: N/A
Word Length: 5,241
URL: http://community.livejournal.com/babysitters100/25676.html
Author's Summary: Shannon's attitude towards new girls undergoes significant change after her experience with Sally White.

Why I'm recommending this piece: This is an absolutely exquisite story that brings one of the most underutilized characters from canon right front and center. Shannon Kilbourne was even a regular member of the BSC for awhile, between Mallory's mono, Dawn's move back to CA, and prior to Abby's arrival, but she never really received much attention, other than a Reader's Request book. Here, isabelquinn takes Shannon's two most notable contributions to BSC canon and knits them together perfectly, no small feat considering they were written years apart. Starting with Shannon's most vivid memory from SS #11 Baby-sitters Remember, and ending with the beginning of regular series #11 Kristy and the Snobs, the author manages to give Shannon credence, for why she acted the way she did towards Kristy when they first met. The characterization is subtle and brutally brilliant, exposing the cracks in Shannon's pristine facade. It's a brilliant story, and definitely one of my favorites to come from the babysitters100 challenge so far.


Title: Grief (2011)
Author: ozqueen
Fandom: Baby-sitters Club
Genre: Drama
Rating: T
Warning(s): Language
Pairing: Patrick Thomas/Elizbaeth Thomas
Word Length: 8,755
URL: (1) http://community.livejournal.com/babysitters100/23207.html | (2) http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6369978/5/
Author's Summary: Richard grieves the loss of his wife and struggles to prove himself a worthy father. Elizabeth grows increasingly aware of the cracks in her marriage.

Why I'm recommending this piece: The sequel to Kitchen, for this story ozqueen delves deeper into her disparate storylines ~ Richard Spier, falling apart at the seams with grief and misery over his wife's death, decides to send his baby daughter to live with his in-laws while he picks up the pieces. Nearly too late does he realize Alma's parents don't want to send her back. The custody war turns into a battle royale, forever sealing Richard's resolve of the way he must raise Mary Anne, in order to prove that he can. In the meanwhile, Elizabeth is trying to help him as best she can while her own family falls to pieces with sickness and lethargy. ozqueen writes both storylines beautifully, contrasting Richard's ever-growing stiffness with Patrick's ever-loosing drift away from his children and his wife. The author's amazing use of the prompt word is pretty much the icing on the cake here.


Title: Distance (2011)
Author: ozqueen
Fandom: Baby-sitters Club
Genre: Drama
Rating: Y
Warning(s): Non-explicit sex, language
Pairing: Patrick Thomas/Elizabeth Thomas
Word Length: 9,708
URL: (1) http://community.livejournal.com/babysitters100/26156.html | (2) http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6369978/6/
Author's Summary: Elizabeth struggles to keep her marriage together as her husband longs for a life free of responsibility. When Patrick leaves her and their four children, Richard steps forward to offer her the same friendship and comfort he needed after Alma's death.

Why I'm recommending this piece: This wonderfully addicting series continues with the sequel to Grief, as we finally see the bittersweet ending to Patrick and Elizabeth's marriage, on the heels of David Michael's birth. What I like most about this entry is the way ozqueen writes the unraveling of this marriage. It's so easy to demonize Patrick because he walked out on his family, but she manages to write a more realistic possibility - that they were both to blame, in big ways and in little ways, for the failure of their union. It's very sad, but at the same time it's very good - already some of the canon characterization is emerging: bossy Kristy, shy Mary Anne, funky Claudia, tenderhearted Sam, and world-on-his-shoulders sensitive Charlie. Just as Elizabeth's life seems to be falling apart, Richard Spier's is coming together, and he's able to offer her the strength and support she gave him when he was struggling with his wife's death. It's a really neat reversal of roles.



Fandom(s): Miscellaneous

Title: Dissonant (2006)
Author: sinaddict
Fandom: Instant Star
Genre: Drama/Romance
Rating: X
Warning(s): explicit sexual innuendo
Pairing: Tommy Quincy/Jude Harrison
Word Length: 2,673
URL: (1) http://archiveofourown.org/works/67779 | (2) http://sinaddict.livejournal.com/61299.html
Author's Summary: Honest to god, he used to be cool. He used to have girls falling all over him everywhere he went. He had groupies.

Why I'm recommending this piece: This is a refreshingly humorous look inside the rising-hot UST between Tommy and Jude during the first half of the first season. It reads pretty true-to-life for any randy guy under the age of twenty-five, with a thick layer of guilt on top of everything else, for having the feelings he does towards this person. Tommy/Jude always had attraction in spades, even if they never really got to act on it properly (or live happily ever after), and this author exploits that with abandon. This is probably my favorite Instant Star story available today.


Title: Rusted (2007)
Author: AlamoGirl80
Fandom: Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Genre: Angst/Drama
Rating: T
Warning(s): heavy on the angst
Pairing: Robert Goren/Alex Eames
Word Length: 3,141
URL: http://archiveofourown.org/works/36557
Author's Summary: Even the best of partnerships are not made of steel.

Why I'm recommending this piece: Finding decent L&O: CI fic is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. The whole of fandom appears spotty, at best, especially those who hardcore ship Goren and Eames, turning one, or the other, or both into shmoopy shadows of their former selves. This story is different, focusing quite heavily on the introspection of Eames right after Goren returns to work for his suspension, near the end of the series. He did some crazy shit to be forced into a leave of absence, and Eames is unsure that they'll ever have their old rhythm and camaraderie again ~ and that's what this story explores. It's a very nice character study that's stuck with me for a few months now. It's hard to write a character as quirky as Robert Goren with any skill or sophistication, but that's exactly what AlamoGirl80 does here, exploring all the ways he unraveled, and took his partner down with him.


Title: Ten Years After (2011)
Author: landofthekwt
Fandom: Inuyasha
Genre: Drama
Rating: Y
Warning(s): non-explicit innuendo
Pairing: N/A
Word Length: 1,955 (3 chapters)
URL: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6751538/1/
Author's Summary: Shiori and her mother find Inuysaha after a ten year search.

Why I'm recommending this piece: This is a very intriguing story that focuses on little Shiori, the hanyou that Inuyasha was destined to slaughter in order to strengthen Tessaiga in early to mid-canon. Instead, he found a way to spare her life, recognizing his own pain at living as a hanyou in her. For this story, Shiori and her mother have set off to find Inuyasha again, because Shiori has been in love with her hero ever since the moment he saved her life, and she believes herself destined to be his mate. I'm interested in seeing where landofthekwt takes this, and I'm pleased to see Shiroi getting a little more love, even long after her appearance in the canon story.

As always, you can find my rec lists at the top of my journal.

Have you read any good stories lately? Tell me about them!

Comments

[ozqueen]

OH, LOOK AT YOU WRITING LOVELY THINGS ABOUT MY FICS. &hearts Thank you so much! :D

And I totally agree about your other BSC mentions. Charlie and Janine are definitely a popular pairing, and that fic was so cute to read. I love fics that take little details of canon like that (like Charlie and Janine being in the next room from a BSC meeting) and just putting a different spin on things.

And I love, love, love Snob. Shannon is one of those beautiful characters that never really gets a proper chance to grow, and I'm not totally familiar with her background, so it was really lovely to have something like that pop up on my flist.

I've been lucky enough to see isabelquinn's next fic too, and I think she's managed to outdo herself. Because all I could do when I read it was flail uselessly over how gorgeous it is.

There's so much awesome fic! :D I'm so pleased! &hearts
Thanks again for your lovely comments! Here and on FFN.

*lol, edited, because I decided "top herself" had too many unfortunate connotations. I replaced it with "outdo heself" ;)

[luxken27]

Charlie and Janine are definitely a popular pairing, and that fic was so cute to read.

I've just been bowled over with how many people are genuinely interested in this pairing, considering its origins as a joke :P Its encouraging, tho, and hopefully my muse will eventually dislodge so I can finish the longer C/J story I'm working on, since that's what brought be back to this fandom in the first place. Kinda sad that it's hanging around in a half-finished state o.O

And I love, love, love Snob. Shannon is one of those beautiful characters that never really gets a proper chance to grow, and I'm not totally familiar with her background, so it was really lovely to have something like that pop up on my flist.

THIS. x1000. It makes me want to find other Shannon-centric fic (I've heard there are some good ones out there) because she was so underutilized as a character. I half wish she'd taken a full-time spot in the BSC when Dawn left, instead of a new character joining the main cast and even further overshadowing her.

I've been lucky enough to see isabelquinn's next fic too, and I think she's managed to outdo herself. Because all I could do when I read it was flail uselessly over how gorgeous it is.

OMG OMG OMG! *bounce*

Thanks again for your lovely comments! Here and on FFN.

You're welcome ~ anytime I find someone who writes good fic (or has the potential to write good fic), I do everything I can to encourage them to continue. Awesome breeds awesome in that way &hearts