paranoid kitten's recs page

Dec. 26th, 2005 11:33 am yuletide recs!

Twenty Random Facts About Steve and Susan (Coupling)
Written for me! Absolutely fantastic, very much in the style of the show, and with additional Susan being into a) gay porn and b) occasionally sleeping with Sally and Jane. Twenty little snippets, each of which makes so much sense. Yay!

From Mathematics Further Off (Madeleine L'Engle)
A series of Meg vignettes. The first one is especially gorgeous - it's the parents doing IQ-type tests on her as a baby. And then there's jealousy before the twins are born, and Meg in school, and Meg with Charles Wallace, and Meg with Calvin and starting her own family - and it's so perfectly Meg. Gorgeous.

On Black Holes, Miracles, Singularities, and Nothingness (Madeleine L'Engle)
Charles Wallace at the centre of the story this time, and him as an adult, and it's beautiful.

Enmity and Amity (Mona Lisa Smile)
Betty/Giselle, a pairing which I have such a weakness for, and which is handled wonderfully in this story.

The Ballad of Lenny and Carl (The Simpsons)
I've seen this recced all over the place, and rightly so - good Simpsons fic is hard to find, but this is definitely the good stuff. Lenny and Carl. Their relationship. This captures Springfield in prose form, and has realistic dialogue, and is - brilliant, basically.

Rain Lyrics (Simon Says)
Based on Elaine Marie Alphin's YA novel (which you should read, it has boys being all intense and creative and artisic and sometimes gay in a boarding school) and captures the characters perfectly.

In Accordance (10 Things I Hate About You)
Five things about Kat, five moments in her life - and oh it's painful and bittersweet at times, it really is. Lovely.

Another Drink (Seinfeld)
Elaine and George. Actually, Elaine/George. Sort of. Fantastic and hilarious.

Grown Men Do Things Together (Coupling)
Steve contemplates whether watching porn with Jeff makes him gay. Brilliantly funny and in the style of the show, with the characters of Steve, Susan and Jeff spot-on.

Christmastime In The City (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants)
Tibby in New York at Christmas, viewing the world through a lens and waiting for a special visitor. Gorgeous.

My Match (Scrubs)
JD and Turk. Because we're not like that, but if we were we'd be a great example for gay interracial interfaith relationships everywhere. Awesomeness.

Innocent as a Rose (The Sound of Music)
Liesl in America. Kisses and conflict and family and singing. I adored it.

The Breakup (Black Books)
Fantastic and funny. Fran's point of view. Manny leaves Bernard. Yet again.

Suburban Nightmare (The Addams Family)
And this is just fun. Gomez arrives home to his blonde-haired rosy-cheeked family in the suburbs...

Firstly, Blue (Babysitters Club, Jeff/Byron) has been updated recently, and it continues to be absolutely brilliant.

Fifteen Things You Never Knew About Hogwarts by siriaeve (Harry Potter, gen) is fantastic and nifty.

Errand Girl by Annabella Wrights (St Clares, Pam/Carlotta) is... well, did you see the fandom? The pairing? I love Pam, and the characterisation in this is excellent.

Give Good Feeling (RPS, Take That) by B amuses me.

The Power of Myth by mosca (Gilmore Girls, Rory/Paris) is just so damn perfect. Speaking of mosca-fic, there is also The Sound of Wires Crossing (Chasing Amy, Banky/Holden, what more do you need to know?).

2 x Veronica Mars fics. you forgot it in people is Meg/Veronica, which makes oh-so-much sense, and Circle Jerk is... Veronica/Logan, Veronica/Duncan, Duncan/Logan, a couple of others, and an incredibly nifty perceptive look at those three characters.

2 x Firefly, also. Like Describing The Alphabet, Mal/Jayne with some Kaylee/Inara and Wash/Zoe on the sidelines, and Academies, which is River-centric. Pretty fics, pretty characterisation. I like muchly.

Unlucky at Pinochle by wearemany. The OC, Seth/Ryan, kissing on a dare, based on that video clip thing that's been circling (c'mon, you know you've seen it...) but prettier because it's Seth/Ryan, man!

Thicker Than by anna_maria. Harry Potter, Hermione/Pansy, written for me! Oh my yes. Read it. If you like menstrual-blood bathroom-based barely-consentual girlsex, obviously. But you should.

Jeff-centric Coupling fic by lakester. Yay!

Two fantastic The L Word fics that are related - celeria's Wonder Why You Haven't and thisredrock's Think About Direction. Dana/Alice, set during episode 2.05.

In The OC there's Action Figures by miss_begonia. Seth/Ryan. Seth wishes they made Ryans in action figure size. And there's also Seth/Zach (oh, yum, oh yes) from the same author. Aaaand Unwritten by amerella, which is gorgeous Seth-fic. And also Golden Boy by easywaffle69 which is Seth/Ryan but Marissa-centric, which is just perfect.

Queer As Folk (US) - Irresistable by s.a., 'cause it describes three relationships perfectly.

And in Sweet Valley High, there is Bad by kannaophelia. Amy/Enid. You know it makes sense.

So you have this favourite childhood series that secretly you're still totally into, and you slash the girls 'cause they were thirteen and it's slightly less squicky than slashing the kids they babysat for because inevitably you have to age them up and it's really hard to keep them in-character while authentically ageing them. And then you come across something like this, which is a Jeff story set when he's sixteen, and it's slash, and it manages to get Jeff, Byron and the rest of the kids their age completely in-character and recognisable while also being sixteen. There are just so many things *right* with this, from Jeff's bitterness towards Richard and his anger over being sent back to Stoneybrook and all the stuff that happens afterwards, and trying to fit back in somewhere he never belonged in the first place, and dealing with realising his friend is gay - it's one of those stories that reminds you just *why* you love slash so much, and how true to the source it can be and how it can work with that source material to bring you something gorgeous. (Also, I have such a thing for drunk-teenage-boys, yes.)

The OC:
Luke closed his eyes. "No, man, hey, I get it. Chino. He had that, you know, sort of broody Russell Crowe thing. I can see where you'd be like, gay for him." Seth/Ryan, Seth/Luke, set during that time when Seth abandoned his fantabulous girlfriend to go and live with a guy who used to call him queer and his gay dad because his bestest buddy wasn't around anymore. Yeah. He's so straight, man.

Gilmore Girls:
"Rory, open your eyes. Do you think that you're what men want? The real you, not the cute quirky little college girl? You're smart as hell, and driven as hell, and you want to do something real with your life, and has there ever been anyone in your life who really knows what that feels like, who's really, truly understood your goals and supported them?" Rory/Paris are so wonderfully perfect together, and this fic captures their voices so well.

Ryan walks in on Seth in the shower. "Seth gave a half-hearted scoff. 'I so did not say that. I think that was a Freudian slip. Of your ears.'" Hee. Brilliance. And. Four ways The New Era could have gone differently. "She smirks, looking utterly entertained. 'You'll make a cute couple. Thought you'd like to know.'"

Also, you know I love the Marissa/Alex, but, um, here's a thought. Julie/Alex. Oh god yes. "And then she's sitting down next to you, and that robe really doesn't conceal much. A bit of black lace peeks out from behind it, and nobadthesearebadthoughtsbad!"

"Marissa glances down at herself, at the marigold gloves on her hands and gives Alex a dubious look. She shakes her head and laughs. 'Right now I look ridiculous. My mother would, like, have a heart attack if she saw me like this.' Hey, you know what's pretty? Marissa/Alex sex. Yes. They are just so so damn cute. "Alex’s jaw dropped and she gasped in mock-offence. 'I’m an after-thought?'"

"Giselle wasn’t entirely sure whether the thrill that ran down her spine was from the fine words and the solemnity of the occasion, or because of the beauty of the upperclassman who was first to greet President Carr and enter the chapel." Also, there needs to be more Mona Lisa Smile fic. Yes there does.

So there was twenty-six moments of the history between Ryan and Seth and oh it's so happy-making. And then there was Zach fic which turns into Zach/Seth and makes a whooole lotta sense.

Then. Sweet-but-sorta-angsty-and-oh-why-won't-people-just-be-more-open-about-their-love? Hermione/Ginny. And a Grubbly-Plank/Tonks sorta fairytale. Plus Hermione/Ginny that shows the difference between theory and practice.

Summer-centric fic. "She's just weirded out by the fact that after years of friendship, she isn't the one that Marissa has a crush on."

I don't normally (or ever) rec music videos, but this one just makes me so very happy and reminds me of how squeeful Alex/Marissa is.

New fandom of 2005: The O.C. I discovered I like the Seth/Ryan. A lot. Like, Seth/Ryan from Marissa's point of view and some Marissa-angst. Or Seth/Ryan from Summer's point of view, and with a fantastic Summer voice. Or Seth/Ryan with Anna/Summer happening outside, which is the most perfect thing there could ever be. (Though the companion piece, which is just the Seth/Ryan sex with lines like "How could anyone think men were ugly? Had no one seen this boy’s shoulders?" does rock muchly. And Seth/Ryan creeping into a very hot Anna/Summer/Seth fic? That is also of the good. Oooh, and sweet Seth/Ryan as seen through Kirsten's eyes. And you can't really go wrong with Seth and Ryan watching porn. Or even just Seth and Ryan playing a game on the PlayStation. It's all good.

I also like the girlslash. The O.C. is nice and kind in that it not only provides best friends like Marissa and Summer, or antagonism-turned-friendship scenarios like Anna/Summer, but the gorgeous canonicalness of Marissa/Alex.

In other fandoms, there was a Babysitters Club/Angel Fred/Janine crossover of much fabulousness and fractals. In Harry Potter there was sweet and angsty Hermione/Ginny, and also Hermione/Ginny sex as you have never seen it before, trust me. And for anyone familiar with Dancing At Lughnasa, you need to read incesty femmeslash that is just so perfectly in-character. Yes.

yuletide recs, most of which have already been recced to death, but here goes anyway:

A World Of Normal Girls (Bend It Like Beckham)
"...It doesn't bloody well matter what I want. I can't have anything I want. Not football, not university, and bloody well not you!" Jess/Jules. Lovely.

Growing Up (Chronicles of Narnia)
Susan and Lucy grow up. Poignant and perfect.

Just Between Us (Absolutely Fabulous)
Saffron and Patsy form an uneasy alliance of sorts. This is perfect, caputirng the characters to a T, and being just as funny as the source material.

Killer Instinct (Jonathan Creek)
His fingers were tangled in his curls, and he was looking at her with something like fondness as he asked her again if she was back in the world of the living. At times, Maddy reflected, Jonathan looked like nothing so much as a charmingly smug cherub....And sometimes he just looked like a socially maladjusted right little prat, she thought sourly. Hee hee. Brilliant.

Moving Forward (The Day After Tomorrow)
"Civilization is at a critical turning point and no one needs to witness the rebirth of cutesy romance." Post-movie, Sam/Laura, great characterisation. The world's changed, but human emotions stay the same. Excellent.

subtext (Mona Lisa Smile)
Betty/Giselle and oh my. Gorgeousness.

Turning Forty (Four Weddings and a Funeral)
Gareth/Matthew fic. Squee!

Superficial (RPF - HIGNFY)
Much, much love for this. What I said at the time: "Black silk boxers! And the music and Angus only associating it with seduction, and Paul flirting with Angus and, the not talking, and the mannerism-sharing, and the no sex and the table, and this just rocks. Yes. Love it. Lovelovelovelovelove." Makes little sense if you haven't read it, which is why you should.

Share or Shaft? (RPF - HIGNFY)
It is a beautiful world when yuletide produces two HIGNFY fics. This incorporates various aspects of fanon and canon and turns it into a nifty "ooooh!" story. Eeee. Much love. "But I'll have a go. Parrots?"

Also, there's the HIGNFY Secret Slasha stories, which are all wonderful. :D

Finally, non-ficathon related: In The Genes by celeria (Harry Potter)
A nifty response to a bit of additional canon. Very effective.

Experiment (Harry Potter) by anna_maria
Pansy/Parvati. Parvati has her own idea of what it should be like with a girl, and Pansy is not at all what she imagined - but it doesn't mean that the more unpleasant reality doesn't turn her on. R.

Epiphany by switchknife (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Picard has never been good with children. Picard and Wesley, and it's just so perfect. Oh yes.

Through The Bottom Of An Empty Glass by elfinessy (Black Books)
Bernard/Manny, told from three different points of view. Fran: I like Manny. He'll make someone a really good husband one day. Bernard, probably. Makes me happy, so it does. There's suggestive carrot-peeling, too.

Implosion of the Time-Space Continuum by randominity (Harry Potter/RPS)
The pairing is Daniel Radcliffe/Harry Potter. I don't think I need to say any more. :)

Hair by ticca (Harry Potter)
A Lily/Narcissa drabble that is just perfect.

Hot As An Oven by musesfool (Harry Potter)
Remus and Sirius bake a cake. And have sex. And take my breath away just by kissing. Guh.

Letters With Lockhart by isiscolo (Harry Potter)
Snape/Lockhart. This shouldn't work quite as well as it does. It is brilliant. Physical features do not affect me, as I am attracted to intellect and ability, not to mere form. It is your letters that excite every part of me.

History Fell in the Heart Broke Open
by alibi_factory (Harry Potter/RPS)
I don't think I recced this when I first came across it, tut tut. Umbridge/Margaret Thatcher. Yes, you read that right.

Hallo Spaceboy by thieving_gypsy (HP)
Part of the Fairy Boys series. Once upon a Thursday morning, Peter Pettigrew had a sexuality crisis. It features the following line - Whoops, sorry I knocked the table over with my PENIS! What more do you need to know?

Growing Up by celeria (HP)
Sirius/Remus/Harry. Threesome. Sex. Hot hot boy sex. Also, wonderful characterisations. But mostly hot hot boy sex.

One Can Survive Everything, Nowadays by siriaeve (RPF)
Fic featuring Oscar Wilde and Johnny Depp. Need I say anymore?

Ticket Machine by diceandzombies (Harry Potter)
Stan Shunpike fic. Excellent.

Multiple Choice Questions by Netgirl (Harry Potter)
Hermione loves the multiple-choice portion of exams. Her mind instantly recognizes the right answer and ignores any trick answers or half-truths her professors have slipped in to trip their students up. Poignant but true.

A Pornish Storybook by nimori (Harry Potter)
Art and fic, a lovely story about Harry and Sirius. I say "lovely" and mean "sweet" and "adorable" but it's also rather porny as well, I should probably mention. It will make you go "guh", it really will.