Fandom:HARRY POTTER
Pairing: Gen
Author on LJ: stellamaru
Author Website: Shiny New Thing
Why this must be read: This is a wonderful character study that gives an interesting spin on Lily and Petunia's childhood and taking the little known facts weaves a believable backstory between the two sisters. A short fic. Quite touching and a lovely read.

Summary - When Lily was eleven, she received a letter. A beautiful letter written in dark green ink on thick, yellow paper. It said she was special. No letter every arrived for Petunia.

Mother's Blood

Living Arrangements by Afrai (links to warning page)
Fandom: Good Omens
Author on lj: afrai
Author website: Musical comedies without the music

Why this must be read: because Afrai writes Aziraphale's change from angel to human so well. There's no momentous change, just small discoveries about what it's like to be properly human: the little things like rooms being too cold, clothes not fitting properly, having to use the lavatory and breathing. Aziraphale realises straight away that one day he is going to die but Crowley never realises this very simple truth until it's too late.

Crowley, as befits his character in the book, in serious denial over the whole thing and amazingly it's both funny and terribly sad to see him try and work out why he keeps worrying about Aziraphale's new human frailties and why eventually he asks him to move in with him. By the end of the story Crowley has a perfect insight into human grief.

Fandom: SMALLVILLE
Pairing: Clark/Lex
Author on LJ: rosenho
Author Website: Secrets and Lies

Why This Must be Read:

Joining him, Clark picked a cue at random and started chalking it. He didn't know why he chalked it, except that's what people in movies did, and he liked that the blue dust that filtered down from the cube smelled sweet and hot. Leaning against the wall, Clark tilted his head toward Lex. "We could have played pool at home."

This is of my very favorite Smallville stories. Hope does a wonderful job with the tone; the story succeeds in balancing hilarity and sexiness throughout.

The story is quite hot and it makes me laugh out loud, but there's more to it than that. (Though, do you really need more than that? *g*) It is filled with rich, sensual descriptions, snappy dialogue and spot-on characterizations.

It's brillant in every way, and I can't say enough good things about it, but I should stop blathering and let you all get to the good stuff. Without further ado : Red Seven.

[BTW...Hi! My name is Jenna Lynn and in case you hadn't figured it out, I am the Smallville fandom pimp o' the month for December. I plan to bring you a wide variety of story recs this month (slash, gen and het), though I must confess that my primary interest in the fandom is Clark/Lex slash. Thanks for letting me play.]

Fandom: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Pairing: Picard/m
Author on LJ: (n/a, as far as I know)
Author Website: http://members.tripod.com/~Varoneeka/anon.htm

Why this must be read:
It's been a long, long time since I read TNG fic. Almost ten years! So it's been quite an adventure to seek out new fic to rec on the 'net, and I thought I might start with one of my favorite pairings.

TNG fen know that Picard's always been wound just a little too tight. He's the consumate Captain - almost always in control, always restrained, and never too emotional. He needs to let his hair down more often, so to speak. And there are only a few beings in the known universe that really get under his skin.

In this story, the new Enterprise (post Generations) is the first ship on the scene of a new anomaly. The descriptions of this most curious phenomenon are amazing and wonderful, and they seem to have a strange connection to Picard's suddenly extraordinary dreams. Dreams he can't remember upon waking. Dreams that result in the most astonishing feelings of contentment and wonder, which should sound all kinds of internal alarms for our stalwart Captain. But he feels so good, so loved when he wakes from these dreams that he can't see them as threatening.

Even if they're making him change the sheets twice a night. *G*

It's a wonderful journey for the good Captain. A long, slow, gentle and remarkable seduction that's full of hope, love, and really remarkable, spine tingling, mind blowing sex.

Escher Dreams be found the author's website, and also at the Trekverse archive in plain text form here:
Part One | Part Two | Part Three