Fandom: POPSLASH
Pairing: Kevin/Nick
Author on LJ: sweetrickitten
Author Website: A Wild Surmise
Why this must be read:
Nick thinks Kevin is having a mid-life crisis, and what better accessory could he have for it than a blond boytoy? This story is hilarious, and has a wonderful Kevin/Nick dynamic. And it makes me want cookies.

( quote and a picture )

Inside Out

Genre: ANGEL
Pairing: Angel/Lindsey
Author's Website: http://www.bantrim.net/
Author on LJ: brenantrim
Why this MUST be read:

As my first rec for this fandom, I have to start out with my OTP. Angel/Lindsey. (In fact, you'll probably notice that a lot of my recs feature Lindsey. He's my favorite character on the show, so I'm a bit biased. But I'll try and be sure to spread the love around some, scout's honor.)

Takes place just after the season one closer, so it's definitely a bit dated. But even so, it remains one of my favorites. Angel/Lindsey like they should be written: snarky and obstinate, with a touch of bitterness, a little respect and a whole lotta *HOT* thrown in. Mmmmm.

Plotwise, this one has plenty going for it (i.e. not just the hot sex, though it has that, too). There are plots within plots here and it works well.

And I especially enjoy the way that Brenda portrays Lindsey: never the one with the true power but always there playing every card he's got and never backing down. This Lindsey has a mind that's always working, always trying to keep himself on the winning side, even while his own heart is slowly working against him. He's deliciously complex and I just adore that in a fic!

Definitely one of my favorite Angel/Lindsey pieces, not to mention one of my favorite A:ts fics... period. :)

The One with the Power (Powerless)

Genre: ANGEL (crossover w/ BtVS)
Pairing: Lindsey/Riley
Author's Website: http://www.obsessedmuch.net
Author's LJ: obsessedmuch
Why this MUST be read:

This one's a lot different from my last rec. True, Lindsey still plays a major role, but that's really the only thing the two fics have in common. Whereas the former fic was much more action-oriented, this one is all about the relationship. It builds the trust between the two lead characters slowly and languidly, every word flowing slow like honey over your senses and slowly enchanting you until you just don't see why *everybody* isn't writing this pairing!

Lar has a real gift for these characters, giving their personalities ten times the depth they ever achieved on the shows and yet still remaining completely true to the characters that Joss created. Both Lindsey and Riley are completely fleshed out and three dimensional characters, beautifully and elegantly portrayed with the lightest of touches. Even if you're not a fan of one or both of the boys, I'd still suggest reading this series. I'd be willing to bet money that Lar could make a fan out of even the most hard core non-believers.

Lar is definitely one of my favorite writers in the BtVS/Angel fandom, and it's pieces like this that prove why. I can't reccommend this series, or this author, enough. Go and read and then email her and tell her how much you love it! Who knows? Maybe she'll be inspired to write more! :)

Rainmakers
Rainmakers II: Southwest of Nowhere
Rainmakers Interlude: Silence Like Water
Rainmakers III: Spindrift

Fandom: HARRY POTTER
Pairing: none

author's website: Marina Frants' homepage
marinarusalka

Why this must be read:

Hi there. *waves* I'll be your Harry Potter reccer for April. I'm going to start you off with an author who is well-regarded in multiple fandoms (I've rec'ed her stories for both Buffy and Highlander fandoms previously), and with good reason.

Marina has a flawless sense of character, and tends to use tight, simple plots to explore them. In this story, taking place shortly after Goblet of Fire, Snape's cover is placed in jeopardy when Sirius is captured by Lucius Malfoy, and Snape is the only one who can rescue him. But the story isn't really about that so much, as it is about Snape and Sirius - who they were, who they are now, and whether these two famously immature people have managed to grow up at all.

Though I think I like Marina's own summary of the story better: "Severus Snape threatens an owl, faces a moral quandary, and talks to a wall."

A Small Truce

Fandom: Firefly
Pairing: None, River POV
Author on LJ: shrift
Author Website: Shrift.blog

Why this must be read:

1) Shrift has a flawless ear for voices, as demonstrated by her lovely (and already re'ed) Big Damn Zombies, Sir.

2) This is a lovely and lyrical look at the crew and the journey they are on from one of the more interesting characters. If you're going to start reading Firefly fic, this is a damn good place.

3) It's another example of the good fic to come out of the lj community FF_Friday.

River dreams reality, and reality dreams her. She doesn't know which one is more quantifiable. Sometimes this matters.

It's short and sweet, with a bitter, smokey, edge. Go read.

I Have Gone Out

(Hi, my name is hossgal (leadensky) and I'll be your tour guide for Firefly recs this month. I like a wide range of different fic styles and themes, and I'm going to try to find some good ones, all not like the others. For such a young fandom, FF has some very good fic out there, and I'm delighted to have the chance to share it with you.)

Fandom: Firefly
Pairing: Inara/Other
Author on LJ: anenko
Author's Website/Email:temporary_blue at yahoo.com, Website at Nonsensical (http://www.geocities.com/northlight12/)

Why You Must Read This:

Because it is a wrenching look at one of the most difficult characters on Serenity - the sophisticated, aloof, luminous Companion Inara. Inara's not a character with a large fan base - many fans of the show have actor issues, others 'forced chemistry' issues, and some just don't find her all that interesting. Canon doesn't help us out much - Inara is not really 'one of the crew', just someone along for the business opportunity. It seems that Inara has something in her past, some story to tell, but we never got the chance to hear it.

Northlight takes the 'four things that never happened' pattern and uses it to weave fine clothes for a bare-framed theme. Here are four ways Inara left the place where she was raised, four paths that she stepped out on, on her way to Serenity, four once-upon-a-times for the lost princess.

inara has a story

Charmed Life

Genre: ANGEL
Pairing: Faith/Lindsey
Author's Website: http://www.inkstigmata.net/
Author's LJ: monkeycrackmary
Why this MUST be read:

Okay, I really, really promise that I'm gonna be moving on from the Lindsey thing soon. Really. Next rec, even. *nods multiple times* However, until then, we have this last Lindsey-ish rec. I'm trying to be an equal-opprotunity Lindsey 'shipper here and show you more than just my OTP (Lindsey/Angel). This time, we're leaving the shores of slash-dom behind and going het. Lindsey/Faith, to be exact.

Mary has crafted a long and intense series here that will hold you in its clutches from start to finish. Lindsey and Faith are both so tragic and conflicted and full of lovely angst, but they both are still fighters and they both still have that spark that the fans of their characters have come to love about them. If I ever decided to write Lindsey in a het 'ship, it would probably be Lindsey/Faith because they just work for me. They have so much in common, both having touched the darkness within without the benefit of a demon to blame their misdeeds on. And both constantly struggling to carve a life out for themselves, them seemingly against the world. I think they'd just really understand each other well.

Plus, you have to admit, the sex would be all kinds of hot! ;)

Other things to note in this fic series: excellent uses of Darla, Spike, Dawn and many others. Even though Lindsey and Faith are the centerpieces here, the supporting cast is still incredibly well written.

Crisis of Faith

Fandom: HORNBLOWER
Pairing: Horatio/Archie
Author on LJ: cortese
Author Website: Janis Cortese/Recondita Armonia/Carmen Bizet’s Fanfiction Archive
Why this must be read:
It seems to be something of an unwritten rule that every writer in this fandom who works from the Hornblower movieverse must, at some point, write a Spanish prison fic. Janis Cortese has actually written a few of them, but Time Well Spent is by far one of my favorites on this theme. The story is set during "The Duchess and the Devil" in the nebulous period between the return of Hornblower and his division to the prison of El Ferrol and their subsequent release. Horatio and Archie are once again sharing a cell, but now they are fortuitously unencumbered by any additional cell mates. As one might expect, this isolation serves to solidify their friendship and will, eventually, lead them to cross the line into the more intimate realm of lovers. But as is often the case, getting there is half the fun, and how the author charts that development is what makes this story so enjoyable.

The pacing of Time Well Spent has a kind of slow, lazy rhythm to it that underscores the lovely, languorous mood of the piece. El Ferrol is a place out of time, separate from the world around it, and there is a dreamlike quality to the story as a whole that makes it so distinctive. It is a quiet, understated story that warms the heart without falling into cloying sweetness.

Time Well Spent