Fandom: ALIAS
Pairing: Lauren Reed/Julia Thorne (Sydney Bristow)
Author on LJ: melymbrosia
Author’s Website: inauthentic prototype
Why this must be read:

melymbrosia always writes such *intelligent* fiction, and this story is no exception. While a simple story on the surface--a meeting between Lauren Reed and one of Julia Thorne’s aliases--it is rich with characterization.

Most of all, I like Melymbrosia’s Lauren. I grew to love Lauren over the course of season three, but she rarely treated sympathetically in fanfic (or even, for that matter, in canon). “Another Girl’s Paradise” captures both sides of Lauren: the vulnerable and uncertain woman, and the hard, professional agent.

She hesitates, just barely, before lowering her head to Lauren's belly and giving her bellybutton a very delicate and tentative lick, and Lauren knows with a rush of triumph that whatever else Sydney's done, she hasn't done *this*, she hasn't gone down on a woman before, this is something Lauren knows and Sydney doesn't. It's the thrill of that and not Sydney's tongue that makes her hips buck and her thighs part.

Sydney kisses her belly again, and Lauren twists her hands in Sydney's hair and pulls just enough to sting. "No, darling. Not there. *Lower*."

Sydney's hands tighten on her thighs, and she raises her head and glares at Lauren with naked dislike. Her cheeks are flushed, but not with arousal, and her lipstick isn't even mussed yet.

Another Girl’s Paradise

Fandom: ALIAS
Pairing: Lauren Reed/Julia Thorne (Sydney Bristow)
Author on LJ: yalena78
Author’s Website: Unknown
Why this must be read:

The femslash04 challenge provided a treasure-trove of well-written femslash, for which I am incredibly grateful--especially as there would be even less well-written Lauren fics without this community.

This is still very much *Sydney’s* story: we are drawn into her confusion and uncertainty as Sydney begins to remember her time as Julia Thorne. . . and Lauren. “The Art of Driving” manages to convey Sydney’s emotional state clearly, without veering into melodrama.

She folds up the dreams into a thousand tiny squares, forgets them, goes on with her day.

This routine goes on for weeks.

Then, one night, the view changes. One face becomes clearer than any of the others. The lights come up and Julia hears her own name being whispered like an incantation, as if she is being summoned by someone who understands how to manipulate the will of the gods. Sickly-sweet lipstick presses into her tongue, or perhaps it's the other way around; she tries to locate the familiar taste of skin beneath this artificial surface. She succeeds only in drawing blood as the other woman finds her own success, fingers expertly dancing routines her own are only now learning.

"Julia," the blonde sighs, afterward.

"Lauren," Julia mutters.

Sydney wakes up in a cold sweat.

The Art of Driving

Hi, I’m merelyn and I’m going to be your Harry Potter reccer for the month of July. Just to let everyone know what to expect, I’m a hardcore slasher (though there might be a few gen fics). If you’re looking for Harry/Draco or Remus/Sirius, ya ain’t gonna get it from me (though my sister will probably force me to rec a Snape/Harry fic for her). One of the things I love about Harry Potter is that because there are sooo many characters to work with and because the fandom is so big, you can find a story out there pairing almost any two people you can think of, and what’s more, it will probably be well-written. That said, I plan on using this month to pimp some of the slightly lesser-known pairings that are close to my heart, in the shameless hopes of converting as many as possible. *evil grin*

In that spirit….

Fandom: HARRY POTTER
Pairing: Percy/Oliver
Author on LJ: macteague
Author Website: Breagerey
Why this must be read:

Percy/Oliver is, for the most part, a pairing that is cute and fluffy and pre-OoTP. They have a very Odd Couple dynamic, with fanon!Percy being softened from the prat he comes off as in the books to an adorably stuffy, insecure dork. Oliver’s characterization is something that can be taken in many directions, since JKR doesn’t give us much to work with besides a massive Quidditch obsession.

The premise of this fic is that Bill and Charlie are at the Burrow for Christmas, and Molly strong-arms them into doing something with Percy, who is supposedly crushed by his recent breakup with Penny (Percy's canon girlfriend in Chamber of Secrets and Prisoner of Azkaban who then thankfully proceeds to drop off the face of the earth).

Bill and Charlie’s brilliant plan to get Percy to open up and discuss his heartbreak?

Take Percy to a club and get him really really drunk. Yeah. Good thinking, guys.

( Excerpt )

If you’re in the mood for something cute and warm and funny (or if you, like me, have a deep seated love for drunk!Percy) read this now. The characterization of all the Weasleys is excellent and even the peripheral original characters feel like people instead of cardboard cut-outs or Mary Sues. All in all, a very satisfying read.

Dancing
Dancing 2: Christmas
Dancing 3: Back to Work

Oh, and if you like this fic, you should go to Teague's website and read all of her fics, which are mostly Percy/Oliver and all very good. :)

Fandom: BUFFY: THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
Pairing: Willow/Tara
Author on LJ: hth_the_first/bettyp
Author Website: hth
Why this must be read: When Willow got herself a girlfriend a thousand fannish hearts were stolen (so to speak) and a huge subsection of Buffy fandom was formed. Both fans and non-fans of the pairing, however, often complained that so much of their developing relationship happened offscreen, a gap this fic rectifies.

This story captures the inherent sweetness of the pairing without ever veering into schmoopiness. Its strength lies in its realism and its ability to capture the everyday, the regular routines of life and the way they intersect with love. In such a mythical, mystical universe it's easy to forget the ordinary aspects of these character's lives but here Hth does them justice alongside the more fantastic elements of witchcraft and life in Sunnydale. The framing mechanism of the moon's phases is lovely and exactly perfect for this pairing. The Tara voice is just wonderful, perceptive and uncertain, and her observations on Willow are dead-on, painting an impressively in-character picture of her, of them both. This is worth a look even if you're not a huge W/T fan. It's just exactly the kind of love story that slips into canon perfectly and fills a craving you didn't know you had.

Twenty-Eight Days

It's time for... twofer Shirley! *g*

Fandom: OZ
Pairing:  none. Shirley Bellinger
Author on LJ: cheights
Author Website: www.geocities.com/catheights
Why this must be read:

There haven't been that many stories written about OZ's only female inmate, but fortunately, a couple of the ones that are out there are real goodies.

The sequence that opens "The Devil Made Me Do It" is genuinely chilling. I told Cat in my initial feedback to her that I read it with my hand clamped over my mouth. And the vivid, hallucinogenic imagery fits perfectly with Shirley Bellinger's crazy, fucked up Southern Gothic persona:

"When the ash cleared, she saw a white car. A noose, tied to a beautiful tree, dangled over its hood. She smiled and climbed onto the car. Today was her day to do the dance of death. After patting down her hair, she grabbed the rope and paused. Something wasn't quite right. Where was the music? Of course, the car radio needed to be on. You couldn't do a dance of death without music."

The Devil Made Me Do It

(And can I just make an aside to note that the first three stories I've recced this month have all been products of the OZ Lyric Wheel? So let's swerve over to maverick4oz's place and give her a smooch for keeping that wheel spinning. ::smooch::)

Fandom: OZ
Pairing:  none. Shirley Bellinger
Author on LJ: ardent_muses
Author Website: http://ardent.mrks.org/
Why this must be read:

When I needed to round out the content for the Institutionalized e-zine, I did what any self respecting OZ fan would do: I strong-armed my friends into contributing! *g* And boy did Ardent ever come through, with this beautifully crafted character study of Shirley Bellinger.

Shirley's memories and observations in "Outsmarting Them" offer her reliable/unreliable perspective on the sad history of her fucked up life. The deceptively simple progression builds piece by piece, all coming together in a powerful and disturbing conclusion.

"My mama said it, and now I’m telling you.

They only want one thing from you.

They just want to fuck you. That's all they want. It's all they ever want.

I learned that from my mama. I remember standing in the kitchen after her birthday party. All the guests were gone. Everybody was gone. It was past my bedtime but she didn't scold me.

I remember she was holding that pretty dish towel, the one with the rose buds, up to her sweet, swollen face. The blood from her nose dyed the cloth pink and then red. She talked to me.

That wasn't the only time, but that was the time I remember.

I was seven years old."

*******************************************

Another one that might well leave you with your hand over your mouth. Shirley has that effect. *g*


Outsmarting Them

Hi there, ladies and gents. I'm trollprincess, and I'll be handling the X-Men Movieverse recs for July. I tend to have a soft spot for the more humorous fics and the students at the school, so this month you're going to see mostly comedy and recs with the kids.

Fandom: X-MEN MOVIEVERSE
Pairing: None
Author on LJ: Not that I can find.
Author Website: Dyce's Corner

Why this must be read: When I hit the memories and couldn't find this story (and its equally entertaining sequel, Slavery, Deliverance, and Faith), it was one of the main reasons I signed up to rec the Movieverse for July. The Godless Among Them features quite possibly my favorite original character, Annie Creed, Sabretooth's daughter and the poster child for ADD. This is one of those stories I go back every once in a while and reread, both for the quality comedy and the spot-on characterization.

( A tidbit for your amusement )

The Godless Among Them

Fandom: STAR TREK: VOYAGER
Pairing: Paris/?
Author on LJ: killabeez
Author Website: Killa's Adventures in Melodrama
Why this must be read:

If you've read any Star Trek slash fiction, then you've probably read this one since it's a classic. Killa's writing is always skillful and her sex scenes hot, but it's the revelation in this one that makes it memorable.

( Want to know more? )

Ghost in the Machine

(Star Trek was probably my first fandom - or at least it was a close second to Doctor Who - and I watched it from the original series. When I came online, it was the first fanfic I read, and where I discovered what slash meant. My favourite series to watch was Deep Space Nine, but I like reading in all the series, so this will probably be an odd mixture of recs!)