Fandom: DUE SOUTH
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski, Fraser/m, Kowalski/m
Author on LJ: dsudis
Author Website: Words Words Words
Warnings: Character deaths outside the pairing.
Why this must be read:

The author summarizes this whopping 1,152k AU fic as “18 sex scenes strung together with angst and hockey,” then warns, “Management is not responsible for lost sleep or productivity. No lifeguards on duty. Read at own risk.”

I’m awed by the amount of work Dira put into this story. For the benefit of people like yours truly whose knowledge of the sport is nil, she’s written a detailed and entertaining “Hockey Primer.” (Even if you know the sport you should still it check out, if only for the pictures of players losing their jerseys while fighting.) Furthermore, the story itself is footnoted, so you can find out what the Quebecois means, see why Fraser would appear to be a likely candidate for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, and read about the hair-raising auto accident involving real-life hockey players that inspired part of the story.

But I’m not recommending this because it’s educational; I’m reccing it because it’s a smart, sad, hot, suspenseful, funny, satisfying read. Dira has taken the characters we love and placed them in a new context, preserving their personalities even as she rewrites their pasts. Several key events from the series have been worked in, some with fiendishly clever twists. And while I’m not a professional athlete, I think Dira’s done a hell of a job imagining what it’s like: the claustrophobia and camaraderie of life on the road, the good and bad sportsmanship, the pains and joys of playing a game for a living.

Can a hometown boy with wrecked hands and a short fuse, and a guy from the Arctic Circle who’s considered a great player but a poor teammate, lead the Chicago Blackhawks to victory, solve a murder, and find true love? Read and see.

Hawks and Hands—This link will take you to the Home of the Hockey Fic, from which one can reach the primer, various prequels, and the story itself.

Fandom: BTVS
Pairing: None, but there's enough slashiness that I wouldn't call this gen
Author on LJ: maryavatar
Author Website: Amused and Abused

Why this must be read:
Here's another story for the Andrew fans out there, and all the Anya lovers. (I admit it took a while for her to grow on me.) My main reason for choosing this one is that it makes me laugh, and laughter is the complement to the darkness in the Buffyverse. Also, that last story I rec'd ended on a serious, darkish note, so I wanted to make you smile.

Spirit Guide

Fandom: HARD CORE LOGO
Pairing: Billy/Joe
Author on LJ: debchan
Author Website: http://debchan.com/index.html
Why this must be read:

I like AU's. In particular, I like well-plotted AU's that are just a step or two away from canon, or there's a reason that the author took the story in a different direction--a reason more than wanting to see the characters in period costume, or rewriting the death of a character to make a happy ending, that is. (Sure, it's all well and good to write a Buffy fic where Tara didn't die, but how does that change the Buffyverse? It's going to have a major effect, that's for sure.) It therefore follows that I'm also fascinated by the "five things that didn't happen/aren't true" format. Debchan gives us a fascinating little glimpse into five different alternate HCL realities.

"So, Billy how do you feel about Joe leaving the band?"

Five Things That Aren't True

Title: Stardust
Fandom: Stargate SG 1/NCIS
Pairing: Daniel/Other UST, J/D UST, Tony/Gibbs UST
Author On LJ: I don't know, I did a search on the username but...
Author Website: Kikki's Multi-Fandom Fiction
Why This Must Be Read:

For slash fans? It's got some great themes and undertones. For gen fans? It has a fantastic storyline, some spot on characterizations, and if there was ever going to be a NCIS/SG1 crossover? This is the way to do it. If you're looking for equal opportunity representation from characters the story does lean more toward the NCIS side than the SG1 side but make no mistake. This is very much a story set within the SG1 world. It's an outsider looking in without the information, without the understanding and without a lot of the support the SGC depends on. To tell you too much ruins the fun but let's just say we get a fantastic look at Daniel and the after affects of his ascenscion/descension.

Stardust

Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing (threesome, in this case): Harry/Ron/Hermione
Author on LJ: rhoddlet
Author Website: http://joyce.jteers.net/rhoddlet
Why this must be read:

Harry Potter's a very good fandom for post-war fics, and fics where the war's happening somewhere else, a crucial, scary backdrop to the small stage of the fic. It's a fandom that gives rise to shivery little fics like this - but few writers do it as well as Rhoddlet, get just the right mixture of prickly fear and erotic comfort and subtle clues about the horrors happening elsewhere.

Link