April 18th, 2006 
11:36 am Shirriff by Cara Loup (G)
Fandom: LOTR
Pairing: if applicable, Frodo/Sam
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] caraloup
Author Website: http://bitoflight.luminousbeings.net/LightPassingBetween.htm
Why this must be read:

Cara Loup writes shimmering, detailed prose that flows like sweet water and gently conveys a three-dimensional image of the Shire. In the Light Passing Between series she explores Sam and Frodo’s homecoming from several different POVs, giving each character their own voice and their own agency. In “Shirrif” she gives us Robin Smallburrow’s journey from being a collaborationist back to grace; also, she depicts how the Shire changed during the long year of Troubles, and how it healed again afterwards, and how the hobbits of the Shire view the Travellers while those four hobbits ruefully bear that awe and try to dispel it. All of this is conveyed in an authentic, beautifully realized first person voice.

Excerpt: )

Shirrif
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01:11 pm My Name is Brian by Falstaff (PG)
Fandom: X-MEN COMICVERSE
Pairing: None
Author Website: Story found at Fonts of Wisdom
Why this must be read:

One of the things I always loved about the various X-Teams was how textured they were. People fought over the bathroom. People had to earn a living. And, sometimes, heroes fell apart for entirely non-heroic reasons. Brian Braddock's alcoholism always seemed emblematic of that to me, and Falstaff quietly captures a different kind of heroism here than the spandex-covered sort we're used to.

The legs of the metal chair scraped on the floor as the man pushed it back. He came to his feet, looking ill at ease and a little afraid. His hair was golden, framing a squared-off jaw and a truly aristocratic face. "Hello," he said in his tweedily-accented voice, "my name is Brian, and I am an alcoholic."

My Name is Brian
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01:25 pm Nes Gadol Haya Sham by Indigo (PG)
Fandom: X-MEN COMICVERSE
Pairing: None
Author Website: Story found at Fonts of Wisdom
Why this must be read:

I usually detest holiday stories, but this is one of the few I make an exception for. In keeping with the theme of unusual heroism, Kitty, Marrow and Dr. Reyes spend the holidays trying to save the world in ways that have nothing to do with their super powers.

Reyes jumped and whirled, ready to fling her mug of hot cocoa straight at the intruders. "Oh, Dios, no. No. Don't tell me. You're here because somebody swallowed a toaster or Logan's got the Swine Flu or Wings is molting, right?" Cecilia's voice was a resigned sigh, muffled behind her facepalm.

Nes Gadol Haya Sham
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01:38 pm A Friend's Sacrifice by M.K. Davis (R)
Fandom: X-MEN COMICVERSE
Pairing: None
Author Website: Story found at Fonts of Wisdom
Why this must be read:

One more story about the human side of the mutants for today. Illyana Rasputin isn't good at being just one of the girls, but she makes up for that by being willing to bear more than her teammates and being ready to have the worst thought of her. This story about her taking a hit for Rahne is one of the ones that stayed with me strongly enough over the years for me to search the entire archive so I could rec it.

A Friend's Sacrifice
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09:06 pm Forgotten Toys by Hold That Thought (NC-17)
Fandom: ANGEL
Pairing: Cordelia/Lilah
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] sallyanne
Author Website: Let It Burn
Why this must be read:

The summary is enough for me to want to read this fic. "She thinks breaking Lilah Morgan will bring back Cordelia Chase. She thinks being with you is a way to snatch back some of the past that was stolen from her. And the lingering evil that she doesn't yet understand really gets off on sadism." Doesn't that just make you want to read? Well, for some unlikely reason that it doesn't, just know that delicious Lilah voice coupled with a interesting break with canon at Your Welcome makes for more than a good read - it makes a great read. The Lilah charaterization almost makes it a character study but with strap-ons. Did I mention Marlene Dietrich references?

Forgotten Toys
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