Fandom: SHERLOCK HOLMES
Pairing: Holmes/male(s) referred to or implied
Length: 7400
Author on LJ: nlr_alicia
Author Website: a small patch of mist
Why this must be read:

If a Watson fan like me keeps reading a story in which he is barely alluded to, there must be some good reasons, and this haunting, perfect story has plenty. An original character as narrator who establishes himself as a real within a few paragraphs, evidences of a past which is all the more disturbing for the scant description we are given, and a glimmer of hope near the end, that makes the trip through the night well worth the journey. The author has recently indicated that this story is going to be the prequel to a longer work, but you can read it on its own.


( It’s what you might call a mystery of nature, but some fellows look more naked half-dressed than they do all the way stripped to the skin. )

Memory in the Skin

Fandom: SHERLOCK HOLMES
Pairing: none
Length: 18,000
Author on LJ: not that I know of
Author Website: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/1507793/Westron_Wynde
Why this must be read:

Back to ff.n, letting my eye skip past the pleas for reviews and extra author notes that the site seems to foster, in search of small gems, however imperfect... I wade through so you don't have to!


When Watson and Holmes have a minor falling out, what was meant to be an apology turns into deadly danger for both of them.

It's the villain of this piece which makes me come back to it (so I can hiss at him). Well, that and the lovely Watson angst. Westron Wynde knows where to put a chapter break, and the story leaps from cliff to cliff with a merry disregard for how late the reader is likely to stay up wanting to find out what will happen next.

( I had selected the finest single malt whisky money could buy and the peace-offering sat on my desk, waiting for the time when I could leave my practice and head over to Baker Street. )



The Case of the Assured Assassin

Fandom: STAR WARS
Pairing: Obi-Wan/Padmé/Anakin
Length: 2,501 words
Author on LJ: princess_minx
Author Website: none
Why this must be read:

This is one of those impossibly hot, extremely well-written threesome fics that actually maintains beautiful characterization and carries true emotional weight, something too often ignored in smut/sex fics. The author tells the story from Anakin's POV, and it's an effective choice precisely because of the way both relationships have had an impact on this character's development, both in canon and fanon.

Trinity

Fandom: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES
Pairing: none
Length: 4657 and 8671
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Calliopechild on ff.net

Why this must be read:

Donatello and Raphael are awesome, they really are. They're basically polar opposites. Don is the pacifist, always thinking and Raphael is the fighter, always struggling against the world and usually willing to take things at face value. But underneath that, if you're willing to poke at them long enough and put the effort into keeping them in character, they actually have a LOT in common. (Plus it's just fun to force them to put up with each other.)

Calliopechild put the effort into these stories and came up with a cute, sweet and very realistic little character piece showing that it's not smart to ignore Donatello when he tells you something – and also, that he can't resist a challenge any more than Raph can. And the sequel, while not nearly as cute, picks up the challenge from the first story and shows it through to its conclusion, while also giving us and Raph a good look at just what it means for Donnie to be the one who always has to treat the wounded.

A sharp blow shot across Raph’s head, snapping it to the side, and vague stars danced a quick little jig behind his eyes. Pain and shock wrestled for control, the respective thoughts flitting across his mind; ‘that hurt like a mother!’ was quickly followed by ‘I just got bitch-slapped by Don!’.

The Virtues of Knocking
Trial By Fire

Hiya! *waves* My name is Denyce and I'll be your SGA driver for the month. Initially I freaked, thinking I wouldn't have enough recs since I'm not as heavily into the fandom as I was when I originally signed up. Though, after checking out what was/wasn't rec’d, against my favorites--turns out I have so many recs I'm still tweaking my list. What you'll find rec'd this month are my personal slash favorites with a mix of pairings outside of the fandom dominance of McShep that are usually overlooked. Also, most fics will also be some version of first-time fic--a fav genre of mine.

Fandom: STARGATE ATLANTIS
Pairing: Rodney/Ronon
Length: 4,900 words
Author on LJ: sori1773
Author Website: http://www.sori.popullus.net/Obsessions.html
Why this must be read:
Actually I'd rec ALL of Sori's work, but I'll start with what wasn't already listed--and I still find a joy to read. Overall I simply love her Rodney around Ronon; of how she uses Ronon's stoicness to needle and match Rodney's snark. Though Tongue-Tied, is a couple of years old set in S2 it is still one of my favorites. The author's summary: It’s comforting and familiar and Rodney’s distracted by the thought that really, out of all the people on Atlantis, Ronon should probably be one of the least familiar.

A fav bit, one of many:
Rodney gestures madly to the woman behind the counter, flapping hands and mouthing words, and really, is it too much to ask that the mess hall people have the capacity to understand when he’s practically screaming, “No citrus, right? Right?” He’s about to pull out his note cared and write, die, die, like the moron that you are when Ronon elbows him hard in the side and says:

“Shut up, McKay.”


Tongue-Tied

Fandom: STARSKY & HUTCH
Pairing: None (gen)
Length: 63K
Author on LJ:  aesposito
Author Website: http://meandthee.shahrazad.net/display.php?storyid=848
Why this must be read: 

You know, for a girl who loves her m/m, I'm rec'ing a heck of a lot of gen.  That'll change soon.  For now, though, this needs to be read because it combines a gritty case with a slightly older (post SR anyway), wiser pair, whose devotion has never been stronger.  This story features a serial killer, hurt/comfort, conversations about faith, humorous banter, and the sense there will never be anyone better for either of these guys than their partner--even if the fic never steps over the line into slash.  It doesn't have to.  With all the years they've been together, at this point, Starsky and Hutch truly are like an old married couple:

"Need more cheese in these," Starsky said as we ate our eggs the next morning.

"Make 'em yourself next time," I said, knowing that he wouldn't.

"Don't know why you can't just shred a little more cheddar into them. Or maybe some ham. What are we doin' today, anyway?"

"Dunno. It's Sunday. What do people do on Sundays?"

"Church?"

"Ha ha," I snorted. "God would have a heart attack if I showed up in church." 18 years of Sunday mornings at the First Lutheran Church of Duluth flashed through my head in an instant. "And what would your mother say?"

He smiled. "She would say you've corrupted me. Which isn't too far from the truth, now that I think about it..."

No Dominion

 

Fandom: DUE SOUTH
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski/Vecchio
Length: Around 6,000 words
Authors on LJ: justbreathe80 and j_s_cavalcante
Author Website: justbreathe80's website and j_s_cavalcante's due South fic
Why this must be read:

Because it's got snark, porn, and pure affection, and mostly porn. What more could you ask for on a hot Saturday night? I guess you could ask for really compelling, endearing Kowalski-voice - the kind of writing that puts you right in the character's shoes. And the authors give us that. Plus they get points for striking that balance - so difficult to achieve when writing threesomes, not to mention threesomes where two of the characters have the same name - between overusing each character's name and using so many pronouns it's confusing.

Solving Ray