Fandom: MARVEL COMICS
Pairing: Matt Murdock & Foggy Nelson (gen or bring-your-own-slash-goggles)
Length: ~3,500
Author on LJ: tartanshell
Author Website: list of tartanshell's fics on lj
Why this must be read:

Daredevil fic is a sadly rare comodity, and really good fic about Foggy Nelson, Matt Murdock's law partner and closest friend, is ever rarer. Lucikly, what little we have tends to be very good indeed. Never Rained Like it Has Tonight is probably my all-time favorite piece of Daredevil fic, a series of little snapshots that provide glimpses into Foggy's life and his relationship with Matt, several of which (like the t-shirt bit) have become part of my personal canon.

Never Rained like It Has Tonight (Or, Twenty Things about Nelson & Murdock, Attorneys at Law)

Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
Pairing: Adama/Roslin
Length: 2300 words
Author on LJ:leiascully 
Author Website: BSG fic tag
Why this must be read: I absolutely knew that I wanted to rec something by leiascully, because she's one of my all-time favorite fic writers, but I had a difficult time choosing one story by her. She does everything well--humor, smut, angst, fluff. She writes a variety of pairings: Adama/Roslin, Kara/Sam, Chief/Tory and all manner of femslash. How to choose among such a wealth of goodness?

After tearing my hair out for a few days, I chose this story. Why? Because, first of all, one of the elements I loved best in BSG was Adama reading aloud to Roslin. There was something so intimate and beautiful about his reading to her comfort her during chemotherapy. In this story, Bill reads The French Lieutenant's Woman to Laura and, well, things go on from there... But this story is about much more than raw smut. It's about committment, the meeting of two lively minds, and the enduring nature love. The characterization is brilliant and the banter is right on.

( He could forget she was sick, times like these, when she was giggling on his chest, only her bare head a reminder. )

The Caprican Admiral's Woman

Fandom: DUE SOUTH
Pairing: Vecchio/Kowalski
Length: 1000 words
Author on LJ: isiscolo
Author Website:Heiroglyfics
Why this must be read: Because Ray and Ray could quite conceivably end up being the only people who understand Ray and Ray. Because sometimes, the simple answers are best. Because Isis always, always writes so very tidily. Because this story is more satisfactory in its implications than lesser ones in paragraphs worth of detail.

The door swings open, and the Rays, Vecchio and Kowalski, slope into the diner, brushing the snow from their jackets, squinting in the sudden bright light. They stumble to a booth, plant their butts on the lurid red vinyl cushions. The waitress knows enough to bring over the coffee pot first thing.

"So," says Kowalski. He dumps sugar after sugar into his coffee mechanically, without looking, his fingers operating seemingly on their own: take a packet, rip the corner, tilt it in. Lather, rinse, repeat.

"So," echoes Vecchio.

Diner

I'm simplytoopretty and I'll be your XF driver for this month. Hopefully it won't be a bumpy ride.

Fandom: THE X-FILES
Pairing: None (gen)
Length: short (one-shot)
Author on LJ: bravenewcentury
Author Website: penways
Why this must be read:

I have a love for fics like this, that focus on moments. The summary of this story is Every journey is just a series of moments which really is what this story is all about and it does it wonderfully. It's set in the early in the show, which isn't something a time period writers these days in the fandom seem to focus on. It has that early season banter between Mulder and Scully, a banter that's not so simple to capture effectively. This is just a nice short story.

And Miles To Go Before I Sleep

Fandom: HARRY POTTER
Pairing: Harry Potter/Tom Riddle, Harry Potter/Severus Snape, Harry/Snape/Tom
Length: ~41,000
Author on LJ: maeglinyedi (though she hasn't posted since 2007)
Author Website: Skyehawke (In the few weeks since I saved the link, Maeglin's website on slashcity.net has vanished)
Why this must be read:
So many reasons. The plot is mesmerizing. The mindfuck is exquisite. It's a kind of horror story and dark comedy combined, deftly written, with an unstoppable logic and momentum and plenty of room for appalled amusement at our hero's expense. The fic takes Riddle's charm and brilliance far more seriously than the series ever did, and shows what would happen if someone as naive as Harry really were to try pitting his own inexperienced wits against such a charismatic psychopath. The depiction of Riddle is fascinating, persuasive, impressive. Also weirdly appealing.

But for me the fic's most astonishing achievement is how utterly in character Harry is. His downfall is a direct result of certain qualities that are indulged in canon, even applauded: his rashness, his habit of assuming that whatever action he takes is right, his refusal to confide in adults, his total inability to plan ahead or consider the consequences. This fic is essentially a chronicle of the corruption of innocence. Excuse me, I'm going to quote from my own original comment: "…so endearing, so sympathetic, and yet so myopic about all the most important things… He never does quite twig to how he made it all possible. We know that he's being seduced and played for a fool, but he never once stops to realize. And it's scary to note that, despite all his good intentions, he has no moral compass, no way back… it's really a tale, in terms both literal and metaphorical, of how a decent, loving boy can lose his soul and become a monster."

The conversations between Tom, trapped in a locket, and Harry, who thinks he's pulled a fast one and passed himself off as Voldemort's supporter, are witty, tense, hypnotic, and snort-worthy. And the insidious quality of Tom's charm is palpable, affecting not only Harry but the reader as well.

Snape plays a secondary part here, but he's vivid and dark and morally elusive, the sort of version I've always favored, a Snape who, when push comes to shove, turns out to be first and foremost on his own side. As far as the contest between good and evil goes, well, things take a somewhat different turn than they do in the books, and yet Maeglin manages a happy ending of sorts. A disarming, disturbing, and conscience-free happy ending, and that may be the most alarming thing of all.

I could go on praising the intricacy and sly characterization and sheer creepy genius of the concept, but instead I'll simply urge you all to go read it now.

( But first, a taste. )

The Soul Adores

Vidder: 8bulletproof8
Musical artist: Placebo
Pairing: Doctor/Master (Five/Ainley, Ten/Simm)
Vidder on LJ: boxoftricks
Vidder's website: YouTube profile
Why this vid kicks ass: This vidder makes great use of these slow, lingering pans that just accentuate the UST like whoa. They also do an excellent job of matching the footage from both eras, emphasizing the long, cyclical history these two have together.

Every Me, Every You