Fandom: WHITE COLLAR
Pairing: Peter/Neal (Peter/Elizabeth, pre-Peter/Elizabeth/Neal)
Length: 2500 words
Author on LJ: preromantics
Author Website: Fic directory on LJ
Why this must be read: Any show where Post-It fic is nearly canon is a-o-freaking-kay with me. To call this epistolary fic would be stretching it, because it's not just about the notes that Neal leaves for Peter over the years. It's more about where Peter finds them, and how he reads them, and the things they don't say, that he (and El) see in them anyway. It's a small collection of moments and thoughts, and the difference between the ones that can be tucked away in a shoebox, and the ones that can't.

Note By Note

Fandom: A Room With a View
Pairing: George Emerson/Freddy Honeychurch
Word count: ~1500
Author on LJ: sine_que_non767 
Author website: Fics at Skyehawke

Why this must be read: Much as I like Lucy/George (which is a lot), there is something to be said for the sheer charming cuteness of George/Freddy. This short, steamy piece is both hot and delightfully-written -- do give it a try!


( An excerpt )


Interlude For Beauty

Fandom: THE SENTINEL
Pairing: gen
Length: 7170 words
Author on LJ: not known
Author Website: http://www.brothersinarmsfiction.com/
Why this must be read: - This starts off looking like a torture story that soon takes on a touch of humour.

On the face of it, this is simply a story about how the MC guys underestimate Blair, but the writer handles it all cleverly and shows how strong Blair really is - at least in his own environment.

Endurance

Fandom: STAR TREK: REBOOT
Pairing: Kirk/Spock
Length: 8,300 Words
Author on LJ:mithrigil and puella_nerdii
Author Website:
Why this must be read:

This is the Spocky-est Spock voice I've ever read. Spock mentally dissects every moment of his encounter with Kirk while trying to get him to approve his appointment as First Officer on the Enterprise. Kirk is gleefully yanking his chain because in his mind, Spock is already his First and he doesn't care about the paperwork. Their sniping turns into flirting, Jim's blatant and Spock's oblique as only Vulcan flirting can be. The flirting devolves into something else entirely because they can't stop one-upping each other.

I cannot convey how awesome this is. If you are a Spock fan, and love well done Vulcan thinky-thoughts, this story is for you.

Summary: Spock parses Krik's language, both verbal and physical.

Similar Activities

Fandom: STAR TREK: REBOOT
Pairing: McCoy/OFC, Kirk/Spock
Length: 11,798 Words
Author on LJ:screamlet
Author Website: AO3 Works Idex
Why this must be read:

While you're reading this story, laughing at the antics of Bones and Jim and Spock, at socks on the bed and electric cats, all of a sudden ANGST HAPPENS. It's not unsupported angst. The angst is the quite logical progression of events that occur because Bones frequently says thoughtless, sometimes cruel things. This time he gets checked hard for his thoughtlessness. Don't worry though, things work out, because despite what he thinks, Bones is loved.

Summary: The long-suffering Leonard McCoy tries to keep Jim and Spock from killing each other (with their love) and everything in the nightmare that is space from killing Jim, specifically. While doing this, he tries to have a bit of romance, maintain a relationship with his daughter and pretend he's actually in charge of his own sickbay. Oh, and he swears a lot and may have to kill Chekov.

The Electric Cat Planet, or, A Day in the Life of Leonard McCoy

Fandom: STAR TREK: REBOOT
Pairing: Spock!Prime, Sarek
Length: 1,781 Words
Author on LJ:
Author Website: Dreamwidth Fic
Why this must be read:

This is the recounting of a quiet conversation between two Vulcans. It should not be missed.

Summary: Sarek and Spock!Prime have a chat over a cuppa. Sarek wants to know what Prime's life was like and Spock tells him what he can about the important stuff.

The Unveiled Secret

Fandom: CRIMINAL MINDS
Pairing: Spencer Reid, gen
Length: ~50,000
Author on LJ: buffyaddict
Author Website: Check out both the Fanfiction sticky post and, as not all fics are listed, the Criminal Minds tag at buffyaddict_fic
Why this must be read:

There are many great fics that come to my mind when talking about buffyaddict, but the first one in this verse is probably The Fic I'll remember her for. Making one of the main cast character a serial criminal, one of the offenders the team hunts, is a favorite cliche of the fandom. There are different ways to do this, and two main ones: the character is canonically the same until something happens and he turns into (or seems to turn into) a bad guy; or the character has been (or seems to have been) a bad guy from the beginning.

Hopeless Son is in the first group, and one of the reasons the fic works is because the writer keeps the main character, Reid, In Character. What he does is believable, every step he takes, every plan he makes; he never forgets who he is and what he's going to lose for what he's doing. This is one of the things that I enjoy most of buffyaddict's fics: she is a very introspective storyteller, and a good part of her stories focus on what the characters are thinking, how they feel, the turmoil they are going through. It becomes more true than ever in this series of fics. Warming: secondary character's death.

Hopeless Son Part 01 | Part 02 | Part 03
Dark Side of the Moon Part 01 | Part 02
When Skies are Gray Part 01 | Part 02

I'm only planning to rec one fic or series per author, but there are other five fics by this writer that are among my all-time favorites. Therefore, I wholeheartedly recommend you to read more of her work; or to ask me for my other favorites, if you prefer.

Fandom: WHITE COLLAR
Pairing: Peter/Neal/Elizabeth
Length: 3800 words
Author on LJ: elandrialore
Author Website: Fic tag on dreamwidth
Why this must be read: This may have been the first Neal/Peter/El story I read when I stumbled into White Collar fandom. It's written with a certain optimism that really appeals to me, and I love the flow from hurt/comfort, to new relationship panic, to established relationship angst. The final payoff remains one of my favourite takes on what might happen when Neal's tracker comes off. It was written early in season one, and a lot of canon isn't mentioned, but could be slotted into the weeks that aren't mentioned.

( 'Now listen.' She stares at him until she knows that he is and says, 'This isn’t exactly the first time Neal’s been in our bed, is it?' )

Two Hundred and Eight Weeks

I had to double post today because, after saying there are two main ways to do the main-character-is-a-serial-killer on Criminal Minds fanfiction, I only gave an example for one of them. This is an example for the other, as well as kind of a classic in fandom.

Fandom: CRIMINAL MINDS
Pairing: Emily Prentiss, Aaron Hotchner, gen
Length: ~8,600
Author on LJ: shinealightonme
Author Website: Criminal Minds stories at the AO3 and sticky post at LJ
Why this must be read:

Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner is a character that canon has shown us can be broken. Unlike the story in the previous post, this story doesn't show us how the break happens, but takes us to a time after all has happened. We meet a Hotch similar to canon Hotch, one who's never been part of the BAU but who's still very recognizable. This time, the focus is not on the good-character-turned-bad but on the agent interviewing him, a rookie Emily Prentiss. Via their conversations we actually discover more about the (not present) team than about the circumstances that lead to Hotch becoming a killer, which cleverly proves that, despite never being a profiler, he will always be BAU material.

Warning: secondary character's death.

Nature of the Game

Fandom: STAR TREK: REBOOT
Pairing: Kirk/Spock
Length: 16,700 Words
Author on LJ:littlebirdtold
Author Website: LJ Fanfiction
Why this must be read:

This is an academy AU about Jim, Spock and Uhura during the course of several three-person dates, which were originally two-person dates. Of course, Jim was the one not originally invited. Strangely, Spock doesn't seem to mind. Uhura is not happy with either of them. Very funny and very hot. Enjoy!

Summary: Jim makes a bet with Bones to see if he can get Uhura to date him. He does this by crashing her clandestine dates with Spock. The dates continue but somewhere along the line the boys lose track of Uhura, because their epic bromance and lust for each other eclipses everything else.

The Third Wheel

Fandom: SUPERNATURAL
Pairing: Dean/Castiel
Length: ~ 35,422 words
Author on LJ: takadainmate
Author Website: Fic Tag on LJ
Why this must be read: A few things you will have noticed about me this month: 1) I love long stories; 2) I'm a sucker for interesting language and atmospheric stories; and 3) give me hurt/comfort and heightened attraction to one another and I'm your girl forever.

This story has all that, plus it's set in an ancient underground library with labyrinthine turns, temperamental books, and ghosts and demons darting out of the darkness to torment our heroes. It ends as it begins, in medias res, so if you're looking for clear answers or true resolution, this isn't the story for you. If you're willing to go along for the hurt/comfort ride of your life, then please proceed.

( 'Give me your tie.' )


Read the story: A Vague Memory of Wisdom

Remember to feedback the author! (This author is one of my favourites and she's just posted a 10 part story with some similar themes - if you like this one, check out her newest posted at her LJ.)