(I'm sorry the fandom overview is taking so long. I hope I can post it tomorrow.)

Fandom: WHITE COLLAR
Pairing: gen (the author tagged it as gen. There's a slight hint towards a future possibility of Neal/Peter/El in there, though)
Length: 4,500 words
Author on LJ: pickyourmark
Author Website: AO3
Author's Summary: A blizzard traps the White Collar team at Peter and Elizabeth's place. The good news: everyone's safe, warm, and well fed. The bad news? Neal's spiking a fever, and in this weather there's no way he's getting to a hospital...

Why this must be read:

Another great h/c piece. Neal!whump (as the summary might have tipped you off). Blizzard fic to go along with the season. Features feverish!Neal hallucinating that paintings come alive (personally, I love artist!Neal and these kinds of hallucinations are my favorite). Also, Dali's elephants really are creepy.

( Excerpt )

The Weather Outside Is Frightful

Hey there, sorry to be kicking things off a little later than I'd hoped. This is Lyr, whom you may remember as a frequent driver of the Jossverse vans up until a year or so back. For those who do not, let me recap: I read across the gen, slash, femslash, and het spectrum, and I like to include a little of each in my recs so that there's something for everyone. I'll be driving for Firefly this month, and I'd like to kick things off with a little femslash. All aboard!

Fandom: FIREFLY
Pairing: Inara/Zoe
Length: 1,790 words
Author on LJ: little_missmimi
Author Website: just her lj
Why this must be read: I think character is the strongest point of this story. I like the way little_missmimi shows Zoe in the aftermath of losing Wash. The sense of frustrated loss and loneliness is rooted in little physical details that convey Zoe's roil of painfully confused emotion well. By contrast, Inara is portrayed with such soothing, serene imagery and detail that it seems beautifully natural when Zoe finds her comfort there. Other strengths include a good 'verse voice, and a very real, human sense of awkwardness in Zoe. Some things should not be too easy, and we would not believe them if they were.

( read an excerpt )

Love Affair

One of my favorite things about the Homestuck fandom is that there's quite a few fics that come with art (mostly thanks to the HSO). That said, today we shall look at not only one of those of fics but also Bat's favorite type of relationships to read and write: Polyamory ones! (Do not get me started on my love of the Quadrants, because YES. They support polyamory and it makes me squee like a kid in a candy store.)


Fandom: HOMESTUCK
Pairing: Jade/Kanaya/Rose
Length: 10,988 words + 4 art pieces
Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: AO3 | Tumblr
Why this must be read: Set post-game and told alternating from Jade's, Rose's, and Kanaya's POV (in that order), this explores life after the game where they all live on Earth. Kanaya in particular seems to be most affected by their new lives. Jade and Rose, whom she lives with, begin to grow concerned for her when they realize she's stopped eating and sleeping, which in turn leads the others (their friends) to do so as well. It's sweet in that aspect, but what makes this a stand out story is that it's sad and filled with a lot of real hurt. In an unspoken way, what they all thought they wanted turns out to be harder to get along with than they suspected, as well, some things are still missing. Rose and Jade attempt to help Kanaya but it's not without lots of angst and hurt/comfort. Full out depressed!Kanaya is just heartbreaking and kind of rarely ever fully explored. The author does a great job capturing the character's voices and concerns, and sprinkles it lightly with enough humor so you never feel too down by all the sad feelz, but it never takes away from the angst and depression flowing through it. Also, art included!


( Summary + Excerpt )


with the door wide open, no one can leave

Fandom: FRINGE
Pairing: Astrid Farnsworth/Peter Bishop
Length: 1,897 words
Author on LJ: nanila
Author Website: AO3
Why this must be read:

Because I'm inordinately fond of this rare pairing, and this is a great example of it. Astrid and Peter connect naturally and easily, and way thumbs up for assertive!Astrid, who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go for it. Also features Walter at his inappropriate best.

Estimation