Pretty Good Year by Mary Borsellino (G - PG-15)

[casapazzo.livejournal.com]

For folks who have read the books, or in other ways know the end of RotK, I'm going to make a few post-LotR recommendations as my last few recs for October. The descriptions/"why this must be read" will be cut-tagged to spare those not in the know.

Pretty Good Year by Mary Borsellino
A Series of stories - ratings vary from G to PG-15. Only one piece, "Wind and Rain" possibly qualifies as an R, though that depends on your personal preference.

Fandom: Lord of the Rings
Pairing: Sam/Rosie, Sam/Frodo, Rosie/Frodo, Sam/Rosie/Frodo

author's webpage: Ink Stigmata
author on LJ: monkeycrackmary

Why this must be read:
Tolkien told us you don't come back from war unchanged. Sam and Frodo came back, but things were never really the same. Here Mary fills in the year that Frodo spent at Bag End, as Sam helped put the Shire back together, and tried to put Frodo back together, too. She has a good feel for the hobbits, the common sense practicality of their language and attitudes, and the rhythms of day-to-day life. She knows that you can love more than one person at a time, that love can heal some things, but not all, and that in the end, sometimes you can't go home again.
Pretty Good Year is lovely and bittersweet, like the end of LotR itself.

Comments

[sharpest_rose.livejournal.com]

*cough, footshuffle* I would have said Frodo/Rosie was a pairing in the story too, if it were me. Uh. Yep. Thanks for the rec.

[casapazzo.livejournal.com]

was afraid I might be leaving something out - thanks for the catch.