Some SPN J2 Big Bang Recs for June
I have several stories set aside to read at a future date, but I've read some great stuff already, so I thought I'd just put up some recs…basically, The Road So Far for June, with a decidedly J2 bias. I'm a multi-shipper in spirit but I rarely achieve anything beyond "J2 --- Oh, nom nom nom" in reality. So, fair warning.
The Idle Job by kelleigh
Texas Ranger!Jensen and Doctor Jared in a wonderful AU U.S. This story has a wonderful sense of place and the AU U.S. added an interesting dimension to the story. Action's hard to write, at least for me, so I really admire how crisp and clear the action sequences are. And finally, Jensen's wonderful in this. He's cranky, and sexy and manly, and protective of Jared. And I adore him.
Also, check out the wonderful art by amindaya. I don't know art but I know what I like and this is fabulous.
Aiming to Shoot You Down by mistyzeo
This story has a great set-up with Jared and Jensen working different shifts (Jared the cop who's been shot and Jensen the night duty nurse). It's a natural and realistic issue that underlies their relationship development. Jared's a wonderfully blatant flirt - the banter is super-fun and the sex is yummmmmy.
This Long Silence by dugindeep
Jensen's a small-town sheriff, secretly involved with his neighbor, Jared. Things go awry when something spreads through the town, making otherwise upstanding citizens dangerous. This story has a great sense of escalating danger, and that plays out very well. But the thing that drew me in was the way Jared and Jensen's relationship was presented, in easy, languid scenes where they largely hang out and only have eyes for each other. For Jensen, it's like a post-apocalyptic coming-out story in some ways and I very much approve of that.
Don't Hide Your Light by madame_meretrix
This one is a really lovely character study of Jensen coming to terms with his sexuality, and how he relates to Jared - who's flamboyant (but not stereotyped) and very comfortable with his own homosexuality from a young age. I like the journey from their shared childhood in Texas to their life in New York. It's also a great friends become lovers journey, which is a real soft spot for me. Great, sensitive writing.
According to You, Accordion to Me by akadougal
Award for inspired use of the Accordion! Kind of quirky, with a nice build-up to the J2 relationship. Good use of secondary characters to build the world and I cheered when the boys finally pulled themselves together.
You Be the Prom Queen, I'll Be the Malcontent by longsufferingly
Jared's trying to struggle through on his own (+ an awesome roommate in Misha) after his family disowns him. He's working construction and going to Community College at night in Boston. And he's just…absolutely wonderful. A totally heartbreaking and lovable character in this. His relationship with Jensen - the hottie he sees passing by the work site and in the coffee shop - is fun and flirty, and everything this reader wanted for Jared. Chad and Misha are fabulous and very distinctive characters as well.
Look, something that's not strictly J2!
A Strong Confederate (In My Bold Design) by obstinatrix
Delicious Jared/Jensen/Misha threesome fic where all of the characters are really well-served. The opening scene was great and dropped me right into the existing friendship that's so important to the development of all three characters, both as individuals and as a nice little "friend unit" that convincingly makes a believable transition into a functional three-way relationship. I had moments of genuine sadness for all of the characters, who seemed willing to settle until it occurred to them that they could be together and have it all (thanks to Misha's unconventional thinking). I laughed out loud at the Doris and Rock dream house and the sex is super hotsauce.
Check out the art by ordinaryink, too. It's glorious!
I have a few more J2s still to be read and a few S/D fics that I'm really really really looking forward to getting to (cheri_morte! britomart_is! sonofabiscuit77! and more). So maybe I'll do another rec-post before July is up to include some of them. Though, to be fair, I think everybody on my rec list is pretty well-established and doesn't need my help so the whole thing is mostly self-indulgent.
And there's still so much more to come. It's an embarrassment of riches.
The Idle Job by kelleigh
Texas Ranger!Jensen and Doctor Jared in a wonderful AU U.S. This story has a wonderful sense of place and the AU U.S. added an interesting dimension to the story. Action's hard to write, at least for me, so I really admire how crisp and clear the action sequences are. And finally, Jensen's wonderful in this. He's cranky, and sexy and manly, and protective of Jared. And I adore him.
Also, check out the wonderful art by amindaya. I don't know art but I know what I like and this is fabulous.
Aiming to Shoot You Down by mistyzeo
This story has a great set-up with Jared and Jensen working different shifts (Jared the cop who's been shot and Jensen the night duty nurse). It's a natural and realistic issue that underlies their relationship development. Jared's a wonderfully blatant flirt - the banter is super-fun and the sex is yummmmmy.
This Long Silence by dugindeep
Jensen's a small-town sheriff, secretly involved with his neighbor, Jared. Things go awry when something spreads through the town, making otherwise upstanding citizens dangerous. This story has a great sense of escalating danger, and that plays out very well. But the thing that drew me in was the way Jared and Jensen's relationship was presented, in easy, languid scenes where they largely hang out and only have eyes for each other. For Jensen, it's like a post-apocalyptic coming-out story in some ways and I very much approve of that.
Don't Hide Your Light by madame_meretrix
This one is a really lovely character study of Jensen coming to terms with his sexuality, and how he relates to Jared - who's flamboyant (but not stereotyped) and very comfortable with his own homosexuality from a young age. I like the journey from their shared childhood in Texas to their life in New York. It's also a great friends become lovers journey, which is a real soft spot for me. Great, sensitive writing.
According to You, Accordion to Me by akadougal
Award for inspired use of the Accordion! Kind of quirky, with a nice build-up to the J2 relationship. Good use of secondary characters to build the world and I cheered when the boys finally pulled themselves together.
You Be the Prom Queen, I'll Be the Malcontent by longsufferingly
Jared's trying to struggle through on his own (+ an awesome roommate in Misha) after his family disowns him. He's working construction and going to Community College at night in Boston. And he's just…absolutely wonderful. A totally heartbreaking and lovable character in this. His relationship with Jensen - the hottie he sees passing by the work site and in the coffee shop - is fun and flirty, and everything this reader wanted for Jared. Chad and Misha are fabulous and very distinctive characters as well.
Look, something that's not strictly J2!
A Strong Confederate (In My Bold Design) by obstinatrix
Delicious Jared/Jensen/Misha threesome fic where all of the characters are really well-served. The opening scene was great and dropped me right into the existing friendship that's so important to the development of all three characters, both as individuals and as a nice little "friend unit" that convincingly makes a believable transition into a functional three-way relationship. I had moments of genuine sadness for all of the characters, who seemed willing to settle until it occurred to them that they could be together and have it all (thanks to Misha's unconventional thinking). I laughed out loud at the Doris and Rock dream house and the sex is super hotsauce.
Check out the art by ordinaryink, too. It's glorious!
I have a few more J2s still to be read and a few S/D fics that I'm really really really looking forward to getting to (cheri_morte! britomart_is! sonofabiscuit77! and more). So maybe I'll do another rec-post before July is up to include some of them. Though, to be fair, I think everybody on my rec list is pretty well-established and doesn't need my help so the whole thing is mostly self-indulgent.
And there's still so much more to come. It's an embarrassment of riches.