Supernatural - 10 Recs
So wow! We're a year old! I hope you guys continue to enjoy the recs and leave lots of feedback for all the authors in the next year!
Supernatural (10 Recs)
1. Ending One Minute at a Time by wheebubbles - Supernatural/Fight Club (Sam/Dean) - After Sam leaves for college, Dean discovers a new outlet for his emotions in fight clubs. The chronology gets a little confusing at points, but the Dean voice is great and the fact that he is so clueless to his own need for why he partakes in the fighting is so good. Outside, with the gravel digging into his palms and his chest heaving against the ground, he thinks he hears the bartender's voice, thinks he hears some sort of instruction. As he blacks out, he might just maybe hear something that sounds like, Slip him the address.
2. The Soundtrack of His Life by legoline - Pre-Series - Sam spends a lot of his time at Stanford avoiding any music that reminds him of home. I love the use of music, including avoiding it at all costs, as a way to work through Sam’s issues with his family. That during the anger he just wants nothing to do with it, but then there are moments when he remembers happy times too. There is a companion piece, Countdown, from Dean’s POV as well. As college goes on, Sam buys some albums. He almost picks them at random, anything that’s not Dean’s or John’s music will do. Sometimes, when anger piles up and he wishes he could smash something into the wall, ‘when he wonders how his life got this messed up, that’s when he puts on music. It blares out of the stereo, until his past drowns away in it, until he can breathe again.
3. Somewhere A Clock Is Ticking by jonny_vrm - Post Nightmare (Sam/Dean) - An AU after the end of Nightmare where Max joins Sam and Dean on the road, Dean gets possessive of Sam, and Sam gets kidnapped. The Dean voice in this story is great, making me want to laugh, throttle him, and hug the poor fool. I also like the way the author develops Max’s character and his relationship with both Sam and Dean. Great, long read (there are four parts) that I loved every second of. “Anyway, the point is,” Dean continues, “it’s supposed to be Sam and Dean, not Sam and Dean and Maxine the psycho-killer.”
4. Thankful by impertinence - Post In My Time of Dying (Sam/Dean) - Every year Sam pressures Dean to tell him what he’s thankful for on Thanksgiving and every year Dean balks at the idea, until this year. Hot and schmoopy. Is there anything that is better than hot and schmoopy? I think not. On Thanksgiving they go to McDonald's, because Dean is a jerk. They're sitting there eating Big Macs when Sam decides that he's had enough.
5. Untitled by destina - Post In My Time of Dying - This one is a gen fic with happy brother moments as the boys try to salvage a part of Thanksgiving in the aftermath of a hunt. There is a wonderful Sam voice in this piece and I love how he’s battling his guilt, but appreciating all the years of abnormal Thanksgivings he had in the past. Just like that, the smile on Dean's face vanished. Sam watched him for a moment, caught up in the realization that he had forgotten it was Thanksgiving, Which had never happened before. Even when they were apart, Sam had spared a few minutes each Thanksgiving to be thankful his family was safe out there, somewhere.
6. Dusted Kaleidoscope by pixel_0 - Post In My Time of Dying (Sam/Dean) - In the aftermath of the season premiere, Dean goes on a trip in search of something and Sam comes along, trying hard to hold onto his brother and figure out what Dean’s up to. It’s a story filled with memories of their childhood, providing Dean with what he needs to grieve and enlightens Sam into the man John Winchester was. I truly enjoyed it and it has such a hopeful ending - that’s really all I want for Sam and Dean. “How long?” He doesn’t contemplate not going with Dean. The chance for him to refuse the offer and allow Dean to leave him behind never even crosses his mind.
7. Always/Never by _tiana_ - Post Blood Lust (Sam/Dean) - I think what I love about this is the way that Sam and Dean end up pushing things further. Sam is trying to show Dean that he is everything now and Dean is attempting to hold on and knows that this was almost inevitable. Really wonderful. He never saw it coming. Dean blinked, eyes watering, pain blooming across his cheekbone. He stared at the stained, rough ceiling above him and tried to sit up.
8. Dust on My Shoes by ignipes - Post Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things (Sam/Dean) - This is painful and sad as Dean continues to shut Sam out as he grieves and Sam tries to bridge the distance between them. Just really good stuff. It's still dark when he wakes up, and the room is freezing. Sam rolls onto his side, pulling the pathetic motel comforter up to his neck. The blanket smells like smoke and detergent, the room like soap and gun polish, and on the other bed Dean is lying on his back, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling.
9. Play Dead by mandysbitch - Post Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things - This story is a two-parter where Sam gets sick and Dean’s not sure if it’s the flu or some sort of supernatural curse. I love the Dean characterization in this story, how spot on it is, how he is a series of contradictions in his beliefs when it comes to his brother. It’s just really good. And then add on an interesting plot. Definitely worth a read. It’s dark and wet in the middle of Bumblefuck-Nowhere, Nebraska, and Dean’s fighting off transmogrified shrubbery that grabs at his ankles with thorn-rowed tentacles, snaring the hems of his jeans and ripping off pieces.
10. Anatomy of a Countdown by caelumi - Post Crossroad Blues - A gen piece that’s set throughout all the episodes of season two that have aired thus far, a piece that shows Dean breaking down and losing what little grip he has on things. It’s painful and upsetting, but really good. There was a time of death called when he was standing in the doorway, but Dean doesn’t remember it. The clock on the wall didn’t freeze to mark the moment and it slips by like all the others.
Supernatural (10 Recs)
1. Ending One Minute at a Time by wheebubbles - Supernatural/Fight Club (Sam/Dean) - After Sam leaves for college, Dean discovers a new outlet for his emotions in fight clubs. The chronology gets a little confusing at points, but the Dean voice is great and the fact that he is so clueless to his own need for why he partakes in the fighting is so good. Outside, with the gravel digging into his palms and his chest heaving against the ground, he thinks he hears the bartender's voice, thinks he hears some sort of instruction. As he blacks out, he might just maybe hear something that sounds like, Slip him the address.
2. The Soundtrack of His Life by legoline - Pre-Series - Sam spends a lot of his time at Stanford avoiding any music that reminds him of home. I love the use of music, including avoiding it at all costs, as a way to work through Sam’s issues with his family. That during the anger he just wants nothing to do with it, but then there are moments when he remembers happy times too. There is a companion piece, Countdown, from Dean’s POV as well. As college goes on, Sam buys some albums. He almost picks them at random, anything that’s not Dean’s or John’s music will do. Sometimes, when anger piles up and he wishes he could smash something into the wall, ‘when he wonders how his life got this messed up, that’s when he puts on music. It blares out of the stereo, until his past drowns away in it, until he can breathe again.
3. Somewhere A Clock Is Ticking by jonny_vrm - Post Nightmare (Sam/Dean) - An AU after the end of Nightmare where Max joins Sam and Dean on the road, Dean gets possessive of Sam, and Sam gets kidnapped. The Dean voice in this story is great, making me want to laugh, throttle him, and hug the poor fool. I also like the way the author develops Max’s character and his relationship with both Sam and Dean. Great, long read (there are four parts) that I loved every second of. “Anyway, the point is,” Dean continues, “it’s supposed to be Sam and Dean, not Sam and Dean and Maxine the psycho-killer.”
4. Thankful by impertinence - Post In My Time of Dying (Sam/Dean) - Every year Sam pressures Dean to tell him what he’s thankful for on Thanksgiving and every year Dean balks at the idea, until this year. Hot and schmoopy. Is there anything that is better than hot and schmoopy? I think not. On Thanksgiving they go to McDonald's, because Dean is a jerk. They're sitting there eating Big Macs when Sam decides that he's had enough.
5. Untitled by destina - Post In My Time of Dying - This one is a gen fic with happy brother moments as the boys try to salvage a part of Thanksgiving in the aftermath of a hunt. There is a wonderful Sam voice in this piece and I love how he’s battling his guilt, but appreciating all the years of abnormal Thanksgivings he had in the past. Just like that, the smile on Dean's face vanished. Sam watched him for a moment, caught up in the realization that he had forgotten it was Thanksgiving, Which had never happened before. Even when they were apart, Sam had spared a few minutes each Thanksgiving to be thankful his family was safe out there, somewhere.
6. Dusted Kaleidoscope by pixel_0 - Post In My Time of Dying (Sam/Dean) - In the aftermath of the season premiere, Dean goes on a trip in search of something and Sam comes along, trying hard to hold onto his brother and figure out what Dean’s up to. It’s a story filled with memories of their childhood, providing Dean with what he needs to grieve and enlightens Sam into the man John Winchester was. I truly enjoyed it and it has such a hopeful ending - that’s really all I want for Sam and Dean. “How long?” He doesn’t contemplate not going with Dean. The chance for him to refuse the offer and allow Dean to leave him behind never even crosses his mind.
7. Always/Never by _tiana_ - Post Blood Lust (Sam/Dean) - I think what I love about this is the way that Sam and Dean end up pushing things further. Sam is trying to show Dean that he is everything now and Dean is attempting to hold on and knows that this was almost inevitable. Really wonderful. He never saw it coming. Dean blinked, eyes watering, pain blooming across his cheekbone. He stared at the stained, rough ceiling above him and tried to sit up.
8. Dust on My Shoes by ignipes - Post Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things (Sam/Dean) - This is painful and sad as Dean continues to shut Sam out as he grieves and Sam tries to bridge the distance between them. Just really good stuff. It's still dark when he wakes up, and the room is freezing. Sam rolls onto his side, pulling the pathetic motel comforter up to his neck. The blanket smells like smoke and detergent, the room like soap and gun polish, and on the other bed Dean is lying on his back, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling.
9. Play Dead by mandysbitch - Post Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things - This story is a two-parter where Sam gets sick and Dean’s not sure if it’s the flu or some sort of supernatural curse. I love the Dean characterization in this story, how spot on it is, how he is a series of contradictions in his beliefs when it comes to his brother. It’s just really good. And then add on an interesting plot. Definitely worth a read. It’s dark and wet in the middle of Bumblefuck-Nowhere, Nebraska, and Dean’s fighting off transmogrified shrubbery that grabs at his ankles with thorn-rowed tentacles, snaring the hems of his jeans and ripping off pieces.
10. Anatomy of a Countdown by caelumi - Post Crossroad Blues - A gen piece that’s set throughout all the episodes of season two that have aired thus far, a piece that shows Dean breaking down and losing what little grip he has on things. It’s painful and upsetting, but really good. There was a time of death called when he was standing in the doorway, but Dean doesn’t remember it. The clock on the wall didn’t freeze to mark the moment and it slips by like all the others.