Fic recs, May & June 2006
1.
Title: Fly-fishing for Beginners
Author: Jay Tryfanstone
Pairing: Harry/Snape.
Rating: R
Plot summary: books, few owls and very little magic.
A charming post-war story in which Harry owns a bookstore and Severus wants to learn about Muggle literature. It's full of lovely details, book references and quiet humor. Perfectly written. Just read:
Oh, come now.
Did you think it coincidence that Potter sent the Professor Maurice? Or Maupin? Did you think Potter sent Snape an invitation to the Reading Group in order to discuss Heathcliff? Are you labouring under the belief that all bookshop managers deliver, personally, their customer's orders, sit on their hearth rugs and lick chocolate from their own fingers? Survey their bookshelves in the hope of discerning a copy of Interesting Variations on the Use of Dragonhide (Preston) The Naked Quidditch Player (Wronski) or, at the very least, The Spartacus Guide to Atlantis? Did you - could you possibly - have missed the rather neat allusion to Fleming, in the fourth paragraph, no less? Can you not envisage Harry Potter, setting lures on the water in the hope that Snape will bite?
I suspect not. I suspect, my dear reader, that innocence passed you by a long time ago.
2.
Title: And out of Olde Bokes
Author: frisbyg
Pairing: Viggo/Dom (lotrips, AU)
Rating: PG
Another bookstore fic! A more serious than the previous fic, very detailed, sensual and real. You can really sense the smell of books and see Viggo's bookstore. There's nothing missing, but I still think this should be a novel.
3. Trade by hackthis
A Harry Potter AU X-over in Nine Parts, m/m m/f, G to NC-17
Because everyone's got to make a living
This is fun, smooth and sexy. It's a non-magic AU and crossover with Alias (Draco has a brother called Julian, how amazing is that?), in which Draco Malfoy runs an escort service with his best friend Blaise. Draco/Harry and Draco/Blaise, mostly. I also loved the graphics and soundtrack made for the fic.
The whole business started with a murder. Not that the murder had anything whatsoever to do with Draco or Malfoy Escorts, Limited, or anyone associated with anyone Draco had ever interacted with, but that, according to his solicitor, was not the point.
The murder in question had occurred on the very fringes of the escort 'society', meaning it was a rather dodgy back alley deal, and had only been a back page item in The Guardian. It was enough, however, to make Severus Snape nervous, and when his solicitor was nervous he made Draco's life insufferable.
Doesn't this pull your right into the story? (BTW, when I first read this fic, I had no idea who Julian Sark was, but the story still worked just fine.)
4.
TITLE: Paper Dolls
AUTHOR: Dee
RATING: Adult (for themes, language, sex)
PAIRING: Harry/Draco
SUMMARY: In the final year of the War, Draco gets a letter, makes a choice and pays the price.
I don't know what it is, but sometimes a huge, novel-lenght H/D fic never really manages to convince me about Draco switching sides and working as a spy. And then sometimes a much shorter one-shot does that perfectly. Dee's fic solidly convinced me about Draco and Harry, the motives, the attraction and into what it leads. It's a gorgeous, gorgeous story.
5.
The Purpose of Altar Boys by 3jane
Andrew & Xander, for the Verona Beach challenge
An Andrew-centric Buffy AU set on Verona Beach (as in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet). Very interesting. There should be more of this stuff.
6.
Old City Jasmine is a Harry/Draco fic by silentauror that's set in Damascus. I liked the slow pacing and the detailed descriptions of the exotic setting. It got a bit too fluffy for me near the end, but that didn't ruin the story for me and I still very much recommend it.
7.
Title: Truth or Dare
Author: Byrne
Pairing: Spike/Xander
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Xander plays Truth or Dare with the Scooby gang and gets closer to Spike. Happy smut.
This one just made me very happy. A lovely, warm, cosy read for a day when you know that angst just wouldn't be good for you. This is the sort of fluff I like ;)
8. The Day After Yesterday by basingstoke; NC-17
What if House and Wilson actually first got to know each other like this? Interesting.
9. Marry into the Family by julad
A PG-ish Lex/Clark fic centered around very good chicken soup :) It's very tasty and definitely good for you *big Clark!grin*
10. puritybrown's unnamed Jeeves & Wooster has a perfect Wooster voice.
Dash it all, Jeeves, it's just not the same here without you. The sun is dim in the sky, the stars do not brighten the night. The wine lifteth not the spirits. Neither do the spirits, come to that. I got through half a bottle of best single-malt Scotch last night, and it didn't make the slightest bit of difference.
See? It's also in the form of letters which makes it even more enjoyable.
Part one and part two.