Even the descriptions are gorgeous without distracting from the story one bit, every bit of image blossomed beautifully in my head, whether it was the Chocolate Room or a particular expression on Wonka's face or-- or-- or anything. The way Wonka's so nervous, but still that loopy genius! The way Dr. Wonka was contrasted against his son, the way things are so awkward and uncomfortable, but it's still something nice! The way they still care about each other, even though they're complete opposites! The warm feeling of love and happiness I had by the ending! The sheer whimsy and imagination in Wonka's character! It's just. This fic took the essence of the character, of ALL the characters and the entire world of the factory... and bottled it up and let me re-experience that same feeling of delight I had when I watched the movie. I wish I could write a better rec, this is one of those fics that make me feel badly because I feel like it deserves so much more. (No warnings/pairings.)


- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory/Petshop of Horrors - sweet Delight by Jaelle - I snatched the link for this off Aishuu's rec comm and the second I saw the premise, I thought, "This is either going to be very, very awesome or very, very awkward." Given that it's Jaelle, I'm not surprised that it turned out to be completely FULL OF AWESOME. Just. Oh. Oh. This was brilliant and perfect beyond words. Wonka and D in the same factory, the squirrels, and just. Oh. Oh, Leon. So perfect. So brilliant. I can't decide if it's the characters I love the most (because Jaelle does a brilliant job with both casts, that faint sense of creepy lingering along the edges of both universes, even when Charlie's such a good kid or Leon has his heart in the right place) or the concept/point of the crossover itself. It all comes together beautifully, every little bit of this fic is just... just... brilliant, really. One of those things that just simply works and satisfies. Wonka and D in the same room? This fic does that idea justice. (Implications of Leon/D if you're looking for it, but this is gen more than anything.)


- The Cutting Edge - The Ugliness You See (to your left, the fallout) by bantha_fodder - This is one of those movies that I had to watch every time it came on TV, because I adored the movie that much. I honestly never thought that fic would exist for it that needed to exist, the movie was just fine as it was. I thought fic would be superfluous. This fic was anything but; it took everything that I loved about the movie and turned it into fic form, this was Kate and Doug. It's been years since I've caught the movie on TV now, but everything about it, their voices, their faces, their body language, all of it came rushing back when I read this fic. It's a brilliant post-movie fic that captures both characters brilliantly, Kate and her pride, Doug and his laid-back ways until he gets wound up, too, the way they clash and the way they come together. And it's all centered around skating. I could easily believe, so, so easily believe, that this is exactly what happened after the movie ended. Gorgeous fic. (Doug/Kate.)


- Pirates of the Caribbean - Shadow and the Soul by She's a Star - [Note: There will be spoilers for Dead Man's Chest in this fic.] After my confusing feelings on which way to go with ships in the PotC series (Jack/Will? Jack/Elizabeth? Jack gen? Which one!?), I stumbled over a Jack/Elizabeth fic here and figured I'd just read a little bit of it. Then, before I knew it, I was sucked into the whole piece because the voice for Elizabeth's character is wonderful. It feels like a novelized version of the movie's spirit of amusement and whimsy, it feels very much like Elizabeth's character (I couldn't have NOT heard her voice saying all these lines or pictured her thinking these things if I'd tried), beyond just that it deals with four seperate moments in canon. The fic took all the potential in the character and made her interesting (for me!) to read, as well as showed the progression of the Jack/Elizabeth relationship in a way that I could believe. The whole thing fairly well sparkled the entire time, especially when they were both drunk on the island and, oh, the ending was hauntingly lovely. (Jack/Elizabeth.)


- Spider-Man - Identity Crisis by jjonahjameson - [Note: This story takes place in the movieverse and contains spoilers for the second movie.] This was an interesting, fun little coda to the train scene in the second movie, a way of being a bit more realistic about how all those people having seen Spider-Man's face, despite their promise to note tell anyone. They were New Yorkers, someone, maybe two someones, would want to spill once the adrenaline wore off. This fic was a neat way of dealing with that, something I can absolutely see fitting together with the movie, a clever little way to wrap up that loose end, tied off with some really fun characterization for the people on the train. The narrator's 'voice' is nicely done, making the fic a treat to read. (No warnings/pairings.)


- Scrubs - My Life In a Box by angelgazing - Most of the time I run screaming from the Scrubs fandom because their OTP is one I just can't see. So I'm really wary of clicking on any links for the fandom, even if they promise to be gen. But I was lured in by the promise of an absolutely fabulous Cox voice. And omg. Omg. Much as the Cox voice was indeed brilliant and so painfully on the money, what really sold me on this fic was the J.D. voice. It's one of the best I've seen, even including the show, it was absolutely stunning how brilliantly the author managed to portray the way his mind works without being able to use any of the usual video cues. It really and truly felt like I was reading/watching an episode and just... god, little!J.D. and the button and... I laughed so hard I had to pause during reading. That is what all Scrubs fic should do. (No warnings/pairings.)


- Studio 60/Sports Night - Five things that happen during the week Dan and Casey guest-host Studio 60 by scrunchy - I really didn't expect to be reading Studio60 fic. But there was a link for a Studio60 crossover fic with Sports Night and I was just so not going to be able to resist that particular one-two punch. And this was just so... fun, entertaining, and a really good fit between the two series. It helps, of course, that they're both Sorkin shows, so the tones would be similar, but the author really was very creative and intelligent about putting the two of them together. She was really good at giving those little moments of insight and emotion to both casts, both of touching drama and moments of bright humor. It's just... a really neat way to start off my Studio60 fic reading. (No real warnings/pairings.)


- Scrubs - A Good Day by kHo - God, I loved Ben and Cox's stupid friendship because it was just the most brilliant thing ever, like it should never have worked but somehow Ben was the best guy in the world and not even Cox could deny that. Because Ben could make Cox not entirely hate life and this fic does a wonderful job of showing that. (And their pseudo-gay relationship makes me laugh hysterically every single time. This fic was no exception.) The voices for the characters are fabulous, I could hear Ben's voice and it was brilliantly insightful and just... it's one of those fics that I could completely see pre-series, made all the more brilliant because Ben was one of the best things in Cox's life. (No warnings/pairings.)


- Friends - all the spaces you will fill by Zau - I used to go to FFNET to look for Chandler/Monica fic, but I always backed out after a few minutes because I got scared off. I sort of eventually just gave up hope of finding fic to my tastes and then forgot about it all together. Then Zau write Chandler/Monica fic. I think I may have squeed even before reading it. Certainly after. She has such a knack for settings, for finding that place to put them or that conversation for them to have, that illuminates the best, most fascinating parts of their characters. It seems simple, Chandler and Monica in bed, but she spins magic out of it. And, god, they are the perfect couple. ♥ (Chandler/Monica.)


- Friday Night Lights/Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Title IX by Sophia P - Technically, this crossover is only meshing the two worlds, the Buffy characters don't actually appear. (Thus, I'm not going to put it in a Buffy section, but I wanted to list it to give an idea of what the fic was about. Anyway.) That aside. OMG OMG OMG. BEST CROSSOVER ALL WEEK. I wasn't sure what to make of the idea of an FNL/Buffy crossover but since I like the author so much, I decided to read anyway. And then. Beautiful set-up. Lovely dialogue, great pacing, great imagery. And then the (ha ha) kicker, the punch at the end of the ficlet and it was awesome. I could totally hear the entire conversation in the characters' voices and I ♥ this fic so hard. (Nothing I'm going to warn for.)


- Friday Night Lights/Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Blood ties by Sophia P - Where the first FNL/Buffy crossover by this author was light-hearted and fun, this one is much darker in tone and brilliantly creepy. I really love the way this is done, the way it's from the FNL series' perspective, so the Buffy weirdness is very strange and unfamiliar, the way it has such a deep affect on Tim's character. But even aside from that, this story is worth reading for Tim's POV and character insight, which is so painfully spot-on that I just... I mean, I didn't think I'd ever want to read FNL fic, what was there to fill in, really? But this story manages to find that something to fill in and then knocks it out of the park. Brilliant writing, brilliant pacing, brilliant idea, brilliant all the way around. (No warnings/pairings.)


- X/Tokyo Babylon/Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Agony Aunt by Sophia P - [Note: This is a sequel to the fic Not Your Average Kelly Girl.] Oh. Oh. Anya in a meeting with Subaru and adfslkjadsflkjasdlfj "Of course, I generally only offer my special services to wronged women, but hell, you're feminine enough that it sort of counts, right?" Anya's take on the CLAMPverse happenings is both hilarious and a great way to highlight just how ridiculously angsty some of it is and her characterization as a vengeance demon is so beautiful that I can only flail my arms geekishly in appreciation. There are just too many lines and little moments that I'd love to quote in this one, I'd wind up quoting back the whole thing. This should absolutely, absolutely not be missed. (Some Seishirou/Subaru, but it's not the point at all.)


- xxxHOLiC/Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Not Your Average Kelly Girl by Sophia P - At some point I seem to have gone from merely being willing to read crossovers to positively enjoying them. Damn HOLiC, I'm sure it's their fault. This crossover was all kinds of brilliant, though. The utter culture clash of sticking a Buffy character into the HOLiC universe is fantastic, Anya sticks out like a sore thumb, yet the reason for her being there, the way she reacts to the circumstances around her by being so herself, the way the two universes blend so beautifully together is still yet more brilliance. I just. Anya. And Watanuki. It's fabulous from start to finish, every last word of this one. ♥ (No warnings/pairings.)


- Terminator/Supernatural - What We Make by Gen X - Dude. Dude. This was awesome. Terminator and Supernatural aren't two series that you expect to go together but the way the author writes it is in this stark, numb tone that fits the bleak picture she's painting so incredibly well. I love the attention to detail in this, these little mentions of things that contribute to the whole of the world she's built here, impressive for how much the author clearly knows her stuff, but also because of the way they're woven into the story. This is not a happy fic, this is the Terminator world and it's not easy and it's a dark place they have to survive in now and I felt so much for the Winchester boys, but god was the fic so awesome. Dean's characterization especially is so spot on that it hurt to watch him survive because somehow Dean Winchester is always the one that survives. The way the SPN and Terminator characters came together, the parallels drawn, the connections made, the clashes that resulted.... It's just. This fic. This fic was keyboardmashingly awesome. (No warnings/pairings.)


- Boston Legal - Manful by LadyJaida - I only meant to read a little of this one. But somehow I got sucked into it and couldn't stop reading because it was just somehow so perfect for both Brad and Alan. They're both characters--but Alan especially--I would think that would be difficult to come across in text form, there's a certain something that the actors bring to both roles, a certain tone of voice or tinge to their expressions. But this fic captured that so beautifully that I had absolutely no trouble seeing this story unfold in my head and slide between the frames of canon. Beautifully written, exquisite characterization/voices for the characters. (No warnings/pairings.)


- The Black Donnellys - Brothers Like by Gen X - I wasn't sure I was going to get into something like the Black Donnellys for fic, I was thinking I might just quietly enjoy the show and leave it at that. But then this author posted fic and it was easy to read and I found myself really enjoying the Joey Ice Cream POV. It works here, it balances out all these things from the show (like how annoying the character can be, yet still how interesting he can be, like how he knows certain things, but is still not quite accepted in spite of them) and the style of this piece is just quietly very cool. (No warnings/pairings.)


- Scrubs - Five For Five by Alissa - Omg! Scrubs fic! Fabulous Scrubs fic! I wouldn't have thought I'd be so over the moon for fic about JD and the Janitor (which can get to be a bit repititve at times) but Alissa writes it so well, she makes it so much fun that I was practically bouncing in my chair the whole time. Her sense of timing, her characterization and dialogue for the characters, the whole tone of the fic fits with the series so well that I want to keep her in the fandom until she writes at least a handful more for me. It really does read like this could have happened in an episode, I can see the characters and hear their voices without any trouble, the sense of it being just another one of those insane days is perfect. I loved this so much. (No warnings/pairings.)


- Doctor Who/Life on Mars - Life on Earth by Aria - Tammaiya pointed this fic out to me as a lovely gen Doctor Who/Life on Mars crossover and, of course, ever since season three I've been curious about how someone would work such a thing. This story is brilliant, the writing is amazing and set so beautifully in tune with the tone of both shows. The little details, the pacing of the story, the way everything builds to that final scene, the tension that slowly ratchets up through the piece, all of it is masterfully done. I love that I can believe this fic, I can see the two series weaving together like this, that it does justice to both characters, both the Master and Sam Tyler. It's perfect all the way around, right from the beginning to the very end, I don't know that any other Doctor Who/Life on Mars crossover could ever compare to this one (for me) now. (No warnings/pairings.)


- Star Trek: The Next Generation - Tempest Tost by Yahtzee - It's interesting. For all that I'm am very much the diehard Riker/Troi fan, I find myself reading more Picard/Crusher fic in fandom. Not that that's much, but I suppose I feel satisfied with the way things eventually ended up for Riker/Troi, while I was always left with a sort of pining for these two. And I really liked this fic, it has all the little details woven into the fabric of the story to make the premise work, the way the two of them interacted with each other in this relationship, both of them having an interest in the old ways of things, so very comfortable in that style, while still very much having a charged sort of chemistry. And, as the fic delves into darker matters, as you start to see more of their characters, it gets really interesting, especially for what it says about Picard and what he's been through in his life. Plus, you know, these two are really kind of hot together. ♥ (Picard/Crusher, maybe some strong PG-13 content.)


- Burn Notice - Something on the Books by Laura Smith - I was journalhopping and stumbled over a recs post that mentioned a Burn Notice fic, which I was intrigued by, especially since it was gen. I don't mind the canon, but I'm not sure they're in the right place for it, so this being a genfic intrigued me. And it's a really fantastic, genuinely creepy look into what Michael's childhood might have been like, what would make him into the person he is today, set in a narrative that made it almost impossible for me not to hear Jeffrey Donovan's voice in my head. It's insightful, it shows how he may have become who he is and why being stuck in Miami is so torturous for him, all wrapped up in short flashes of scenes. An excellent read. (No warnings/pairings.)


- Chuck - Easy Listening by Eleanor K. - Killing Chuck is not an option. Not. An. Option. He has that written on a post-it stuck to his bathroom mirror, so it must be true. I was totally just journalhopping and happened to stumble over this fic and I've kind of been wanting Chuck fic, but the fandom kinda makes me wary since I'm not sure I know what I want yet, except it was the promising lure of Casey and Chuck interaction and, oh my god, I practically had to stuff my fist into my mouth to keep from laughing at this fic. The author is utterly fantastic at nailing both Casey's thought patterns and Chuck's voice, to the point where I could just picture every little thing while Casey tried to remind himself not to kill Chuck as he listened in on him through the headphones. Just. Yes. (No warnings/pairings.)


- American Gothic - Visiting Hours by Andraste - Once upon a time, I was so heavily involved with American Gothic, it makes my current fandoms look rather tame. I lived and breathed it, it was my first real fandom. So, I have a lot of extremely nostalgic memories and they're hard to live up to, especially since I was never a fan of Matt Crower. But this fic is beautifully written from his perspective after he tried to shoot Lucas and wound up in Juniper. What he understands now, the way he isn't crazy, but he still is in a rather hopeless situation... it's all just beautifully written. I'm so glad to have read this. (No warnings/pairings.)


- Yukan Club - The Case of the Tea Set by tinyangl - Of all things that I wound up reading this morning, I did not expect Yukan Club to be on that list. But I've had a soft spot for the idea of Seishirou/Noriko right from the beginning, despite knowing that this is Yukan Club and I never expected to take it seriously enough to want fic for it. (I'm still not sure I do, to be honest.) But this was utterly fabulous, the author just totally nails the Yukan Club goofy adorableness and the little touches that make all of their friendships so fantastic. It's genuinely clever and funny, the friendships between all of them are darling and spot-on, the humorous parts are wonderfully funny, and there are all these little moments. It was so, so easy to picture everything in my head, even the dorky (and full of adorable fail) antics of the Yukan Club or when Miroku couldn't help crying a little or when Yuri poked Seishirou annoyingly in the cheek or when Bidou and Karen couldn't understand why normal people recognized them perfectly well even with new wigs on, all those little things were perfect. I can't believe the fic was almost 7,000 words long, it felt like it just flew right by, the author paced this fic fantastically well. If there were more fics like this, I would totally read Yukan Club fic more often. (Some Seishirou/Noriko, but it's a group piece.)


- Firefly/Star Trek: The Next Generation - Serenterprise-D by inlovewithnight - There are some fics where you see the two series that are crossed over together and you just have to click on it. And this was totally worth it, because the crossovers and comparisons (and contrasts) between the crew members of both ships is really delightful. In a way, it almost seems kind of destined to happen (and not, you know, like there's a formula to these things) and the author is amazing at finding little connections between various characters. By far my favorite had to be Jayne meeting Worf, though. That was beautiful, deeply and truly. The whole thing was, really. (No warnings/pairings.)


- Ocean's 11 - Boy Wonder by inlovewithnight - Not long ago, I finally watched Ocean's 13 and I've been pining for more of the series and sort of afraid to go looking into the fandom because I just want gen antics instead of anything else, but... well, I was wandering through some of the Yuletide fics, stumbled over this one, and decided to read. It's an adorable fic set from Linus' perspective, showing his frustration at having to hang out with people like Danny and Rusty, the voices and pacing of the fic are delightfully in tune with the movies themselves, it's so easy to picture the actors in their roles, Linus' frustration is especially perfect because it's both understandable and hilarious. The comic book references add that extra special touch that make this a fantastic read. (No warnings/pairings.)


- The Outsiders - These Three Words Have Said It All by imparfait - The Outsiders is one of those books that I had to read in junior high just like so many other kids and I think it was probably one of the moving books I've ever read. I don't know why, but something about it really got to me, especially the relationships between the brothers. So many parts of the book left me feeling wobbly and kind of totally in love with the characters and wanting to squish them into big hugs, and this fic produced that exact same reaction out of me, that sense of wanting to cry over the hard situations they always seem to stumble into. The author just nails the voices of the characters down, both Sodapop and Ponyboy come through so very clearly here, the way they miss each other, the way Darry is always sort of lurking in the background of the fic, it's just gorgeous. And now I want Outsiders fic again. (No warnings/pairings.)


- The Outsiders - Mercury Knew by Aiko-chan - So, after reading the previous Outsiders fic, I had to at least go poke around a little bit. Not too much later, I stumbled over this one and was really impressed with it, it's got that head-in-the-clouds, but still thoughtful and intelligent and more than a little painful, style of thoughts that run through Ponyboy's head. The style of writing is lovely as well, it also fits with Ponyboy's character and the world around him, almost a simple piece as thoughts go through his head while he runs a race, but full of so much detail and thought that it's really wonderful. (No warnings/pairings.)


- Queer as Folk UK - And All I Got Was This Lousy Vodka by Derry - You know, about a month ago, I bookmarked a bunch of QaF fics to read and I have no idea what happened to them, despite having been kinda in the mood for them. So, I stumbled over the Yuletide ones for this year and decided, eh, I'll give these a shot instead. This is a short little piece, but Stuart is so very Stuart that it's just utterly perfect. He's so abrasive and obnoxious, even when they're visiting Vince's mother, and yet you still somehow love him anyway. XD (....no real warnings/pairings?)


- Queer as Folk UK - Negative Space by Steph - This is my second QaF-UK fic tonight and now I remember why I was so delighted with the show for awhile, because there's all this history and chemistry with Stuart and Vince, even when they're not together and with other guys, the both of them. (Or sort of with other guys, in a way.) The friendship that has that something more possibly lurking underneath it, the way Stuart is so self-centered and yet you can see just how much his friendship with Vince really does mean to him. The voices for the characters, the writing, it's all sharp and lovely, it reminds me of why I wanted to read the fic in the first place, mm. (Some NSFW content, maybe a light NC-17.)


- Scrubs - My Bad Hair Day by Aderam - I generally don't read a lot of Scrubs fic, but the premise of this one caught my eye--Elliot has a bad day and the Janitor makes her feel better. It's very cute and just a quiet day (as quiet as any of their days can be) and does a nice job of showing the J.D. - Elliot - Turk friendship set at Sacred Heart, as well as including a lot of elements I love about the show. The Janitor - Blonde Doctor dynamic is an interesting one, since it's so obvious to the viewers, but Elliot herself has no idea, and then there's J.D.'s rambling thoughts and references to The Todd being possibly gay, and it's just really fun! (Possible one-sided Janitor/Elliot, but.)


- Scrubs - My Destiny's Anvils by usomitai - Oh, my god! Two Scrubs fics that I can actively like, instead of trying to wriggle around to an angle where I could agree with the author? Two fics that actually jive with my own feelings on the show? It's marvelous! And this was fantastic, the author gets the characters' voices down so well, especially J.D., who has this... child in an adult's body persona a lot of the time and I kind of wanted to shake him and tell him to grow up in this fic after awhile, which is spot-on in terms of characterization. The Carla voice is brilliant and her Elliot is fantastic and there is MINI-GOLF. The whole thing was beautifully easy to picture in my head and the framing of the story with the Janitor and Cox is also fantastic. Definitely a story that actually does justice to the show. ♥ (No real warnings/pairings.)


- The Skeleton Key - Night-blooming by inlovewithnight - [Note: Both the fic and this rec itself will contain SPOILERS for the movie's ending.] After reading the author's Ocean's 11 fic on Yuletide, I got curious enough to poke around for some of her other stuff and happened to stumble over fic for The Skeleton Key. The sheer novelty of it got me to click on the link, but I'm glad I did because it's a beautifully creepy little piece set post-movie from Cecile's point of view. There's a lovely sense of power and hoodoo mysticism and the Louisana bayou, all things that fit so very well with the movie itself. But it's more than that, it's the way Cecile and Justify were written here, the utter indifference to the lives of others, yet the power and passion that still resides in them, it's a rather disturbing contrast that's beautifully done. (Somewhere around a PG-13 rating?)


- Knocked Up - Do What You Gotta Do (Five Pieces Of Advice Ben Completely Ignores) by hkath - You know, I was going to wander right past this story. I just didn't think a movie like Knocked Up really needed anything else said about it and there was a whole pile of other stuff I wanted to get to. But there was a rec on one of the Yuletide lists and it got me curious and I'm so glad I clicked on this story anyway. It's post-movie and it's brilliantly in character, having the same charm that made the movie itself so much fun to watch, and the writing is clever and sharp, there's actual character growth here without it being too much too fast or too preachy about it, and it's just-- It's so delightful to see how utterly crazy Ben is over Alison and what a surprisingly sweet guy he is. I love that even the vulgar comments or the annoying guy things just make me laugh, so so much like they did with the original movie. Fantastic. ♥ (Some Ben/Alison, but with other reasons to read, just like with the movie.)


- Chuck - Casey vs. The Dorks by Northlight - There were at least three times during this fic that I practically had to shove my fist in my mouth because I was trying not to laugh too loudly, which was almost kind of painful by the end. It's so beautifully done exactly like an episode, in characterization, in comedic timing, in the tone of the jokes and nerdy references. Even in the whole parody-of-the-spy-movie-genre! The use of the entire cast (the Nerd Herd, the spies, Chuck's family, etc.) in short little scenes set across the span of Chuck's day is brilliantly done, I cannot stress enough how much I deeply, deeply loved this fic. ♥ (No warnings/pairings.)


- Chuck - Chuck vs. The Strange Glow by Eleanor K. - [Note: This is a sequel to Easy Listening, but I would say that both stand pretty well on their own.] I have this great squishy love for Casey, so just about any fic where he has a starring role has my intrigue, especially if he's forced to deal with Chuck. And that's what I loved about this fic--it didn't forget that they just don't get along, they have nothing in common, Casey is annoyed as hell by Chuck, and that is what makes their relationship beautiful, while at the same time giving them a little bit of progress. I loved it because Casey is such a hardcore military government type and Chuck is such a geek and the writing was genuinely funny, even when they're just sitting in Casey's apartment because Chuck can't go home for awhile. Fantastic. (No warnings/pairings, but if you like Casey/Chuck, you might like this.)


- Chuck - That Merry Still Goes Round by Voleuse - One of the characters I've been most pleasantly surprised about with this show is Captain Awesome, who could have been so annoying, but turned out to be a really cool guy that I actually like a whole lot. I was also surprised to see Yuletide fic set from his perspective, but curious enough to read and I'm so glad I did because it's a wonderful little fic. Devon's actually a really nice guy and genuinely likes Chuck here, not just because he has to. Short little scenes set early on in the series/pre-series and the characterization is spot-on, it fits together with what we see in canon so very well. Wonderful. (No warnings/pairings.)


- Chuck - Chuck vs. The Promise of Paperwork by Person - You know. I'm generally pretty gen with this series, I don't have much desire to ship the characters beyond what's happening in canon. But. Damn, this fic was kind of hot. It was just the right level of possible slash, possible just gentle parody (so much like the series itself) and combined with a beautiful Chuck narratative and maybe possibly potentially Casey actually caring a little about Chuck, that it worked beautifully. I could totally see this and it was a fantastic little fic. (Maybe some Casey/Chuck, maybe possibly gen.)


- Chuck - Coming Home by Tani - This fic threw me for awhile because it's not in the style of Chuck as much as I was used to, but... once I got into the fic, it was a really solid look at the characters and Chuck especially just after he was thrown out of Stanford. It's a nice fic about how his friends and family are there for him, how he transitions from one thing to the next, how even when he's in the middle of feeling miserable for himself, Chuck still manages to pull himself out of it and look at the others around him. Plus, the Morgan - Chuck friendship is really sort of darling. (No warnings/pairings.)


- Pushing Daisies - Purls Before Pie by fresne - One of the things I like best about Pushing Daisies (and I cannot believe I'm reading fic for the show, honestly) is Emerson, because Chi McBride does such a fantastic job with the character. And this fic absolutely does him justice, I grinned the whole way through it (except for the parts where I was actually giggling aloud, because it's genuinely funny) and utterly loved how much the style of writing fit with the narration of the show as well. It's a brilliant little story set in the lull between cases and Emerson's take on the rest of the cast is fantastic, I loved it so much. (No real warnings/pairings.)


- Jekyll - Gauntlet by Dolevalan - I marathoned the Jekyll series last year and it was such a fantastic little thing that I was almost satisfied with it as it was. And, yet, when Yuletide came around and there was fic for it, I put it on my to-read list and I'm glad I did. Just a short little thing pre-series, Jackman still trying to figure out how to deal with Hyde. The fic captured the quiet unsettled tone of the show and Jackman's creeping desperation in dealing with Hyde so very well, it was utterly easy to picture the whole thing in my mind's eye. It's just a short little piece, but fits together with canon very well. (No warnings/pairings.)


- Jekyll - Now and Then by LJC - Of all the Jekyll characters, Katherine was not one of the characters I expected to find myself reading about, despite that I did have brief thoughts that she didn't get enough backstory during the series itself. This fic reminded me of that, especially because the background information here fits so beautifully with the character, the tight control she had over herself, the defensive walls she had, all without the fic needing to explicitly state anything. You simply felt it while reading. The writing itself is gorgeous as well, the narrative and insights into Katherine's character, the way she was such a human, empathizable character here. It was a really lovely addition to the small collection of Jekyll fic available. (No warnings/pairings.)


- Jekyll - Toiling Upward in the Night by ainsley - Yet another Jekyll fic that focuses on a character (well, two characters) that weren't the main focus of the series, but breathes such life into them that it's wonderful. The writing is smooth, the characterization is spot-on, the underyling creepiness from the series was absolutely present, and it fit together perfectly with Min and Miranda's characters. While I liked them well enough, I wouldn't have thought reading a fic about them would be so interesting as this one was, but. Well, it certainly was a treat to read. (Nothing I'm going to warn for.)


- Journeyman - Beacon by neko_chelle - I've been sort of hesitant to get into Journeyman fandom because I really liked the Dan/Katie relationship and it felt like most people didn't really care for the two of them or were more interested in crumbling the relationship, which I can understand why. So, to read this fic, a lovely story that shows how hard it is on Katie to always be waiting for Dan to come back, to not be able to help, to not even know, but still shows how much she loves him and why their relationship works, is wonderful. It's a beautifully written story and struck so true for me that I heartmark it violently. (Dan/Katie, but it's on the level of the show.)


- Spider-Man (movieverse) - Just a Face On a Train by katheryne - One of the most interesting things to come out of the Spider-Man movies was in the second movie, the scene with the train, and all the people that saw Peter's face, which is something I love to see explored in fic. Add in a fantastic narrative from an original character's point of view and a neat, clean writing style, and I hardly realized the fic was over 11,000 words long, I whipped through it so fast. Everything about the fic is utterly engaging, it does a brilliant job of grabbing me with the empathizable original character, and fits together with what I want out of the Spider-Man movieverse, including just being a damned good story. It actually made me feel emotional over the characters and how tough Peter's life often is, because it wasn't overplayed. Just. What a fantastic fic to have read this afternoon. (No warnings/pairings.)


House/Bones: untitled by thornsmoke - I was journalhopping through this author's FFVIII/KH fic and noticed some of the links she'd put up to her contributions to the fandomsecrets crossover meme, so I settled in to read. I haven't actually watched Bones, but I don't think that really hindered me that much from enjoying this beautifully written, sharply witted crossover. Practically every line out of the characters' mouths felt perfectly done and it's just... it's so sharp and clever. It's fantastic, I loved the whole thing. (No warnings/pairings.)