askmehow | Entries tagged with recs

Crossposts: http://askmehow.livejournal.com/45678.html

talitha78 (Dug; G)

I'd like to make myself believe...

♥ perfectly sums up how I feel about this vid. I had mixed feelings about Up; like everyone else, my heart broke within the first fifteen minutes of the film, and I couldn't fully recover after that. But this vid... Oh, this vid. It makes me so completely, resplendantly happy. Dug! He's awesome! And he makes everyone around him awesome too!

Go, watch, and tell

talitha78 what a genius she is!

Crossposts: http://askmehow.livejournal.com/45420.html

Take The Hit, by

madame_meretrix (Jared/Jensen, Jensen/Jeff, Jared/Misha, Jensen/Jeff/Jared; R)
Warning: Mentions of past drug abuse and physical abuse.

Jared sees himself as broken. He's aimless, tired of defining himself by his past but unclear about how to change it. Jensen is his best friend; Jared would do anything for him. Eventually Jared understands that everyone has some kind of baggage, it's just a matter of how you learn to let it go.

I just finished reading this fic, and it was such a wonderful read that I'm having trouble picking only one or two things to highlight. Don't let the number of pairings mislead you: at heart, it is a love story about two people who deal with and overcome complex personal issues.

madame_meretrix's prose really makes the story feel like a journey: it isn't always sunshine and light, but the way Jared and Jensen change and grow and fall in love is so, so satisfying. And if Misha the vegan yogi won't bring a smile to your face, I don't know what will!

Go, read it, and tell her how awesome she is!

Crossposts: http://askmehow.livejournal.com/45073.html

I went to see The Social Network yesterday, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Jesse Eisenberg was a complete revelation: he did such a good job of making me not want to root for Mark; he was mesmerizing, and didn't feel the need to soften the edges of the character at all. And Andrew Garfield! A++ work; I am now on board with him in the Spider-Man reboot.

In honour of the first really good film I've seen in months*, have a rec:

Secret Video Diary of a Billionaire, by

sturmundwank (Mark/Eduardo; PG-13)

NATALIE
I have no idea what I did to offend you. But it’s very clear that you’re doing everything in your power to offend me.

MARK
(beat)
I am offended by your vast underestimation of my power to offend.

The author so perfectly captures the Mark Zuckerberg that we saw in the film: self-entitled and brilliant and cruel as only he can be. And don't let the screenplay format put you off; it's actually the best part of the fic, and is put to excellent use: the staccato dialogue and shifting back and forth between past and present inter-connected narratives are both utterly Sorkin-esque.

Go, read, and beg for a sequel!

* Yes, yes, you Inception lot, I haven't seen it yet. I know I'm probably the last person on the planet, but I'm getting there!

Hi guys!

Rumours of my ~~death~~ dearth of posting have been greatly exaggerated, for lo! I come with a rec. And not just any rec, a rec of SPARKLY MAGICAL GREATNESS!

MODE: Final Issue!, by

yahtzee63 (Betty/Daniel, PG-13)

The past presents the future. You carry the best of what was into what will be.

I was reluctant to post a quote, because it was hard to pick the single one that would adequately encapsulate the sheer amazingness of this fic. It does justice to every character (Betty! Amanda! Marc! Justin!), and appreciates all that Ugly Betty was: not just the inventiveness and wackiness, but the characters and their ability to love, learn, change and grow. And, in the grand tradition of Betty, it's flat-out hilarious.

Go, read it immediately, and then tell

yahtzee63 how fantastic it is!

untitled snippet, by

rivkat (Veronica, Logan; PG)

It’s kind of a disaster, always has been, no matter how sweet the taste.

FBI Agent Veronica, out in the world, away from Neptune (and away from Logan). This is the perfect little shard of a snippet: compact and beautiful, but with a sting.

I love that she managed to pack so much into such a short piece, but she did, and it's marvellous; go and read it at once!

Unaccountable, by

harriet_spy (Holmes, Watson, Irene Adler; PG)

"The first marriage I can forgive her. She was young, she was foolish, and most importantly, she hadn't met me yet. You can't expect a beauty like that to immure herself on the off-chance we might cross paths. Though she might have shown a little foresight."

Irene gets married again; Holmes reacts as expected. Perfect Holmes-Watson interaction, and an Irene who's still around, even when she's not.

A Complete History of Noah Puckerman, Abridged, by

them0rgue (Rachel, Puck; Rated: G)

“Born with it?” Rachel pauses, meeting Puck’s gaze. “Let me tell you a few things about Noah Puckerman.”

I've seen so many comments all over my friendslist asking where all the good Glee fic is. Well, it's here, and it's FANTASTIC. Rachel, Puck and their shared history. ♥

Current Mood: creative

Easy There, by

syllic (Merlin/Arthur; NC-17)

If it were simply a matter of choice, Merlin reasoned, he probably wouldn't be in a damp boathouse on an unseasonably cold day in early October, wearing lycra and being shouted at.

If you were thinking to yourself, "Hey, you know what Merlin fandom needs? A rowing AU!", then

syllic's about to become your hero. Rowing AU, you guys. Let me take a moment to let the awesomeness of that sink in: ROWING AU. Satisfyingly long, with a fantastic grasp of detail: each chapter is prefaced by notes on all the rowing terminology; there's also a glossary. A GLOSSARY! Seriously, there are little hearts in my eyes right now.

Clothes Make The Man, by

orangesparks (Father Gill, Peggy Olsen; PG-13)

Summary: He prays for her because no one else does.

Father Gill on Peggy; spare and lyrical, like the show itself.

I just came back from a watching Madam Butterfly with some clients at the English National Opera, and ( it was GLORIOUS! )

Check out the video, which gives some hint of the gem that was this production:

"" (Watch on YouTube)

What a splendid evening! And, as the cherry on top, I secured another meeting with the clients! Go me!

And now, on to the fic rec:

Smallville: Repent at Leisure, by rivkat (Clark/Lex; NC-17)
Marry in haste...

Clark and Lex get married, and it's exactly as fraught and hot and all-around awesome as you'd expect it to be. Bonus points for actually smart and competent!Clark and perfectly characterised!Lois.

So. Star Trek.

Saw it, loved it, but it's too long ago now to do an extended post about it, except to say it's like pairing bingo! Kirk/McCoy! Kirk/Spock! Spock/Uhura! Anyone/practically everyone!

So anyway! In lieu of long-winded blathering, have some recs instead:

Break: Parts 1, 2, and 3, by yahtzee63 (Spock/Uhura; Rated: R)
During their final semester at Starfleet Academy, two people who have no intention of ever changing transform each other.

This is, hands down, the best Spock/Uhura fic you will read: come for the linguistics porn (Phonology! Morphology! Semantics! The use of semantic bleaching! It's all there, and it's glorious), stay for the perfect characterisations of both Spock and Uhura. The story seamlessly shows how their relationship could have developed, and is now part of my personal canon for the the characters. And as a teaser, here's a tiny fragment of the fic itself:
“What purpose does the surface grid serve?”
Want to know what that's all about? Go read the fic, then run and tell yahtzee63 how fantastic it is when you're done!

You'll Get There in the End (It Just Takes a While), by seperis (Kirk/Spock; Rated: NC-17)
"Spock. Just say 'I don't trust Starfleet not to mess up the only captain in the fleet who I can train up to my expectations and enjoys running into danger wearing a blindfold as much as I do'."

Among the many, many joys of this fic: the word 'krupenta', importance of essay questions, and the Kobayashi Maru.

Oh, and pon farr.

...Did I not mention that? I can safely say that no other Kirk/Spock fic had me quite as gleeful or as enthralled as this one. The story's 100% awesome; go and read it now, then go and beg/plead/blackmail her for another, as I plan to!

I'm Just a Jealous Guy, by londondrowning (Kirk/McCoy; Rated: PG-13)
Who Jim is and what he means to McCoy, it’s shaped him, it’s made him someone new. This has been the defining friendship of his life. Is it so goddamn much to want to be the defining friendship of Jim’s in return?

What about Bones? londondrowning's got the answer to that, and her Jim's a guy who's paying attention. In fact, go and check out all her Kirk/McCoy fics, which are all great, but first don't forget to leave her some feedback.

Art rec: Would you look at these GQ motherfuckers?, by glockgal. (Bones and Kirk; Sulu and Chekov; Spock and Uhura; All rated: G).
More importantly, would you look at these GQ MFs as depicted by the inimitable glockgal?

I could blather on about the dynamism of Kirk and McCoy painting versus the minute detailed rendering of the Spock and Uhura artwork, but check it out for yourself. Go, bask, then leave feedback.

On Christmas Eve, I come bearing gifts!

Chuck: Off the Clock, by seperis (Chuck/Casey; NC-17)
Twenty-four hour gaming tournaments have predictable ends, and Casey doubts Chuck's eaten anything without processed sugar since Ellie brought him dinner last night at work.

The heartwarming tale of John Casey, Thai food, gaming and a grenade. Utterly charming, oddly sweet considering the pairing, and very, very hot.
Don't forget to tell seperis tell her how awesome she is when you're done!

I cannot get over how much I've been enjoying Season 8 of Smallville, and particularly the deepening of Lois and Clark's snarky, sexy relationship (seriously, guys, how did this show get so good again? It's so much fun! Clark? All grown up and still gorgeous! Tess? Eeeeeeeeeevil and deliciously complicated! Lois? All professional and awesome and so abrasive but totally adorable. Chloe? Still the heart. I just... MY CHEESY SHOW IS BACK!).

I'm in the mood for some Smallville-verse Clark/Lois fics, so rec me! Long and plotty, short and porny, and everything in between; friendship stories, partners-in-crime stories, just anything with the two of them. Bring it!

edit: And icons! Guys, I have no Clark/Lois icons! And, for that matter, all my Smallville icons are out of rotation, and I can't find them. So rec me some icons as well!

Gossip Girl: This Won't Be a Sad Song, by

londondrowning (Nate/Vanessa; PG-13)

The thing is, Nate likes Vanessa. He likes her so much.

Very sweet look at Nate and Vanessa, and why they work. Props to

londondrowning for making sense of Nate's actions with regard to Catherine, even though he still has feelings for Vanessa.

Fannish Misogyny Bingo, by

esorlehcar

Because, as

esorlehcar herself says, god knows we need it. A look at all the nonsensical reasons put forward for the continuation of misogyny in TV shows.

Stargate: Atlantis: 2 Atoms in a Molecule (or Why John Sheppard is an Emotional Simpleton), by zoetrope (John/Rodney; G)

The subtitle if the vid doesn't do it justice; brilliant, visually arresting, and side-splittingly funny video of the way John processes emotions.

Warning: This video contains clips up to and including the episode 5x06 'The Shrine' and (for the really spoiler-phobic) a promo pic from a future episode used though the context is cut out. So if you haven't seen the episode, or are particularly spoiler-sensitive, wait a while.

And, as ever, after you've watched, don't forget to give zoetrope some feedback!

Current Mood: accomplished

Mad Men: Click of the Latch, by

romanyg (Pete/Don, Pete/Trudy; R)

Pete doesn't believe in hero worship. Except when he does.

YOU GUYS. Yesterday, when I asked where all the Don/Pete porn was hiding, the utterly wonderful

romanyg took up the cause. "Click of the Latch" is a brilliant look at Pete's state of mind and his relationship with Don. It's sparingly written, like the show itself, and half the pleasure of reading it is in decoding all the information that she gives you.

I could go on and on, but to do that would be to spoil it, so go, read it now, and when you're done, don't forget to give her feedback!

I'm feeling terribly blah these past few days, what with no new TV and various RL things, but these made me grin madly and you will too:

Supernatural: Crash, by michaela3105 (Sam/Dean; R).

This vid is sublime: the song choice, the use of the 'little moment' clips as well as the more celebrated ones, and did I mention that there's KISSING? Yeah, thought that might make an impression. *g*
Go, watch, then tell michaela3105 how awesome she is.

Supernatural: God's Gonna Cut You Down, by sometimesophie (Dean, evil Sam).

sometimesophie does a really great job of making Sam menacing (and she didn't even have clips from "Born Under a Bad Sign" to help her because this vid was made before that episode aired, which makes her a genius, basically). But this vid is way more than just deliciously evil Sam, it's about Dean, and his obligation to Sam: to save him, and to kill him if he has to. Fantastic.

Multifandom: Us, by lim. (Various characters).

This glorious paean to fandom, to everyone who makes it a better, joyful experience, is guaranteed to make you smile. It's also one of the most technically and conceptually accomplished vids I've ever seen: no details because I'm not going to spoil it for you, but lim actually shows how fans look at source material, she makes that tangible. Run, don't walk. And then fangirl her madly, because it is just that awesome.

Friday Night Lights: Not In How Well He Does the Easy Things, by

devilc (Tim-centric, G).

Going to Monday's practice is the second hardest thing Tim Riggins has ever done.

I wish that this was what happened at the end of 'I Think We Should Have Sex'. Oh, Tim. Oh, Coach.
Something this shiny deserves lots and lots of feedback.

Vid rec, Gilmore Girls: One Line, by

proofpudding (Rory/Dean).

A beautifully done summary of Rory and Dean's relationship. The vid is unfolds gradually, and is done in flashback. Gorgeous.
When you're done, throw

proofpudding some love: leave feedback.

Marvel Comics: Captain America: Ghost, by

caia_comica. (Steve Rogers; G).

I want to hold this ficlet to my heart and squish it. With just a few words, Caia's managed to capture the essence of Captain America: the boundless sense of hope and optimism despite everything. STEEEEEEEEEEVE! Go, read it right now! Shoo!

And, as ever, leave feedback.

Current Mood: calm

Friday Night Lights: A Poor Man's Memory, by

shrift. (Tim-centric; PG).
"My God, you are just not the sharpest tool in the shed, are you, Riggins?"
The banter feels like a deleted scene of the show. Her Tim is a thing of beauty and a joy forever. Go, read. And don't forget to leave feedback.

After waaaaay too long an LJ break (RL is kicking my ass this month), Heroes commentary.

( Heroes 1x17: Company Man )

Also, if you haven't already seen the preview for next week's episode, what are you waiting for? Go and watch it now! I practically died laughing. Lonely ooof, people. It doesn't get better than that.

And finally, a rec:

Heroes: A Cord of Three Strands, by eponis. (Claire/Peter, Nathan/Peter, implied Claire/Nathan, NC-17).
Claire has nothing, in theory, against the way that Peter and Nathan show affection.

So, you know when THAT shocking announcement got made, and I was so happy? Claire got inducted into the Petrelli vortex of awesome, angst and hotassery, but there was no fic that dealt with the massive fucked-upness of 'shipping Peter and Claire while also dealing with Nathan and Peter's big ~~gay~~ epic love... until this fic. It hits every note perfectly: sinope's got Claire's hope and desire for family down pat, and her Nathan just slays me.
Petrellicest at its intellectual, porny best, people. Go check it out. And don't forget to show eponis some love: leave feedback!

I'm desperately waiting for Rome 2x01, and the damn thing is stuck at forty percent! *woe*

To cheer myself up, some recs:

Entourage: The Best You Ever Had, by astolat. (Eric/Vince, NC-17).
The only reason the cops weren't on their asses was Eric started making phone calls about thirty seconds after the first pair of two-man speakers came in the front door and didn't stop for a good two hours into the party.

astolat is one of those rare creatures who writes in many fandoms, and all of them well. Well, thank god she decided to write Entourage fic, I say, and so will you once you've read this adorable, and scorchingly hot story. Eric, Vince, some X and lots and lots of lazy, stoned making out. Lovely. Go and give her some feedback here.

Entourage: Home Sweet Home, by astolat. (Eric/Vince, NC-17).
"Hail the conquering hero," was the first thing Ari said, to be fair, "and start working on your speech now; with the buzz you already got on this thing, that fat fuck Harvey will blow everyone in this town to get you that statue. Let's get some beluga."

...because Shallott, not content with writing one brilliant story, wrote another one. She really is just that awesome. What if Eric had to move out? How would he and Vince cope? astolat has a great feel for the characters, and the story has a very plausible ending for this fandom. Go, read it now! *shoos* And when you're done reading, send her feedback here.

Friday Night Lights: Six Kinds of Coke and a Cup of Coffee, by

them0rgue. (Landry, Tim; G).

Landry bets Riggins practices that smile in a mirror.

Tim and Landry, on life, the universe and everything. Okay, not quite, but there's coffee and Othello involved.

them0rgue's voices are spot-on, and this reads like a deleted scene, it's that good.

Lord Byron, the chartered accountant

Vid rec: Up

Supernatural RPS rec

The Social Network rec

PSA: I iz alive! + Ugly Betty rec

Veronica Mars rec

Sherlock Holmes rec

Glee rec

Merlin rec

Mad Men fic rec

A Night at the Opera + Smallville rec

Star Trek XI recs

Chuck rec

Rec me, Smallville-style!

Gossip Girl rec

Meta-rec

Vid rec

Mad Men rec

Vid recs

Friday Night Lights rec

Because I am spammy tonight, a vid rec!

Insta-rec, part deux...

Insta-rec

Heroes

Entourage recs...

Insta-rec!

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