Recommendations will return.  I've amassed quite a few memories here and just need to get permissions and make sure I leave reviews and so forth. 

I was bumbling around tonight and came across this book list, which is in my opinion weirdly random, and thought I'd see how I measure up.  The results are pretty hilarious, considering I'm a dissertation defense away from a PhD in English literature.  More specifically, my broadest speciality is twentieth century American lit, and almost none of these books were on my reading list for that exam (the only one I remember offhand is Lolita).  Some of these books I've never even heard of.  So is that more telling of me, or the list? 

And then I thought I'd post to see if anyone on my friends list remembers adding me to begin with.


1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
4) Reprint this list in your own LJ so we can try and track down these people who've read 6 and force books upon them


( book list here )

So. There are many reasons I haven't posted, the main one having to do with a certain PhD comp that didn't get taken and the proposal for which that had to be completely rewritten and accompanied by a manuscript of forty poems. That's half a book, people! So, not much time to really dig for the good fanfiction. And let's face it, sometimes you really have to dig. Plus, in the months following the release of Deathly Hallows there was a burst of excellent and really conscientious canon-compliant fanfiction, and unfortunately for my tastes, it's petered out a bit. People can't seem to get enough of pairing Snape up with his students, for some reason. And then there is the ever-pervasive Harry/Draco theme. We could get into a philosophical discussion about why people come up with this stuff, why it's perhaps even necessary in the fanfiction community, but it's just not what I want to read or point people toward.

But I have been lurking more. And reading. And checking up on my flist (first time I've ever used that word!), for the most part, although there were a few weeks that it didn't even cross my mind, sorry to say. As a gesture of goodwill, I'd like to reassert myself by posting some short recommendations for some stories that I've been following for some time that have really knocked my socks off lately. I'm going to start by recommending some stuff at Checkmated, but since I think probably everyone who reads this is pretty regular there, they may be old news to you. Onward anyway.

Title: Buried Treasure and Transmogrify
Author: RiennaHawkes
Pairing: James/Lily
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Sexual situations, language
Summary: Lily Evans has spent years despising James Potter. He has spent just as long pursuing her. When seventh year pairs them Head Boy and Girl, each comes to realize that their judgment isn’t quite what they thought it was.

Archive: Checkmated
Length: 6 chapters and slowly growing




I'll be back with more soon. For real, yo. Oh, and happy holidays.

Didn't there used to be a LJ here with recommendations for great HP fanfiction?  I'm a terrible updater.  I'll be back in a bit with another rec.  In the meantime, many previously recommended stories have been updated with new chapters, so if you're looking for something to read, check out some of those multi-chap WIPs!!

We just finished watching Last of the Mohicans, which is the saddest movie ever.  I only cried a little though since I saw it a couple of weeks ago on the History Channel and sobbed then.  It's one of my favorite movies, although I know it's overly romanticized.  I still think it has lots of redeeming qualities though.  I saw it in the theater originally, and it really profoundly affected me.  I had never really seen anything like it before, and it was one of the first times where I thought, wow, this is a really spectacular movie.  I was twelve.

Now my husband is ecstatic because the geoducks are on Dirty Jobs.

Title:  For Bitter or for Worse
Author:  Kerichi
Pairing: George/Alicia
Rating:  T/PG-13
Warnings:  Some implied sexual situations.
Summary: All is not well. George uses work and Firewhisky to cope with Fred's death until a drink with a friend leads to something that dulls pain better than alcohol. Emotionally torn by grief, he struggles to allow Alicia into his life...and then comes baby....

Archive: FF.net or Checkmated
Length:  10 chapters and counting

The full ten chapters are archived at FF.net, but it is also being more slowly updated at Checkmated.  I haven't compared versions to see if the Checkmated version is any different (there are eight chapters there).

For Bitter or Worse at Fanfiction.net or at Checkmated.

Poor George.  He needs some love.  If you are, like me, curious about how George is going to cope with Fred's death, this story is a great filler for that gap between George at Fred's side in the Great Hall and the naming of his firstborn son.  Here's one version in which George isn't too crazy and doesn't go where you can't follow when it comes to the angst, if you know what I mean.  Kerichi's writing is intelligent and clear too, and I think her characterization are accurate while still being feeling.  Alicia is a pretty well-rounded character as well, considering how little acquainted we are with her in canon.  It's a WIP, so I'm definitely curious to see where it's going.  And the summary really is a summary and not just a premise--you won't get hit with all of it in the first chapter, if you know what I mean. 

I realized I went a week without posting a recommendation!  Part of the reason was that I was trying to decide on something that wasn't Remus/Tonks because I have several of those I want to rec but don't want this to focus only on that pairing.

And probably the rest of the reason can be explained by this:

Link: The Which Lolcat Are You? Test written by GumOtaku on OkCupid Free Online Dating,

So true.  I've been so busy reading fanfiction that I haven't stopped to do any reviews. I'll post another recommendation later today, after I go to bed and the wake up.

After gently explaining to my husband that tonight's recommendation wouldn't be smut within the context of a larger story but smut for the sake of smut, here it is:

Title: Bare Feat
Author: mapleandmahogany

maple_mahogany or fics_by_maple
Pairing: Dean/Luna
Rating: RT (Restricted Themes)
Warnings: Contains Spoilers for DH, Het, Minor Character Death, Minor Fluff, Strong Sexual Content
Summary: Dean and Luna comfort each other at Shell Cottage.

Archive: The Quidditch Pitch
Length: One-shot

NOTE: Because of the rating on this story, there is a warning message whereby you must verify that you are of legal age to read it at the Quidditch Pitch.

Read Bare Feat at the Quidditch Pitch or on LJ.

Of course, it isn't really just smut for the sake of smut. It's actually a nice, plausible behind-the-scenes explanation of the interaction between Dean and Luna in the Room of Requirement in DH (which made me go squee!). We don't really know Dean all that well, but I think this version of him is pretty good, and this version of Luna is very in-character. Mapleandmahogany makes what some might consider a far-fetched situation seem not only plausible but likely because it fits so snugly within the boundaries and characterizations of canon. This is, in my opinion, the definitive Dean/Luna story.

Tonight I am basking in the afterglow of my LUSH Volcano foot mask, which makes your feet all tingly and cool.  So I am happy.  Earlier I had the laptop out reading some fanfiction and my husband asked me if I was reading more fiction about Lupin and Tonks getting together.  I stuck my tongue out at him.  Ok, maybe I didn't, but I know I did in my mind.

I won't lie and say I haven't been leaning toward that pairing in my personal reading, but I have tried to shy away from overloading my recommendations with it.  So tonight, prepare yourself for some Sirius/Dorcas, compliments of dark_adrenalynn.

Title: Carry On, Wayward Son
Author: dark_adrenalynn
Pairing: Sirius Black/Dorcas Meadowes, Lily Evans/James Potter, Alice/Frank Longbottom
Rating: R
Warnings: Implied sex, implied torture, overuse of Latin and seventies lyrics, angst...
Summary: Twenty-three drabbles about Dorcas and Sirius and their fates.

Archive: LiveJournal
Length:  23 drabbles

Carry On, Wayward Son

( Need convincing? )

Title: Finite Incantatem
Author: pandorajones
Genre: Angst/Tragedy
Pairing: Tonks/Remus
Rating: PG
Warnings: None (but it's really sad!)
Summary:  Deathly Hallows. The final battle and beyond. Tonks's POV.  Characters: Tonks, Ginny, Charlie, Fred, Remus.

Archive: Checkmated
Length:  One-shot
Status:  Complete

Finite Incantatem

( Review this way... )

Let me direct you to the Harry Potter Random Facts Fest going on over at InsaneJournal.  Writers choose a HP character and write twenty facts about them (some of them are not so random and can stand as one-shots on their own).  The goal of these lists of facts is to inspire fanfiction and art.  Entries for the "random facts" are accepted through October 31, and then entries for fiction and art are accepted from November 1 to December 31.

I've already read quite a few of the fact sets that are posted, and they range from brilliant and touching to outrageously AU to a little out of touch with canon.  I encourage you to check them out too.

Tonight's recommendation is another story archived in the Bedchamber section at Checkmated.  You do need to apply for access to read the stories in that section if you haven't already.

Title: Shades of Black
Author: RedSioda (redsiodaslair)
Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama, Romance
Pairing: Charlie/OFC
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: None (Sexual situations)
Summary:  Desire might be the most fearsome beast Charlie Weasley will ever encounter in Romania.

Archive: Checkmated Bedchamber
Length:  10 chapters
Status:  Complete

Shades of Black

I love the minor characters in HP, especially the adult ones.  Recently I tried to explain to my husband that I think the greater tragedy of the HP series is the backstory--all the young people who lost their lives or had them royally screwed up by Voldemort and/or Dark magic the first time around.  Sirius and Lupin are two of my favorites--they are fascinating characters that don't get as much development as I would like.  That's not a criticism, just a statement of fact.  There is so little good fanfiction about that isn't slash, so I'm doing my best to find what's out there that isn't. 

Rowling did give us Lupin and Tonks, and I'm grateful for that.  I've already posted my recommendation for a multi-chapter story about the development of their relationship.  I've read quite a few stories that postulate the beginnings of their relationship, and many of them are a little too sappy sweet.  That can be great, but one after another can get a little cloying.  Tonight's recommendation is a great remedy for that--a plausible and canon-friendly explanation for how they got started on the road to love from a place that wasn't quite so sweet and lovely.  It's a short one though, so bear in mind that it doesn't exactly have a happy ending--but we all know what happens anyway.

Title: Lay a Cold Compress upon the Mess I'm In
Author:  secrethappiness
Genre: Angsty Romance
Pairing: Remus/Tonks
Rating: R
Warnings: None (Sexual situations)
Summary:  The first time they have sex, it's two weeks after Sirius' death. Tonks is mourning a cousin she never really knew and Remus is mourning the brother he betrayed.
Author's Notes: Set between 'Order of the Phoenix' and 'Half-Blood Prince'.

Archive: LJ
Length:  One-shot

Lay a Cold Compress, posted with permission

( Why you should read it... )

This is a fabulous one-shot I came across before DH was released. It doesn't fit precisely within canon now, but it's still vague enough that it works.

Title: Only Minutes Away
Author: belovedranger
Genre: Romance
Pairing: Ron/Hermione
Rating: M/R
Archive: Fanfiction.net or Checkmated
Status: Complete
Warnings: None
Summary: Hermione doesn’t move. Stubbornly she twists a strand of hair around her finger, and Ron watches, fascinated - felled. He swallows hard.

He hasn’t taken a long moment to do this in days, weeks. He hasn’t let himself.

~*~

She looks more alive, more fierce than he can remember as she sits up energetically. “Ron, do you ever wonder-”

“No.”

Read it at Fanfiction.net or at Checkmated.

This story satisfied my desire for a little HP just before DH was released, when I just couldn't wait any longer. It's set during the time period of Book 7 and explores the ever-mounting tension between Ron and Hermione. Actually, even though the situation might be difficult to place within DH, the relationship aspect works pretty well, especially from Ron's perspective. It's a nice little foray into romance without there actually being any romance.  It reminds me again that Ron and Hermione are young, and that when we are young there are so many invisible barriers to love that might seem insignificant to us when we're older.

There are many Marauder-era fics floating around out there, some of them good, some of them *eh*. Many of us are fascinated with Harry's parents and their friends. I think many would agree that the story of the first war against Voldemort only gets more interesting as JKR compounds it with more characters throughout the novels. This multi-chapter story is, by far, my favorite of the Marauder stories I've read. And just so you don't think I only read at Checkmated, I originally found this story at The Quidditch Pitch, but it's incomplete there and posted in its entirety at Checkmated.

Title: A Lost Generation
Author: Fionnabhair
Genre: Drama, Romance, Tragedy/Angst
Pairing: James/Lily (also Sirius/Dorcas)
Rating: PG
Archive: Checkmated
Status: Complete
Warnings: None
Summary: From the very beginning of their school days, Lily and James' lives were entangled in the Wizarding World. Yet, in the midst of war, the most important thing is life, not death - Lily, James, Sirius and all those of their generation struggle to protect the love and laughter that is the essence of life, as a brutal war is fought around them.

A Lost Generation

My favorite kind of fanfiction is the gapfiller, and in my opinion, the Maruader era is a giant gap waiting to be filled.  And as with any gapfiller, you can read a dozen stories that do the job, but occasionally you get lucky enough to stumble on the one that reads "true" to you.  This one is it for me--the definitive Marauder Hogwarts through Halloween 1981 story.  Plus the chapter titles come from poems, so you know that goes a long way with me.

Title:  End of the Line
Author:  shewhoguards
Genre: Comedy, Tragedy/Angst
Pairing: None
Rating: G
Archive: Checkmated
Status:  ?
Warnings:  None
Summary:  Hell was, Snape decided, a crowded railway platform.

End of the Line

I planned to recommend this story when I thought it was a one-shot, but imagine my surprise when I saw another chapter had been added to it over at Checkmated today.  The second chapter is touching, but the first chapter could certainly hold its own.  The author has categorized it as a comedy, but it's definitely a dark one.  And it definitely has its sad moments.  The premise is that Harry's after death experience at King's Cross isn't unique to him. The first features Snape in a similar situation, while the second chapter focuses on Fred's experience.

( A longer and more spoilery review. )

Lately I have been into reading explorations of the relationship between Lupin and Tonks.  I'm not bothering with a cut for Deathly Hallows spoilers here--it was bittersweet, to say the least, to really get a taste of the tenderness between them and then have it taken away.  Here is one of my favorite stories that eases the sniffles.

Author/archive provided information:

Title: Consequences
Author: pandorajones
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Romance, Tragedy/Angst
Pairing: Tonks/OMC, Tonks/Charlie, Tonks/Remus
Rating: NC-17
Archive: Checkmated Bedchamber
Status: WIP
Warnings:  Adult themes, violent imagery
Summary: What she views as a terrible mistake at The Department of Mysteries is followed by a poor choice a few days later.  Tonks's life begins to spiral out of control.   Sequel to 'The Middle of Nowhere'  **Late OotP through HBP**

Consequences


Consequences is a very nice exploration of the genesis of the relationship from Tonks's perpective.  It is characterized by several elements that normally might turn me off from a piece of this length--it's in first person,* it contains a lot of explicit het, and at least one important character is original.  But I don't want this praise to seem at all back-handed; the story is quite well written not just despite those elements, but perhaps because of them.  I didn't actually realize how much sex was in the story until I went back to read it to decide whether to recommend it to my husband.  So be warned--there is a lot, but it's pretty well done. Kind of like a literate romance novel, with well-developed and rich characters. Most importantly, Tonks is a real person--flawed and very believable. Pandorajones also has a story called "The Middle of Nowhere" that gives the backstory of the Tonks/Charlie relationship, also on Checkmated.

A Note on Access:  This story is archived in the Bedchamber section of Checkmated, and you must apply for access in order to read it (which requires that you verify your age).


*About my objection to first person POV:  just by way of justification, I thought I'd mention why I sometimes have a problem with it.  I have a hard time making the transition from a beloved work of fiction written in one POV to fanfiction written in a different POV.  It depends on the character, of course, but I think it's tough to assume the POV of a character created by someone else.  Assuming their perspective from third person POV is much easier to do well, I think.  In the case of this story, I think it works because we only know a few key bits of Tonks's personality to begin with.

This is the first fic I recommended to my husband when he asked.  

Author/archive provided information:

Title: Unexpected Influence
Author: PigWithHair (pigwithhairfics)
Genre: Drama, Romance, Tragedy/Angst
Pairing: Ron/Hermione
Rating: PG-13
Archive: Checkmated
Status: Complete
Summary: Set post DH. Ron has accompanied Hermione to search for her parents.

Unexpected Influence

This is a lovely, bittersweet oneshot. I love PigWithHair's Ron. I've read a couple of stories that deal with this situation, and this is the best I've read so far. It's definitely a realistic moment from the progression of Ron and Hermione's relationship set within the larger problem of retrieving Hermione's parents from Australia.

My husband recently asked me to make a list of good Harry Potter fanfiction for him to check out.  He's never read fanfiction before but trusts me not to steer him wrong.  As I started to think about which stories I could actually in good conscience in recommend, I realized that there are a few gems out there among mountains of sludge, and they're not always easy to find.  So I had the possibly brilliant idea of starting a list other people can access as well and chose livejournal as the venue since there is some really fabulous fanfiction here.  I hope that there are plenty of people reading HP fanfiction who have similar tastes and might be able to appreciate this kind of thing.

So why should you care what I recommend?  Excellent question.  The best test is to check out a few of my recommendations and decide for yourself.  My tastes run the gamut as far as traditional HP fanfiction definitions go, but the one thing all my favorite fanfiction stories have in common is some literary quality.  I'll confess: I'm a bit of a literary snob, but fanfiction is a guilty pleasure of mine.  I'm not going to waste my time reading crappy fiction, be it original or fanfiction.  I don't pretend to be a professional fiction writer, but I do have an advanced degree in English with a creative writing specialty (with another in progress).  Although my forte is poetry (and you won't see any of that here), I think I have a pretty discerning eye for prose.

What you will see here are recommendations for stories that have some respect for the Harry Potter canon and that are well written in terms of story, style, and mechanics.  Because my personal tastes don't run that way, you probably won't be directed to slash or AU stories, unless they really knock my socks off.  You are likely to encounter stories of all lengths and ratings (ratings will be reproduced as the writer has given them).  You probably will encounter recommendations for stories that focus on minor characters as often as major ones.  I think that is one of the best things about fanfiction--its flexibility to explore characters (and situations) we didn't get enough of the first time around.  Stories of the romance genre will likely be respectful of canon pairings, or where canon doesn't actively pair, at least canon characters.

I've got a few things in mind that I want to recommend already, but here is my first ground rule:  any story posted on livejournal will require permission from the writer to be recommended here.  I think that's fair since those posts are not necessarily readily searchable.  I don't think that's necessary for stories posted to public fanfiction archives, but I will certainly notify authors with reviews on those sites if I do recommend their stories.