(no subject)

[apocalypsos]

I feel like I have to tell myself out loud after rewatching last night's GA that the name of my SPN/GA crossover being How To Fix Things and the Meredith VO cutting from her to Izzie in bed with Denny with "We set about the business of fixing whatever we can" is not a shoutout, no matter how much I'd like it to be.

In any event, more fic recs ...

Homecoming, by coffee_in_bed (Supernatural, John) -- The life that comes after defeating the demon. Oh, God, do I love this, because "homecoming" is really the title and the summary all in one.

Untitled crackfic, by the_jackalope (Grey's Anatomy/Harry Potter, I don't want to ruin it, just go read) -- I can't even begin to describe why I adore this without spoiling the hook, although the first sentence will do it for you.

Texas State of Mind, by brynwulf (Supernatural RPS, Jared/Jensen) -- Jared's homesick. Heh. That would sound like such an adorably hugworthy concept if not for the smut. ;)

samson went back to bed, by endora_taylor (Supernatural, Dean, John, and Sam) -- The one thing that's good about the season finale is that now we get the really awesome post-finale "okay, so how do we fix THIS mess?" fic, like this ...

Post-finale fic, by monkeycrackmary (Supernatural, Dean, Sam, and John) -- ... and this. I just ... oh, Dean. *cuddles* (Notice that I say this as someone whose main display of how much I love the pants off Dean as a character is to hurt him as much as physically, mentally and emotionally possible. Heh. ;))

All Comes Down, by daysoflo (WB RPS, Jared/Chad) -- I DO NOT GET IT. Why I love Mayhem in fic, that is. Jesus, I hate him everywhere else, but in fic, I want him and Jared to be doing it all over the goddamn place because much like in this story, it's hot beyond the telling of it. Why is that? Can we, like, trade out fic!Chad for real-life!Chad? It has absolutely nothing to do with me and yet I'd be a much happier, more contented person if that were to happen.

The Good Son, by witchofthedogs (Supernatural, Dean) -- How do you make a deal that only ends in pain? I've said, "Oh, Dean," right? Seriously, that boy's going to be the death of me.

Communication Breakdown, by jwynn (Supernatural, Sam and Dean) -- What can one say with a fist full of gun besides click, bang, boom? This is fabulous and addresses Sam's powers in a way that I really hope the show gets into next season. (It's not that I want him to be some chosen one or something -- God forbid -- but Jesus, if Max can train himself to use telekinesis for spite, you'd think Sam would do it on purpose if it meant a.) keeping it from getting out of control and b.) helping people. But hey, it's not like I'm writing for the show, so maybe there's a better reason than, "Moving a desk with his mind was so cool that one time!".)

needs must when the devil drives, by ladyjaida (Supernatural, Dean, John, and Sam) -- Or, five ways the Winchesters do (or don't) wake up. Obviously, more great post-finale fic. Now if we can just get some more in-depth stuff that gets them a little farther than out of the car ... ;) (Although it's already starting to come out, so YAY.)

Stigmata, by laytoncolt (Supernatural, Dean and Sam) -- You know, I get why Dean having powers in canon would just be wrong, but in fic, I adore the hell out of it. And this is a wonderful take on a power for him to have that's just right -- not perfect, because it's Dean and he'd abuse the hell out of it, but he'd do it in all the best ways just like this.

Fic recs left: 478 fic recs

This doesn't relate to anything other than being a huge nerd, but last night at work I used the word "jossed" in a real conversation and didn't even realized it until somebody asked me what the hell I just said. Uh, oops?

EDIT: Does anybody know of a really good book about what life was like during the Black Plague that won't bore the hell out of me? That period of history's not really my thing -- I'm more into the last few hundred years and American history --but I'm thinking of picking up a book on it just for the hell of it. And absolutely NOT for research. *shifty eyes*

Comments

[mcee.livejournal.com]

the Meredith VO cutting from her to Izzie in bed with Denny with "We set about the business of fixing whatever we can" is not a shoutout

SURE IT IS.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

NO IT'S NOT. It can't be, see, because my brain has no happy middle ground between "completely realism" and "OMIGOD THE WRITERS ARE READING OVER MY SHOULDER RIGHT NOW."

[mcee.livejournal.com]

don't make any sudden movements, they're fear-biters.

[ink-stain.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for the rec (coffee_in_bed is my fic journal)! ♥

[akamarykate.livejournal.com]

Lo, I bring you tidings of the Black Death...

If you want a history of the disease itself and how it impacted European society, there's a new book by John Kelly called The Great Mortality that I'd recommend. It's a good summary of the most current theories and information, and Kelly's writing is very readable and interesting.

If you're more interested in daily life and what it was like, you might look for a copy of Lost Country Life by Dorothy Hartley for information about common folk. It's the kind of thing you can skip around in to find out things like how certain foods were made and what a shepherd did with his day.

Along the same lines, but with more of a focus on the upper classes, there's Barbara Tuchman's A Distant Mirror, or an older book by William Woods called England in the Age of Chaucer--both, again, very readable for the non-historian (like me!).

And really, if you just want some down and dirty facts to give you a flavor of the period (along with pretty photographs of re-enactors ;), look in the kid's section of the bookstore or library for titles by Doring Kingsley and Eyewitness books, and their competitors. Medieval Life and Living History's Fourteenth-Century Towns are both decent overviews. The latter has pictures of people dropping dead in the street, which is always entertaining.

[the-jackalope.livejournal.com]

It's totally a shout out. How could it not be? Denny is John, and the writers really aren't helping me fight that delusion.

[gehayi.livejournal.com]

A Distant Mirror by Barbara Tuchman is excellent history and enjoyable reading. And there's quite a lot in there about the Black Death and how it affected life during the fourteenth century.

[azurelunatic]

Connie Willis's Doomsday Book is science fiction, time travel, and equal parts good and chilling.

[cdybedahl.livejournal.com]

One easy way to get a pretty good look at life during the Black Death is to watch the movie The Seventh Seal.

[magickly.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the recs!

[transtempts.livejournal.com]

Thanks, as always for the recs. And you know what, I have made 'squee' part of normal vocabulary at work, along with other fannish terms, if just so that my coworkers can understand me and confuse other people. ::g::

[annalazarus.livejournal.com]

Can we, like, trade out fic!Chad for real-life!Chad?

Yes! Let's do this. But can we leave the bit where he was too old to take his fiancee to the prom? Because that shit's hysterical.

[dodger-winslow.livejournal.com]

You give the best recs. Thanks.

[emella.livejournal.com]

Oh how I love your recs. :)

Thbis comment is not helpful at all.

[lots42.livejournal.com]

Augh! Repressed memories!

There's a whacked out book that I don't remember the name or author of because my brain hates me.

It takes place a bit in the future. A British university develops time travel and sends a Mary Sue back in time to the Black Plague. There's drama as the Plague might travel forward. There's drama as the interesting members of the village croak off one by one. Pathos and firebombings and evacuations and ... the cover looks like a romance novel and the back cover blurb is completely irrelevant to reality, like 'Angel' previews.

[lots42.livejournal.com]

Is that the one I described below? With the Mary Sue and the Priest and etc?

[azurelunatic]

It might be, though I remember a lot more about her being vaccinated, stranded, in the wrong time and rather pissed off about it, and the interesting members of the village dying and her feeling very helpless and being counted as very brave though she was just doing what she could because she knew she was immune.

The firebombings are from Fire Watch, by the same author.

[sharpest_rose.livejournal.com]

Aw, thankyou for the rec! You totally just made my day.

Re: Thbis comment is not helpful at all.

[lisan.livejournal.com]

Connie Willis' "Doomsday Book"?

[lisan.livejournal.com]

I recommend this one, too. Though I don't think it's a very good intro to Connie Willis' work. Or rather, it's not where I'd reccommend you start.

[azurelunatic]

Bellwether, To Say Nothing of the Dog, and (I think the name is) Impossible Things are my favorites of hers. She does excellent romantic comedy, especially as touched with the surreal. That last is a collection of short stories, and has a bit on Women's Issue.

[lisan.livejournal.com]

My favorites are her short stories. (I actually have two copies of "Impossible Dreams" because I thought I'd lost my first copy.) Have you read "The Child Who Cries For The Moon" and "Who Would Pity A Swan?" "Lincoln's Dreams" is my favorite novel, though.

[azurelunatic]

I haven't read any of her short works outside of the collection that has The Last Winnebago and the story with the Cyclers (which I must now make sure pretty much all of my female friends read) but I'll keep an eye out.

I went into Lincoln's Dreams expecting something lighter, more along the weight of that sf/romance crossover thing she did. Wow, was I in for a case of adjusted expectations!