I DECLARE THIS DAY TO BE POD REC AMNESTY DAY

[bessyboo.livejournal.com]

So, I saw that nobody was going to be posting ANY recs at ALL today, and CLEARLY this was a TRAVESTY because it is AMPLIRECATHON!!!! So buckle up kids, because it's the Black Friday of Amplirecathon: ya'll are getting heaps of leftovers!

Now, I don't know about the rest of you, but after 'recathon sign-ups, I went through all these rec theme ideas. I started makings lists (and checking them twice), and jotting down which were naughty and nice what I was going to say about certain pods. BUT, there were a lot of great themes that I came up with, but only found one podfic for. Clearly, one podfic does not a rec post make. BUT! I still dearly love all these pods, and just because I couldn't find any others to fit my themes, it doesn't mean the recs shouldn't see the light of day! So, this post is going to be a POD REC AMNESTY POST--all of the awesome lists I ended up with that only had one podfic on them. And also some other awesome podfics that didn't fit into any of my themes, just for good measure. And because they are awesome.


YAY ACCENTS! In Which A Reader's Natural Accent Increased My Enjoyment Of The Podfic

People Livin' In Competition (written by ladyjaida, read by sadcypress) [Supernatural, Sam/Dean]
I came very close to forcing a bunch of stuff that didn't totally fit into a post with this theme, all because of this podfic. Because I love this fic, and sadcypress does a great job reading it, but for reasons I cannot fully explain, her accent is somehow totally perfect for this fic. Like, she has this fun kind of southern drawl, and OMG it just works so well for this fic. Oh god, I am so inarticulate here, do you see why I couldn't write a full rec post on this? I do not have coherent things to say here, other than YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO IT.


Driving At Night Alone (Except For Some Awesome Podfic)

Decimation (written by waldorph, read by reena_jenkins) [Star Trek Reboot, Kirk/Spock]
I love Kirk/Spock. I love genderswap. And I love Reena's podfics. So clearly this was destined to be a favorite of mine from the get-go. She and I have also discussed her music use before, and while I don't like some of them as well, the music use in this one is like, COMPLETELY SPOT-ON. "No Sleep Tonight" is TOTALLY girl!Kirk's anthem, and her little section-divider stings are timed perfectly.

This podfic also happens to be just about exactly the right time for me to drive to my dad's house and back, with some rush-hour traffic on the way there. I go to my dad's for dinner once a week, and a LOT of the time I end up listening to this one. I rock out in the driver's seat every. single. time. the music come on, and sometimes, if I'm stuck in traffic, I turn the volume alllllll the way up during the porny bits, just to make the grumpy old dude in the next lane uncomfortable. (Why yes, I *am* a little bit perverse! ;D)


Something To Sleep To: Podfics to fall asleep to.

So, I really wanted to do this theme. However, when I started going through my library, I realized that most of the podfics I use to fall asleep are by me. *facepalm* < TANGENT > While I normally don't particularly have any preference either for or against my voice compared to most other podficcers', I actually find it rather nice to listen to ones read by myself when I'm trying to fall asleep. When I'm tired and lying in bed, and it's in my own voice, it's kind of like the story is coming from inside my own head, and it tends to not jolt me out of it at all. As someone with pretty severe long-term insomnia (basically since puberty onwards), I've found this to be really helpful for falling asleep. Has anyone else found this to be true, or is it just me? Try it, tell me if it works for any of you, too! < / TANGENT >

BUT. I did find one pod that I use really consistently that isn't by me:
l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux (written by formerlydf, read by pennyplainknits) [Star Trek RPF, Chris/Zach]
Now, this one has become such a "bedtime pod" for me that I know the first few minutes almost by heart, but I can only remember hearing the end, like, once. Maybe twice. Because I've always fallen asleep before it's over! Penny has a wonderful voice to fall asleep to, SO soft and soothing, and this fic has a gorgeous, dreamlike quality to it that makes it an excellent bedtime story.

RE-REC: This has already been recced. But...

I need to share this story. I wrote this last week, shortly after this awesome rec post came out. I can't remember if it was going to be a post in my journal, or what, but it was in my "Podfic Recs" document, so I thought I'd share it here.

Let me preface this by saying: I do not cry easily. I cried a lot when I was a kid, and then I hit puberty and I just...stopped. I'm not saying I never cry, but it takes a lot to make me tear up. And it almost never happens with movies, television, plays, or really any forms of fiction.

So when I tell you that tonight, a podfic made me cry, I want ya'll to understand what that means.

Yesterday, I downloaded a bunch of podfic courtesy of Amplirecathon (YAY AMPLIRECATHON! \o/), and today I got the chance to listen to a couple of them. I had already gotten through Fireball, so I was in an SGA kind of mood already. So, when I got into my car to drive back from my dad's house tonight, I looked through my list of un-listened to podfic, went, "ooh, more SGA AU!", and promptly put on Wide Open Ocean.

I was expecting "happy tiems with dolphin training YAYZ!". By the time I hit the 35W entrance ramp, roughly five minutes away from my dad's house, I had tears streaming down my face. By the time I was at my exit ramp ten minutes later, I nearly had to pull over I was crying so hard.

I couldn't even tell you exactly what about it got to me, precisely. Something about the quiet tragedy of John's situation, or perhaps the beautiful, soft sadness in winkingstar's reading.

All I know is that tonight, a podfic brought me to tears. The last time that happened, my sister was playing the Baker's Wife in a production of Into The Woods at the Illusion Theater, and singing the No One Is Alone reprise. It's a terribly sad song (her character is dead at that point), and had deeply nostalgic associations for me, since it was a childhood lullaby for me. And it was my sister singing it. Before today, I didn't even know of this fic's existence, let alone the pod of it, so I had no previous emotional connections to it whatsoever.

This is the power of podfic.

And a few more, just because they're awesome.

Kowalski Is Bleeding (written by cesperanza, read by darkemeralds) [Due South, Fraser/RayK & Stella/RayV]
I was hesitant to even read this one originally, because I am not a huge RayV fan (omg please don't kill me I am not trying to restart the Ray Wars here! /o\), BUT as usual, Speranza has a spot-on character voice and a really fascinating, engaging story, and in the end I gave in and read it. Cue me finding the podfic, and similarly going, "do I really want to listen to that many hours of RayV?" and similarly giving in and NOT BEING SORRY AT ALL. Her RayV voice is like, SO PERFECT, it's awesome, and she does an AWESOME job of distinguishing between the sections with simultaneously happening action, which I remember thinking, "how in the world would you do that in a pod version?!" Overall, two thumbs up, which is high praise coming from a bona fide Not-A-RayV-Fan.

Of Pants, Pranks, and Incidental Courtships (written by xenakis_, read by pennyplainknits) [Merlin RPF, Colin/Bradley]
I feel like I've recced Penny so much, I should probably lay off, BUT. This one has racked up so many play counts it probably deserves a mention. It's so adorable, and hilarious, and as per usual Penny does an amazing job and as has previously been mentioned OMG I LOVE HER VOICE, so, yes. THIS ONE, YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO IT, IT'S A GOODIE.

I'll Take My Chance on a Beautiful Stranger (written by fleshflutter, read by podcath) [Supernatural, Sam/Dean]
I adore outsider!POV fics, DOUBLY so for Wincest stories (I find outsiders' take on their relationship really fascinating), and even more so for this one, because this particular limited POV narrator is missing a few key pieces of information. Cath has a really interesting accent which I didn't originally think would work for me for SPN stuff, but totally, absolutely worked for this fic. She reads it with this contained sadness that is just...yes.

Conversational Winchester For Trolls (written by eloise_bright, read by gigglingkat) [Supernatural, gen]
There is a reason that I took the time to remaster this and do some clean-up editing. And that reason is that it is FUCKING BRILLIANT. To be lazy and quote myself from a previous drive-by comment rec: "at one point I tried to use Conversational Winchester For Trolls as a Safety Pod, but it actually makes me laugh *TOO HARD* in public, which generally has the effect of making me look like a crazy person. Because it is not just a giggle or two, it is like me doubling over laughing my ass off through the whole twelve minutes."

It's Not The Violin (written by sam_storyteller, read by pandarus) [Sherlock, John/Sherlock]
It's Sam Storyteller, as read by FayJay, for BBC Sherlock. ...do you really need any more reasons to listen to this one (the two of you who haven't, I mean)? You DO? Okay, the music is FUCKING PERFECT BEYOND BELIEF, her Sherlock voice is amazing, and OH YEAH, IT'S FUCKING FAYJAY READING FUCKING SAM STORYTELLER. WHY HAVE YOU NOT ALREADY LISTENED TO IT?!

Forever, Now (written by passe_simple, read by podklb) [Bandom, pre-Frank/Gerard]
AMAZING STORY, AMAZING PODFIC. If you haven't already heard this one, run don't walk. I don't know what else I can say. ...adorable bb urchin!Ways? (IDEK YOU GUYS, IT'S LATE EARLY AND I'M TIRED. I AM RUNNING OUT OF THINGS TO SAY HERE.)


So...YOUR TURN! I am declaring this day to be Pod Rec Amnesty Day! Share all your previously-unposted recs in the comment section! Or just drive-by recs for stuff that hasn't already been recced for this year's Amplirecathon, and you think deserves to be!

Comments

[zenodameaccount.livejournal.com]

Theories About Nuclear Winter (Calvin & Hobbes) (http://community.livejournal.com/amplificathon/794282.html) as read by bessyboo, which - wow. Not even my fandom and not even my thing (romance), but I totally got into the characters. It read like a professional recording. Her voice is so apt! Plus, I have a weakness for good cover art. :D

Also, Relatives & Relativity (http://pandarus.livejournal.com/354407.html) read by Pandarus/Fayjay (http://pandarus.dreamwidth.org/) (Sense & Sensibility/Doctor Who). I have such a kink for good crossovers, and even more so in podfic. Add a dash of Austen and a brill voice actress, and you've got me weak in the knees. It's a story of excitement and (more importantly) the devotion of two sisters. It's a comfort podfic that I think anyone can enjoy, even those not too familiar with all the source material (like me). :))

[pandarus.livejournal.com]

Thank you kindly! Delighted you liked 'Relatives & Relativity'! I just adore Yahtzee's writing, and this one's a peach of a story. I'm really glad it worked for you!

&hearts

[zenodameaccount.livejournal.com]

Of course! You did a fantastic job on Yahtzee's material, and I just adore it! ♥

[bessyboo.livejournal.com]

OMG I GOT RECCED IN MY OWN POST O.o

Wow, um, THANK YOU! *blushes* I am so honored by the fact that, despite it not being your fandom AND romance not being your "thing", you tried it anyway, and words cannot describe how giddy your comparison to a professional recording make me!

Seriously, you just made my day :DDDD

[zenodameaccount.livejournal.com]

HAHAHA IT TOOK ME A COUPLE DAYS TO REALIZE I DID THAT. >:L

Yeah, it did sound professional! Perhaps there are a combination of factors that contributed in your favor, (i.e. American, fresh, good pacing, clear recording, emotional resonance), but I left off feeling very impressed!

I dunno—if you ever get the chance, have an interest, and find something you like—maybe you should give a try at voice acting. You're a delight to listen to!

[bessyboo.livejournal.com]

LOLOL the fact that you didn't even REALIZE what you were doing kind of makes it even better XD

And just...;alsdjflsd;jf I don't even have anything coherent to say here, I'm just drawing sparkly hearts around this post <33333333333333333

That is one of the nicest things anyone's every told me. THANK YOU :DDDDDDDDDDDDD ♥