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

Request for Self Recs

[podklb.livejournal.com]

I had this as an entry but then realized maybe I was taking the amnesty idea too far. So I'm reposting it as a comment here:

Rolling with the Pod Rec Amnesty Day idea, here's something that I saw on podficpool that I thought was really cool. I'd love to replicate it here. So:

In the comments, name the one podfic that you've made that you're the most proud of, and explain a bit about what makes that The One.

If your favorite has already been recced by someone else in Amplirecathon '11, you can either explain more about it or talk about your favorite of the ones that have *not* yet been mentioned.

The person who knows your collection of podfic best is you, and I personally would put a lot of trust in this type of rec.

Thanks to dodificus for the idea :)

[txrabbit.livejournal.com]

There are three podfics that I go to anytime I need something familiar and comfortable that I know will bring a smile to my face.

One is no longer available online, which I feel is a damn shame, but in the spirit that has already been set as precedence here, I am going to recommend it anyway, just in case someone has it stashed away on their hard drive, but hasn't listened to it yet. It's called A Consummation Devoutly to be Wished by Mirabella. It's Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, and as fabulous as the writing is, the reading lifts it to a point previously untouched. Raitala, the reader, removed this podfic from offer, but you can find the podfics that she has uploaded here (http://raitala.podbean.com/), at her podfic site.


In the Supernatural fandom, there are two podfics that I routinely revisit.

Keep Our Minds On The Sum Of Each Other (http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/keep-our-minds-on-sum-of-each-other-audiobook) written by Lazy Daze and read by Balefully. Summary: Sam saves Dean from Hell, resulting in soul-swapping hijinx. And porn.

The Incestuous Courtship of the Antichrist's Bride (http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/incestuous-courtship-of-antichrists-bride-audiobook) written by Fleshflutter and read by FayJay. Summary: Sam is trying to become the Antichrist in order to save the world. He has a small army of angels and demons, he has an adoring cult, he has a work of prophecy by Jack Kerouac, and he has Dean. Things are going pretty well until he accidentally signs Dean up as his Beloved Consort, a role that requires sex with the Antichrist on an altar. And that's when things stop going pretty well. Also, the soundtrack to the Apocalypse sucks.

[princess2000204.livejournal.com]

I'm a little hesitant to post but I have a few podfics that I just love listening to over and over again.

Food Porn by Unreckless and read by FayJay (http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/search/node/Food%20Porn). |CW RPS| J2|
Summary:Mostly they call each other names, and then they fall in love. And then they call each other names some more.
I love the music used in this fic, I'm a sucker for good music, and just the way it's read simply sucks the listener in from the beginning.

If It Wasn't For You Meddling Kids by Trollprincess and read by Twilight (http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/search/node/Meddling%20Kids).
|CW RPS|J2|
Summary: Jared is one of the leads of the new TV show "Supernatural", but under cover of darkness he is Shadow, a costumed superhero in dark blue spandex who prowls the streets fighting crime and saving people. The move to Vancouver means dealing with an entirely new city to patrol, Mike and Tom's ridiculous excuse for a two-man superhero team, and the mysterious man in black on a motorcycle who's following "Shadow" on his patrols and keeping Jared up nights. In other words, Jared’s a tall friendly Texan who walks through walls, Jensen’s his reserved new co-star -- together, THEY FIGHT CRIME! \o/
First of all, come on the title is from Scooby-Doo! What's not to like about that! Plus the image that Twilight helps paint of Micheal Rosenbaum in a sparkly, pink outfit is simply hilarious!

Reconcilable Differences by Astolat and read by FayJay (http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/search/node/Reconcilable%20Differences) |Smallville|Clark Kent/Lex Luthor|
Summary:I've borrowed a bunch of DC comics characters for this story; the one that I feel needs some real explanation is Kon, aka Superboy, who is the test-tube baby of Superman and Lex Luthor. (No, I am seriously not making this up. I would have, but the writers at DC generously smoke crack so we fans don't have to.) Tim Drake is the current Robin.
I'm introducing these characters into the Smallville universe, not really sticking to the DC canon, so fair warning that I have been mucking about with the backstory to suit myself. Hopefully it is all clear from context!

I think Astolat's notes are clear enough to want any DC geek to want to listen to this. Plus FayJay has done the reading, so of course it's cause for a try. Kon makes for a really good POV for the story and Tim couldn't be a better best friend for him.

I think this is all for now, might add more later on. I love podfics!

[podcath.livejournal.com]

That story about Wide Open Sea is amazing. For me this story is what AUs can be when they're done well, because we not only get to the heart of who John and Rodney are (flying and astrophysics notwithstanding), the story peels layer after layer off them to show them to us in all their rawness. I'm so glad you found the story via my rec post though I almost feel I should apologize for it bringing you to tears :)

[eve_n_furter]

I don't know if these are recced in this round or earlier ones, but I want to give them a bump anyway.
Firefly, Mal/Jayne, hot and short: http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/good-clean-family-entertainment-you-can-trust [mp3, 4.5 MB, 10:06]
Hot Fuzz and Dr. Who: perfectly combined and wonderfully funny (gen): http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/june-30th [mp3, 11.4 MB, 25:01]

[anatsuno.livejournal.com]

(this just to say: Wide Open Ocean ALWAYS makes me cry this badly, yes. It is amazing and gutting to me like that. I lvoe it, but sometimes I have to back off of starting the podfic because I just know what it will do to me.)

[pennyplainknits.livejournal.com]

dodificus's reading of Carrying Dangerous Goods (http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/carrying-dangerous-goods), a Temeraire/Gen Kill crossover thingie. I only know one of the fandoms, but that doesn't matter. I adore Dodie's accent and the way she reads the dragons in this, especially. She just has a wonderful gentleness and sweetness about the way she reads them.

(plus, she's the best beta a girl could wish for)

[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). :))

[inteligrrl.livejournal.com]

Thanks to all the authors/readers who have made my fandom experience so much richer. Hope everyone enjoys these as much as I have.

My favorites (that haven't been rec'd already):

The First Eight Don't Count: http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/search/node/The%20First%20Eight%20Don%27t%20Count
Losers fic, the one where Jensen's secretly a shapeshifter. Totally made of awesome and one of my default fics to go to sleep to.

Conspirators in Living: http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/search/node/Conspirators%20in%20Living
Inception fic where Arthur was raised in the dreaming industry and finds himself in need of a new partner.

Gerard Way's Vampire Detective Agency:
OH MY GOD this is AWESOME. The story itself is a brilliant urban fantasy AU, where Frank is a vampire valet for the unconventional private detective (and unfortunate sufferer of spice allergies) Gerard Way, and the reading by Fay Jay is BRILLIANT. I can't help but giggle over the PSA's, particularly the one warning the public to keep ham on hand to distract misbehaving zombies.

Beltane Cycle: http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/beltane-cycle-audiobook
Merlin fic with fairies, prophecy, and banishment.
Astolat + FayJay = BRILLIANT (This will probably be a reoccurring theme)

Crown of the Summer Court: http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/search/node/crown%20of%20the%20summer%20court
Merlin, Fairies, Astolat, FayJay, see above.

In Time of Trial: http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/in-time-of-trial-audiobook
One of my favorite Merlin fics not by Astolat. Long and gorgeous.

Paper Gangsta: http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/search/node/paper%20gangsta
AI8 - Kris is a contract killer who keeps accidentally saving the singer he's supposed to kill.

City of A Thousand Wonders: http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/search/node/City%20of%20a%20Thousand%20Wonders
AI8 Kris is actually an undercover mystic warrior, and the AI execs are pure evil. Beautiful reading and an awesome story.

The Windhovers: http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/search/node/windhovers
Ianto is either going crazy or he's an alien. A nice and meaty story, the only downside is that the second volume was never podficed.

Pocket Watch Boy: http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/search/node/pocket%20watch%20boy
Ianto has a rather peculiar pocket watch, the only thing left of his mother.

As Close as it Gets To Home: http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/search/node/as%20close%20as%20it%20gets%20to%20home
Bandom, Gerard Way runs the psychic division of the police department. Jon Walker is the new therapist. (Brendon/Ryan, Spencer/Jon, Frank/Gerard). This is my latest obsession, I've been listening to it on repeat because it's just that awesome.

House of the Living: http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/search/node/house%20of%20the%20living
AI8 + Astolat + Zombies + Rhea314 = MADE OF WIN

And one last RIP Rec:
Tragically Aceles' cover of the awesome I Have Been All Things Unholy by Bexless is not online anymore. I stumbled across it just weeks before she took her stuff offline and I am so glad I didn't put off downloading it, because it's just AMAZING. An awesome story and Aceles did such a beautiful job recording it. I'm so sorry it's lost to fandom in general.

[winkingstar.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for the rec! I mean, I'm sorry I made you cry (esp. while driving!), but I'm so honored that my voice had that much of an impact. *hugs* ♥

Random Recs

[pi]

I've already done a rather long rec but the more the merrier right! I had a list of "random" podfics I wanted to rec but couldn't seem to fit to a theme so I'll just add them on here.

Big Blue read by triedunture
This is House, in my head. Triedunture's reading is spot on, her House voice is perfect there's one point at which she says "Gimme" as House asking Wilson for money and it's so wonderfully in character. She doesn't just read the text she inhabits it. Seriously, this is how I imagine House really is to the point where I expect Triedunture to be narrating the real episodes. And of course, unlike House (the show), this could also fit in the "hot in here" rec list, House/Wilson.
http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/the-big-blue

Ties that Bind read by read by twilight_angel
This is a fun story and Twilight's voices are lovely particularly her Batman voice. However what makes this podfic for me is her Tim ("trauma for ever!") spot on and highly amusing. :D
http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/ties-that-bind

iHero read by twilight_angel
This podfic has neat use of music which fits perfectly and definitey enhances the story. The original text is just so much fun and Twilight really capitalizes on that I cannot imagine not smiling when listening to this podfic. It's just so much fun. It's also very long almost 10 hours making it wonderful for long distance travel.
http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/ihero

Commutative Property read by dodificus
So I'll be upfront and admit that I have read every version of "lemon chicken" stories there are out there. I thought The Dead Poets Society was a beautiful happy-making film, and Magic's Pawn (the Last Herald Mage) and the Ion Arc were formative stories in my young adulthood. My preception of angst is rather skewed I have yet to meet anyone else who feels quite the same way I do about angsty-self-esteem-depression-character issues. This story manages to hit all my buttons, and it's auditory. Everything's better when you hear it. Dodificus does an amazing job reading it just adds to the beautiful "ouch" of all of it. Particulary with the emotion she brings to the dialogue, both the unaware and then dawning understanding of the characters around Rodney and Rodney's voice itself. It makes the situation all the more sharp. Again, fore-notice if you have issues with eating disorders and hearing about them might be triggering this is definitely not the story for you. However I can say I've listened to this multiple times and will certainly do so again I'm sure.
http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/commutative-property

Summer of (kinda, sorta) Love read by aphelant
Interesting use of 2nd person, the reader really brings it out, like an internal monologue. This podfic is the reason I went to watch Skins. I just love how it sounds like mental narration through the intonation and word emphasis, I can see/hear the characters thinking this way.
http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/summer-of-kinda-sorta-love

Time of Your Life ready by aphelant
I love David's (Archuleta) voice here and how the rest of the narrative fits in with it in how Aphelant reads: eager and helpful and happy and so Cute! (I hadn't really thought about how someone could sound cute before but this really just makes you want to give Archuleta a hug)
2.5hrs
http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/time-of-your-life

[http://users.livejournal.com/xenakis_/]

Isn't Penny's reading of Of Pranks just marvelous? I was thinking of her voice as I wrote it, I'm not even kidding. And what she recorded is actually and thousand times better than anything I could have imagined. *snuggles it and Penny both*

As for a rec, how about something with the same mix of silly and awesome?

Tu es la belle et moi la bête (http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/tu-es-la-belle-et-moi-la-b%C3%AAte), by tequilideas , read by anatsuno
Ana's "Arthur, have sex with me. For science." is just GOLD.


(PS. my LJ name has an underscore at the end. My DW name doesn't. *shakes fists at the dead journal holding the LJ xenakis account hostage* )

[pandarus.livejournal.com]

Aww, yay! Thank you kindly - I'm delighted you enjoyed 'It's Not The Violin'! SUCH a lovely story, and it was pretty thrilling to find such a perfect version of 'Alejandro' on iTunes to use for framing the piece. Sam has mad skillz.

&hearts