Long and Soothing Podfic Recs

[fluffyllama.livejournal.com]

Much as I enjoy the short and smutty fics, the main interest I have in podfic is to have something to relax to... okay, the truth is to help me get to sleep, but I'm wary of saying that without further explanation in case it gives the wrong impression. There's nothing dull or monotonous about these fics, they're all beautifully read, and well worth staying awake to listen to! They're also not lacking in smut scenes -- good smut scenes, because I'm no more a gen listener than I am a reader when it comes to fic.

It's just that they seem to have an extra something, whether the tone of voice, the style of writing and/or reading, or maybe the pace of the story, that is particularly suited to soothe. In the case of the all-time champion insomnia-killer (For Every Fog in August, which is too short to make the list of five but still needs to be mentioned), it's the descriptive passages (mostly the weather) that bring a lovely peaceful quality to the podfic.

They're also guaranteed free of sound effects and music, or odd volume changes, and they don't generally contain anything horribly traumatic happening to the main protagonists. Oh, and I went for long, because in a long (or long-ish) podfic the story tends to develop more slowly so you can let it wash over you and not be constantly distracted by new developments.

( A couple of notes about my recs (cut because it was also in the previous rec post): )

Podfics listed in order of length. Links go to the entries on the archive so you can get more info there and find downloads.

( Five Long and Soothing (SPN / SPN RPS / SGA / SGA RPS) Podfics )

Amplirecathon recs!

[celtic-forest.livejournal.com]

I've made several categories, and selected two fics for each– so difficult to choose! (If one that I feel particularly strongly about was rec'd earlier in this wonderful Amplirecathon, I'm including it here briefly.)
I'm giving the text links too. Please look there for warnings, credits, etc.
Some stories that I like very much aren't included here because there are problems such as sound quality.
SO MUCH LOVE TO EVERYONE WHO HELPS CREATE PODFIC!!!
These are all Supernatural or J2, 'cause that's how I roll ;-)

Long Stories that are Worth Every Second:

Somersault 'verse by not_refined, read by juice817. 8.5 hrs, SPN, Sam/Dean, John, Missouri. Rating: maybe hard (heh) R? text, downloads
An accident changes the Winchesters' lives. Missouri fans, you're going to love this. This is a sweet, but not fluff, story.

Common Knowledge by elucreh, read by juice817. 1hr20min., CWRPS, J2 Rating: Adult text, downloads
[Author's summary: Jared, your fangirls. Fangirls, I believe you already know Jared. Better than he knows himself.]
Juice817, always fantastic, takes an extra step and sings! This is a very fun story about Sam being sucked into the world of LJ fangirls.

In From the Cold (text and downloads) Rec'd earlier. (5hrs, and when it finished I immediately started it over – it's that good. Faced with the dialog of a man who struggled to produce words, let alone sentences, the reading team nevertheless made his meanings clear.)

I can haz crack?:

Conversational Winchester for Trolls by eloise_bright, read by shotofjack. 10min., SPN gen, rated PG text, downloads
The biggest Winchester has a God complex, the middlest Winchester has a Christ complex, the littlest Winchester has a Judas complex. And there's a troll. YOU WANT TO HEAR THIS.

The Incestuous Courtship of the Antichrist's Bride by fleshflutter, read by fayjay. 5hrs, SPN Sam/Dean future fic (also starring a host of angels and demons), NC-17 text, mp3 m4b
[Author's 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.]
Don't be misled, there's no sucking soundtrack to the podfic. To be honest, the first time I started listening to this I stopped fairly early on. I'm SO glad I gave it a second chance!

Fics that grab you by a feeling and don't let go:

Almost Lovers, written and read by wiccaqueen 20min, J2, rated mild R text, mp3
This is my favorite example of the incorporation of a song with reading; they flow as a unit. The dialog is perhaps a bit melodramatic, but (*iz embarrassed*) I tear up every time.

There's a Piece of a Puzzle Known as Life by keepaofthecheez, read by juice817. 2.5 hrs, J2 AU, NC-17. text, downloads
College AU. When you look up "sexual tension" in the dictionary, there should be a picture of this fic. (If, you know, your dictionary includes pictures. Of audio recordings.)

For Every Fog in August There Will Be a Snowfall in Winter (text) downloads (rec'd earlier)

Fics to make you blush:
~*~ Quickies:
Tell Me All the Things That I Wanna Hear by nu_breed and thenyxie, read by juice817. 20min., J2, NC-17 text, downloads
[Author's summary: Phone sex. Jared’s at a con alone, Jensen’s jealous because he knows Jared’s been flirting all day. Jared shows Jensen he knows whose he is.]

I've Made up Your Mind by thenyxie, read by juice817. 50min, J2 AU, NC-17 text, downloads
[Author's summary: Jensen’s a mechanic who leads a relatively quiet life, Jared's a photographer who doesn't take "No" for an answer. When Jared comes into Jensen's garage with a car that doesn’t have anything wrong with it--three times--Jensen finally gets a clue and asks Jared out. But when Jensen has to cancel the date, he finds out Jared’s not so easily deterred.]

~*~ Size matters:
But Then My Homework was Never Quite Like This (The Homework'verse) by thenyxie, read by juice817. 7hrs40min., J2 AU, NC-17 text, downloads
Jared is Jensen's student in more ways that one. HOT x infinity!

A Kept Boy by poisontaster read by superstitiousme. WIP, but 21 hours(!) recorded. CWRPS AU, primarily Jeffrey Dean Morgan/Jensen Ackles, NC-17 text, downloads
Incredibly detailed and well-written; a haunting (emotionally, not ghosts) AU. See text post for warnings.

text Phthonus!verse download (rec'd earlier)

The best of longsufferingly aka poor_choices (Yes, she deserves her own category ;-)

When you care enough to hit send 'verse read by juice817. 4hrs CWRPS, primarily Jared/Jensen. Some chapters rated R. text, downloads. With Tom/Mike interludes read by pennyplainknits. 20min. download.
[Author's summary: The touching story of how Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles met in college and hooked up and then got together and found love! And e-cards.]
Hilarious college AU, and I LOVE both of these readers.

Your Brains are No Match For My Tractorbeam read by juice817. 1hr40min., J2 AU, NC-17. text, download
[Author's summary: AU, based on The Big Bang Theory. Jensen is a socially awkward but happy theoretical physicist, Jared is an aspiring actor, and everyone sucks at relationships pretty damn hard.]
Probably the cutest couple you'll ever read about!

Token Castiel fic:
See the World in Green and Blue by parenthetical, read by fayjay 1hr., SPN: Dean/Cas, Sam, rated R text, downloads
[Author's summary: Castiel spends a day learning what it's like to be human.]
This is a very nice pairing of text and reader, I think, because the adjective that comes to mind for both is lyrical. The story gives insight into humans (Sam and Dean in particular ;-) as well as angels. Unfortunately the audio quality is flawed, with a slight hum in the background, but it's not serious enough to prevent me from recommending this.

Token Crossover:
Old Country by astolat, read by fayjay. Almost 4hrs. SPN X HP Some Wincest, but if that's not your thing, it's easy to fast forward and you don't lose the plot. I estimate rated R text, mp3, m4b
This fic is great fun. Sam and Dean attend Hogwarts, and though the worlds are intertwined, the Winchesters and the Hogwarts characters all remain very true to their own styles. FayJay's talents really come through, with her intonations, pronunciation of unusual words, voices (e.g., speech patterns etc. of various characters and creatures) and accents.
This is one of the few cases in which I enjoy the incorporation of music. It's filk by Wizard Rock, and brings a smile.

Series that should be podficed immediately: Heart's Desire series.