Six days left in the month.

Perfect.

Here we have my recommendations for what's left of the month. I've been bad about adding things (and even starting this forum), but I've still been reading, so check out what there is to see below!

Questions? Comments? Leave 'em below!

Awkward, But Worth It by bahatumay

bahatumay is a writer that needs to update his stories more often than he does. I've added another story of his to this group in the past (All's Fair in Love and Piracy), and he's quite the AppleDash writer. If you're interested or like AppleDash, I'd recommend perusing through the stories he's written to see if anything strikes your fancy.

Awkward, But Worth It is a look into the ongoing relationship between Rainbow Dash and Applejack that is all held up by the armitage or theme that relationships are hard and are bound to be awkward, but if you and your lover push through that awkwardness, it'll be worth it in the end. bahatumay does a great job of keeping this central theme present throughout every chapter of this story and even though there isn't an overarching plot per se, there is some continuity that nicely works its way into the later chapters. Frankly, this is a lot of fun to read, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun romance with a good few parts that brought a laugh.

Mistakes Were Made by Sharp Spark

RariJack, in my experience, is one of those pairings that has a lot of people who are very vocal in their love of it and very vocal in their hate of it. The arguments from both sides tend to get a little circular and neither side is really willing to give that much ground in the face of the other. One of the points that non-fans of RariJack make is that Rarity and Applejack have been shown in canon to get into huge arguments/squabbles over seemingly minor things or silly misunderstandings. In a big romantic relationship, these squabbles would become a bigger deal and the relationship would get strained and ultimate end in a cataclysmic end. According to this school of thought, the only plausible way for a long-term relationship to work out would be for them to go through the break up again, and again, and again until they could finally have gotten to a point where it won't end horribly.

That's what this story is about. Rarity and Applejack have gotten together repeatedly, and now that both of them are older, they both admit that it was probably a repeated mistake. If you're a fan of RariJack, don't let that dissuade you, because not all is gloom and doom. Remember what I said about how it can work? Sharp Spark is a RariJack fan and has written one story in particular that I love (Authored for Adoration) and he does this story justice. Funny thing is, even though this ends happily... kind of, the anti-RariJack shippers flock to this story and love it along with the RariJack fans. It's a win-win and a great story to read, so I'd recommend it to you!

Bonafide by Sharp Spark

Ah, LyraBon. Like I said above, Sharp Spark is a great writer and I most always enjoy his stories. Bonafide is no exception. This story is a fun read about how Lyra and Bon Bon's seemingly perfect relationship and life in Ponyville is interrupted one day when another Bon Bon shows up in Ponyville seeing red and causing problems for the pair. Who is this new Bon Bon? What about the Bon Bon with Lyra? Who is she really? She's a changeling. What I appreciate about this story is that even after Lyra's Bon Bon is revealed to be an impostor, it causes surprisingly little damage to their lives in Ponyville and to their relationship. Sure, there's stuff that needs to be worked out, but their love is bonafide, and it's really a sweet little story that I would recommend for those looking for a short, happy story.

Bitter Harvest by Esle Ynopemos

In this story we have Golden Harvest struggling with the fact that she might have a massive crush on Applejack, even though she knows that would be ridiculous. After all, she definitely does not like Applejack, has a great boyfriend, and is totally not into mares. See where this story is going? Bitter Harvest is a great story about Golden Harvest dealing with all of the above mentioned and is frankly hilarious in her ongoing denial of her feelings, her sexual preferences, the reality about her boyfriend, etc., etc. It also really does capture the lengths characters will go to sometimes to stay rooted in their denial so that they can continue to exist in their own little world despite the reality of their lives hitting them full on. Of course, as the evidence grows and as Golden Harvest is forced to deal with the fact that maybe everything she thought she knew about herself and her life is wrong, the denial turns to desperation, and Esle captures that wonderfully. There's a lot to recommend in this story, and I'd encourage everyone to give it a shot.

Fire & Rain by Ruirik

I've been meaning to get to this story for quite some time now. Many people before me have sung its praises and, judging by the number of likes it has garnished, most of you have probably heard of Ruirik's story if you haven't read it already. What can I say? I can be really slow on the uptake sometimes. Anywho, Fire & Rain is quite possible the pinnacle of SpitDash stories. Much like how Twilight's List or Spellbound Fireflies are considered the stories for TwiDash, Fire & Rain is the best starting point for anyone who might be curious at all as to what a romantic relationship between Rainbow Dash and Spitfire would look like. There are a lot of great things about this story—from Rainbow and Spitfire's character, their relationship, the detail that went into what being a weather manager is like, the politics of the Wonderbolts, and even the Wonderbolts themselves (most notably Soarin, Rapidfire, and Fleetfoot and Misty to a lesser degree). Even if you might not be interested in SpitDash, this story is still worth reading. Ruirik is an amazing writer, and it really shows here. No story is perfect, however, and while I could spend some time nitpicking things that may have bugged me about Fire & Rain, overall it really is a fantastic piece and you will very likely find yourself whisking through chapter after chapter in your spare time.