Friday, 27 January 2012

Friday Recommends #17

So it's Friday again, and that means another exciting Friday Recommends!
This is an exciting book blog hop that book bloggers can take part in once a week to share with their followers, the books that they most recommend reading!

The rules for Friday Recommends are:
  • Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
  • Please consider adding the blog hop button to your blog somewhere, so others can find it easily and join in too! Help spread the word! The code will be at the bottom of the post under the linky.
  • Pick a book that you've read, and have enjoyed enough to recommend to other readers. It can be a book you've read recently, or a book you read years ago - it's up to you - but make sure you tell us why you love the book (like a mini review). You make the post as long or as short as you like.
  • Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of this post after posting your blog post.
  • Put a link back to pen to paper (http://vogue-pentopaper.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post.
  • Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris

Goodreads synopsis:
Disguising herself with short hair and baggy clothes, Lily Bard has started over in the sleepy town of Shakespeare, Arkansas, where - working as a cleaning lady - she can sweep away the secrets of her dark and violent past...

When Lily discovers the dead body of her nosy landlord, her plan to live a quiet, unobserved life starts to crumble. Lily doesn't care who did it. But as the unwanted attentions of the police chief and a suspicious community fall on her, she soon realizes if she doesn't unmask the murderer, her life might do more than crumble... it might end.





It has been far too long since I last mentioned the lovely Charlaine Harris, so I couldn't resist doing another Friday Recommends on another of her books!
Shakespeare's Landlord is the first in the Lily Bard series, one of Charlaine's earlier 'Cosy Crime' series. I know what you may be thinking, because I thought it too when I first saw the series: "A girl with the surname Bard, living in a place called Shakespeare? Cheesy!" - all is explained though, and it ends up making perfect sense!

I think the reason that I end up falling so in love with all of Charlaine's books is because of the characters - there is never a character that isn't meticulously developed. Although I think either Sookie Stackhouse or Harper Connelly are my favourite of her protagonists, Lily comes close to them! She's strong-minded, independent, intelligent and frankly, 'kick-ass'! There aren't many female protagonists that you will come across that are as strong as Lily!

The mysteries are also intriguing in this series. I've only read this one, and the second, Shakespeare's Champion, so far, but I have loved them both and know I will continue to love the entire series! The plots are always well-developed and there are no loose ends by the end of the novel. Even though they are relatively short reads, nothing is wasted in them, and they are packed with excitement!

If you've not come across any of Charlaine's novels, or you've read her newer series, but are yet to pick up her earlier ones, I definitely recommend that you start with this one!
Charlaine has never once disappointed me!








What do you recommend this week? Join in with Friday Recommends and let us know!
Add your link below in the linky!







8 comments:

HeroineAddict said...

Lily Bard sounds like a great heroine! Thanks for sharing :)

- Genny @ Books Are My Heroine
http://www.booksaremyheroine.blogspot.com/

Pen to Paper said...

She's a wonderful character :) I think you'd really enjoy these books, Genny!

xxx

Tanya Patrice said...

I haven't read any Charlaine Harris yet, but have been wanting to dip my toe in, so thanks for the recommendation!

Pen to Paper said...

I adore everything she's written! I'd recommend starting with Sookie and Harper Connelly, and then moving onto this one though. And Aurora Teagarden is another wonderful character!

I could talk about it all day! ;P

Dani.

Raine said...

I haven't tried picking up a cozy crime book yet and I'll definitely look out for this one. I giggled at the place name :D

Lisa Richards/alterlisa said...

I loved her Sookie books and can't wait to try this series. Thanks for the review

Aline Tobing said...

This review reminds me that the book has been sitting on my shelf for more than half a year, I guess :p Will read it ASAP! :)

Quoting your review "The plots are always well-developed and there are no loose ends by the end of the novel." Nothing annoys me more than loose ends in my books!

Nice review! :)

nurmawati djuhawan said...

i love lily bard series....i collected the books :)

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