Sunday Salon: The book club edition

Every summer a group of women up at my cottage allows me to choose three books to add to their summer reading piles. I have jokingly dubbed myself the Supreme High Chooser for the summer bookclub and no one, even when I offered (and trust me, that was only once) to let others help choose, they agreed that I should continue as sole dictator book chooser. And since I'm not one to turn down totalitarian rule when it's so graciously ceded to me, I weigh my options carefully and then make totally incomprehensible choices for us to read and discuss in June, July, and August. I have a hot or miss track record although I have yet to have a summer where we hate all three choices, so I'm calling it an overall positive. My criteria for choosing is completely random. It could be because the book is one I want to read desperately. It could be because it's a huge buzz book (although I generally prefer less obvious books to introduce to the group). It could be because it's a book I've seen lauded to the skies in the blogsphere, yet it doesn't really entice me and therefore I need that extra kick in the pants to force myself to read it. It could be a fairly obscure book that a trusted friend thinks would make a good discussion book. I could probably go on listing criteria forever but I'm probably already the only person still admiring the minute distinctions I make when I am compiling lists (land sakes do I love lists!). In any case, it is past time to choose the books for this summer. I canvassed people and got very few suggestions. Is everyone feeling lethargic after the long winter or something? So I've had to ponder long and hard all on my own. Could this be the summer all three books are duds? Geez, I hope not! This summer's selections are:

Drum roll please.......

The Pig Did It by Joseph Caldwell
Pocketful of Names by Joe Coomer
A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers by Xiaolu Guo

How do you think I've done? Weigh in if you've read these. Feel free to tell me other books I should have chosen in their stead so I have a collection already started from which to choose next year.