First Pick 4/29/14

Hello again!

So I am going to be Picker for this first round just to put everyone at ease, then we can take volunteers for the next round when everyone finishes.

Here are my suggestions:

1. Independent People by Halldór Laxness: Full disclosure, Eric and I have already read this book, but it was in 2010 while I was in Iceland...cause it's an Icelandic novel, in English. I have been thinking about it a lot lately and would really like to read it again if only just to discuss it, when I read it the first time it was for a book quiz in my Icelandic Culture class. It is a very good story, one about a sheep farmer's struggle in the early 20th Century to maintain his independence, and more generally what independence means as well as what a person is willing to give up in order to achieve independence. It's a very important book for Icelandic culture because it is among the books Laxness was praised for when he won the Nobel Prize in Literature, and it demonstrates rural farm life as being more than this idyllic rolling-hills-and-cottages painting that many modern Icelanders (and outsiders) have. It's just really good, I promise it's not as boring as it sounds.

2. The Heretics Daughter by Kathleen Kent: The author, Kent, is actually a descendant of her subject for this novel--Martha Carrier--who was the first woman to be accused, tried and hanged for witchcraft in the Salem witch trials. The novel is, I believe, told from Martha's daughter's point of view and covers their struggles within the larger insanity of the witch trials, as well as how Martha stood defiant against the charges but was still found guilty. I love historical fiction, if you couldn't already tell, and I especially love this period for just so many reasons, and on top of that all the reviews for this one are super positive on Amazon.

3. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty: I am wary of "chick lit" (and anyone with the last name Moriarty, I mean come on) but I have seen this book recommended literally everywhere. It's synopsis is given away in the name: the main character's husband has a deep, dark secret which she unexpectedly uncovers and it unexpectedly effects other people and her own life in ways she didn't expect. This normally wouldn't light my fire except that I just finished "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn--which is another I saw recommended just about everywhere--and despite having such a simple premise it turned out to be a very complex book. So, I'd be willing to give this one a shot too. And, bonus, it's only $5.99 on Kindle.

I can't come up with a fourth book without doing a ton of research, and I kind of like these picks too much to do more research...

So that's it, go to it! In the comments tell me which book(s) you're interested in reading, which you are not interested in and then we will go from there!