What are YOU reading?

For years, we’ve shared noteworthy books with our readers. Now, it’s your turn! New or old, fiction or nonfiction — tell us the name of a book (or a few) that you’ve recently enjoyed, why you chose it and what makes the book memorable to you.

Send your suggestions to wisweek@uc.wisc.edu.

“The Ice Princess” by Camilla Lackberg

Much of Europe is familiar to me, but modern Scandinavia still retains some mystery. I have this fairy tale view, so I was sort of surprised at the dark sides of society.

After reading Stieg Larsson’s books, I developed an interest in Nordic fiction. Lackberg is well-known in Sweden, but this is her first book translated into English. I read a starred review in Publishers’ Weekly; it got raves.

Following her parents’ deaths, biographer Erica Falck returns to the Swedish town where she grew up: a tiny village with three months of crowds during tourist season and nine months of closed storefronts. After her best friend from school is murdered, she is slowly drawn into following the story and solving the crime.

I like the main character a lot. She’s just sort of normal: nothing flashy, very human. Most children moved away from fishing and small town life, as she did, but now that she’s back she has mixed feelings about the place. I also find it interesting to follow her conflict over what to do with her parents’ house — her sister wants to sell it, but she doesn’t want to. This is just regular, everyday stuff that most people live through. 

Well, except for the murder part.

— Submitted by Kerry Kresse

Librarian, Physics & Astronomy Library

“Decoded” by Jay-Z

Chronicling hip-hop from its inception, “Decoded” correlates with Jay-Z’s life story and music. It provides insight to many rap lyrics — and their sometimes double and triple meanings.

In writing, Jay-Z set out to do three things. First, he makes the case for looking closely at hip-hop lyrics, seeing them as poetry. He also talks about his generation, showing context for some of the choices made at a violent and chaotic crossroads in recent history. People who came of age in the 1980s will see many recognizable life events portrayed through hip-hop. Finally, he wanted to show how hip-hop created a way to turn a specific, powerful experience into a story that the rest of the world could feel and relate to.

Oprah Winfrey chose the book as one of her 2011 Favorite Things. As with some hip-hop lyrics, this book contains explicit language.

— Submitted by Dawn Crim

Director for community relations, Office of University Relations

“Mao’s Last Dancer” by Li Cunxin  

When the movie made from this book played at Sundance last year, I saw it because I’ve always loved ballet. The story intrigued me. I never knew much about life in Communist China, and the book provides much more detail than what is shown in the movie adaptation.  

In my reading I’ve just reached the part where he has arrived at Madame Mao’s Dance Academy in Beijing. The auditions it took for these children to be selected for the academy were quite intense!  

Coincidentally, I’m taking Beginning Chinese with UW Continuing Studies, and I enjoy the ability to understand the pronunciations of persons and places in the book.  

— Submitted by Amy Free
Staff interpreter, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, McBurney Center