Bryan Reardon is the author of Finding Jake and The Real Michael Swann. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Bryan worked for the State of Delaware for more than a decade, starting in the Office of the Governor. He holds a degree in psychology from the University of Notre Dame and lives in West Chester, Pennsylvania, with his wife and kids.His new novel is The Perfect Plan.
Recently I asked Reardon about what he was reading. His reply:
I am a chronic re-reader. Since I started writing professionally (about twelve years ago), I found it harder and harder to readRead more about The Perfect Plan.new material. Sometimes I wonder if I am competitive. Or if I'm afraid that other plotlines might influence my own. It might be that I spend hours a day reading, and the joy I used to find in it has become more of a labor.
Over the past year, however, I have been so lucky. My fortune brought me into contact with three amazing authors. Their books have rekindled my desire to read more. And I owe them greatly for that.
First, it was Karen Dionne and her amazing book The Marsh King's Daughter. In her work, I was transported to an entirely newworld. Pick this book up, open to the first page, and you won't come up for air until it's over. You will visit a place so close, but so foreign, that you will wonder what other hidden treasures are sprinkled across the United States.
Second, I read Alison Gaylin's If I Die Tonight. As a writer, the first thing that struck me about this book is the author's utterly effortless third-person. I admit, I felt jealous. But the story grabbed me so quickly, and the characters lived so brightly, that I finished it in less than a week. She is a master of suspense.
And finally, Trust Me by Hank Phillippi Ryan. Her voice is so unique. Her writing, so engaging. And her story so authentic. As I flew through the pages, marveling at her impeccable pacing, I found myself wondering how I could have stopped reading so many years ago.
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--Marshal Zeringue
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