Rachel Peterson graduated from Miami University of Ohio with a degree in English and creative writing. Born and raised in Ohio, she started her career in advertising before spending nearly a decade in New York City as a marketing executive for technology companies. An avid traveler, Peterson now splits her time between Manhattan and the Midwest, where she lives with her husband, Ken; their dog, Olive; and horse, Hope.
Her new novel is Killing Sadie.
Recently I asked Peterson about what she was reading. The author's reply:
I love to vary my reading between commercial and literary fiction, as well as a healthy dose of historical nonfiction. My only rule as a thrillerVisit Rachel Peterson's website.author is that I avoid reading the genre while in the middle of writing one! During writing breaks, I jump right into the massive thriller stack that has no doubt been accumulating. A few of my latest reads (and yes, these brilliant non-thrillers were read while working on a new manuscript … more on that soon!) include:
Kin by Tayari Jones: This story truly swept me away, and the deep female friendship at the heart of it felt as real and urgent today as it did within the mid-century setting of the novel. I love being transported by historical fiction, and this novel delivered in spades! I finished it when I was halfway through a flight from New York and I spent the last half ofthe flight just staring out the window thinking about it. It’s such a joy when a book can offer that kind of emotional investment.
Into the Blue by Emma Brodie: Okay, this one qualifies as the book I have been aggressively telling every single one of my friends to read! I haven’t picked up a romance book in a long time, although I love the genre, and this was a fabulous and gut-wrenching reentry within such a vast world! Seriously, I woke up early at 5am to finish it, sneaking downstairs to avoid waking my husband and dog. These are the kinds of books I remember five years later!
The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald by John U. Bacon: As a Midwesterner who grew up on the shores of the Great Lakes, the wreck of the Edmund Fitzerald was something I was always vaguely aware of, but honestly, I spent my entire childhood believing it happened centuries ago (nope! 1975). I’m a serious history nerd, and within that is a very specific, obscure interest in maritime disasters that my friends and family lovingly tolerate. This book is an absolutely fascinating account of the wreck itself and so many other details about the dangers and history of shipping on the Great Lakes.
The Stronghold by Dino Buzzati: This one is next up on my list! My brother-in-law and I share similar taste in books, particularly those that contain magical realism. It really has become a cornerstone of our relationship, which I just love. After I lent him You Dreamed of Empires by Àlvaro Enrigue, he came back to me with The Stronghold. Who knows what our next bookish volley will look like, but these selections always surprise me in the best possible way!
My Book, The Movie: Killing Sadie.
--Marshal Zeringue