Kristen Barenthaler
Bio
Curious adventurer. Crazed reader. Librarian. Archery instructor. True crime addict.
Instagram: @kristenbarenthaler
Facebook: @kbarenthaler
Stories (370)
Filter by community
If You Like "13 Reasons Why", Try These Titles. Content Warning.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky A haunting coming of age novel told in a series of letters to an unknown correspondent reveals the life of Charlie, a freshman in high school who is a wallflower, shy and introspective, and very intelligent, it's a story of what it's like to grow up in high school, tracing a course through uncharted territory in the world of first dates, family dramas and new friends.
By Kristen Barenthaler9 months ago in BookClub
If You Like "Game of Thrones", Try These Titles
The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons Kihrin is a bastard orphan who grew up on storybook tales of long-lost princes and grand quests. When he is claimed against his will as the long-lost son of a treasonous prince, Kihrin finds that being a long-lost prince isn't what the storybooks promised.
By Kristen Barenthaler9 months ago in BookClub
Jane Austen Spinoffs & Sequels: "Persuasion" (1817)
The Boy Is Back by Meg Cabot A viral scandal draws notorious celebrity golfer Reed Stewart back to his tiny Indiana hometown, where he reunites with small business owner Becky Flowers in ways that challenge their perceptions about each other.
By Kristen Barenthaler9 months ago in BookClub
Jane Austen Spinoffs & Sequels: "Emma" (1815)
The Lifestyle by Taylor Hahn A sexy, warm-hearted romantic comedy about a woman who will do anything to save her marriage...and meddle in everyone else's. Georgina Wagman has it all--a great marriage, a great job at a prestigious law firm, great friends. She's living the life she always wanted, and everything is perfect. So when she walks in on her husband in a compromising position with a junior associate, she realizes she has a choice: she can walk away from everything she's worked for, or she can make it fit into her plan. She decides that if her husband, Nathan, is going to cheat, it's going to be on her terms; they're going to become swingers. But Georgina isn't going to embark on this adventure alone. She convinces her friends Felix and Nora and their respective partners to join them. After all, Felix and Nora are perfect for each other, and the lifestyle provides the perfect excuse for Georgina to set them up. Her plan is foolproof, until she runs into her old college flame at the first party. When he offers to mentor her, Georgina will find herself torn between her head and her heart, with her very happiness hanging in the balance. Perfect for fans of Jennifer Weiner and Sophie Kinsella, The Lifestyle is a playful take on Jane Austen's Emma and an outrageously fun romantic comedy.
By Kristen Barenthaler9 months ago in BookClub
Jane Austen Spinoffs & Sequels: "Pride & Prejudice" (1813)
Longbourn by Jo Baker In this irresistibly imagined belowstairs answer to Pride and Prejudice, the servants take center stage. Sarah, the orphaned housemaid, spends her days scrubbing the laundry, polishing the floors, and emptying the chamber pots for the Bennet household. But there is just as much romance, heartbreak, and intrigue downstairs at Longbourn as there is upstairs. When a mysterious new footman arrives, the orderly realm of the servants’ hall threatens to be completely, perhaps irrevocably, upended.
By Kristen Barenthaler9 months ago in BookClub
Jane Austen Spinoffs & Sequels: "Sense & Sensibility" (1811)
Sense and Sensibility by Joanna Trollope A modern retelling of the Jane Austen classic follows the Dashwood sisters--Elinor, Marianne and Margaret--as they, after the death of their father, must come to terms with the cruelties of life without the status of their country house, the protection of the family name or the comfort of an inheritance.
By Kristen Barenthaler9 months ago in BookClub
Jane Austen's Life: Spinoffs & Sequels
Gin Austen by Colleen Mullaney In six enduring novels, Jane Austen captured the fancies and foibles of Regency England, and every delightful page of this book celebrates the picnics, luncheons, dinner parties, and glamorous balls of Austen’s world. At these social engagements, gossip reigned, love flourished, and drinks flowed. Discover an exotic world of cobblers, crustas, flips, punches, shrubs, slings, sours, and toddies, with recipes that evoke the past but suit today’s tastes. Raise your glass to Sense and Sensibility with a Brandon Old-Fashioned, Elinorange Blossom, Hot Barton Rum, or Just a Dashwood. Toast Pride and Prejudice with a Cousin Collins, Fizzy Miss Lizzie, Gin & Bennet, or Salt & Pemberley. Brimming with enlightening quotes from the novels and Austen’s letters, beautiful photographs, and period design, this intoxicating volume is a must-have for any devoted Janeite.
By Kristen Barenthaler9 months ago in BookClub
Love Stories
Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center As the only female firefighter in her Texas firehouse, Cassie Hanswell is excellent at dealing with other people's tragedies. But she never anticipated that her estranged and ailing mother would ask her move to Boston. The tough, old-school Boston firehouse is as different from Cassie's old job as it could possibly be. Hazing, a lack of funding, and poor facilities mean that the firemen aren't exactly thrilled to have a "lady" on the crew, even one as competent and smart as Cassie. Only the infatuation-inspiring rookie doesn't seem to mind having Cassie around. Her old captain gave her some advice: don't date firefighters. Will she jeopardize her place in a career where she's worked so hard to be taken seriously?
By Kristen Barenthaler9 months ago in BookClub
Mindfulness & Meditation Books
Mindfulness for Beginners by Jon Kabat-Zinn Here, the teacher, scientist, and clinician who first demonstrated the benefits of mindfulness within mainstream Western medicine offers a book that you can use in three unique ways; as a collection of reflections and practices to be opened and explored at random; as an illuminating and engaging start-to-finish read; or as an unfolding 'lesson-a-day' primer on mindfulness practice.
By Kristen Barenthaler9 months ago in BookClub
Mystery Novels: Suspense
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam Amanda and Clay head to a remote corner of Long Island expecting a vacation: a quiet reprieve from life in New York City, quality time with their teenage son and daughter, and a taste of the good life in the luxurious home they've rented for the week. The houseowners, Ruth and G. H., arrive in the middle of the night in a panic. They say a sudden blackout has swept the city: the TV and internet are down, and no cell phone service. Is the vacation home, isolated from civilization, a safe place for their families? And are they safe from one other?
By Kristen Barenthaler9 months ago in BookClub
Mystery Novels: Murder Mystery. Content Warning.
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown While in Paris, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is awakened by a phone call in the dead of the night. The elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum, his body covered in baffling symbols. As Langdon and gifted French cryptologist Sophie Neveu sort through the bizarre riddles, they are stunned to discover a trail of clues hidden in the works of Leonardo da Vinci—clues visible for all to see and yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.
By Kristen Barenthaler9 months ago in BookClub
