Kristen Barenthaler
Bio
Curious adventurer. Crazed reader. Librarian. Archery instructor. True crime addict.
Instagram: @kristenbarenthaler
Facebook: @kbarenthaler
Stories (361)
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If You Like "The Girl on the Train", Try These Titles
The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn It isn't paranoia if it's really happening ... Anna Fox lives alone -- a recluse in her New York City home, drinking too much wine, watching old movies ... and spying on her neighbors. Then the Russells move next door: a father, a mother, their teenaged son. The perfect family. But when Anna sees something she shouldn't, her world begins to crumble -- and its shocking secrets are laid bare. What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? In this gripping Hitchcockian thriller, no one and nothing are what they seem.
By Kristen Barenthaler8 months ago in BookClub
If You Like "Downton Abbey", Try These Titles
Below Stairs by Margaret Powell A kitchen-maid's through-the-key hole memoir of life in the great houses of England--now a bestseller in the UK. At fifteen, she arrived at the servants' entrance to begin her life as a kitchen maid in 1920s England. The lowest of the low, her world was one of stoves to be blacked, vegetables to be scrubbed, mistresses to be appeased, and even bootlaces to be ironed. Work started at 5:30am and went on until after dark. In this captivating memoir, Margaret tells her tales of service with wit, warmth, and a sharp eye. From the gentleman with a penchant for stroking housemaids' curlers, to raucous tea dances with errand boys, to the heartbreaking story of Agnes the pregnant under-parlourmaid, fired for being seduced by her mistress's nephew, Below Stairs brilliantly evokes the longvanished world of masters and servants portrayed in Downton Abbey and Upstairs, Downstairs. Rocketing back on to the UK bestseller lists almost fifty years after its initial publication, this is the remarkable true story of an indomitable woman, who, though her position was lowly, never stopped aiming high.
By Kristen Barenthaler8 months ago in BookClub
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 Barenthaler8 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 Barenthaler8 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 Barenthaler8 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 Barenthaler8 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 Barenthaler8 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 Barenthaler8 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 Barenthaler8 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 Barenthaler8 months ago in BookClub
