1040 ratings | 282 reviews | avg rating:4.33

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Rachel’s Year In Books

Rachel’s 2025 Year in Books

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Rachel Barenbaum’s Followers (459)

Rachel’s Bookshelves

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currently-reading (2)
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Rachel’s Friends (71)

Emily Ross

725 books | 460 friends

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3,183 books | 104 friends

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2,226 books | 119 friends

Hilary Ryder

1,175 books | 55 friends

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2,539 books | 115 friends

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2,009 books | 33 friends

Angel

1,949 books | 385 friends

Susan

1,377 books | 103 friends

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Rachel Barenbaum

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United States

September 23

Website

http://www.rachelbarenbaum.com/

Twitter

rbarenbaum

Member Since

April 2011

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/rachelb26

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ATOMIC ANNA is Rachel's second novel. The New York Times Book Review said it was “masterfully plotted." And the LA Review of Books called it "propulsive and intimate." Rachel's debut, A BEND IN THE STARS, was named a New York Times Summer Reading Selection and a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection.

Rachel is a prolific writer and reviewer. Her work has appeared in Harper’s Bazaar, the LA Review of Books, and more. She is a Scholar in Residence at the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute at Brandeis and her podcast, Check This Out, is sponsored by the Howe Library and A Mighty Blaze. She has degrees from Harvard in Business, and Literature and Philosophy. She is an elected Town Meeting Member in Brookline, MA. ...more

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Combine Editions
Rachel Barenbaum’s books

Average rating: 3.87 · 8,194 ratings · 1,228 reviews · 2 distinct works • Similar authors

	A Bend in the Stars 3.90 avg rating — 5,427 ratings — published 2019 — 17 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Atomic Anna 3.80 avg rating — 2,767 ratings — published 2022 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

Rachel is Currently Reading

Rachel is currently reading

The Complex

by Karan Mahajan (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Mar 08, 2026 02:49PM

Rachel is currently reading

Evil Genius

by Claire Oshetsky (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Mar 08, 2026 02:49PM

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Rachel’s Recent Updates

Rachel is currently reading The Complex by Karan Mahajan (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 08, 2026 02:49PM · 1 like · like
Rachel rated a book it was amazing Mile High (Windy City, #1) by Liz Tomforde (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 08, 2026 02:49PM · like
Rachel is currently reading Evil Genius by Claire Oshetsky (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 08, 2026 02:49PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Evil Genius by Claire Oshetsky. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Evil Genius by Claire Oshetsky <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Rachel finished reading Mile High (Windy City, #1) by Liz Tomforde (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 08, 2026 02:48PM · like
Rachel rated a book it was amazing Truly Madly Deeply (Forbidden Love, #1) by L.J. Shen (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 22, 2026 08:45AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Truly Madly Deeply by L.J. Shen. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Truly Madly Deeply by L.J. Shen <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Rachel rated a book it was amazing The Summer We Fell (The Summer, #1) by Elizabeth O'Roark (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
AMAZING. Broke my heart... but, of course, HEA. Couldn't put it down. ...more
Feb 22, 2026 08:44AM · like · see review
Rachel is currently reading Mile High (Windy City, #1) by Liz Tomforde (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 22, 2026 08:44AM · like
Rachel rated a book it was amazing The Summer We Fell (The Summer, #1) by Elizabeth O'Roark (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
AMAZING. Broke my heart... but, of course, HEA. Couldn't put it down. ...more
Feb 22, 2026 08:44AM · like · see review
Rachel rated a book it was amazing Teach Me (The Wolf Hotel, #3) by Nina West (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 18, 2026 10:01AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Teach Me by Nina West. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Teach Me by Nina West <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Rachel rated a book it was amazing Surrender to Me (The Wolf Hotel, #4) by K.A. Tucker (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 18, 2026 10:00AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Surrender to Me by K.A. Tucker. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Surrender to Me by K.A. Tucker <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Rachel Barenbaum (?)

“Life is about choices, and no matter which ones you make, I love you. Don’t ever apologize for going one way or another, just know you can always change. You’re living proof of that, aren’t you? I’ve learned from my mistakes, too. Your papa and I, we both did. We should have let you do what made you happy, not what we thought was best.”
― Rachel Barenbaum, Atomic Anna

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“[...] survivors like that, well, they understood better than anyone how to get back on their feet.”
― Rachel Barenbaum, A Bend in the Stars

tags: bouncing-back, survival, survivor, survivor-quotes, survivors

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“Pregnant.”
― Rachel Barenbaum, A Bend in the Stars

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Polls

Time to determine the winner for the February Members Choice selection...

This poll will stay open until the end of the day on Jan 9th. Good luck with your nominations everyone...

Migrations

by Charlotte McConaghy

9 votes, 19.1%

The Daughters of Erietown

by Connie Schultz

8 votes, 17.0%

The Fifth Season

by N.K. Jemisin

7 votes, 14.9%

Writers & Lovers

by Lily King

5 votes, 10.6%

A Gentleman in Moscow

by Amor Towles

5 votes, 10.6%

The Orphan Collector

by Ellen Marie Wiseman

5 votes, 10.6%

Wild Seed

by Octavia E. Butler

4 votes, 8.5%

How Much of These Hills Is Gold

by C. Pam Zhang

2 votes, 4.3%

A Bend in the Stars

by Rachel Barenbaum

1 vote, 2.1%

The Yellow Bird Sings

by Jennifer Rosner

1 vote, 2.1%

47 total votes

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