Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

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The Books of 2018

December 19, 2018 by Kristin 28 Comments

The short interpretation of my book list is I read fewer books this year than I thought I would. But I also started reading magazines again. I definitely was much more selective about what non-fiction books I read because I couldn’t deal with the noise they can make in my head.

With that said, I read 52 books, which conveniently averages to one a week for the year and is close to the same number as I’ve read in recent years. The ones in the picture above are definitely among my favorites, although many of my favorite fiction were on my Kindle or checked out from the library so they didn’t make the picture!

Fiction

  1. “Comfort & Joy” by Kristin Hannah
  2. “Every Last Lie” by Mary Kubica
  3. “The Mailbox” (Sunset Beach #1) by Marybeth Whalen
  4. “The Perfect Stranger” by Megan Miranda
  5. “The Fever” by Megan Abbott
  6. “The Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah
  7. “Weight of Lies” by Emily Carpenter
  8. “Burying the Honeysuckle Girls” by Emily Carpenter
  9. “Picture Perfect” by Jodi Picoult
  10. “The Great Alone” by Kristin Hannah
  11. “Dead Drift” (Chesapeake Valor #4) by Dani Pettrey {Review}
  12. “Tell Me Three Things” by Julie Buxbaum
  13. “Speak Now or Forever  Hold Your Peace” by Becky Monson
  14. “Witness in Hiding” (Secret Service Agents Series) by Lisa Phillips
  15. “The Way Life Should Be” by Christina Baker Kline
  16. “I Am Watching You” by Teresa Driscoll
  17. “The Castaways” by Elin Hilderbrand
  18. “The Light Between the Oceans” by M.L. Stedman
  19. “A Long Time Gone” by Karen White
  20. “All the Breaking Waves” by Kerry Lonsdale
  21. “Looking for Me” by Beth Hoffman
  22. “Beartown” by Fredrik Backman
  23. “Winter Garden” by Kristin Hannah
  24. “The Things We Do For Love” by Kristin Hannah
  25. “A Secret to Die For” by Lisa Harris {Review}
  26. “Whisper Me This” by Kerry Anne King
  27. “The Other Family” by Joanna Trollope
  28. “The Almost Sisters” by Joshilyn Jackson
  29. “Secret Daughter” by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

Memoirs

  1. “A Fierce Love: One Woman’s Courageous Journey to Save Her Marriage” by Shauna Shanks
  2. “In Bloom: Trading Restless Insecurity for Abiding Confidence” by Kayla Aimee {Review}
  3. “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis” by J.D. Vance {Review}
  4. “Why I Hate Green Beans: And Other Confessions about Relationships, Reality TV, and How We See Ourselves” by Lincee Ray {Review}
  5. “A Place to Land: A Story of Longing and Belonging” by Kate Motaung {Review}
  6. “The Ministry of Ordinary Places: Waking Up to God’s Goodness All Around You” by Shannan Martin {Review}
  7. “Remember God” by Annie Downs
  8. “Burden of Hope: I Am More than Barren” by Beth Johnson {Guest Post}

Non-fiction

  1. “Small Church Essentials: Field-Tested Principles for Leading a Healthy Congregation of Under 250” by Karl Vaters {Review}
  2. “The Friendship of Women: The Beauty and Power of God’s Plan for Us” by Dee Brestin
  3. “Eternal Current: How a Practice-Based Faith Can Save Us from Drowning” by Aaron Niequist
  4. “White Picket Fences: Turning Toward Love in a World Divided by Privilege” by Amy Julia Becker {Review}
  5. “It’s All Under Control: A Journey of Letting Go, Hanging On & Finding a Peace You Almost Forgot Was Possible” by Jennifer Dukes Lee {Guest Post}
  6. “In His Image: 10 Ways God Calls Us to Reflect His Character” by Jen Wilkin
  7. “The Storm-Tossed Family: How the Cross Reshapes the Home” by Russell Moore {Review}
  8. “Letters to the Church” by Francis Chan

Studies & Resources

  1. “This I Know: Trusting Your Unknown Future to a Known God” by Laura Dingman {Review}
  2. “100 Days to Brave: Devotions for Unlocking Your Most Courageous Self” by Annie Downs
  3. “Taking Charge of ADHD: The Complete, Authoritative Guide for Parents” by Russell Barkley
  4. “Crack Yourself Up Jokes for Kids” by Sandy Silverthorne {Review}
  5. “Hope Your Heart Needs: 52 Encouraging Reminders of How God Cares for You” by Holley Gerth {Review}
  6. “New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional” by Paul David Tripp
  7. “Come, Let Us Adore Him: A Daily Advent Devotional” by Paul David Tripp

*****

I usually leave starred reviews on Goodreads, if you want a quick reference for what I thought about books. I’ve linked all the titles to Amazon and any reviews I’ve shared on my blog. You can always reach out and talk books with me. Here’s my 2017 list, if you’re looking for more recommendations. I also keep a list of favorites on Amazon for easy access.

*****

Kristin Hill Taylor - Porch Stories

Merry Christmas, #PorchStories friends! I’ve loved being together this year and look forward to next year. There won’t be a linkup next week because we’ll still in Christmas mode around here. We’ll gather again on Jan. 2, ready for a fresh start.

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Filed Under: books, Porch Stories Tagged With: books

Comments

  1. Tara says

    December 19, 2018 at 10:15 am

    Such a great book! And you may have not read as much as you thought but you read WAY MORE fiction books than me this year!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      December 19, 2018 at 2:43 pm

      I read lots of fiction by the pool this summer. It was really good for me to read more fiction than nonfiction this year. There are so many good books out there. Always glad to see you here, Tara!

      Reply
  2. Beth says

    December 19, 2018 at 10:32 am

    That is a great list of books. I like the way you have broken them into the different categories. I might have to look for some books suggestions.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      December 19, 2018 at 2:41 pm

      I hope you find some books for your life on this list. Thanks for being here, Beth!

      Reply
  3. Susan Shipe says

    December 19, 2018 at 10:35 am

    Wow, what a list! I’m always impressed.

    Reply
    • Susan Shipe says

      December 19, 2018 at 1:56 pm

      InLinkz is getting kind of wiggy.

      Reply
      • Kristin says

        December 19, 2018 at 2:36 pm

        Yeah, I’m not happy with it right now … but I’m happy that you’re here anyway! xo

        Reply
    • Kristin says

      December 19, 2018 at 2:41 pm

      You’re sweet to me. xo

      Reply
      • Rachel says

        December 20, 2018 at 12:31 pm

        I read The Nightingale this summer as well. I found myself bawling while lying in my hammock. I was so emotionally exhausted at the end of that book!!! Good… But too emotional for me! What did you think?

        Reply
        • Kristin says

          December 20, 2018 at 2:39 pm

          So emotional! But I loved it. Then almost immediately after I read Kristin Hannah’s The Great Alone, which was equally emotional in a different way. Then I had to take a break and read some really light fiction. 🙂 Thanks for being here, Rachel!

          Reply
  4. Lesley says

    December 19, 2018 at 11:20 am

    I’m impressed by the number of books you have read, and the variety too! I’ve only read a few of these so it’s good to get some new recommendations.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      December 19, 2018 at 2:40 pm

      Thank you, Lesley! I hope you find some that you love on my list. Thanks for being here!

      Reply
  5. Michele Morin says

    December 19, 2018 at 12:16 pm

    This is an amazing (and varied!) list!
    Good work! (And a good resource for future reads!)

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      December 19, 2018 at 2:39 pm

      Oh, thank you, Michele! That means a lot coming from you, fellow book worm! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Meghan Weyerbacher says

    December 19, 2018 at 12:27 pm

    So organized!

    I loved this especially…”the noise they can make in my head.” and feel it applies to multiple areas of my life, the things offered us by the world.

    Selectivity is wise, I believe.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      December 19, 2018 at 2:38 pm

      Thanks for all that comment, Meg! The world sure is noisy sometimes, so I’m thankful I’ve learned how to filter some of that better for myself. It’s been a process, and I’m sure always will be. Thanks for being here!

      Reply
  7. Laurie says

    December 19, 2018 at 12:32 pm

    This is a great list. I’m going to bookmark it so I can come back to it when I need inspiration. I saw “White Picket Fences” on your list. Loved that book!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      December 19, 2018 at 2:37 pm

      I really loved “White Picket Fences.” It’s one of those that I wish everyone would read because it was really thought-provoking. Hope you find plenty of inspiration among the other titles! Thanks for being here, Laurie!

      Reply
  8. Lauren Sparks says

    December 19, 2018 at 12:32 pm

    What a great resource. laurensparks.net

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      December 19, 2018 at 2:36 pm

      Thanks, friend!

      Reply
  9. Barbara Harper says

    December 19, 2018 at 3:08 pm

    I know what you mean about limiting non-fiction books. I can only handle so many. I have Jen Wilkin’s book and am eager to plunge into it next year. Have a wonderful Christmas!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      December 19, 2018 at 3:13 pm

      We read Jen Wilkin’s book in Bible study this fall. Hope you enjoy it! Merry Christmas, Barbara!

      Reply
  10. Kate Motaung says

    December 20, 2018 at 9:10 pm

    Holy smokes, 52 books! That’s incredible. You always amaze me with the quantity of books you’re able to read in a year. Well done! Thanks for sharing your list!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      December 21, 2018 at 9:04 am

      Thanks, Kate! I’m always glad you host the book linkup.

      Reply
  11. Lisa notes says

    December 21, 2018 at 11:29 am

    I read The Nightgale too and loved it. I have her other book on my hold list at the library. Hopefully it’ll become available soon! I am currently in the middle of The Ministry of Ordinary Places and it’s just getting better and better.

    Love seeing your books here, Kristin. Always fun to me to see what other people are reading.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      December 21, 2018 at 12:40 pm

      Kristin Hannah is one of my favorite fiction authors, so I’m glad you’re enjoying her too! And The Ministry of Ordinary Places was one the best from 2018! Thanks for being here!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. The Books of 2019 says:
    December 28, 2019 at 4:01 am

    […] to the 29 I read each of the last two years. I read 12 non-fiction books, which is a few less than last year. I also included some family books we read together or my kids read and […]

    Reply
  2. How to make time for books says:
    December 17, 2020 at 12:21 pm

    […] 2018, I read 52 books. That total was 47 in 2017, 53 in 2016, and 43 in 2015. I don’t know how many books I’ll read […]

    Reply

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About Me

Telling stories is my therapy and I love sharing them with friends on my porch.

The main characters in my stories are my entrepreneur husband, our high school girl who never forgets, our middle school boy who has no fear, and our joy-filled first-grade girl. As we live out our stories, we seek God as the author of them all.

Learn more about my story here.

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🎶 All throughout my history / Your faithfulness 🎶 All throughout my history / Your faithfulness has walked beside me / The winter storms made way for spring / In every season, from where I'm standing / I see the evidence of Your goodness / All over my life … 🎶 @joshbaldwin in “Evidence”

I love summer. But my summer has started off busy: appointments, book edits deadline, establish new habits with the kids at home. All that’s necessary and good, it just cuts into my down time beside the pool. 

Today we have two open gyms for our basketball players, my book study with a few friends, a new weekly high school girls’ book study at our house, and a monthly dad-son character study. 

I long for a little more white space on the calendar, but I also wouldn’t change a thing because the kids are only 16, 13, and 7 once. This summer will only be this summer once. And I’ve already learned time flies with big kids. 

So here we are finding out footing, singing praises with church friends on our porch, grilling delicious chicken, and squeezing in the wide-open spaces when we can. This is evidence of the good stuff. 

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The Hill family reunion at @shelterpointretreat ha The Hill family reunion at @shelterpointretreat has become a favorite tradition to kick off summer! The weather was perfect and everyone enjoyed one another. 

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First of all, who else has read this book? The plo First of all, who else has read this book? The plot was promising as a thriller and the setting really worked. There were some good twists, and then there were ridiculous twists. I skimmed the end only because I wanted it to make sense. And it didn’t. It was too weird for me. 

But this made me wonder: how do we know if a book is going to be weird, contain elements we don’t like, or go places that don’t make sense? I don’t like to read much about a book before I read the book. Usually, I do a better job of picking books for myself. 

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And that’s a wrap on soccer season! I love watch And that’s a wrap on soccer season! I love watching them both play. 

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On Mothers Day, I wanted to sit by the pool with a On Mothers Day, I wanted to sit by the pool with a book, but I didn’t know what I wanted to read. Whenever I have indecision about books, picking up a thriller usually helps because of the story’s pace. 

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I’ve read quite a few World War II novels, but t I’ve read quite a few World War II novels, but this one by Soraya M. Lane focused on three nurses, their friendships, and how the war changed their lives. It’s a hard story, but it’s full of love and hope despite the destruction around them. 

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