Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

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A few of my favorite things

September 14, 2023 by Kristin 2 Comments

Bombas socks – I know, they’re kind of expensive. But I love how the ankle socks feel on my feet and in my shoes. 

This braided band for my Apple Watch – I asked my 16-year-old daughter to find me a watch band that was comfortable and dried easily. This is what she came up with, and I love it. In fact, I’m going to order another color or two soon. 

Crossbody bag – I have loved this Lululemon one for a while, but I found an even better and cheaper one on Amazon. Truly, hooray for liking the off-brand one better!

ESV scripture journals – I used to carry my Bible to church and fill the margins with notes. Both during our main church service and the Sunday school class I attend, we go through books of the Bible, so I bought the books we were in and now fill the notebooks with notes. There are whole journaling pages plus wide margins. Marking up scripture is the best way for me to learn, so this is the perfect notebook for me to carry with me to church. 

Crunch Labs – Ben gets excited each month when these boxes show up on our porch. It’s a great subscription box for my teenager who loves to build things. Plus the whole family likes Mark Rober’s videos that go along with the projects. 

Created for Communion – I know, maybe it’s weird to put my own book on here. But I’m really happy with how it turned out, thanks to Market Refined Media. I love the friendship bracelet on the cover and used throughout. The journaling prompts were originally planned, but I love having them incorporated. I rewrote my introduction during the editing process and am so pleased with it now. Studying the biblical friendships and then writing about them took me back to my journalism days, and it was really just such a fun process. (Plus there is some fun, free stuff on my website to celebrate!)

Walmart delivery – I was working this morning when the groceries I ordered last night showed up on my porch. I am a paying member of Walmart+ and don’t regret it. Plus you get other perks, like free, quick shipping on items not available in the local store. (Save $20 if you sign up through this link!)

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He Should Have Told The Bees

September 6, 2023 by Kristin Leave a Comment

August was a slow reading month for me, but I give all the stars to “He Should Have Told The Bees” by Amanda Cox. She’s a Christian writer who adds bits of faith and scripture to her well-developed characters with complex emotional stories. I like that it isn’t cheesy Christian fiction, but storytelling that gets right to the heart of matters while the plot unfolds with some secrecy. Her website says she writes “poignant stories of hope, healing, and home,” which is a perfect description of this book as well as her others. 

In this particular story, I also liked the beekeeping aspect. That creates an enjoyable set of circumstances and analogies.

About the book

Beekeeper Beckett Walsh is living her dream, working alongside her father in their apiary until his untimely death sends her world into a tailspin. She suddenly finds she must deal with a new part owner of the family business—one who is looking to sell the property. Beck cannot fathom why her father would put her in the position to lose everything they built together.

When Callie Peterson is named in the trust of a man she’s never heard of, she’s not sure what to do. Her fledgling business has just taken wing and her mother has reentered her life asking for help getting into rehab for her lifelong substance abuse issues, making Callie’s financial situation rather precarious. She’s sure she has no right to someone else’s farm, but the money from the sale could solve her problems and give her the stability she’s always craved.

As these two women navigate their present conundrum, they will discover a complex and entangled past full of secrets—and the potential for a brighter future for both of them.

“He Should Have Told The Bees” by Amanda Cox is a 336-page paperback book and is available now in various formats from Revell. 

About the author

Amanda Cox is the author of “The Edge of Belonging” and “The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery,” both of which I recommend and were the Christy Award Book of the Year in 2021 and 2022, respectively. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Bible and theology and a master’s degree in professional counseling, but her first love is communicating through story. Her studies and her interactions with hurting families over a decade have allowed her to create multidimensional characters that connect emotionally with readers. She lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with her husband and their three children. Learn more at AmandaCoxWrites.com.

***** 

I received a free, advanced copy of this book from Revell Reads in exchange for a review, but these opinions are mine and I genuinely recommend this book. 

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Books of 2022

January 2, 2023 by Kristin 2 Comments

I love book lists! And here I am a little late to the year-end party, but 81 books are the most I’ve read since I started keeping track. My list this year is heavy on romance and suspense, but that could totally change in 2023. You can follow #KHTreads on Instagram and Facebook, where I share reviews as I read throughout the year.

I shared on social media the other day some things about my reading habits that helped me accomplish this:

  • I like to read on my Kindle (I just upgraded to a Kindle Oasis and love it!) and also read actual books.
  • I started listening to audiobooks, mostly memoirs, while I drive.
  • I don’t plan ahead what I am going to read. Perhaps that makes me an emotional, circumstantial reader — I read what fits my mood. This means I also like to have options — Kindle Unlimited, Book of the Month, library books, and Amazon wish list of recommendations.
  • I use Goodreads to keep track of what books I’ve read, but I don’t set reading goals.
  • I quit books if I don’t like them or am not into them.
  • I totally judge a book by its cover and description.
  • I mostly read fiction. Yes, it’s kind of an escape, but, also, stories matter and teach me so much about myself and the world around me.

Now, onto the books!

Contemporary Fiction

  1. “The Girl Who Could Breath Under Water” by Erin Bartels {Review}
  2. “Wish You Were Here” by Jodi Picoult {Instagram Review}
  3. “The Unsinkable Greta James” by Jennifer E. Smith {Instagram Review}
  4. “Winter in Paradise” (Paradise #1) by Elin Hilderbrand {Facebook Review}
  5. “What Happens in Paradise” (Paradise #2) by Elin Hilderbrand
  6. “Troubles in Paradise” (Paradise #3) by Elin Hilderbrand
  7. “This Time Tomorrow” by Emma Straub {Facebook Review}
  8. “South of the Buttonwood Tree” by Heather Webber {Instagram Review}
  9. “The Words Between Us” by Erin Bartels {Facebook Review}

Suspense / Thrillers

  1. “Reckless Girls” by Rachel Hawkins {Instagram Review}
  2. “Local Woman Missing” by Mary Kubica {Facebook Review}
  3. “The Golden Couple” by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen {Instagram Review}
  4. “Such a Quiet Place” by Megan Miranda {Facebook Review}
  5. “The Paris Apartment” by Lucy Foley {Instagram Review}
  6. “The Sun Down Motel” by Simone St. James {Instagram Review}
  7. “The Book of Cold Cases” by Simone St. James {Facebook Post}
  8. “The Good Sister” by Sally Hepworth {Instagram Review}
  9. “The Mother-in-Law” by Sally Hepworth {Facebook Review}
  10. “The Girl from Widow Hills” by Megan Miranda {Instagram Review}
  11. “Have You Seen Me?” by Kate White {Facebook Review}
  12. “The Family Next Door” by Sally Hepworth {Instagram Review}
  13. “What Happened to the Bennetts” by Lisa Scottoline {Facebook Review}
  14. “The Match” by Harlan Coben {Instagram Review}
  15. “The Family Upstairs” by Lisa Jewell {Instagram Review}
  16. “The Younger Wife” by Sally Hepworth {Facebook Review}
  17. “The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes” by Diane Chamberlain {Instagram Review}
  18. “Two Truths and a Lie” by Meg Mitchell Moore {Facebook Review}
  19. “The Soulmate” by Sally Hepworth {Instagram Review}
  20. “Distant Echoes” (Aloha Reef #1) by Colleen Coble {Instagram Review}
  21. “The Housemaid” by Freida McFadden {Facebook Review}
  22. “The Locked Door” by Freida McFadden {Facebook Review}
  23. “The Inmate” by Freida McFadden {Instagram Review}
  24. “All Good People Here” by Ashley Flowers {Facebook Review}

Romance / Romantic Comedies

  1. “Talk Bookish to Me” by Kate Bromley {Instagram Review}
  2. “Reminders of Him” by Colleen Hoover {Instagram Review}
  3. “Love on Paper” by Sarah Madelin {Facebook Review}
  4. “Love on Film” by Sarah Madelin {Facebook Review}
  5. “Book Lovers” by Emily Henry {Instagram Review}
  6. “Every Summer After” by Carley Fortune {Instagram Review}
  7. “The Friend Zone” by Abby Jimenez {Facebook Review}
  8. “The Happy Ever Playlist” (The Friend Zone #2) by Abby Jimenez {Instagram Review}
  9. “Life’s Too Short” (The Friend Zone #3) by Abby Jimenez {Instagram Review}
  10. “Part of Your World” by Abby Jimenez {Facebook Review}
  11. “The Bodyguard” by Katherine Center {Instagram Review}
  12. “The Layover” by Lacie Waldon {Facebook Review}
  13. “Meet Me in the Margins” by Melissa Ferguson {Instagram Review}
  14. “Love & Other Words” by Christina Lauren {Instagram Review}
  15. “From the Jump” by Lacie Waldon {Facebook Review}
  16. “More Than Words” by Jill Santopolo {Instagram Review}
  17. “Flying Solo” by Linda Holmes {Facebook Review}
  18. “Something Wilder” by Christina Lauren {Instagram Review}
  19. “Before I Do” by Sophie Cousens {Facebook Review}
  20. “The Simple Wild” by K.A. Tucker {Instagram Review}
  21. “Wild at Heart” (The Simple Wild #2) by K.A. Tucker
  22. “Forever Wild” (The Simple Wild #3) by K.A. Tucker
  23. “Running Wild” (The Simple Wild #4) by K.A. Tucker {Instagram Review}
  24. “Here for the Drama” by Kate Bromley {Instagram Review}
  25. “It Starts With Us” (It Ends With Us #2) by Colleen Hoover {Facebook Review}
  26. “June, Reimagined” by Rebekah Crane {Instagram Review}
  27. “Five Winters” by Kitty Johnson {Facebook Review}

Historical Fiction

  1. “Bridge of Scarlet Leaves” by Kristina McMorris {Instagram Review}
  2. “The Edge of Lost” by Kristina McMorris {Facebook Review}
  3. “Truths I Never Told You” by Kelly Rimmer {Hard, hard topics and I have mixed feelings on it.}
  4. “The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post” (audio) by Allison Pataki {Instagram Review}
  5. “We Hope for Better Things” by Erin Bartels {Facebook Review}

Memoirs

  1. “The Rural Diaries: Love, Livestock, and Big Life Lessons Down on Mischief Farm” (audio) by Hilarie Burton Morgan {Instagram Review}
  2. “The Stories I Only Tell My Friends” (audio) by Rob Lowe {Facebook Review}
  3. “Open Book” (audio) by Jessica Simpson {Instagram Review}
  4. “Glad You’re Here: Two Unlikely Friends Breaking Bread & Fences” (audio) by Walker Hayes & Craig Allen Cooper {Facebook Review}
  5. “Delete That: (And Other Failed Attempts to Look Good Online)” (audio) by John Crist {Instagram Review}
  6. “Start with Hello: And Other Simple Ways to Live as Neighbors” (audio) by Shannan Martin
  7. “The Stories We Tell: Every Piece of Your Story Matters” (audio) by Joanna Gaines {Instagram Review}
  8. “Where the Light Fell” (audio) by Philip Yancey {Facebook Review}
  9. “Talking as Fast as I Can: From From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between)” (audio) by Lauren Graham {Instagram Review}

Other Non-fiction

  1. “Live No Lies: Recognize and Resist the Three Enemies That Sabotage Your Peace” by John Mark Comer
  2. “Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Philippians” by Tony Merida and Francis Chan
  3. “Before the Throne: Finding Strength through Prayer in Difficult Times” by Crickett Keeth {Review}
  4. “Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking” (audio) by Jon Acuff {Instagram Review}
  5. “The Gospel Comes with a House Key” (audio) by Rosaria Butterfield {Facebook Review}
  6. “Send Out Your Light: The Illuminating Power of Scripture and Song” by Sandra McCracken {Instagram Review}
  7. “Your New Playlist: The Student’s Guide to Tapping Into the Superpower of Mindset” by Jon Acuff with L.E. and McRae Acuff {Facebook Review}

Family books

  1. “Britfield & the Return of the Prince” by C.R. Stewart {Review by Cate}

*****

Need more recommendations? Here are #KHTreads from 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017.

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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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Recent Posts

  • How to take the trip
  • Eight is great!
  • A few of my favorite things
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Y'all have been so awesome celebrating my new book Y'all have been so awesome celebrating my new book! If you've had a chance to read it, I'd really appreciate you leaving a review. For authors, Amazon is the best place, but you can copy and paste the same review on Goodreads and Barnes & Noble too: 

📚 Amazon: bit.ly/createdforcommunion
📚 Barnes & Noble: mavely.app.link/e/RHD4MooDGCb
📚 Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/197602230-created-for-communion

Of course, if you haven't gotten your copy yet, you can buy "Created for Communion" at Amazon or Barnes & Noble (from those links above!) and from the trunk of my minivan! 

🌸 Plus there are FREE resources, including a sample chapter, on my website: kristinhilltaylor.com/created-for-communion

#linkinbio #authorlife #KHTreads #bookstagram #bookrelease #author #book #booklaunch #amazonbook #goodreads #marketrefinedpublishing #MRPbook #bookshelf #nonfiction #selfhelpfbooks #christianbooks #christianauthors #CreatedforCommunion #GodsDesign #BiblicalFriendship #KristinHillTaylor #communion #friendship #faithlife #community #bettertogether #friends #holyfriendships #bookreviews #freebies
To live in communion with one another, means to sh To live in communion with one another, means to share meals, space, advice, and prayers. It also means sharing hope, disappointment, dreams, and forgiveness. 

We explore what this looks like in “Created for Communion,” along with other biblical foundations for friendships and community.

🌸 FREE RESOURCES & SAMPLE CHAPTER: 
kristinhilltaylor.com/created-for-communion

🌸 GET THE BOOK:
bit.ly/createdforcommunion

#linkinbio #KHTreads #bookstagram #bookrelease #author #book #booklaunch #amazonbook #goodreads #marketrefinedpublishing #MRPbook #bookshelf #nonfiction #selfhelpfbooks #christianbooks #christianauthors #CreatedforCommunion #GodsDesign #BiblicalFriendship #KristinHillTaylor #communion #friendship #faithlife #community #bettertogether #friends #holyfriendships
So many of my Facebook friends shared lovely pictu So many of my Facebook friends shared lovely pictures of their daughters yesterday for the completely made-up National Daughters Day. Regardless, today I'm all in my feelings about my daughters. 

They're 16 and 8 right now. Both of their classes have been studying ancient Egypt and had a joint feast today. Sweet, huh? 

BUT THEN TIMEHOP GOT ME! Apparently, NINE years ago today, when Cate was a second-grader, her class had an Egyptian feast. I think about a particular picture of Cate and her friend Kilee from that day AND THEN IT CAME UP IN MY TIMEHOP TODAY. Facebook also told me that same day nine years ago, Monica and I became Facebook friends. We probably were at the Egyptian feast and decided we'd be friends because our girls were friends. Y'all, God has been so good to me through my friendship with Monica. Our families click in a special way with our three sets of same-aged kids, most of whom have been adopted. 

Anyway, my daughters. They're lovely, funny, and smart. I love that Cate helped Rachel with her Egyptian eye makeup this morning and made her a Nutella and banana sandwich. I love that they got to have a party today at school together. I love that even though they're eight years apart, they're sisters. 

I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I do. 💛

#momlife #timehop #documentlife #bettertogether #sisters #siblinglove #nationaldaughtersday #daughters #reallife #schoollife #adoption #adoptionislove #PeaceInTheProcess #CreatedForCommunion #choosingJOY @ncca.lions
I’m pretty much always thinking about my next tr I’m pretty much always thinking about my next trip! Be it a weekend getaway or a family vacation, I’ve always got ideas of where I want to go next. The rest of my family always has suggestions too. Yes, take the (next) trip!

In the blog post HOW TO TAKE THE TRIP, I share lots of links and suggestions on where to go, who can help you, and what to take with you. 

✨ https://kristinhilltaylor.com/2023/09/how-to-take-the-trip.html

Where do you want to go? What do you always take with you?

#linkinbio #ontheblog #roadtrip #vacation #documentlife #takethetrip #bloggerlife #adventurers #choosingJOY #traveltips
I was thankful for some rest time on the couch on I was thankful for some rest time on the couch on Saturday afternoon — and a chance to finish this suspense book. 

“Between Two Strangers” by @katewhite_author had such an intriguing plot that pulled me right in. I was close to figuring out how it was all intertwined, but I didn’t quite get there through all the twists. Good, quick read!

#KHTreads #bookstagram #booklover #librarybooks #weekending #latergram #suspensebooks #goodreads
Recently, in random snapshots. This is a full life Recently, in random snapshots. This is a full life, but it’s a good life. 💛

#momlife #siblinglove #bettertogether #reallife #latergram #documentlife #soccermom #boymom #girlmom
When you subscribe to emails from my porch, you ge When you subscribe to emails from my porch, you get some free goodies! Plus, it's a fun way to chat about life, books, and faith. 

I just updated the free gifts to include a lovely PDF that has links to 27 (!!!) how-to posts about life, home, and parenthood. I'm going to give away more goodies when I meet some subscriber goals, so, if you haven't already, please join me on my virtual porch. 

🏠 bit.ly/PorchEmails

#linkinbio #PorchStories #bloggerlife #email #bettertogether #onlinefriends #authorlife #freebies #favoritethings
Well, don't they look lovely together! ✨ Find Well, don't they look lovely together! 

✨ Find them all here: https://amzn.to/3sRUHd7

#linkinbio #CreatedForCommunion #MoreThanGroceries #PeaceInTheProcess #bettertogether #hospitalitymatters #friendship #GodsDesign #selfpublished #books #KHTreads #bookstagram #bookshelf #goodreads #authorlife #PorchStories
You’re a light wherever you go! And you like to You’re a light wherever you go! And you like to go! You’re always making friends, asking about our next adventure, wanting to know what’s next, and talking if you’re not singing. You’re the joy our family needed in 2015 and you continue to be the one who makes us laugh and love better than we did before we knew you. 

... You ask a million questions, know the words to thousands of songs, have so many ideas, and still try to sneak into my bed at night. You say I’m the best snuggler in this family. I’ll take it – and your hugs and love, although the middle of the night will never be my favorite time. 

Happy birthday to the girl who loves loudly! 

✨ kristinhilltaylor.com/2023/09/rachel-is-8.html

#linkinbio #ontheblog #birthdaygirl #momlife #thirdchild #bloggerlife #TeamTaylor #reallife #birthday #thisis8 #choosingJOY #livingfaithfully #bestdad
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