Here we are at the end of another year.  Man, it really does fly by doesn't it?  Looking back over the year of posts, I did better about blogging on a consistent basis.  This coming year, I hope to do even better.  

I want to do better about posting ALL the books I read.  Not just the ones that I'm supposed to blog about because I'm reviewing them.  I've read some really good ones that I haven't mentioned on here.  For that, I'm sorry.  Maybe I'll try to post what I'm reading each week.  Since I have several going at once, I can show what has been finished and what has been added.  Just a thought.

I also want to get more involved in product reviews.  I haven't had much luck in that arena as of yet.  I'm going to just start reviewing products that I use everyday.  Don't worry, I'm not going to review things that EVERYONE uses, only the new and different things.  Maybe I'll even review some of the new "old" things that I pick up at thrift stores.

What kinds of things would you, the reader & friend, like to see on my blog?  I'm willing to try anything.  Well......most anything. 

The Dragons of Chiril by Donita K. Paul

I'm sad to say that I did not enjoy this book.  Normally I'm a big fan of books that contain dragons and fantasy aspects.  This one just didn't do it for me.

This is the first in a series of books.  Apparently, this was release before under the title "The Vanishing Sculptor."  Although that title describes the content of the book very well, I guess they wanted to change the title to fit better with the rest of the series.

I found the characters not all that engaging or likable.  I kept getting confused on who was who and how they fit into the storyline.  This book is geared toward children and I think that they would have some trouble keeping everything straight, too.

I think there are better Christian Fantasy books available out there, but if you've run through all the Narnia books, perhaps you may give this one a look.  I would just give it a good look through before I'd drop big bucks on it.

I received this book from Waterbrook/Multnomah publishing in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: The Encounter by Stephen Arterburn

This is a wonderful little book.  I am so glad that I was able to get this one for review.  In all honesty, I'm not sure that I would have picked this up on my own.  Now that I've read one of Mr. Arterburn's books, I'll be sure to seek his other stories out on the shelf.

This is a story about forgiveness and healing.  It deals with the hurt created when one doesn't know the whole story behind someones actions.  I think that it is a good illustration on how one shouldn't jump to conclusions.  Always get the full scoop before you go and decide how you feel about a person.

I really enjoyed the characters in the book.  They all felt very "real" to me.  Nothing felt forced about them or their actions.  Sometimes in a short book, things can feel rushed and cramped in the dialogue.  This one felt smooth to me.

All in all, I would recommend this short book by Stephen Arterburn.  It will only take an afternoon for most to read it  but you will be thinking about it long after that.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”