Giraffes

Earlier this month my husband and I went to this animal park and I got to hand feed a giraffe. I would probably have chickened out if my husband hadn't encouraged me to feed them. It's a little intimidating to have this HUGE animal approach you. Well, I was in the car but still. Although, there was nothing he could say that would get me to put the window down for the ostriches. Those birds really freak me out. But we had a nice time and I enjoyed seeing all the animals and especially feeding the giraffe. :)

I know I haven't really been posting much and that's really because I've been doing a lot of knitting lately. I plan on writing a post about my latest obsession once I get some pictures to share with y'all.

Wordless Wednesday

Fall Into Reading 2011

Well, it is finally Fall! I have never looked forward to Fall as much as I have this year. We have had the hottest summer. Ugh! I really haven’t read this much this summer and I have no idea why. So I’m just going to choose five books to read this Fall and if I read more great!

So here are the five books I'm hoping to get me back into reading...I need to pick up the pace if I want to meet my goal of reading 50 books this year.

1. Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen
   
2. Villette by Charlotte Bronte
3. The Tale of Castle Cottage by Susan Albert
4. Cottillion by Georgette Heyer
5. By Darkness Fled by Jill Williamson

If you would like to participate in Fall Into Reading this year then just go here to learn all about it. :)







The Girl In the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen

From Goodreads:

Miss Mariah Aubrey, banished after a scandal, hides herself away in a long-abandoned gatehouse on the far edge of a distant relative's estate. There, she supports herself and her loyal servant the only way she knows how--by writing novels in secret.

Captain Matthew Bryant, returning to England successful and wealthy after the Napoleonic wars, leases an impressive estate from a cash-poor nobleman, determined to show the society beauty who once rejected him what a colossal mistake she made. When he discovers an old gatehouse on the property, he is immediately intrigued by its striking young inhabitant and sets out to uncover her identity, and her past. But the more he learns about her, the more he realizes he must distance himself. Falling in love with an outcast would ruin his well-laid plans.

The old gatehouse holds secrets of its own. Can Mariah and Captain Bryant uncover them before the cunning heir to the estate buries them forever?

My Thoughts:

I have to say that Julie Klassen is one of my favorite authors. The Girl in the Gatehouse is another winner. I think one of the things I loved about this book was there was so much more to it than just the romance. We had a little mystery and quite of few twists and turns that caught me by surprise. The Girl in the Gatehouse is definitely one of the best books I've read this year and I'm eagerly looking forward to her next book. If you haven't read any of Julie Klassen's books then I suggest you check her out cause I really don't think you will be disappointed. I know I haven't been. :)

Happy Reading!

**I received this book through Paperbackswap.com**

Booking Through Thursday

What are you reading now? I'm currently reading The Tale of Castle Cottage which sadly is the last book in the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter series.

Would you recommend it? Yes, the whole series is so charming...I hate to see it end. :(

And what’s next? Good question, I've been in a bit of a reading slump so I don't know. I do have one book I need to read and review but other than that I have no idea what I will read next.