Welcome to Litsy!

The author travels all over the world, chasing the (hi)stories of various jewels.

A very well structured book. Each jewel gets its own section, and we pursue it from the ancient times to the modern, and from the jeweler to the mines it was dug up in (the author visits those mines, and often tries mining herself). It‘s fascinating, coherent, and flows really well.

5/5

Ugh. You know when you can just tell that a man has written a female character? The lead character was unrealistic and came across as arrogant and one dimensional. The story is dull, the passion about the precious jewels was OTT and I didn't really care by half way through whether she found them or not. The description of some of the locations was evocative and I enjoyed it, but that wasn't enough to save this story.

#3books #thatmademewanttotravel
Middle grade books edition!

These made me want to travel to Vienna & the Alps; London & its vicinity; and Paris!

Another home-run for Michelle Griep! Set in Victorian England of 1861, this story follows two unlikely pair - an opera singer hiding away and a runaway convict - in a tale of justice sought, forgiveness received, redemption embraced, and renewal begun. Wrapped in intense intrigue and mystery, the story combines the best of suspense and historical romance to bring a tantalizing read that you won't be able to put down.

The House at the End of the Moor by Michelle Griep is a FANTASTIC #HistoricalRomance that is not to be missed. Check out my thoughts, then purchase your copy today!
#MustRead #ILoveThisBook #VictorianMystery

https://christianfictiongirl.blog/2020/03/28/the-house-at-the-end-of-the-moor-20...

Set in Vienna during Emperor Franz Joseph's reign, this engaging story is rich in history & humour. 12-yr-old Annika, fostered by 2 servants since she was a baby, is happy living in the beautiful city of music. She is whisked away to live in a castle in Germany by an aristocrat who claimed to be her mother but things are not what they seem. Love the characters, the setting.
#MiddleGradeMarch
#ReadingEurope2020 #Austria

The 450-year-old Spanish Riding School, one of Vienna‘s most popular attractions....‘This equestrian show is performed by Lipizzaner stallions formerly kept at an imperial stud established at Lipizza (hence the name). The graceful stallions perform an equine ballet to a classical-music program while the audience watches from pillared balconies..‘

One of the many interesting things about Austria I learnt from my current read. #MiddleGradeMarch

We love book maps! The story is about a young girl who has been brought up by a cook and a housemaid staying with three eccentric professors in Vienna. I love tracing and referring to the girl‘s journey using this map. And the mentions of Austrian foods make my mouth water! Sauerkraut, dumplings, Apfelstrudels, and all those wonderful descriptions of pastries! 😋

#MiddleGradeMarch

Sum: Annika is a servant in a grand house in Vienna, a great city famous for its great emperor. Her life would be perfect for her real mothers mystery. Annika has been found in a Church as a newborn baby, and no one knows where she came from. Yet her mind swirls everyday with visions of a lovely mother who finally come to claim her. Then Annika finds out the amazing truth about her past and is going to go on a great, yet serious, discovery danger.

Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Children‘s Literature
Author: Eva Ibbotson
Date Started: Friday, October 11, 2019
Date Finished: Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Why I chose this book: Because i was given this book by my old school and said I could keep it.