Was it Just

that I didn't like the character?  I gave My Life Before Me only 3 of 5 stars.  I really didn't like Cady.  All of the girls had the same problem, but Cady just was a jerk.  In my opinion.  She was very realistic!  Her journey took her to the United States, to the state of Indiana, where racism is rampant, just like in the south.  I can't tell if Cady is as miserable and uncaring about her birth parents as she seems to be or if it is a defense mechanism.  Either way, this was my least favorite one, but still glad I read it.

British Accents

Here is a warning for those of you who aren't really into British accents for their audiobooks, if you download one of the Secrets book to listen to, you will hear a British accent, but don't worry! That is just the intro lady!  Stones on a Grave was a book I downloaded a long time ago, but I heard the intro in the British accent and so I didn't listen to it!  I could have enjoyed these books much earlier!
Stones on a Grave was really, really good.  This one is set mostly in Germany.  I can't remember which city.
When her orphanage is burned down, Sara gets her clue to her past that takes her to Germany.
I learned things about WW2 that I didn't know before, not that I knew a lot, but I knew a good amount, still there was new stuff here.  I am embarrassed to say that I never knew about the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration.

Now that

I made that statement about my favorite Secrets book so far, as I think about Innocent, maybe IT is my favorite one!  Can you tell I just really, really like this series!
This one had me guessing for a while.  It has murder and passion and intrigue!  It is set in Kingston, Ontario.

Now that the secrets are out...

I have to say that Shattered Glass was probably my favorite.  Maybe.  Yes, I think it was.   Or maybe the first one I read, The Unquiet Past.  This is Toni's story and it is so sad and so real and so good.  This one is set in Toronto.  Toni is a sweet and innocent girl, it seems to me.  There is a lot of humor in this one.  And there is a good look at adults who live on the seamer side of life.   Heartbreaking book, too.

The Third Secret

I read was A Big Dose of Lucky.  I am not sure why it is called this. Regardless, I liked it a lot and don't feel burned out on the series.  This is such a good idea, a series, written by different authors, each the story of a girl who lived in a orphanage since birth.  When the orphanage burns down, each is given what little information there is about their birth family and set off to find their way in the world.  The girls are all 16 and 17 years old.  There are seven of them.
Each book is set in 1964 in Canada, so far.  That is where the orphanage was. I can't remember what part of Canada.  But in ABDOL, Maulou's clue takes her to Parry Sound, Ontario.  She is the only dark-skinned girl of the seven and the racism that she encounters is horrifying.  I am a total fool, I guess.  I never knew that racism was as blatant in Canada as it was/is in the United States.

The Second Secret

that I read anyway...Small Bones was just as good as the first one I read.  I don't know if the Secrets series has an order, but it didn't seem like there were any spoilers or anything, reading this one second.
This story is Dot's.  Her journey to find her birth family, given the little bit of information that the orphanage was able to give her after the home burned down.  In Dot's case, all she has is a coat that was left with her when she was left on the doorstep of the Benevolent Home for Necessitous Girls.  Totally liked it!

Secret Series

The Unquiet Past is a book in the Secrets series, but I didn't know that until I went to write this post.  I am super excited because I really enjoyed The Unquiet Past!  It is set in 1964, though it seems like it could have been set at any time, really, and so if you are thinking, "I hate books set in the past,"  the past doesn't really make must of a difference here.
Well, not the past as in the settting, but the past is a big part of The Quiet Past.
Tess great up in an orphanage and has always wondered about her mother.  When the orphanage burns down a bit before she turns 18, she and the other girls who are almost 18 are set free.  Each are given any information that the orphanage has about their birth families.  The whole series is about each girl finding her own history.
Tess' journey takes her into the world of immoral medical practices and mental illness.  Good, good book!

Can't Remember

Glory Be is one of those books that I had seen around for a while, I am not sure where, but it always seemed to be THERE when I turned around, that kinda thing.  When I saw it for download from the library, I figured I might as well have a listen.
This was a good book, and another painful reminder of the horror of racism. Sadly, we don't really need reminders though, do we?  Think about it, it is still very much alive and destroying lives today.  
Glory Be takes place in Mississippi during Freedom Summer.   I look forward to reading more by Augusta Scattergood.  She had a new book come out just this year.

I didn't know this was a trilogy! But I am glad it is!

A few years back I was blown away by Countdown.  And now I found Revolution. Revolution follows different characters and the main one in this story is Sunny.  She lives in Greenwood, Mississippi and this book was set during Freedom Summer.
There is so much to learn in this book.  Just like Countdown, it contains newspaper clippings and quotes and since I listened to the audio book I heard songs as well.  I hope that school is different now, but in my day we didn't learn anything about the SNCC or heroes like Ella Baker.  Heck, we didn't even learn much about Malcolm and Martin.  It was only when I got to seminary when I was 21 and read Malcolm and Martin and America:  an American Dream or a Nightmare? that I learned anything in depth about the men.  I am not blaming my schooling entirely.  Sure I could have and should have done some self-educating and my parents should have had a part in insisting that I learn about these important people and events from our history, so I am not blaming school alone, I am just saying that I hope that things have changed.
Excellent look into the past and while I didn't enjoy the characters as much as I did in Countdown, this still is a good book.