January Book Report

Each month, I'll be posting twice about the books I'm reading - first at the beginning of the month with my reading list for the month, and then at the end of my month with my report on the books that I read. I posted my January reading list early this month, and this is my first official 2015 book report! 

This month, I read 7 books...
One Plus One by Jojo Moyes / A seemingly run-of-the-mill story about opposites who attract, I liked this story a lot, but I didn't love it. I loved Moyes's Me Before You and just found that One Plus One was too predictable for me. The writing was engaging and I couldn't put it down, but at times the story made me cringe. I flew through it in just a few hours, and I am definitely looking forward to reading other books by Moyes. 
The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman / My favorite book this month, I absolutely loved this new one from Hoffman. A love story that follows two main characters leading two very different lives, brought together by an extraordinary event. Hoffman's writing is a stunning portrayal of love in the early 20th century. The story follows a Jewish immigrant turned photographer and the daughter of a "freakshow" museum owner. Well-researched and strikingly realistic, I could not put this one down, and it is definitely my favorite in 2015 so far.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer / I resisted reading this book for so long, and early in 2014, it was offered for $1.99 in my daily Kindle deals and so I decided to buy it. Then a few weeks ago, I stumbled upon this book on my Kindle. I am glad that I finally read it and it was an interesting portrayal of life during World War 2. The plot was well-developed, if a bit all over the place from time to time, but I wish that there had been a concrete ending. It felt as though Barrows and Shaffer hit their page limit, and had to wrap the whole thing up in 2 more pages, and as such were unable to give this story the end that it was due. 
Us by David Nicholls / I read Nicholls' One Day in 2012 and loved every moment of it. Now, three years later when his newest book has been released, I was excited to dive into it. Us is the story of a man whose wife has informed that she is leaving him, and he takes their summer plans with their son and turns it into a last hurrah to try to keep her from leaving him. The present day is juxtaposed with the story of the beginning of the relationship, but it was too depressing for me. Nicholls' writing that I loved wasn't as strong here and left me wanting more. 
And the Dark Sacred Night by Julia Glass / My least favorite this month, I just couldn't fall in love with Glass's characters in this one, even though I knew some of the characters from her previous books. Another story (is there a theme here?) with past and present being brought together, Glass works to provide some background to the story of the main character trying to find out who is father is. The story jumped from place to place and I hated that she shielded her readers from so many important details within the story - including certain family meetings and the death of a character. 
Walking Dead Compendium 1 by Robert Kirkland / As a huge fan of the television show, I had been curious about the graphic novels for awhile. I added them to my holiday wish list and my amazing husband bought the first two compendiums for me. I definitely find graphic novels to be faster reads, so this didn't take as long as I thought it would (it is huge!), but it was so different from the show that I had to make sure I was reading it slowly, and not making assumptions. I liked it a lot, but it is much more intense, and in some cases, more obscene than the show. I enjoyed getting background and meeting new characters, and I'm definitely excited for the next book, but I still prefer the show. 
The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett / Not my favorite Patchett novel, but this story about a woman who leaves California for a small town, and home for unwed mothers, in Kentucky was captivating and I couldn't stop reading it. The story was told in three parts by three different characters, and the characters wove together a story with a multitude of supporting characters and fun personalities. I wanted to pull up a chair in Sister Evangeline's kitchen and help her and Rose cook. These characters will definitely stay with me for a long time.
I'm off to a great start in meeting my goal of 75 books for the year, and it has been a joy to spend days reading and relaxing so far this winter. I didn't get to Murder on the Orient Express in January, but I'm looking forward to reading it this weekend! February should be another great month for reading, and I'm especially looking forward to days of reading over the winter vacation.
What did you read this month? Did you have a favorite? I'd love to hear what books you loved in January!