Bookworm

It's been awhile since I've shared any books I've read.  To be honest, I haven't read anything since getting a new 3DS game. Looking back at what I have read recently does get me kind of get me in the mood to read, though, so maybe I need to put the video games aside for awhile!  The four books I'm including this time are all part of a series and, with the exception of Hollow City, are the first of the series.  So hopefully I will have some sequels to review at a later time.  Happy reading!

Hollow City by Ransom Riggs

I waited so patiently for this sequel, after just adoring Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children.  This second book takes place in a much darker time and although the same characters I loved are there, I just couldn't get into it.  I felt, at times, that the author was just trying to make it longer than it needed to be and it just sort of dragged on for me.  I struggled to finish this one and was disappointed that it just didn't live up to its predecessor.  There are lots of good reviews on Amazon, so maybe you'll feel differently.

The Ghost House by Helen Phifer

I really like ghost stories and anything supernatural related and it's common knowledge that I love all things British, so this book totally met my criteria.  It was one of those books that I couldn't stop reading at night, so I think I finished it in a total of three evenings.  The main character, Annie, finds a diary in an old home on her brother's property and gets drawn into the story of the diary's owner.  There's so much more to it than just that, though.  There are ghosts, a serial killer, and even some romance.  Check this one out!  

Asylum by Madeleine Roux

Like the Miss Peregrine's series, Asylum uses actual old photographs that seem to fit the story.  In this book's case, the photos are from old mental hospitals.  I really enjoyed the incorporation of the photos and they added to the creepiness of the story.  This one takes place on a college campus where the one of the dorms was originally a psychiatric hospital.  Dan is there for a college prep program and, along with his new friends, decides to explore the off limits areas of the dorm.  In doing so, they unlock some secrets about the evil of the old hospital and some personal connections with past patients.  I did actually get a bit creeped out and I thought the story was really well written.  I have the sequel to this on my Kindle, but I haven't started it yet. 

The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

I love magical stories like this one!  I won't give too much away, because I really do highly recommend this one.  Ceony goes to start her apprenticeship as a folder, a paper magician, at the home of Magician Emery Thane.  I wonder if the author used the same system as JK Rowling to come up with names, because there are some really good ones in this book.  I loved the details of the paper magic in this book and have actually started the sequel, The Glass Magician.  I'll let you know how I like that one later!