Tales of the Peculiar by Ransom Riggs

If you've ever wondered what X-Men would have been like before Charles Xavier, I think the Peculiar Children series would make a pretty good indicator.  If you haven't read Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, then you are really missing out.

Tales of the Peculiar is a follow-on story to the original trilogy, much like The Tales of Beedle the Bard were for the popular Harry Potter novels.  The short stories in this collection are curated by the invisible, but impeccably styled, Millard Nullings.  The original Tales of the Peculiar consisted of a collection of heavy, hard-bound books, but Mr. Nullings has done the readers a favor by choosing only the best stories for this collection.  These stories range from cautionary fairy tales to histories of famous Peculiars such as the first Ymbryne.  For those who did not grow up around other Peculiars, there are also enlightening footnotes that explain the significance of certain story elements, or merely add tidbits of interesting information.  

Each story is unique and imaginative, and if you didn't particularly care for the last one you read, you're sure to find something to your tastes in this collection.  My personal favorite was The Woman Who Befriended Ghosts.  I'm a sucker for a happy ending and stories involving ghosts, though.  People wanting a story with a strong female protagonist might enjoy The Fork-tongued Princess or The First Ymbryne.  Others who might want something lighter might like The Splendid Cannibals.

I would advise you to take your time going through these stories. Maybe stretch them out over the course of several days.  Because the stories do differ widely in tone, you can get a pretty bad case of mood whiplash.  Plus, it's just more enjoyable to read each story by itself without worrying about influence from the last one you just read.  Remember, these tales were meant to be read to Peculiar children as bedtime stories (for the most part).