The Book of Lost Things

by John Connolly

High in his attic bedroom, twelve-year-old David mourns the death of his mother, with only the books on his shelf for company. But those books have begun to whisper to him in the darkness. Angry and alone, he takes refuge in his imagination and soon finds that reality and fantasy have begun to meld. While his family falls apart around him, David is violently propelled into a world that is a strange reflection of his own -- populated by heroes and monsters and ruled by a faded king who keeps his secrets in a mysterious book, The Book of Lost Things.

Taking readers on a vivid journey through the loss of innocence into adulthood and beyond, New York Times bestselling author John Connolly tells a dark and compelling tale that reminds us of the enduring power of stories in our lives.
(summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

This was the first book by John Connolly that I randomly picked up. the second--and third--were his Samuel Johnson series. I will definitely include them soon, they were great... and a little more fresh in my memory.
I think I saw it at The Strand on one of their tempting rotating islands of books and judged the heck out of it by its cover. What a thoroughly novel novel. This is one of the few books I could see myself easily rereading.