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Quick answer: If you loved The Book of Lost Things, try The Land of Lost Things, Pan's Labyrinth, Coraline, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, The Neverending Story and A Monster Calls. Each one is a dark, magical fairy tale or a story about a child finding courage in a strange world.
John Connolly's 2006 novel follows twelve-year-old David, grieving his mother in Second World War England. When books begin to whisper to him, he follows his mother's voice into a dark fantasy land where twisted versions of fairy tales come alive, and he must find a king's book to return home. Readers love its eerie fairy tales and its emotional heart. These books share its dark magic and its grief.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Mood | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Land of Lost Things | John Connolly | Dark fantasy | readers who want the sequel |
| Pan's Labyrinth | Guillermo del Toro and Cornelia Funke | Dark fantasy | readers who like wartime fairy tales |
| Coraline | Neil Gaiman | Creepy | readers who like other worlds |
| The Ocean at the End of the Lane | Neil Gaiman | Haunting | readers who like childhood magic |
| The Neverending Story | Michael Ende | Classic | readers who like books that pull you in |
| A Monster Calls | Patrick Ness | Grief | readers who like grief and monsters |
| Inkheart | Cornelia Funke | Bookish | readers who love books coming alive |
| The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making | Catherynne M. Valente | Whimsical | readers who like strange fairylands |
| Stardust | Neil Gaiman | Fairy tale | readers who like adult fairy tales |
| Uprooted | Naomi Novik | Dark forest | readers who like enchanted woods |
| Spinning Silver | Naomi Novik | Wintry | readers who like retold tales |
| Through the Woods | Emily Carroll | Graphic | readers who like eerie stories |
| The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern | Dreamy | readers who like hidden worlds |
| Alice's Adventures in Wonderland | Lewis Carroll | Classic | readers who like strange lands |
| Tales from the Brothers Grimm | Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm | Classic | readers who want the originals |
1. The Land of Lost Things by John Connolly
A mother enters the fairy-tale land to save her daughter.
Best for: readers who want the sequel.
2. Pan's Labyrinth by Guillermo del Toro and Cornelia Funke
A girl in 1944 Spain meets a faun.
Best for: readers who like wartime fairy tales.
3. Coraline by Neil Gaiman
A girl finds a sinister other mother.
Best for: readers who like other worlds.
4. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
A man recalls a strange childhood.
Best for: readers who like childhood magic.
5. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
A boy enters the book he reads.
Best for: readers who like books that pull you in.
6. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
A boy is visited by a monster as his mother is ill.
Best for: readers who like grief and monsters.
7. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
Characters step out of books.
Best for: readers who love books coming alive.
8. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente
A girl travels to Fairyland.
Best for: readers who like strange fairylands.
9. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
A young man seeks a fallen star.
Best for: readers who like adult fairy tales.
10. Uprooted by Naomi Novik
A girl fights a corrupted wood.
Best for: readers who like enchanted woods.
11. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
Rumpelstiltskin reimagined.
Best for: readers who like retold tales.
12. Through the Woods by Emily Carroll
Creepy fairy-tale comics.
Best for: readers who like eerie stories.
13. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
A student finds a strange book.
Best for: readers who like hidden worlds.
14. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
A girl falls into Wonderland.
Best for: readers who like strange lands.
15. Tales from the Brothers Grimm by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
The original fairy tales.
Best for: readers who want the originals.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with The Book of Lost Things: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to The Book of Lost Things. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most. If a pick is part of a longer series, read the first book before you commit, and check the age or content notes in the table before passing a book to a younger reader.
How to Choose
Read The Land of Lost Things to return to Connolly's world. If you loved the grief and monsters, A Monster Calls is unforgettable. For dark fairy tales, Pan's Labyrinth, Through the Woods and Spinning Silver are perfect. Coraline and The Ocean at the End of the Lane offer Gaiman's eerie magic.
Related: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman: Summary and Key Takeaways · Inkheart by Cornelia Funke: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Book of Lost Things about?
A grieving boy enters a dark fairy-tale world and must find his way home.
Is it for children?
It has a child hero but dark, violent content, so it suits teens and adults.
Is there a sequel?
Yes. The Land of Lost Things, published in 2023.
Who is the Crooked Man?
A sinister trickster who pursues David.
Who is John Connolly?
An Irish author best known for his Charlie Parker thrillers.
Is it scary?
It has frightening and gory scenes.
What should I read next?
A Monster Calls.