The 10 Best Books Of The Year... So Far

Before stocking up on summer reads, revisit the titles that wowed us in the first (colder) half of 2018.

- David Canfield & Leah Greenblatt

ASYMMETRY 

Lisa Halliday

A pretty, young book editor in post-9/11 New York falls into an ambiguous love affair with a revered, much-older novelist who may or may not be modeled on the late Philip Roth; an Iraqi- American researcher trapped in TSA purgatory looks back on his bifurcated life; years later, that same famous novelist unexpectedly reveals long-held secrets to a radio host. Halliday’s lauded debut may arrive in three distinct, seemingly disparate parts, but the elegant whole of its impact lingers. —LG

CIRCE 

Madeline Miller

Miller, a former schoolteacher, follows her breakout 2012 debut, The Song of Achilles, with another vivid reimagining of Greek myth—this time, the titular tale of the Sun God Helios’ disfavored daughter. Circe’s wildly peripatetic life—immortal centuries overflowing with romance, witchcraft, and familial strife—finds fresh resonance in Miller’s gifted hands, and her muse’s quest to forge her own brand of independence is rendered with a style that feels both deeply evocative and gratifyingly relevant to today. —LG

FRESHWATER 

Akwaeke Emezi