Time to make a reading list!

Here’s our ranking of the finest fiction from the first half of the year.

with haunting, almost hallucinatory beauty.

1. The Girls, Emma Cline

Megan Cline

Smoke, Dan Vyleta

What if sin manifested itself as a dense, oily smoke?

2. LaRose, Louise Erdrich

Paul Emmel

3. The Vegetarian, Han Kang

Park Jaehong

4. Homegoing, Yaa Gyasi

Michael Lionstar

5. Mothering Sunday, Graham Swift

Janus van den Eijnden

6. This Too Shall Pass, Milena Busquets

Gregori Civera

7. Modern Lovers, Emma Straub

Jennifer Bastian

8. Sweetbitter, Stephanie Danler

Nick Vorderman

9. Smoke, Dan Vyleta

Michael Lionstar

10. The Nest, Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney

Lisa Whiteman