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This week, The Thread is sharing some of our favorite books of the year.

Circe may be the first witch in all of Western literaturcee, cirbut she was only a bit player in "The Odyssey." Now she's getting the stage to herself. Miller's novel begins with Circe's origins as the daughter of a Titan and follows her through her banishment on a deserted island, where she tames beasts, hones her powers and truly comes into her own. You don't need a background in Homer or mythology to get swept up by this beautiful and surprisingly human story of the gods.

An immortal goddess gets her due

In "The Overstory," Richard Powers imagines a world where only a few acres of virgin forest remain on the continent. A group of strangers band together to protect those few remaining trees, and in the process, find how the trees are communicating with each other.

An interview with Richard Powers


Tommy Orange's debut novel follows 12 Native Americans living in Oakland, Calif., over several decades. It traces their connections — and sometimes their collisions — as the narrative jumps from character to character. "The writing is just electric," said 

. "It's a propulsive novel that makes the reader want to just turn the next page and keep reading."

An interview with Tommy Orange

'The Maze at Windermere' by Gregory Black Smith


This tale begins with a middling tennis pro at the end of his competitive career looking for love — and maybe some money — in the arms of an heiress in a New England town. From there, it delves into other tales of intrigue from earlier decades. The parallel plots offer a great read, underlining how small towns are often more complex than they first appear.


Sarah Perry's follow-up to "The Essex Serpent" begins as a contemporary ghost story and evolves into an exploration of guilt and trauma. Helen Franklin, a British ex-pat living in Prague, sees one of her friends, Karel, on the Charles Bridge. Gaunt and distracted, Karel clutches a manila folder whose contents spur Franklin onto a fearful journey into the past. "Melmoth" keeps you in suspense, with surprises all the way to the final page.

Why aren't there more novels set in the workplace that explore the nature of work and what it means to be a colleague? Jillian Medoff's book about a human resources director committed to supporting employees decently during rough economic times expertly mixes comedy, pathos and a gimlet-eyed critique of workplace management fads.

What happens to a marriage when two people are forced apart? In "An American Marriage," a relationship is set on edge when one of the characters is sent to prison for a crime he didn't commit. The novel is filled with conflict around questions of memory, loyalty, race, fatherhood, ambition and justice.

An interview with Tayari Jones


 
Esi Edugyan's novel introduces George Washington Black, "Wash," at 11 years old, enslaved on a sugar plantation in Barbados. Cue a strange friendship, a gruesome death and a wild escape by hot air balloon. The perilous adventures are mixed with observations on cruelty, trust, race and connection. The novel was a finalist for the Man Booker Prize, and it delivers both the thrill of exploration and the quiet workings of a watchful mind.

"Red Clocks" is a quietly explosive novel that follows in the footsteps of "The Handmaid's Tale," but tells a story all its own. It takes place in a not-so-distant future, where national laws govern all fertility matters. Abortion has been outlawed, and in-vitro fertilization is now a crime. Zumas jumps among the stories of four women navigating this reality, and all the consequences that come with motherhood.

An interview with Leni Zumas

'Disoriental' by Negar Djavadi, translated by Tina Kover


In "Disoriental," family history mixes with political turmoil. At the center of the novel is Kimia, a woman whose family has been exiled from Iran and taken refuge in France. Kimia sits in the waiting room of a Paris fertility clinic, as we flash back through generation after generation of her family's lives. It's a tangled family epic told with sly humor and a strong dose of history. As 

 said, "I think fans of Elena Ferrante would like this a lot, too, because it's a story about a very strong woman, very well told."

'My Sister, the Serial Killer' by Oyinkan Braithwaite

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From twisty thrillers to sweeping family dramas, here are some of The Thread's favorite reads of the year.

Book covers courtesy of publishers

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