BookBrowse Highlights
Hello Readers!
This week, our First Impressions reviewers consider Bonnie Jo Campbell’s haunting, atmospheric The Spirits, a rural reimagining of Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol.
In Editor’s Choice, Nafissa Thompson-Spires’ “whydunit,” The Four Wives and Five Deaths of Richard Milford, tells of a man’s death in an all-Black town in 1920s Oklahoma from the perspectives of the women in his life.
You can also read our “beyond the book” article for Min Jin Lee’s American Hagwon to explore the phenomenon of hagwons, or Korean “cram schools.”
Plus, check out November previews and books we’re currently discussing or will be soon, including Imbolo Mbue’s Every Story Is a Love Story, which we have copies of to give away. Enter for a chance to win for yourself and your friends or book club!
Thanks for reading,
The BookBrowse Team
First Impressions
Each month, we share books with BookBrowse members to read and review. Here are their opinions on one recently released title.
The Spirits by Bonnie Jo Campbell
“A contemporary Christmas Carol, set in a rural farmhouse in a small Michigan town. It's Christmas Eve, and a young woman, Sister, is still haunted by the death of her father nine years earlier. During the family's dinner, a guest arrives, and as the evening unfolds, secrets from nine years ago begin to come to light. I enjoyed the atmospheric feel of this story. Campbell's writing is descriptive, with a quiet darkness running throughout it….This is definitely more character-driven than plot-driven, with the focus on the people, their pasts, the secrets they carry, and what the future holds.” —jillg
“A good story to enjoy this winter in front of a cozy fire with the holiday lights blinking.” —Debra_L
“This was a fabulous read and I will be recommending The Spirits to all my book clubs…The rural setting was well drawn and provided the perfect background for the family drama that is the center of the story…There are memorable characters that will provide ample avenues for reader discussion and connection. It is a deftly created novel, there is ugliness and grit but awakening, growth, hope, and even joy.” —Gerrie_B
Editor’s Choice
The Four Wives and Five Deaths of Richard Milford by Nafissa Thompson-Spires
Wealthy Black moonshiner and notorious womanizer Rich Milford has no shortage of enemies. When his body is pulled from the river with a foot missing, the local townsfolk are shaken if not surprised to see he has met such a gruesome end. Despite lynchings of Black people spreading throughout the country, suspicion immediately falls on Rich's four "wives," Lally, Sophronia, Georgette, and Vivianne; the women he shared his sprawling home with on the edge of town.
Set in the fictional all-Black town of Newville in 1920s Oklahoma, at the height of the Prohibition era, Nafissa Thompson-Spires' kaleidoscopic debut novel is told from six perspectives: Rich's four wives; Alberta, the housekeeper who all but raised him since infancy; and an omniscient Greek chorus of Newville's gossip-hungry residents. … continued
Review by Callum McLaughlin
Beyond the Book
Hagwons
Hagwons are private, for-profit Korean educational institutions often referred to as cram schools, a phenomenon that is also rising in popularity in the United States. Different hagwons specialize in different subjects—according to Statistics Korea and the Education Ministry, in 2022, spending on English language hagwon education was the highest, followed by mathematics. Hagwon tutoring programs take place outside of regular school hours, with the aim of giving students a leg up when applying to higher education programs. Min Jin Lee's novel American Hagwon grapples with hagwons and their complex legacy. … continued
Article by Rachel Hullett
November Previews
We know it can be tough to keep up with all the new books coming out every month, so we do the hard work for you.
We've carefully selected 60+ of the most noteworthy books publishing in November and are continually updating our selections—check them out and get yourself on the library waitlist ahead of the crowd!
Paying BookBrowse members can see, sort, and download the full list of previews for all months.
Non-subscribers can view books up to the current month and a limited selection of future months.
If you don’t already, you may also wish to subscribe to our Publishing This Week newsletter.
Discussions
Discussions are open to all, so please join us! If you would like to receive a message when a particular discussion opens, you can sign up for a one-time notification. You can also find inspiration for your book club among our more than 200 past discussions.
This week, we’re talking about Reset by Kevin Charles, among other books. Starting next week, we feature Every Story Is a Love Story by Imbolo Mbue.
Book Club Giveaway
Every Story Is a Love Story by Imbolo Mbue
What if I'd never gotten into that car? What if I'd pulled out of the driveway five minutes earlier, or ten minutes later?
Three years ago, Wolo's wife was killed in a tragic car accident. In an instant, the great love of his life was gone, and so was their beautiful future. In the face of a loss that seemed insurmountable, Wolo has slowly rebuilt a semblance of a life: he goes to work, hangs out with a small circle of friends, and fends off the matchmaking efforts of the older women in his family. The grief that dogged him has, with time, become a little gentler.
Until a letter arrives one day, unbidden, threatening to upend his life once again.
Praise
"The splendid third novel from Mbue...This morally complex tale leaves readers with much to chew on." —Publishers Weekly
“Readers who enjoyed Abraham Verghese's The Covenant of Water will be drawn to this story." —Library Journal
About This Sweepstakes
We have up to 30 hardcover copies of Every Story Is a Love Story by Imbolo Mbue to give away. If a winner is in a book club they will receive a copy for each member of their group (up to a maximum of 10 copies); if a winner is not in a book club they will receive 4 copies (one for themselves and three to share with friends).
This offer is open to residents of the USA, except for BookBrowse members who are welcome to enter wherever they live. If a member not resident in the US wins, they receive an extension to their membership.
Giveaway ends November 9, 2026
