Lisa’s Looking Forward To #88 – December 1st, 2020

Posted November 25, 2020 by Lisa Mandina in LLFT / 16 Comments

I did another little update to my button for this post, with a Thanksgiving theme since that day is tomorrow, and unfortunately thanks to the pandemic we won’t be getting to do this holiday as usual. Once again I’ll be joining up with the Can’t Wait Wednesday posts hosted by Wishful Endings.  First week of December means the number of books coming out is up from where it has been the past month. Although looking ahead, I don’t know if I’ll do more than one more post for December books, since there is really only one or two listed in my blog planner.

From my ARC list for December 1st, 2020:

Technically I think this one came out several years ago, but it looks like it is being picked up by Soho Teen and rereleased, and it sounds pretty good.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Ellen Sung just wants to be like everyone else at her all-white school. But the racist bullies of Arkin, Minnesota, will never let her forget that she’s different—the youngest member of the only Korean-American family in town. At the start of senior year, Ellen finds herself falling for Tomper Sandel, a football player who is popular and blond and undeniably cute…and to her surprise, he falls for her, too. Now Ellen has a chance at life she never imagined, one that defies the expectations of hanging out with her core group of friends or pleasing her parents. But is her romance with Tomper strong enough to withstand hometown bigotry and her family’s disapproval?

Sound good? Add to Goodreads HERE.

I’m actually going to be reading and reviewing this for a blog tour next week. It is my first book by this author and I’m looking forward to finding out what all the hype is about!

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying comes your next obsession. You’ll never feel the same about family again.

Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each another, and they’ve never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they’re surprised . . . and curious.

Their parents are all clear on one point–not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother’s good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it’s immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious–and dark–their family’s past is.

The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn’t over–and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.

Sound good? Add to Goodreads HERE.

I’ve wanted to read something by this author for awhile as well, and I think I even had an ARC of one of her books in the past, but just didn’t get to it.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Tell Me Three Things comes an of-the-moment novel that peeks inside the private lives of the hypercompetitive and the hyperprivileged and takes on the college admissions bribery scandal that rocked the country.

It’s good to be Chloe Wynn Berringer. She’s headed off to the college of her dreams. She’s going to prom with the boy she’s had a crush on since middle school. Her best friend always has her back, and her mom, a B-list Hollywood celebrity, may finally be on her way to the B+ list. It’s good to be Chloe Wynn Berringer–at least, it was, until the FBI came knocking on her front door, guns at the ready, and her future went up in smoke. Now her mother is under arrest in a massive college admissions bribery scandal. Chloe, too, might be facing charges, and even time behind bars. The public is furious, the press is rabid, and the US attorney is out for blood.

As she loses everything she’s long taken for granted, Chloe must reckon not only with the truth of what happened, but also with the examination of her own guilt. Why did her parents think the only way for her to succeed was to cheat for her? What did she know, and when did she know it? And perhaps most importantly, what does it mean to be complicit?

Sound good? Add to Goodreads HERE.

So this seems to be another one that has been published before, but it is now getting picked up by a bigger publisher. I think it sounds cute!

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

From award-winning British author Holly Bourne comes a clever, deconstructed rom-com that proves that in real life “girl meets boy” doesn’t always mean “happily ever after” . . . or does it? At turns funny, feminist, and achingly real, this read is perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Patrick Ness, and Julie Buxbaum.

Audrey is over romance. While dealing with her parents’ contentious divorce, a breakup of her own, and shifting friendship dynamics, she has every reason to feel cynical. But then she meets Harry, her fellow coworker at the local cinema. He’s brash, impulsive, and a major flirt. And even though Audrey tries to resist, she finds herself falling for his charms. But in this funny, insightful, and ultimately empowering novel, love—and life—isn’t what it’s like in the movies.

Sound good? Add to Goodreads HERE.

So first off, the title speaks to me because I suck at flirting. lol. Also, the story itself definitely sounds good!

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

One daring to-do list and a crash course in flirtation turn a Type A overachiever’s world upside down.

When her flailing department lands on the university’s chopping block, Professor Naya Turner’s friends convince her to shed her frumpy cardigan for an evening on the town. For one night her focus will stray from her demanding job and she’ll tackle a new kind of to-do list. When she meets a charming stranger in town on business, he presents the perfect opportunity to check off the items on her list. Let the guy buy her a drink. Check. Try something new. Check. A no-strings-attached hookup. Check…almost.

Jake makes her laugh and challenges Naya to rebuild her confidence, which was left toppled by her abusive ex-boyfriend. Soon she’s flirting with the chance at a more serious romantic relationship—except nothing can be that easy. The complicated strings around her dating Jake might destroy her career.

Naya has two options. She can protect her professional reputation and return to her old life or she can flirt with the unknown and stay with the person who makes her feel like she’s finally living again.

Sound good? Add to Goodreads HERE.

This is a new series starting and I wish I’d gotten my hands on this first one. But I’ll be sure to keep up and maybe get the next one! I’ll definitely order this for my school library.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

The first book in an epic and romantic YA series following the fictionalized descendants of the only officially recognized empress regent of China

Gemma Huang is a recent transplant to Los Angeles from Illinois, having abandoned plans for college to pursue a career in acting, much to the dismay of her parents. Now she’s living with three roommates in a two-bedroom hovel, auditioning for bit roles that hardly cover rent. Gemma’s big break comes when she’s asked to play a lead role in an update of M. Butterfly filming for the summer in Beijing. When she arrives, she’s stopped by paparazzi at the airport. She quickly realizes she may as well be the twin of one of the most notorious young socialites in Beijing. Thus kicks off a summer of revelations, in which Gemma uncovers a legacy her parents have spent their lives protecting her from—one her mother would conceal from her daughter at any cost. 

Sound good? Add to Goodreads HERE.

I have a copy of this to read, but have postponed it till a week or two after pub date because that is when the blog tour I’m on is due. But I’m definitely looking forward to the read, I love learning about folk tales of cultures I don’t know that much about.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

With just one touch, bread turns into roses. With just one bite, cheese turns into lilies.

There’s a famine plaguing the land, and Princess Yzabel is wasting food simply by trying to eat. Before she can even swallow, her magic—her curse—has turned her meal into a bouquet. She’s on the verge of starving, which only reminds her that the people of Portugal have been enduring the same pain.

If only it were possible to reverse her magic. Then she could turn flowers…into food.

Fatyan, a beautiful Enchanted Moura, is the only one who can help. But she is trapped by magical binds. She can teach Yzabel how to control her curse—if Yzabel sets her free with a kiss.

As the King of Portugal’s betrothed, Yzabel would be committing treason, but what good is a king if his country has starved to death?

With just one kiss, Fatyan is set free. And with just one kiss, Yzabel is yearning for more.

She’d sought out Fatyan to help her save the people. Now, loving her could mean Yzabel’s destruction.

Based on Portuguese legend, this #OwnVoices historical fantasy is an epic tale of mystery, magic, and making the impossible choice between love and duty…

Sound good? Add to Goodreads HERE.

Final Thoughts:

Seven this week. Are any of these on your TBR, or have you already read them? If so, which do you recommend? Leave me a link to your post in your comment and I’ll be sure to return the visit!

Also, while you’re here, make sure to go enter my monthly giveaway HERE. Only one week left to enter!

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16 responses to “Lisa’s Looking Forward To #88 – December 1st, 2020

  1. How to Fail at Flirting was the best surprise. I thought it was amazing. I hope you like it. It Only Happens in the Movies surprised me too, and was another winner for me. I put Admission aside twice. It could be me and not the book. I hope it works for you. I am excited about The Cousins. Love McManus’ books.

    • Lisa Mandina

      Hmm, I wasn’t able to read the author of Admission’s other book, so who knows if this one will work. Glad to hear about the first two, can’t wait to get them! Should be starting The Cousins tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by!

    • Lisa Mandina

      Thanks! It’s fun playing around with the graphics. I just wish I could do more than use a program. 🙂 Thanks for returning my visit!

  2. I’m intrigued about Admission – I didn’t know about the scandal until my son filled me in about the fuss, as he is now living in the States. And just what a furore it caused – so a novel about a girl caught up in the middle of it all sounds like it could be a powerful read… Thank you for an excellent, tempting list!

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