Zoë Aviya Harris's Blog

It’s summertime and 17-year-old Coley has found herself alone, again. Forced to move to rural Oregon after just losing her mother, she is in no position to risk her already fragile heart. But when she meets Sonya, the attraction is immediate.

Coley worries she isn't worthy of love. Up until now, everyone she's loved has left her. And Sonya's never been with a girl before. What if she's too afraid to show up for Coley? What if by opening her heart, Coley's risking it all?

They both realize that when things are pushed down, and feelings are forced to shrivel away, Coley and Sonya will be the ones to shrink. It’s not until they accept the love they fear and deserve most, that suddenly the song makes sense.

Based on the billboard-charting smash hit song and viral music video GIRLS LIKE GIRLS, Hayley Kiyoko's debut novel is about embracing your truth and realizing we are all worthy of being loved back.

Man, oh man, do I have some stuff to say.

Firstly, I do want to note that I really did think I was gonna enjoy this Sapphic read. Like, really. The song was amazing, the MV comparability was on point, and the synopsis is definitely enough to gather my interest.

And it did! For a little bit. The character introduction with Sonya played in my head much rather like a corny Disney show. But hey, if they met the way they met, I'll just have to deal with the awkwardtisidy (Is that even a word?!) of the beginning. But as Sonya is introduced, we're introduced to the rest of the gang. SJ, Trenton, Alex, and I believe a few others, I don't have the book on hand with me currently.

I wanna make a key note here as well, Trenton is a jerk. Like, a big one. Like he seems like Disney channel blonde "Chad" who's on the football team kinda jerk. The kind I just imagine with a rather punchable face.

I could really banter on about the kind of person he is and the vibes he gives, TBH.

But anyways, the romance between Sonya and Coley starts as small as the separate skin cells on your hand, but gradually develops into something I honestly have no label to.

And here come my complaints:

Hayley wrote this really well within the first 200 pages, like really well. As mentioned, the plot, the dialogue-- Really, what is wrong with the people who say teenagers don't talk like this? I mean, sure some of the dialogue is pretty rough, but otherwise, I'd say it's pretty accurate-- characters, slow burn, and feeling was written really well. It was just the closing that I'd say needs some work.

Firstly, Coley and Sonya are a toxic couple.

Sonya ditched Coley when she wasn't sure what she was feeling, kept reeling with Mr. Chad no matter what he did, and then dragged herself back to Coley whenever she felt the need to give herself pity. I mean, come on! Coley, girl, you can do better than that.

Secondly, the ending was extremely rushed. Like when I say extremely, I mean like last page was quite literally "I want you." extremely.

Again, no hate to the song nor music video. Both were really good. The song gives '06 vibes, and the pairing book with the AIM Messages and Live Journal really gave it the kick it needed.

To sum it up, I'd give about 2.5-3 stars. Really don't know what else to give it other than that.

Hoped I would enjoy, but unfortunately disappointed me in a way I'd rather not discuss in.

B'onca always knew how to get by. And then her daughter is born. She wouldn't trade Mia for anything, but there is never enough cash to go around. When their gentrifying Memphis neighborhood results in higher prices and then an eviction notice, B'onca's already fragile world spirals. Desperate to make things right, B'onca forges a risky plan to help pay the bills. But one wrong move could cost B'onca--and her family--everything.

Now there is absolutely NO way in hell you decided to end the book like that!

New favorite added to the shelf, not only for the plot, but our main character, B'onca. Her determination and selflessness is literally everything. I loved her character, the way she thought, the way she wanted better for her daughter, Mia, no matter what it took. Even if it took using money she saved for herself, B made sure Mia had "no thoughts of wanting" something.

And may I say, this was so hella nicely written representation! The way Kristen wrote the gradual process of B'onca's eventual plot-twisting decision was just mindblowing. It wasn't rushingly written, every thought popping up at once. It was written in an eventual flow, with small moments of doubt.

And OMG, can we talk abt Dej? Like, did anyone else kind of think of Dejonay from The Proud Family?

Just me? Nice to know, Lol.

But oh my goodness, this was just absolutely a heartwretching book, I'm telling you. Watching the decisons and the conversations between characters were definetely something I can tell you was miraculously written.

And TBH, I'd kinda like to see a second part to this! The way we were just sped past her bail and her question to Trent near the ending threw me off. But I'm going to say, if it's not expanded, I'm glad B got her happy ending.

When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created 'perfect' life is about to unravel before her eyes. She's forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for: her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect.

Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more.

In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.

“I want to know how to make this girl laugh. I want to know what makes her cry. I want to know what it feels like to have her look at me as if I’m her knight in shinning armor.”WOOOOOO!Okay, when I tell you I was FAWNING over each interaction these two had. I mean, each and every thought Alex had was literally managing to have to do with Brittany. Like each small thought and interaction had me over here like:

Just whatttt?! It was too adorable.One thing I definetely have to say about Brittany is that her entire character annoyed the absolute hell out of me. I mean, she was bratty, and she fit the role very well, and I guess she fit the role of growing out of that character fairly well, too. Either way, her character slowly got on my good side.

Now MAY I SAY!There's something about the way little Mrs. Simone Elkeles writes her guys! They're confident, Cocky as hell, seemingly attractive, just smth abt them that gets me riled up for their character. Something about them that has me feigning for their POV and their words.Sure, Alex doesn't beat Caleb BECKER, but he's right there, and it wouldn't take too much for him to reach Caleb..And can we TALK ABOUT THAT ENDING-

I'm not finna spoil it at all for those who plan to read, but oh my lordy lord, I loved it.Fans of Enemies to Lovers, Slowburn, and Guy Falls First: This is a read for you.

I've got to note, I don't even think I'll do April Fools pranks on here.

And I swear, this is an 100% REAL post, with the REAL release dates. Although swapping the dates would be a lowkey way to get you guys. Anyway, here's this months releases.

Sloane McKinney feels like a background character in her own life. But this summer will be different, because she’s spending it with her childhood best friend, Liam Daniels, in her dream city, Los Angeles. Sure, she’s surprised to find that Liam just happens to have had a Hot Guy glow-up since she last saw him, but so what? A little attraction won’t ruin her plans for their fun—and completely platonic—reunion.

What might, however, is that Liam has been roped into working for his producer dad’s new teen reality dating show, Aspen Woods’s Future Leading Lady. Liam figures Sloane can still hang out with him on set while he fetches coffee for the film crew, or whatever it is that production assistants do. Except it turns out the show is one contestant short . . . and Sloane is the perfect last-minute addition.

Once cameras are rolling, the whirlwind of dating teen heartthrob Aspen Woods feels way more real than Sloane expected, and Liam doesn’t exactly enjoy watching it all unfold. But it’s behind the scenes where the drama really picks up. . . .

Because wanting to kiss your best friend? That’s a plot twist neither Sloane nor Liam ever saw coming.

(Release: 4.4.23)

Thirty years ago, a young woman was murdered, a family was lynched, and New Orleans saw the greatest magical massacre in its history. In the days that followed, a throne was stolen from a queen.

On the anniversary of these brutal events, Clement and Cristina Trudeau—the sixteen-year-old twin heirs to the powerful, magical, dethroned family—are mourning their father and caring for their sick mother. Until, by chance, they discover their mother isn’t sick—she’s cursed. Cursed by someone on the very magic council their family used to rule. Someone who will come for them next.

Cristina, once a talented and dedicated practitioner of Generational magic, has given up magic for good. An ancient spell is what killed their father and she was the one who cast it. For Clement, magic is his lifeline. A distraction from his anger and pain. Even better than the random guys he hooks up with.

Cristina and Clement used to be each other’s most trusted confidant and friend, now they barely speak. But if they have any hope of discovering who is coming after their family, they’ll have to find a way to trust each other and their family's magic, all while solving the decades-old murder that sparked the still-rising tensions between the city’s magical and non-magical communities. And if they don't succeed, New Orleans may see another massacre. Or worse.

(Release: 4.4.23)

Yolanda Alvarez is having a good year. She’s starting to feel at home Julia De Burgos High, her school in the Bronx. She has her best friend Victory, and maybe something with Jose, a senior boy she’s getting to know. She’s confident her initiation into her family’s bruja tradition will happen soon.

But then a white boy, the son of a politician, appears at Julia De Burgos High, and his vibes are off. And Yolanda’s initiation begins with a series of troubling visions of the violence this boy threatens. How can Yolanda protect her community, in a world that doesn’t listen? Only with the wisdom and love of her family, friends, and community – and the Brujas Diosas, her ancestors and guides.

The Making of Yolanda La Bruja is the book this country, struggling with the plague of gun violence, so desperately needs, but which few could write. Here Lorraine Avila brings a story born from the intersection of race, justice, education, and spirituality that will capture readers everywhere.

(Release: 4.11.23)

Being a first-generation Asian American immigrant is hard. You know what’s harder? Being the daughter of one. Samantha Kang has never gotten along with her mother, Priscilla—and has never understood her bougie-nightmare, John Hughes high school expectations. After a huge fight between them, Sam is desperate to move forward—but instead, finds herself thrown back. Way back.

To her shock, Sam finds herself back in high school . . . in the ’90s . . . with a 17-year-old Priscilla. Now this Gen Z girl must try to fit into an analog world. She’s got the fashion down, but everything else is baffling. What is “microfiche”? What’s with the casual racism and misogyny? And why does it feel like Priscilla is someone she could actually be . . . friends with?

Sam's blast to the past has her finding the right romance in the wrong time while questioning everything she thought she knew about her mom . . . and herself. Will Sam figure out what she needs to do to fix things for her mom so that she can go back to a time she understands? Brimming with heart and humor, Maurene Goo’s time-travel romance asks big questions about what exactly one inherits and loses in the immigrant experience.

(Release: 4.11.23)

Lydia Jones and her younger sister Penny have had it with boy drama. Last year was marred by relationship disasters for both of them, threatening Lydia’s standing with her school’s theater tech club and Penny’s perfect GPA. Penny has, naturally, diagnosed the problem and prescribed a drastic solution: a summer off from boys.

Lydia and Penny decide to stay with their Aunt Grace and her boyfriend Oscar in Los Angeles while their parents are off on a European cruise. Penny follows her future-business-school dreams with an internship at Oscar’s office, and Lydia gets a part-time job at Grace’s neighborhood coffeeshop, Grounds Control.

Even when they spent hours, days, weeks dissecting their various boy drama, Lydia’s never felt this connected to her sister before, and it makes her wonder what else in her life could be different. She finds herself drawn to a group of friends she meets through her Grounds Control coworker, Margaret, as well as an intriguing customer, Fran, an aspiring filmmaker and—while not the first girl Lydia finds herself attracted to—the first girl who has mutual feelings for her. But she’s not breaking her pledge to Penny, right? That was just about boys. Even though in her heart Lydia knows she’s bending the rules, she hasn’t had a connection with anyone as strong as her connection with Fran, so she thinks it can’t be wrong. And Penny won’t mind as long as she’s happy . . . Right?

(Release: 4.25.23)

Happy St. Patrick's Month! So, thinking about it ahead of time, and as a student, I feel obligated to note: 2 months of school till break! WOOO! So excited. But anyway, it's March, a brand new month for brand new books. And I've gotta be honest, not that many interesting books are releasing this year's March. I mean, maybe a few.. but not too many. Anyway, here's our short list of March releases of 2023, along with the dates. <3

Hallie Piper is turning over a new leaf. After belly-crawling out of a hotel room (hello, rock bottom), she decides it’s time to become a full-on adult.

She gets a new apartment, a new haircut, and a new wardrobe, but when she logs into the dating app that she has determined will find her new love, she sees none other than Jack, the guy whose room she’d snuck out of.

Through the app, and after the joint agreement that they are absolutely not interested in each other, Jack and Hallie become partners in their respective searches for The One. They text each other about their dates, often scheduling them at the same restaurant so that if things don’t go well, the two of them can get tacos afterward.

Spoiler: they get a lot of tacos together.

Discouraged by the lack of prospects, Jack and Hallie make a wager to see who can find true love first, but when they agree to be fake dates for a weekend wedding, all bets are off.

As they pretend to be a couple, lines become blurred and they each struggle to remember why the other was a bad idea to begin with.

(Release: 3.14.23)

In the quaint town of Nightfall, Oregon, it isn't the dark you should be afraid of—it's the girls. The Lost Boys meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this propulsive novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Treatment.

Theo and her brother, Marco, threw the biggest party of the year. And got caught. Their punishment? Leave Arizona to spend the summer with their grandmother in the rainy beachside town of Nightfall, Oregon—population 846 souls.

The small town is cute, when it’s not raining, but their grandmother is superstitious and strangely antisocial. Upon their arrival she lays out the one house rule: always be home before dark. But Theo and Marco are determined to make the most of their summer, and on their first day they meet the enigmatic Minnow and her friends. Beautiful and charismatic, the girls have a magnetic pull that Theo and her brother can't resist.

But Minnow and her friends are far from what they appear.

And that one rule? Theo quickly realizes she should have listened to her grandmother. Because after dark, something emerges in Nightfall. And it doesn’t plan to let her leave.

(Release: 3.28.23)

Fifteen-year-old Rhea and her best friends, Zeke and Malachi, are South L.A. born and raised, but a recent wave of gentrification has been transforming the place that they call home. When an eviction notice from a greedy landlord threatens to split up the crew, Rhea and her friends manipulate social media to form a fake gang in hopes of scaring off developers. Their scheme appears to work at first… until a murder is pegged on the nonexistent gang. Yikes.

THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD is a love letter to communities of color everywhere, a middle finger to the destructive powers of gentrification, and a hilarious adventure about three teens who have the best intentions, if not always the best solutions. Perfect for fans of Tiffany Jackson's Let Me Hear a Rhyme and Netflix's On My Block, this is an uproarious novel about power, friendship, and what really makes a neighborhood.

(Release: 3.7.23)

TV writer Ellie Jenkins worked her butt off to put her nerdy, outcast teen years behind her. So there’s a certain delicious irony in that she works for a hit show about popular high school kids when she was So. Not. Cool. And now she’s been offered the promotion of a lifetime—if she attends her reunion. But Ellie’s memory of High School Hell isn’t nearly as traumatic as the reality . . .

No one at the reunion is what Ellie expected. Not her ex-best friend, who still has the ability to see right through Ellie. And not her secret crush, who has only gotten hotter, sexier, and way more complicated. The only way she’s going to survive this whole weird ordeal is by fixing her bad high school karma, kissing the boy who got away, and getting the hell out of Ohio for good. But Ellie’s discovering that in real life, she can’t just rewrite the script.

(Release: 3.21.23)

Marian Anderson was born February 27, 1897, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

When she was 6, she began singing at her church's choir, where she got the nickname "Baby Contralto".

When Marian was 112, her father sadly passed away. This did not slow her down, though. She remained committed to Choir and such.

Marian's church members' soon raised almost $500, enough to pay for her to train under Giuseppe Boghetti, a respected voice teacher.

2 years into training with Boghetti, Marian won a chance to sing at Lewisohn Stadium in New York. This lead for her to get many other opportunities. In 1928, she preformed at Carnegie Hall, and soon went on tour thanks to a Julius Rosenwald Scholarship. In the 1930s, she got the greatest opportunity in a lifetime: Marian was invited by President Franklin Roosevelt to preform at the white house. She was the first African American to receive this honor.

April 8, 1983, Marian Anderson passed away from Natural Causes at 96 years old.

The books below are mostly more about Marian, and maybe a few are related to what she used to do: Sing.

Marian Anderson is best known for her historic concert at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939, which drew an integrated crowd of 75,000 people in pre-Civil Rights America. While this momentous event showcased the uniqueness of her voice, the strength of her character, and the struggles of the times in which she lived, it is only part of her story. Like the operatic arias Marian would come to sing, Ryan's text is as moving as a libretto, and Selznick's pictures as exquisitely detailed and elaborately designed as a stage set. What emerges most profoundly from their shared vision is a role model of courage.

Since she was seven years old, Yvonne has had her trusted violin to keep her company, especially in those lonely days after her mother walked out on their family. But with graduation just around the corner, she is forced to face the hard truth that she just might not be good enough to attend a conservatory after high school.

Full of doubt about her future, and increasingly frustrated by her strained relationship with her successful but emotionally closed-off father, Yvonne meets a street musician and fellow violinist who understands her struggle. He’s mysterious, charming, and different from Warren, the familiar and reliable boy who has her heart. But when Yvonne becomes unexpectedly pregnant, she has to make the most difficult decision yet about her future.

George Washington Carver’s birthday is unknown, but the year is estimated around 1861-1864.

At 11 years old, Carver left his farm to attend an All-Black school around Neosho, Missouri. Two years later, he followed other black people toward Kansas as they traveled west.

In 1880, he graduated from Minneapolis High School in Kansas before later applying and attending Highland College. Initially studying art and piano to earn a teaching degree, he later changed paths to study botany– Earlier discovering interest within the topic.

Within the mid 1920s, Carver then discovered peanuts could be used to make almost anything. Prior to this discovery, he was nicknamed “The Peanut Man.”

It is known that 3 years before his passing, he reclaimed quite a bit of fame due to this discovery.

January 5, 1943, Carver passed at 78 years old after reportedly falling down the stairs of his home.

Resources:

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/george-washington-carver

https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Washington-Carver

Image Credit:

https://npg.si.edu/object/npg_NPG.65.77

Carol Moseley was the first female senator from Illinois, along with claiming the title as the first African American woman to have served within the senate.

Attending the University of Illinois in Chicago, Braun received her bachelor’s degree in low. In 1973, she then married Michael Braun (Divorced 1986) before also working as an assistant U.S. attorney.

In 1978, Carol was elected into the U.S House of Representatives, where she worked for 10 years.

In 1986, Carol served four years as Recorder of Deeds for Cook County; Also the first African American elected to a Cook County executive position.

In 1998, Carol lost her Executive position to Peter Fitzgerald.

2004, she sought to yet again, seat for the Democratic party before being met unsuccessfully.

As of latest news, in 2010, she announced she would be running for mayor within her town, before landing fourth within the 2011 election.

Carol Moseley Braun is still alive at the age of 75.

Resources:

https://history.house.gov/People/Listing/M/MOSELEY-BRAUN,-Carol-(M001025)/

https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/oral_history/MoseleyBraunCarol.htm

https://www.senate.gov/senators/FeaturedBios/Featured_Bio_Moseley_Braun.htm

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Carol-Moseley-Braun

Image Credit To:

https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/oral_history/MoseleyBraunCarol.htm

I did find a book about her, but some found it a bit gossipy rather than informal, and just based on the cover and synopis, it seemed as that to me, as well.

Known for her beautiful and empowering voice, Ella Fitzgerald was a young woman who has moved the world, even decades after her passing.

Ella Fitzgerald was born April 25, 1917, in Newport, Virginia. A few days after her birth, her parents, William and Temperance, separated. Ella then came with her mother when she moved to New York.

Growing up, Ella desired to rather become a dancer, but participating in New York City’s then 1934 Apollo Theatre, she panicked and quickly sang a known jazz song. Her prolific voice gathered the attention of others, causing her career to begin then and there. She won first prize.

The following year, Fitzgerald’s mother passed. Over the next year, Fitzgerald began recording music, her first song, ‘Love and Kisses’ released in 1935. 1938, her first hit, ‘A-Tisket, A-Tasket,’ had been released. She then expanded her career, touring with many widely known jazz and pop singers, including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and more.

A powerful moment within her career in 1955, when Marilyn Monroe lobbied the owner at a nightclub for Fitzgerald to perform.

Ella has won 14 Grammy awards through her music, including one for her achievements throughout her life.

June 15, 1996, Ella Fitzgerald passed away due to diabetic induced stroke at the age of 79.

Sources:

https://www.ellafitzgerald.com/biography/#/

https://www.biography.com/news/marilyn-monroe-ella-fitzgerald-friendship

https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/inside-the-friendship-of-ella-fitzgerald-and-marilyn-monroe/

Image Credit:

https://bandchirps.com/artist/ella-fitzgerald/

Wilma Rudolph was born June 23, 1940, in Saint Bethlehem, Tennessee.

One of 22 children, Wilma was prone to bad health. Surviving two cases of both Polia and Scarlet Fever, Rudoplh was forced to wear a leg brace; Later told she was unable to walk again.

“My mother told me I would. I believed my mother”.

Her mother continuing to believe in Wilma, Rudolph seemed to fully articulate without the brace around the age 11, quickly turning to sports. She turned to play basketball throughout high school, but later stopped after meeting a coach. Said coach is one who began her motivation to begin track and field. Still attending high school, Wilma competed on Collegiate level,

In 1956, she competed in the 1956 olympic games, winning a bronze medal in the 4x100 relay. 1960, Rudolph headed to the summer Olympics, determined to get gold.

Her performance not only earned her 3 gold medals, but also a cemented name as one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century. She also broke 3 world records within this competition.

In 1962, Wilma Rudolph retired from her career,, later passing from a brain tumor at the young age of 54.

Sources:

https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/wilma-rudolph

https://olympics.com/en/athletes/wilma-rudolph

https://www.biography.com/athlete/wilma-rudolph

Photo Credit:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1356385/

Want to learn more? Check out Wilma Rudoplh's autobiography; Wilma.