Latest news with #GreatBigBeautifulLife
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Human remains found near Taylor Swift's Rhode Island home have been identified
Human remains found near Taylor Swift's Rhode Island home have been identified Show Caption Hide Caption Taylor Swift's heartwarming visit to a children's hospital Singer Taylor Swift visited the Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital and met with young patients battling illness. Authorities have identified the human remains found near Taylor Swift's Rhode Island home. After several outlets reported on the remains last month, the South Kingstown Police Department revealed in a June 13 statement that the remains belonged to 31-year-old Eric Wein of Massachusetts. "After working closely with the Mansfield Police Department and the Rhode Island Office of the State Medical Examiners, the South Kingstown Police Department has formally concluded its investigation," the statement read. "No foul play is suspected." "We extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Wein's family and loved ones during this difficult time," the statement concluded. Wein's remains washed ashore on May 14 in Westerly, Rhode Island, which includes the wealthy enclave of Watch Hill, where Swift owns her sprawling residence. Real estate pushback to 'Taylor Swift tax' begins. Will the charge hit everyday cottages? The home, called "Holiday House," inspired the fan favorite hit song, including "The Last Great American Dynasty" from her 2020 album "Folklore." The home even inspired beloved New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry's newest book, "Great Big Beautiful Life." Henry's book, released April 22, follows Alice and Hayden, two journalists vying for the chance to write a blockbuster celebrity memoir. The "Beach Read" author revealed in an interview earlier this year that she drew the story from several real-life tales, including Swift's 2020 song, which is about her Westerly mansion's previous owner, Rebekah Harkness. "I love that song, and love the story behind it," she told E! News in April. "Every once in a while, I find myself back on the Wikipedia page, just reading through. I just find those kinds of larger-than-life families really, really intriguing." "Holiday House" also inspired possible Rhode Island legislation that would enact a "Taylor Swift tax," officially called the "non-owner-occupied tax," which applies to all residential properties assessed at more than $1 million that do not serve as a primary dwelling. To qualify as a primary residence, an owner has to live there more than half the year, or 183 days. By this criteria, Swift would owe Rhode Island around $136,000 in new taxes on her Watch Hill mansion if a new charge to high-end vacation homes proposed in the House version of the state budget passes. Contributing: Patrick Anderson, Providence Journal; Melina Khan, USA TODAY NETWORK - New England
New Indian Express
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
A Few Hits, Lots of Misses
Dynastic families, hidden secrets, forbidden slow-burning romance, and a side of familial drama—Emily Henry's Great Big Beautiful Life, has it all. Set in a quiet Georgian seaside town, it takes readers on a ride filled with intrigue, drama of the uber-rich, and romance. Alice Cooper, a magazine writer, has tracked down the whereabouts of Margaret Ives, the heir of the media tycoon Ives Family, in order to pitch a tell-all biography. But to her dismay, she is not the only competitor, as Hayden Anderson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer, is also there to make his pitch. As Margaret puts them in ironclad NDAs for a month in order to scope them out, a race is on between them to snatch this dream job from the other. Also, to make things worse, both are equally attracted to each other, and finding ways to keep off each other in the tiny town is proving almost impossible. As Margaret tells them the story of her family, the infinite scandals, and the lavish life lived in front of cameras, Alice will have to sift through it all and find out the truth. Margaret has lived a life like no one else, from being born with a 'diamond spoon', to the wild years of her youth, her marriage to the 'poor man's Elvis,' Cosmo Sinclair, and the fallout of it all, his untimely death, and her vanishing from public life for over 30 years. Margaret has stories she is hiding, and both Alice and Hayden are on a quest to find the truth.
Los Angeles Times
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
The week's bestselling books, June 8
1. The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong (Penguin Press: $30) An unlikely pair develops a life-altering bond. 2. Nightshade by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown & Co.: $30) The bestselling crime writer returns with a new cop on a mission, this time on Catalina Island. 3. Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry (Berkley: $29) Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of an heiress. 4. Never Flinch by Stephen King (Scribner: $32) Holly Gibney is back on the case, this time facing both a serial killer and a stalker. 5. My Friends by Fredrik Backman (Atria Books: $30) The bond between a group of teens 25 years earlier has a powerful effect on a budding artist. 6. Spent by Alison Bechdel (Mariner Books: $32) The bestselling writer's latest comic novel takes on capitalism and consumption. 7. James by Percival Everett (Doubleday: $28) An action-packed reimagining of 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.' 8. Fever Beach by Carl Hiaasen (Knopf: $30) Two Floridians are plunged into a mystery involving dark money and darker motives. 9. My Name Is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende (Ballantine Books: $30) A young writer in the late 1800s travels to South America to uncover the truth about her father. 10. Audition by Katie Kitamura (Riverhead Books: $28) An accomplished actor grapples with the varied roles she plays in her personal life. … 1. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins (Hay House: $30) How to stop wasting energy on things you can't control. 2. Original Sin by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson (Penguin Press: $32) Inside President Biden's doomed decision to run for reelection and the hiding of his serious decline by his inner circle. 3. Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson (Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster: $30) A call to renew a politics of plenty and abandon the chosen scarcities that have deformed American life. 4. The Book of Alchemy by Suleika Jaouad (Random House: $30) A guide to the art of journaling, with contributions from Jon Batiste, Salman Rushdie, Gloria Steinem and others. 5. The Creative Act by Rick Rubin (Penguin: $32) The music producer on how to be a creative person. 6. One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad (Knopf: $28) Reckoning with what it means to live in a West that betrays its fundamental values. 7. Steve Martin Writes the Written Word by Steve Martin (Grand Central Publishing: $30) A collection of greatest hits from the beloved actor and comedian. 8. Mark Twain by Ron Chernow (Penguin Press: $45) The Pulitzer-winning biographer explores the life of the celebrated American writer. 9. Notes to John by Joan Didion (Knopf: $32) Diary entries from the famed writer's journal. 10. Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane (W. W. Norton & Co.: $32) The naturalist explores rivers as living beings whose fate is tied with our own. … 1. All Fours by Miranda July (Riverhead Books: $19) 2. Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood (Berkley: $20) 3. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (Ecco: $20) 4. Orbital by Samantha Harvey (Grove Press: $17) 5. Sandwich by Catherine Newman (Harper Perennial: $19) 6. Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar (Vintage: $18) 7. The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden (Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster: $19) 8. I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman (Transit Books: $17) 9. One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune (Berkley: $19) 10. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (Bloomsbury … 1. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder (Crown: $12) 2. The Wager by David Grann (Vintage: $21) 3. The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron (TarcherPerigee: $20) 4. All the Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley (Simon & Schuster: $19) 5. Cultish by Amanda Montell (Harper Perennial: $20) 6. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz (Amber-Allen: $13) 7. All About Love by bell hooks (Morrow: $17) 8. The Art Thief by Michael Finkel (Vintage: $18) 9. The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk (Penguin: $19) 10. The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan (Knopf: $36)
Hindustan Times
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Book Review: The Great Big Beautiful Life is steeped in mystery but soggy on romance
Sometimes you get yourself a big, fat, shiny book and decide you're going to love it. But a quarter of the way through your reading marathon, you realise that your interest may not necessarily be waning, but... is this really what you signed up for? Author Emily Henry's Great Big Beautiful Life has the grandiose, the twists and the trappings. But if you pick up this book in the hopes of flipping through a nemeses-to-lovers trope, alert: you're going to be left high and dry. Past the point of the falsely-packaged 'romance', Great Big Beautiful Life offers just about enough to have the Kindle-bound Sherlocks make it through to the end — a reclusive heiress, ironclad NDAs and a dance-off, albeit of words — Emily knows her craft well enough to have you not abandon the read halfway through. But the final payoff comes not from the mind-bending exhilaration you expect from a mystery read, but more like the self-assuring 'ah' at the end of a fairly predictable slow burn. One thing Emily aces in, is in her attempt of character building and painting the choicest picture, she uses words that aide her narrative. Alice brings the spark and her Pulitzer-winning opponent Hayden brings some empty depth. Yet anything around them, let alone between them, is drowned in the winding, spotlight-hogging lore of Margaret Ives' family. More than anything, what the book falls short on is expectations. You walk in expecting Emily to deliver a subtly racy romance against the backdrop of warring words and blue oceans. You get instead are both, along with ample visual reprieve, but their merit stands robbed owing to the hollow, almost forced spot that Alice and Hayden are put in. The crescendo of a good romance novel – though this isn't really what that is – is the big realisation of having fallen head over heels. But here's the thing, more than Alice herself, you will be confused as to how she got there! If you walk into this novel dismissing any expectations of a slow burn romance then it will be a fairly engaging read. But, if a slew of stolen glances and fluttering tension is what you're really after then you're better off without it. Either which way, this book stands best defined by its lost potential. Title: Great Big Beautiful Life Author: Emily Henry Publisher: Penguin Random House India Price: ₹899
USA Today
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Love reading about love? Try these new romance books this summer
Love reading about love? Try these new romance books this summer Romance readers have had no shortage of books to devour this year, with new releases from favorite authors and new obsessions. Already, fans have flocked to read 'Great Big Beautiful Life' by Emily Henry, 'Flirting Lessons' by Jasmine Guillory, 'Summer in the City' by Alex Aster, 'Wild and Wrangled' by Lyla Sage and 'Scythe & Sparrow' by Brynne Weaver. The pool of heartwarming (and often steamy) stories is only getting bigger as we dip into summer. Marie Rutkoski's 'Ordinary Love' (June 10) shows love is anything but simple when two high school lovers run into each other as adults. Danica Nava's 'Love is a War Song' (July 22) follows a disgraced pop star and grumpy ranch hand while Brigitte Knightley's romantasy 'The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy' (July 8) introduces a new enemies-to-lovers couple. Then there are new installments in beloved series, including 'Worth Fighting For' by Jesse Q. Sutanto (out now from the Meant To Be series), 'Rewind It Back' by Liz Tomforde (out now from the Windy City series). Jane L. Rosen's 'Songs of Summer' (out now from The Fire Island trilogy) and Simone Soltani's 'Ride with Me' (out now from Lights Out series). Here are 10 more romance novels we're excited to swoon over: 'The Love Haters' by Katherine Center (out now) Video producer Katie is faced with a choice: lose her job, or take a gig profiling Hutch, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer (and the hottest man ever). It seems like an easy choice — only Katie can't swim. She and coworker Cole (Hutch's brother and rival, BTW) head to Key West, where Katie quickly finds herself in uncharted waters in more ways than one. 'Problematic Summer Romance' by Ali Hazelwood (out now) Not even four months after publishing her last USA TODAY bestseller, "Deep End," Ali Hazelwood is returning with another steamy romance. Maya is 23 and a struggling grad student while Connor is 38 and a successful biotech businessman. He's also Maya's brother's best friend, and the crush Maya can't get out of her head. Their age gap is problematic and they both know it. But when Maya's brother sets his wedding in Italy, Maya and Connor are forced to acknowledge that the attraction between them isn't going away. 'Till Summer Do Us Part' by Meghan Quinn (out now) Scottie Price just started a new job and she's the only woman on the team. In a desperate attempt to impress her boss, she pretends to be married just like everyone else she works with. When she has to manifest a husband, her best friend provides a solution: Her millionaire brother who's obsessed with improv. Wilder Wells teaches Scottie the main rule of improv - always say yes – and agrees to go along on an eight-day trip with Scottie and all her co-workers. What could go wrong? 'It's A Love Story' by Annabel Monaghan (out now) It's a forced proximity romance! Child TV star-turned-Hollywood producer Jane is working hard to be taken seriously in her career. In an attempt to get her first project greenlit, she promises to include an original song by pop icon Jack Quinlan, who just so happens to be the guy she hasn't seen since he gave Jane her first kiss two decades ago. To convince him, she begrudgingly enlists the help of pretentious cinematographer Dan, who has a connection to the musician. But can Jane survive a week staying in close quarters in Dan's hometown? 'My Best Friend's Honeymoon' by Meryl Wilsner (out now) The author of 'Cleat Cute' and 'Mistakes Were Made' returns with a spicy romance about two lifelong best friends who find love when they go on an unexpected trip. After Elsie Hoffman breaks off her engagement to her college boyfriend, she takes her best friend on her nonrefundable honeymoon vacation. Ginny Holtz has been in love with Elsie for almost 15 years, and they take the trip as an opportunity to help Elsie find out what happiness means to her. Only Ginny never expected Elsie's happily ever after involved them. 'One Golden Summer' by Carley Fortune (out now) When Alice was 17, she spent one magical summer at her grandmother's lake cottage. A budding photographer, her teenage self snapped a photo of three teenagers on a speedboat. Fast forward to adulthood, Alice takes photos for a living. But she's been hiding behind the lens and now wants more for herself. She heads back to the cottage with her grandmother, where she meets a familiar face: Charlie, the boy from that photo she shot all those years ago. He's a mega-flirt, and Alice finds herself wishing she could return to the simplicity of her teenhood. 'Winging It With You' by Chip Pons (out June 10) Asher was supposed to be boarding a flight with his boyfriend to go on an "Amazing Race"-esque competition show — too bad said boyfriend just dumped him. Processing his fresh breakup from the airport TGI Fridays bar, Asher has a chance encounter with Theo, a workaholic pilot who's being forced to prove he can have a work-life balance. The two hatch a plot to pretend to date for the sake of the reality show. But could actual feelings be taking flight? 'Sounds Like Love' by Ashley Poston (out June 17) Songwriter Joni Lark heads from the hustle of Los Angeles to her North Carolina beach hometown in search of the answer to the emptiness and writer's block she's been feeling lately. When a musical voice in her head turns out to be a telepathic connection with an arrogant musician, the two plan to finish the song that's running through both of their heads in order to break their link. But what if it does the opposite? 'When Javi Dumped Mari' by Mia Sosa (out June 24) We'll have what she's having in USA TODAY bestseller Mia Sosa's latest romance. This one follows BFFs Javier and Marisol, who vow on the eve of their college graduation to never date someone the other doesn't like. Fast forward nearly a decade, Mari has gone back on that promise: She's engaged without even introducing Javi to the groom-to-be. Even worse? Javi's been secretly in love with her since sophomore year. 'The Re-Write' by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn (out Aug. 12) You've heard of enemies-to-lovers, now get ready for loves-to-enemies-to-lovers. Aspiring author Temi and charming charity worker Wale instantly fall for each other and begin dating — until Wale drops her to go on a "Love Island"-esque reality dating show. As he gains fame as the show's bad boy, Temi focuses on writing her dream rom-com novel starring a plus-size Black woman. But publishers keep passing on her book, and with bills piling up, Temi accepts an opportunity to ghost-write a celebrity memoir. That celebrity? Wale. Up against a tight deadline, can the two re-write their unhappy ending?
