Latest news with #Susannah
Cosmopolitan
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
‘The Summer I Turned Pretty' Books in Order
The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 is finally underway—which is, sadly, the final season of the show. Luckily, for this there is a salve: good old-fashioned reading. Even if you're not an avid reader, you should pick up this trilogy, as fans of the series say there are some major differences between the page and the screen. Still the same, however, are our main details. On the page and onscreen, the series follows Isabel 'Belly' Conklin, a teenage girl who returns to the fictional Cousins Beach each summer with her family, reuniting year after year with her mother's best friend and her sons who, naturally, are both hot and pining after Belly. The series is written by Jenny Han, who also wrote To All The Boys I've Loved Before, which became equally as popular and sparked multiple feature films on Netflix. The Summer I Turned Pretty is marked by love triangles, coming-of-age journeys, heartbreak, and the aesthetics of a New England summer. Sold? Here's what you should know about all three books in the The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han The first novel in The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy was released in 2009, introducing the world to the ultimate trio—Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah—as well as our other key players Lauren, Susannah, and Steven. This first novel also does the heavy lifting in building the world of Cousins Beach. The fictional dreamland is based on a few destinations, namely East Coast spots like Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Long Island, and Nags Head. As the story goes, the Conklins and the Fishers return to Cousins Beach each summer, beginning when the children were quite young. One summer, as the title suggests, Belly returns to the summer house looking less like the little sister, and more like a love interest. From there, the Fisher boys take turns falling in and out of love with her, a triangle that will continue to spin through the entire trilogy. Spoilers, spoilers, spoilers ahead. A main plot point of the first novel is that Susannah Fisher, the mother of Conrad and Jeremiah, is ill with cancer. By the start of the second novel, Susannah has tragically lost that battle. The story picks up one year after the ending of the first novel, and is largely told through flashbacks of what has occurred over the last year. With Susannah gone, the boys are unraveling, the beloved house in Cousins Beach is on the market, and everyone is more lost than ever. The final book picks up with Belly heading off to college as a freshman, reflecting on the love and losses she has experienced in the past few years. The love triangle continues through this novel, becoming more emotionally charged and more twisted than ever before, and Belly is forced to make a life-altering decision about the future of her life, and theirs. Seasons one through three of The Summer I Turned Pretty series are currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video. STREAM NOW
Hindustan Times
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Review: Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth
It's a 'tricky age' in Crossmore, Northern Ireland. There's not much to do and what there is to do is pretty mundane. The uneventfulness of life in this part of the world is the backdrop of Brighton-based Chloe Michelle Howarth's debut novel Sunburn. A quiet town in Northern Ireland much like the one that's the setting for Sunburn. (Shutterstock) Spanning a period from 1989 to 1995, this coming-of-age story of a group of teenagers in their last years of secondary school is also a tale of same-sex love in a traditional society; one where there are consequences if you tread a romantic path that doesn't align with heteronormative expectations. The setting's hyperlocal-ness also signals that the principal characters — Lucy Nolan and Susannah O'Shea — can't escape the reality that their business is everyone's business. 288pp, ₹1230; Verve Books In a sense, Sunburn is also an exploration of class. While Lucy's family is trying to make ends meet and follows rigid heteropatriarchal rules — men tend to the farm and women look after the home — Susannah's is the exact opposite. Her parents Phil and Catriona are separated and her mother is unhappy. In the eyes of Lucy's mother, the O'Sheas are no good. She understands only one thing: her role in the family, and is determined that Lucy follow her path. But like all the other girls, Lucy too looks up to the beautiful Susannah, who never had to wear hand-me-downs. Susannah 'knows how to talk to everybody; somehow she knows exactly what everybody wants to hear.' While Lucy is attracted to Susannah, she also finds this desire unruly: 'My fear, shame, and regret are elsewhere; I know them all combined in one sickness when I stare at Susannah, deep and long, and without permission.' This want, which she finds disgusting, is what drives the story. Lucy can't seem to 'figure out' who she is; the self-awareness that Susannah champions is missing in her. As a result, Lucy does what everyone expects of her and conforms. However, she remains conflicted about what the future holds: whether she'll be with Martin Burke, who loves her unconditionally but whom she considers just a friend, or if she will, one day, summon up the nerve to confess her love to Susannah. By now, the two of them have started writing letters to each other. Lucy plays this game for a while, oscillating between conforming to accepted norms and listening to herself. Until one day, when she realises that she is at the threshold of the permissibility of homo-sociality. She sees that she could become the subject of one of those rumours that invite ridicule to the family. This happens during a conversation with the other girls in the gang, Eimear reveals that one of the boys, Dennis Jennings, 'was caught with some fella up in the city.' She 'widens her eyes' to suggest the obvious: that he's gay. While the others are trying to suppress this hearsay, Susannah chimes in with 'What's the harm if he's gay?' Lucy definitely knows what's the harm. As a child, she had understood that there were limits to love. She thinks, 'one day people would run out of love for me.' Still, she hankers for Susannah, who exudes freedom and has a more liberal attitude towards life. But will she be her date to the school farewell ball? Or should she choose Martin, who, for the time, is seeing Rita Hegarty. While Martin is a permanent presence in Lucy's life, she happens to be a welcome distraction in Susannah's life. It's at the latter's home, when Catríona was away, that they became aware of their hunger for each other's bodies. This is where the novel is at its mesmerising best. The electrifying sentences give shape to the characters' queerness in all its complexity. 'Those first few heartbeats of her leave me ecstatic. At last, I am defined. All my lonely days were not wasted, they led me to this most perfect union, this weaving of our two souls. The parts of me that were once afraid can no longer be found. Perhaps they will come back to terrify me again, but for now, I can't feel them. For now, I allow myself to be wanted by her,' Lucy thinks. But it's clear that, yet again, she is not letting herself be the agent of change in her own life. Lucy's life does change, though, when one day the inevitable happens and her mother discovers the connection. Now, will she be her mother's daughter or allow herself to be Susannah's lover? Torn between being one Lucy at the cost of the other, she struggles to be her own person. Author Chloe Michelle Howarth (Courtesy The author brilliantly presents Martin as Lucy's raffle ticket out of Crossmore and into Dublin. Howarth uses her characters' motivations as an instrument to create perpetual conflicts that leave the readers wanting more. She also manages to introduce partial independence into Lucy's life. However, the thing with freedom is that it's either there or it isn't. Lucy realises that she can neither be who she was nor be Martin's girl. As a Susannah-shaped void begins to present itself, overwhelming Lucy, she attempts to direct her attention only at Martin. She hopes things will fall in place on their own. Then, life enters her body again when she finds herself in the presence of Geraldine, the niece of the owner of the café where she works. This turn of events energises the novel too. In this wonderfully crafted debut, Howarth shows how the vocabulary of love evolves for those whose desires don't align with the majority, whose love still dares not speak its name. Sunburn deserves all the accolades that have been coming its way, and prepares readers for the author's latest, Heap Earth Upon It – a historical novel featuring 'sibling rivalry and sapphic obsession'. Saurabh Sharma is a Delhi-based writer and freelance journalist. They can be found on Instagram/X: @writerly_life.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ms. Rachel is back—and she's singing entire episodes just for her newborn
Ms. Rachel may be known for singing 'Open Shut Them' to millions of toddlers around the world, (and we all know I'm a fan!) but these days, she's performing full episodes for an audience of one: her 3-month-old daughter, Susannah. In a rare and joy-filled interview with the beloved YouTube creator—whose real name is Rachel Griffin Accurso—opened up about life as a mom of two, how big brother Thomas is adjusting, and the emotional journey that brought baby Susannah into the world. 'She's such a smiley, happy baby,' Rachel said during the May 31 interview, where she was joined by her husband and creative partner, composer Aron Accurso. It's the first time we've heard much from Rachel since she quietly stepped away from her channel (which has over 15 million subscribers) earlier this year. At the time, she simply told fans there were 'some family things to attend to.' What she didn't share publicly then: she was deep in the sacred chaos of growing her family, this time, through surrogacy. 'We welcomed sweet baby Susannah into the world! We are so in love,' she wrote in an April 8 Instagram post, finally sharing her news. 'Sometimes timing isn't what you plan and the road to get there is bumpier than you expect, but when you hold your little ones you know… I'm meant to be your mama.' Related: Ms. Rachel welcomes baby girl via surrogate: 'I'm meant to be your mama' Rachel explained that, due to medical reasons, she was unable to carry this pregnancy herself. But thanks to the generosity of a surrogate, she and Aron were able to bring their daughter home—and build a forever bond with the woman who helped them get there. 'We were blessed to have a surrogate who gave us the most precious gift possible. We are now all family forever.' Now that she's in the thick of newborn life (again!), Rachel's using the tools she knows best: her voice and her joy. 'I had [Susannah] in front of me, and I was like, 'I want to sing her a song. Hmm, what should I sing?' And then I was like, 'Wait, this is my area,'' she laughed. 'I've been doing full episodes for her, just as myself!' It's an image many of us moms can relate to: middle-of-the-night feedings, soft lullabies, the desperate search for something that soothes. Except in this case, the something happens to be Rachel herself—arguably the most beloved baby whisperer on the internet. And while adjusting to life as a family of four comes with its own messy beauty, Rachel says her 7-year-old son Thomas is stepping into his new role with so much heart. 'Thomas is even changing diapers sometimes—except for no poopy ones,' she joked. 'He's given her a bottle, he's burped her. He's just the sweetest with her.' Susannah's name, too, is full of meaning. In another recent Today interview, Rachel revealed that her daughter is named after her own mom. 'My mom raised us with so much unconditional love and joy,' she said. 'She raised my sister and I as a single mom. I've always been in awe of her strength. She even built us an epic tree house all by herself!' Related: Grandma's hilarious attempt to compete with Ms. Rachel will have you cracking up So yes, the songs may be quieter for now. The set might be a living room. But the love? It's louder than ever. And for the millions of parents who've relied on Ms. Rachel's calming presence in the background of their own parenting journeys, it's comforting to know: she's living that journey right alongside us.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ms. Rachel Says Son Thomas, 7, Has Been Helping Change His Baby Sister's Diapers — But He Has 1 Exception
Ms. Rachel has shared an update on her baby daughter Susannah and how her son Thomas, 7, is adjusting to his role of being a big brother The YouTube star and her husband Aron Accurso announced the arrival of Susannah via surrogate in April "She's such a happy, smiley baby," Accurso told of their baby girlMs. Rachel has a little helper on her hands! During an interview with published May 31, the YouTube star — whose real name is Rachel Griffin Accurso — shared how her baby daughter Susannah is doing and how her son Thomas, 7, has been adapting to his role of older brother. "Thomas is even changing diapers sometimes — except for no poopy ones," Accurso, who conducted the interview alongside her husband Mr. Aron (real name Aron Accurso), explained. "He's given her a bottle, he's burped her. He's just the sweetest with her." Accurso, 42, went onto share that Susannah is 'such a happy, smiley baby" and detailed how she keeps the little one entertained by giving her her very own private show of her YouTube content. "I had [Susannah] in front of me, and I was like, 'I want to sing her a song. Hmm, what should I sing?' And then I was like, 'Wait, this is my area,' " Ms. Rachel said. "I've been doing full episodes for her, just as myself!" On April 8, Rachel announced that she and Aron had welcomed Susannah via surrogacy on Instagram, saying 'we are so in love.' "Sometimes timing isn't what you plan and the road to get there is bumpier than you expect, but when you hold your little ones you know… I'm meant to be your mama,' she continued. "I was unable to carry this pregnancy for medical reasons and we were blessed to have a surrogate who gave us the most precious gift possible. We are now all family forever." Accurso's latest YouTube video encourages potty training for little ones. While taking a break from YouTube, the two began working on the episode, and used their experience potty training Thomas as inspiration. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "I was thinking back to my own potty training journey with Thomas, and it's really refreshing to bring some joy to it, and some fun and some dancing and singing," Accurso told "I joke that it's like a Broadway show about poop and pee." "We brought in several Broadway friends to perform in the show and also help with arranging and the underscoring and live playing," Aron added. The episode, which was filmed in January, is currently available on YouTube. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
EXCLUSIVE: Ms. Rachel Opens up About Life With a New Baby ... And 'Potty Talk'
Ms. Rachel's newborn daughter Susannah, now 3 months old, is one lucky little lady. Instead of watching "Ms. Rachel" episodes on YouTube or Netflix, she gets a private show. "I had (Susannah) in front of me, and I was like, 'I want to sing her a song. Hmm, what should I sing?' And then I was like, 'Wait, this is my area,'" Ms. Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Griffin Accurso, tells "I've been doing full episodes for her, just as myself!" Rachel and her husband, Aron Accurso announced the newest addition to her family on April 8. The couple and their 7-year-old son Thomas, whose speech delay as a young child was the catalyst for Accurso's YouTube empire, have been in baby heaven ... when Susannah gives them a good stretch of sleep, that is. "She's such a smiley, happy baby," Rachel shares. "Thomas is even changing diapers sometimes — except for no poopy ones. He's given her a bottle, he's burped her. He's just the sweetest with her." Though Rachel officially hung up her overalls and headband for maternity leave, she and her husband have been working on a very special episode on their most-requested topic: potty training. "I was thinking back to my own potty training journey with Thomas, and it's really refreshing to bring some joy to it, and some fun and some dancing and singing," Rachel says. "I joke that it's like a Broadway show about poop and pee." The pair released one of the songs on Instagram and we must warn you: it's a BOP. The full episode is available on YouTube now. "We brought in several Broadway friends to perform in the show and also help with arranging and the underscoring and live playing," says Aron, who has held multiple roles in the orchestras of Broadway shows. They filmed the episode in January, before the new baby arrived. "There's a lot of beautiful musical moments in the episode," he adds. As anyone who has ever potty trained a child will tell you, the process could use some light-hearted beauty. "As parents, we we want to succeed," says Rachel, "so we probably put too much pressure on ourselves." They hope this effort and the accompanying guide will eliminate some of that pressure. The episode doesn't necessarily adhere to one type of potty training method. Rachel gives a lot of grace to parents who can't take off three days of work in a row to potty train, or are raising kids on their own. "I grew up with a single mom, so I always kind of have that perspective," she says. Rachel and Aron were side by side when they potty trained Thomas, as they are with all things. In fact, Rachel takes a beat in the interview to "convey how equal our partnership is." She adds earnestly, "Often, you know, I'm kind of the face of things, and Aron just worked so hard and made such brilliant music, and he's been at the computer so much, because I'm on maternity leave." Aron tries to stop his wife but reluctantly lets her complete her thought. Rachel and Aron seem to be each other's number one fans. The pair joke that now that they have a song for kids called, "I Listen to My Body," they should make one for grownups about listening to our bodies and going to sleep when we're tired rather than doomscrolling. Rachel laughs, "We're telling the kids to listen to their bodies, but sometimes as adults — " "We need that reminder, too," says Aron. This article was originally published on
