#Aubrey Richards

[simmingnate]

Introducing contestant number one…

✨LENA LEMON✨

by @bunbeeplays

Keen baker Lena has lived most of her life in the shadow of her famous cousin, but now she's ready to forge her own path, and fully explore her own Zest for life!

Introducing contestant number two…

✨EBELE UDO✨

by @itsOBiGem

Aging out of the modelling world, Ebele has decided it's time to find true love! Going against her parents' wishes, she's looking for a guy who can make her laugh, rather than make her rich.

Introducing contestant number three…

✨PENELOPE HART✨

by @ginovasims

Farm-girl Penelope has a fulfilling teaching career, but all those kids have made her want a family of her own. Pen admits she's never been in love before - could Johnny break the spell?

Introducing contestant number four…

✨HAVEN EDGE✨

by @MogSimmer

Romance-obsessed Haven has been researching this role for a long time, watching almost every dating show in existence! She also writes romance novels - but will Johnny be her happy ending?

Introducing contestant number five…

✨AUBREY RICHARDS✨

by @edawghizzle

Aubrey is serious about her activism work, SO serious in fact, that her friends had to force her to apply for the competition! Will Johnny remind her of the importance of love?

Introducing contestant number six…

✨KITTY SPICE✨

by @tedsies

Bottle-blonde Kitty has a lifelong fascination with the Landgraab matriarch, and leapt at the chance to potentially join the famous family. Hopefully Johnny won't mind her Nancy-esque look!

Introducing contestant number seven…

✨LYDIA GARDEN✨

by @nek0rina

They don't come much more wholesome than this! A green-thumbed nature lover whose whole life has been spent on her family farm, Lydia's now hoping to sow the seeds of love in Johnny's field.

Introducing contestant number eight…

✨RILEY MORLIND✨

by @surely-sims

Wannabe-vet Riley lost her glasses on the way to the auditions, and suddenly became much prettier and also partially blind… but this gullible girl-next-door is still looking for love!

Introducing contestant number nine…

✨MARGO ALVAREZ✨

by @iloooon_sims

Foodie Margo knows how to whip up a good meal, and how to whip her hair in the club! She's a 50/50 mix of family and fun, plus some clumsiness… will she trip and fall for Johnny?

Introducing contestant number ten…

✨MEGHAN MOON✨

by @tiptoesims

Erratic toaster-lover Meghan may have more than 99 issues, and not having a man is one of them! Hence she's here to win Johnny's heart with her vast collection of hats and enigmatic charm!

Introducing contestant number eleven…

✨DAHLIA HYDE✨

by @SimmerBrooklyn

Dahlia is used to getting what she wants, when she wants - and that includes Johnny! This anti-girl's-girl is sure to ruffle some feathers… but will Johnny and her be lovebirds?

Introducing contestant number twelve…

✨ALIYAH CARINA✨

by @SimGirl_T

Aliyah hopes this will be a fun experience before she starts her law career, but perhaps she's more serious about Johnny than she lets on… after all, she's brought along a denim bra!

Introducing contestant number thirteen…

✨MÍA PALAK✨

by @loonaserena

Mía's not sure what to do since graduating from university, but this easygoing gal is open to exploring all sorts of paths - will Johnny want to join her on her next big adventure?

Introducing contestant fourteen…

✨LETITIA 'TITS' MCGHEE✨

by @ice-creamforbreakfast

After refusing to take part in a 100-baby challenge, genius Tits decided to take control and find a guy to fulfil her many needs. Is Johnny the man to keep her love tank full?

Introducing contestant fifteen…

✨LIZ SONG✨

by @whimsyalien

Prince Charming was taking too long to find romance novel fan Liz, so she decided to take her fairytale fate into her own hands and find him herself! Will her happily ever after be with Johnny?

[abs0luteb4stard]

W A T C H I N G

[hgeeky]

My year in books 2024 - book series

Over the year I managed to read 140 books (including audiobooks), not including the 4 I started and still have on the go, and 3 that I started and abandoned.

I read quite a few series, here are some thoughts on those (spoiler free). I'll probably follow up with another post or two for other fiction and non-fiction.

Rivers of London by Ben Aaranovitch

I've now read all 9 of the main novels (although I read the first two in 2023), plus Tales from the Folly and What Abigail Did That Summer, all as audiobooks.

Kobna Hollbrook-Smith is an incredible narrator

I absolutely adore the blend of magic, folklore and police bureaucracy. The acronyms and procedure are set out in a way that feels so true to life - with all the quirks that come with how these things translate into practice. And it makes the magic somehow more believable. Plus the characters are so often charming.

I'm looking forward to working my way through the novellas and graphic novels while I wait for the next instalment.

The Aubreyad/Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian

I managed all 20 of the completed novels, my first complete circumnavigation (at some point I'll try to get my hands on the unfinished 21st book)

This is very much thanks to @elodieunderglass posting about it here, which encouraged me to seek out the audiobooks (my library has the Ric Jerrom ones)

I had attempted Master & Commander once, many years ago, because a lot of my family like the books. My grandfather especially liked them, and I wish I had known him better (he died in 2000). But I couldn't cope with the naval jargon at the time and gave up.

I did enjoy the film, and I've enjoyed Hornblower on TV and the Sharpe books, so I do generally enjoy that sort of thing and the audiobooks turned out to be perfect for me.

Ric Jerrom does a wonderful job with the characters and I could let a lot of the naval jargon wash over me (occasionally I did look things up to try to get a better handle on things).

Jack and Stephen are now my blorbos for sure.

And I absoutely love how much O'Brian managed to fit into these books - the natural history, the mores of the time, even the politics, as well as the action, adventure and romance.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

I find these books rather moving, as well as fun

The combination works wonderfully for perking me up, helping me embrace life and find the joy in it, and that's always worth something

In fact it's remarkably impressive

The blend of characters is wonderful, the range of perspectives and personalities really helps me look at the world afresh, and not take things for granted so much.

Jackson Brodie by Kate Atkinson

I read the first one in 2023, and 2-5 in 2024

I've long adored Kate Atkinson's books, and I've read at least two of the Jackson Brodie books before (1 and 4) but thought I'd give the whole series a go

Perhaps not entirely as successful as some of her other books, I did still enjoy them all. I think Big Sky (number 5) was my favourite.

Phryne Fisher by Kerry Greenwood

I really enjoyed the TV adaptation a few years ago so I thought I'd give the audiobooks a go when I saw that my library has them

They are light and easy-going, with grate narration by Stephanie Daniel

I read the first one last year, and got through 2-8 this year. I particularly enjoyed 3 (Muder on the Ballarat Train), 4 (Death at Victoria Dock), 5 (The Green Mil Murder) and 8 (Urn Burial). I didn't mind a bit that I could remember some of the plots from the TV show.

The Locked Tomb by Tamsyn Muir

I gave Gideon the Ninth a go after seeing a lot of posts about it on here, and finding I could get it through Audible plus (which I get occasionally when I can get a discount)

It was an absolute headfuck of a fever dream for most of it and I loved it

Eventually I used some credits to get Harrow and Nona and loved them too. Harrow was also a headfuck but I think I'd got slightly more into the swing of things for Nona.

I went back to relisten to Gideon to see what I made of it, after having more context and it was good in a different way. I enjoyed having more things make sense and I appreciated many of the characters a lot more.

The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkein

When I found out my library had the audiobooks read by Andy Serkis, I thought it would be rude not to borrow them

I enjoyed The Hobbit the most.

I found Return of the King a bit of a slog. It all felt too ponderous when it was focused on humans, elves or dwarves, but fortunately the hobbits, ents and orcs gave it a lot more life and helped get me through.

Edit: Oops I forgot The World of the White Rat!

World of the White Rat - T Kingfisher

I didn't start at the beginning and I've not read everything

I gave the books a go thanks to Audible Plus and now I'm in love with them

Swordheart is my favourite, I've now listened to it twice

I've also covered the first 3 Saint of Steel books and have number 4 ready and waiting

I've also listened to quite a few other T Kingfisher books which aren't in the same world (or at least, not obviously) and loved those too - more on those in a separate post (if I manage it)

[presidentheartbeat6]

a guy for everyone...

*drops this at ur feet and then sprints away at the speed of light*

[dinner-partys]

if i watch a random movie for my celebrity crush... am i a whore?

[thiefbird]

Thinking about charting out every event, past or part of the active narrative, in Hornblower, Aubreyad, Sharpe, and Temeraire to see who's doing what at what time

No idea if it would be of interest to anyone but myself(and POB's six 1813s will perhaps complicate matters), but it is very tempting

[thekenobee]

I have read Sharpe’s Prey

(and I come bearing gifts)

[howardhawkshollywood]

Barbara Stanwyck is the center of attention in an original publicity still from Ball of Fire (1942)

[sweetpaintedladie]

The Rolling Stones, 1973

©️ Aubrey Powell

[cha-mij]

Seriously tempted to write something like Outlander which is less romance, time travel and drama but more a Sharpe/Aubrey-Maturin/Cadfael/Shardlake of the Jacobean era.

Does anyone know of any modern books that already exist so I don't have to write it? 🤣

[angelstills]

Damaged (2008)

[simmingnate]

Thanks for watching the first episode of #JohnnyWantsAWife!

Aliyah, Haven and Lydia will be missed - but there are still plenty more fascinating ladies for Johnny to choose from! Until next time… 💘

[strathshepard]

Pretty Things: Silk Torpedo, 1974, designed by Hipgnosis. Photography Aubrey Powell / hand tinted by Richard Manning

[viridislepus]

Portrait of Aubrey Beardsley, by Walter Richard Sickert (1894) [x]

[infamousbrad]

Richard Simmons (Holy Shit)

The Maintenance Phase podcast is halfway through a two-parter where Aubrey, using his autobiography and fact-checking and expanding on it from other available reporting, is telling the story of (arguably) the first modern weight-loss influencer, Richard Simmons. Yeah, you know, the curly-haired aerobics twink from back in the day.

And holy cow did that story turn dark in a hurry. My most important-seeming takeaway so far is ...

How Richard Simmons told you to get skinny and stay skinny: love yourself, reduce your portion sizes, but most of all exercise.

How Richard Simmons got skinny and stayed skinny, himself: meth, anorexia, and bulimia.

Yeah. Yeah, that's the fitness industry for you.

[boyinrevolt]

#Aubrey O'Mahony by #Richard Phibbs