32 things I loved this year

Enjoy!

I love lists.

I love lists in journalism.

I love lists in my personal life (to-do lists especially).

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Which is one of the reasons I love the end of the year. Because that’s when list-making goes into overdrive.

There’s lists of the best music of the year. (Here’s my list of favorite music.) The best TV shows. The best movies. The best video games. The best illustrations.

Also, the 34 best stocking stuffers. And 21 gifts that will last forever. And the 47 best gifts under $100. (I LOVE “Wirecutter.”)

So, in keeping with the spirit of the season, I wanted to share a list of things I loved this year. Because, maybe, you will love them too!

A few things before we get to it:

1. This list isn’t comprehensive

2. This list is random. It’s just stuff I really liked. No rhyme or reason.

3. No person and no company paid me or asked me to include them on this list

Ok, caveats done! Let’s do this! Also, what did you LOVE this year? The comments section awaits!

• David Epstein’s “Range Widely” Substack

• The Inspector Gamache mystery series by Louise Penny

• The Trump 2025 articles in the New York Times by Maggie Haberman, Jonathan Swan and Charlie Savage

• “The Times” by Adam Nagourney

• “The Press Box” podcast

• Solo Stoves (a perennial favorite)

• The Bulwark (and Jonathan V. Last in particular)

• NFL “Red Zone”

• Derek Thompson’s Twitter feed

• Kirk Cousins

• “Key and Peele” (Yes, I know I am late to this!)

• “From Strength to Strength” by Arthur Brooks

• Gingerbread lattes

• “Men in Blazers”

• The New York Times Book Review podcast

• Scorigami

• “This Old House”

• “Do Hard Things” by Steve Magness

• “The Bear” (Season 2)

• Damon Linker’s “Notes from the Middleground” Substack

• The Tony Kornheiser Show

• “The Ferryman” by Justin Cronin

• Everything Peter Baker writes

• Everything Philip Bump writes

• “Slow Horses”

• Charlie Warzel

• “Yellowface” by R.F. Kuang

• Dave Weigel

• WFUV

• “Stratechery”

• Michael Beschloss’ Twitter feed

• “The Sunday Long Read”