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December 21, 2024 
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Good morning. Today, your highly personal, hyperspecific best-ofs of the year.
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| María Jesús Contreras |
Our favorite things
It's that time of year when things wind down, when people start putting things off until after the holidays, until January, until next year. I find this comforting, like 2024 is full, we're buttoning it up and packing it away. We couldn't possibly squeeze in another project or plan. I've lost count of the number of conversations and lunch dates and meetings I've committed to "when we're all back." Can January even contain all the planning we've flung in its direction?
Not for us to figure out today, Dec. 21, the shortest day of the year. Winter arrived in the Northern Hemisphere at 4:20 Eastern this morning, and if you slept in, it may already feel as if the sun is setting. I'm so grateful to all the readers of The Morning who sent in their highly specific, personal best-of lists for the year. I'll be filling time, dark and light, with so many of these favorites over the holidays. (See previous years' reader best-ofs here and here.)
Some highlights of my own: The best book I read was "All Fours," by Miranda July. The most mind-rattling magic show I saw was Joshua Jay's "Look Closer." The best sandwich I had was the result of my yearlong effort to reconstruct one I loved in college, the Roma from the long-shuttered Cafe Europa in Charlottesville, Va.: cucumber, mozzarella, alfalfa sprouts, artichoke hearts, balsamic vinegar and olive oil on fresh baguette. (I still don't have the proportions down.) The theatrical performance during which I cried the most was "Illinoise" at the Park Avenue Armory. The least "me" beverage I started drinking regularly was hot mint tea. The best song I found for relieving a foul mood was "Blame Brett" by The Beaches. The most reliable music I found for wallowing in a blue mood was the oeuvre of Charlotte Cornfield.
The best stuff you did
The best event that Elaina Kane of Goshen, Ind., hosted was an open mic night in the yard with friends. Why aren't we all doing this?
The best weekend luxury, according to Shelby Yuan of Chicago, is the "post-breakfast nap."
Grayson Hester of Atlanta's best realization was finally accepting that his current city isn't for him, and that a move would make him happier.
"The rumors are true," Sarah McKetta of New York reports: The best kitchen upgrade is an induction stove.
The best phone call that Ruby Swafford of Virginia Beach made this year was an international call to her dance teacher. "She told me that she is proud of me and that I deserve to choose happiness in this life," Ruby wrote, "while I cried to her and told her that I was finally going to try to come out to my parents."
And the best drink that Jennifer Phipps of Orlando, Fla., discovered this year was a glass of moscato with an Amarena cherry and syrup dropped in. "It's like a little celebration you can throw for yourself," she reports.
Your best in culture
So many cultural artifacts came up over and over in readers' favorites of 2024. You're wild for the shows "Somebody Somewhere," "The Diplomat," "Shrinking" and, for the second year running, "Slow Horses." The movies "Conclave" and "Perfect Days" were favorites. The books "James," by Percival Everett; "The Women, by Kristin Hannah; and "Orbital," by Samantha Harvey came up repeatedly. For music, the most-mentioned were Chappell Roan, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Hozier. A bunch of you cited "Oh, Mary!" as the best theater they saw this year.
Best rediscovered song that I completely forgot about: "Catch," by the Cure — Alfred Sainato, Metuchen, N.J.
Best line from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem "Frost at Midnight": "Quietly shining to the quiet Moon." I want that line on my tombstone. — James Berkman, Boston
Best way to avoid spiraling into despair: Get really into the show "9-1-1" and live text your friends about it. — M. Flanders, Philadelphia
Best song to belt on a warm day at sunset: "Pink Skies" by Zach Bryan. — Jenna Wolfenson Foster, Chicago
Best old music rediscovered: REO Speedwagon. — Mattea S., Seattle
Best use of airline miles: PHL to DUB for the Eras Tour. — Chloe Wynn, Wayne, Pa.
Your best changes to routines
The best new tradition that Pedro San Antonio in Ann Arbor, Mich., started was listening to an album a day.
The best thing Kaydie Milks of Brooklyn did for herself was to record at least one positive thing each day on her "Tell Me Something Good List" while struggling with depression. "Over time, it became easier to find the positives," she wrote, "and now I've got a record of so many small memories that would've otherwise been forgotten."
Pam Francis of Southlake, Texas, has been working on self-care, too. She made all her passwords "words of affirmation" and set up a monthly flower delivery to herself.
And the best way to attain a gratitude perspective, wrote Lucia Boyd of Chicago, is to imagine you're an extraterrestrial, "observing the wonders of the world (cats, wind, pizza) with new curiosity."
Even more bests
Best rediscovered time of day: Dawn. — Nancy Minerva, Escondido, Calif.
Best chair: An elegant, wooden-frame dining chair at a shop in Edinburgh, upholstered with a plush geometric velvet fabric. — Colin Long, Berkeley, Calif.
Best thing I can say about my worst enemy: He's not a twin. — Mark Johns, Austin, Texas.
Best compliment: Praised for my immaculate colon during a colonoscopy. — Mona Zutshi Opubor, Lagos, Nigeria
Best overheard conversation: "Not this time, Henry." — Woman to dog trying to pull her toward the Petco entrance at 86th and Lex. — Charlotte Choinski, New York
Best new thing to learn about your mom: That she once caught a hummingbird in her hands that was trapped indoors and let it go outside. — Abra Star McNair, Portland, Ore.
Best bug: Oakworm moth. — Skylar Rutledge, Memphis
Best surprise: Rekindling my relationship with my sister. — Daniel Fitzgerald, Washington, D.C.
Best road rage cure: Sandhill cranes on the side of the highway. — Marcella Kearns, Milwaukee
Film and TV
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| Adrien Brody in "The Brutalist," directed by Brady Corbet. Lol Crawley/A24 |
Theater
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| John Mulaney, left, and Simon Rich. OK McCausland for The New York Times |
More Culture
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| Kylie Kelce in her home studio. Caroline Gutman for The New York Times |
Government Funding
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| Mike Johnson, the House speaker, spoke to reporters last night. Pete Kiehart for The New York Times |
- After days of negotiations, the House passed a bill to fund the government for three months and avert a shutdown. The Senate approved it after midnight, and President Biden plans to sign it.
- The funding plan was nearly the same as one the House rejected on Thursday, but without Donald Trump's requested debt limit suspension. It includes relief for storm-damaged areas and aid for farmers.
- The debt fight may be a sign of clashes to come between Trump and Republicans.
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Other Big Stories
- A man drove into a Christmas market in central Germany, killing at least four people and injuring more than 200 others. Officials said the attack appeared deliberate and were searching for a motive.
- The Senate confirmed the 235th lifetime federal judge nominated by Biden. That's one more than was confirmed during the Trump administration.
- The F.D.A. approved the first weight loss drug that treats obstructive sleep apnea.
- Chicago's Board of Education voted to fire the chief executive of the city's school system. The schools have been mired in political chaos for months.
- A week after a cyclone hit Mayotte, a tiny French island off the coast of Africa, it's still unclear how many people died. The announced toll is 35, but officials say the real number could be in the thousands.
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🎬 "Babygirl": Life is nothing without balance. "Babygirl," in theaters on Christmas Day, offers a (spicy?) counter to the saccharine glut of holiday movies. In this erotic thriller, Nicole Kidman plays a married executive who strikes up a power dynamic-bending sexual relationship with a younger intern (Harris Dickinson). The film is directed by Halina Reijn, who also made the nutty horror comedy "Bodies Bodies Bodies," and critics have praised Kidman's performance as fearless.
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| Christopher Testani for The New York Times |
Chicken Noodle Soup
In the midst of the joyful excesses of the holiday season, it's often the simplest dishes that are the most satisfying. Ali Slagle's easy chicken noodle soup is just the thing to feed your body and calm your spirit, while simultaneously warding off any sniffles that may be lurking. It has all the classic flavors of carrot, celery, onion and dill, along with silky egg noodles and shreds of cooked rotisserie (or leftover) chicken. Sip the broth on its own when you're feeling unwell, or savor a bowlful for a warming meal during a hectic time of year.
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| Andrew Maddock, who goes by drewfromladue on social media. Lyndon French for The New York Times |
"Boy apartment": Men with meticulously curated homes are going viral on TikTok.
The Hunt: A writer, priced out of New York, took her $350,000 budget to Philadelphia. Which home did she choose? Play our game.
What you get for $300,000: A Queen Anne Revival house in Leavenworth, Kan.; a 1960 ranch house in Richmond, Va.; or a two-bedroom 1900 rowhouse in Trenton, N.J.
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| The black diamond White Lightning run at Schweitzer in Sandpoint, Idaho. Ruth Fremson/The New York Times |
Travel: On a "two-nation ski vacation," a writer samples two less-crowded resorts with miles of terrain to explore.
Cafe Gitane: The Manhattan restaurant that put avocado toast on the map is back on the scene.
The best last-minute gifts
If you've procrastinated on holiday shopping, you're not alone. And you're definitely not doomed. There are plenty of great gifts that can still be delivered in a few days or less. Wirecutter's gift experts have rounded up their favorite last-minute gifts, including a handsome pair of wool slippers and a Japanese pocketknife. Need something immediately? You might be surprised at how many gift-worthy items you can find at the grocery store. Look for nice, higher-end versions of everyday essentials (like olive oil) or put together a festive package, like a holiday cookie cutter alongside a wooden spoon. —Samantha Schoech
For yearlong gifting advice and handpicked gems, sign up for Wirecutter's weekly newsletter, The Gift.
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| Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard. Michael Reaves/Getty Images |
College Football Playoff first round: The first ever 12-team playoff began last night with an in-state showdown: Notre Dame cruised past Indiana, 27-17, in a game the Fighting Irish controlled beginning to end. Three more games are on deck for today (all times Eastern):
- S.M.U. vs. Penn State, 12 p.m.: Penn State is having one of its best seasons in years. It lost just two games, to Ohio State and Oregon — both of which are also in the playoff.
- Clemson vs. Texas, 4 p.m.: Clemson is the only three-loss team in the playoff. It wasn't expected to make it, but got in by upsetting S.M.U. in their conference championship game.
- Tennessee vs. Ohio State, 8 p.m.: Over the six years that Ryan Day has been head coach of Ohio State, the team has been consistently very good — they've never lost more than two games in a season. But they also haven't won a championship.
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Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangram was plowable.
Take the news quiz to see how well you followed this week's headlines.
And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands.
Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. — Melissa
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Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch |
