New Year’s is generally a good time to reflect back on the year that’s passed, and we do that in this issue, with a second look at some of our most-read stories and best photos, along with our favorite local recordings and books and the restaurants we said hello and goodbye to.
Books and music feel like a good place to turn to around now, as I’m surely not the only who found 2019, in a word, exhausting. Between the seemingly constant stream of devastating news (climate change disasters, family separations, mass shootings) and the barely-coherent rants and grievances emanating from the White House, just paying attention can feel like an emotional assault.
So I wish for all our readers the same thing I wish for myself this holiday season—a little window of time to gather yourself together, spend time with the people you love, and remember what sustains you.
Happy New Year.