How does a New York Times story get overlooked? Often, it’s a case of bad luck. We publish a great piece of writing, then some major news occupies everyone’s attention for the day. Or editors make a last-minute change that cuts an article from this newsletter or moves it off the front page.
As we did at the end of last year, the Morning team reached out to editors around the Times newsroom to ask for their favorite articles — and, this year, podcast episodes — that may have flown under the radar.
If there’s one thing that bonds the stories in this collection, it’s that they remain relevant after a year in which so much of our world seemed to change. “It ran inside the paper,” one editor said about a story he sent us, “but it has aged well.”
Enjoy these 25 great stories.
1. Isaac Wright’s PTSD therapy was climbing. His climbing made him a fugitive.
Quiz time: Have you taken the Great News Quiz of 2021 yet?
Advice from Wirecutter: Consider a new cellphone plan or carrier.
Lives Lived: Jean-Marc Vallée, the director behind the film “Dallas Buyers Club” and the HBO show “Big Little Lies,” was famous for a naturalistic and generous approach that brought out the best in those he worked with. He died at 58.
Edward O. Wilson was a biologist and author who conducted pioneering work on biodiversity, insects and human nature. He died at 92.
ARTS AND IDEAS
(A lot of) best books of 2021
The editors of the Times Book Review read a lot of books every year. They also compile a lot of lists, and we’re here to help you make sense of them.
From 100 notable books …: Fiction, memoirs, nonfiction or poetry — this list has it all.
… to the top 10: The editors deliberate throughout the year to whittle the list of 100 down to 10.
Critic’s picks: The Times’s book critics also make their own lists based on the books they reviewed throughout the year. (If you want to know how they get there, you can read their discussion.)
Gift list: Books make for excellent gifts, and these 71 dazzling titles — including thrillers, cookbooks, photography collections and more — will delight any reader.
The outside: We know not to judge a book by its cover, but some covers deserve praise. The Book Review’s art director picked his favorites.
PLAY, WATCH, EAT
What to Cook
The pangram from Friday’s Spelling Bee was flipbook. Here is today’s puzzle — or you can play online.
Here’s today’s Mini Crossword, and a clue: Morning pastry (five letters).