The intimacy of lists

and things I have loved this year

Reading people’s end-of-year lists feels a bit like stepping into a friend’s home for the first time. You notice the bookshelves, filled with authors they’ve loved or long meant to read, the stacks of cosy knitwear and the chipped ceramics that have served countless cups of tea.

Each detail tells a story, about the ordinary moments that mattered enough to be held onto.

This reminds me of my grandfather. When he passed away two years ago, I found a small handwritten shopping list on the kitchen side. Milk, bread, eggs, etc. All written in his familiar hand for a day he never got to see. I kept it in my wallet for a while, until it turned brown and then to dust, a small token of him and the simple world he left behind.

Perhaps it’s my deep sense of nostalgia but I find a quiet intimacy in the lists of others — each building a portrait of their inner world.

So here are some of my favourites of this year: partly for reflection, partly for fun.

Kitchen
White Mausa Rayu
Red Plum Osmanthus Tea
Radaks Chocolate Brownie
Ali Hewson Cups
Comins Matcha Cookies
This Yeti Flask

Reading
The Full Moon Coffee Shop
A Court of Thorns & Roses - 5 Book Series (IYKYK)
Breast & Eggs
The Vaster Wilds
Substack Essays

Objects
This Toast Jumper
Thick Wool Socks
Merchant & Mills Linens
Sheepskin Insoles
Second-Hand Ceramics
Agarwood Incense

Films
Kiki’s Delivery Service
The Painted Veil
The Worst Person in The World
Far From the Madding Crowd
Witches

Nature
National Trust Pass
Reel Seeds Catalog
Magnolia Blossom
Flower frog for Ikebana
Hot summer runs

Beauty
Tallow Lux Facial Balm
French Soap - Honey
Ayurvedic Cardamon Body Oil
Marshmallow Root Tea
Lomi Lomi Massage

Other Stuff
Toast Mending Service
Japanese Bossa Nova Playlist
Rooted Healing Podcast
Inigo Almanac
Notion App

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