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Boston Globe Today

The books we loved in 2023

WATCH: Acting books editor Francie Lin lists some of the titles Globe reviewers loved this year. Find the full list on globe.com.

The books we loved in 2023

Boston Globe Today, a half-hour show, can be seen Monday through Friday at 5 p.m. ET on NESN, the NESN 360 app, the Globe’s app, and on Globe.com.

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People waited in line at the Jet Blue counter in Logan Airport Terminal C on Monday.

Two dead as powerful storm leaves hundreds of thousands without power across New England; flights resume at Logan

Up to 5 inches of rain has fallen in parts of Massachusetts, forecasters said. The accompanying high wind gusts will die down to about 20 to 30 miles per hour but will remain a bit stronger along the coast.

Wet grounds, wind gusts cause trees to fall across eastern Massachusetts Raging water pours down Jackson Falls in New Hampshire Ski resorts in Maine, N.H. announce closures Tuesday as they recover from storm

A man holds onto a utility pole to steady himself on St. James Street in Boston during a storm with strong winds and heavy rain.

What was a ‘tropical-like’ storm doing in New England — in December?

Map: Power outages across the region

A tree fell onto an apartment building on F Street as rain and heavy winds swept through the region.

See videos and photos of damage from the storm pounding New England

In a church built by abolitionists, Christian and Jewish congregations come together amid bomb threats
"This is part of loving our neighbor," says Northampton pastor who recently unveiled a colorful — and communal — display of support for members of Beit Ahavah synagogue.

Police went to a Berkshires middle school after receiving a complaint about an explicit book
Police in Great Barrington were recently called to a local middle school after receiving a complaint of a sexually explicit book being shown to students, but authorities determined no laws had been broken.

A projection of a Boston Globe article from October 25th, 1989, is shone against the Boston city skyline.

The five most surprising findings from the Globe’s Charles Stuart investigation

Here are some of the top findings from the “Nightmare in Mission Hill” series and podcast “Murder in Boston.”

Explore the full project ‘Nightmare in Mission Hill’

Authorities seek charges against 28 accused of buying sex from Cambridge, Watertown brothels

Last month, federal authorities made national news when they arrested three people on charges that they were running brothels out of Cambridge, Watertown, and the Washington, D.C., suburbs catering to a wealthy and well-connected clientele.

Healey admin proposes dipping into surplus funds to fill hole in shelter funding
Governor Maura Healey’s administration plans to file a supplement budget to help offset costs brought on the state’s overburdened emergency shelter system, according to a report sent Monday to the Legislature.

MassHealth to raise rates for some independent practices, though doctors say more is urgently needed
Practices with a high percentage of patients on Medicaid, a government insurance program largely for low-income people, have been struggling with reimbursement rates that are too low to cover rising expenses.

US envoys work for a new hostage release deal and a scale-down of the Israel-Hamas war
US officials have repeatedly expressed concern about the large number of civilian deaths in Gaza. But after talks with Israeli officials Monday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said, “This is Israel’s operation. I’m not here to dictate timelines or terms.”

Pope Francis formally allows priests to bless same-sex couples

The declaration, issued by the Vatican’s doctrinal office, gives priests greater flexibility to bless LGBTQ Catholics in same-sex unions.

Abbott signs law allowing Texas to arrest migrants, setting up federal showdown

Earthquake in northwestern China kills at least 118 people in Gansu and Qinghai provinces

People watch as the night sky is illuminated caused by the eruption of a volcano on the Reykjanes peninsula of south-west Iceland seen from the capital city of Reykjavik, on Dec. 18.

Iceland volcano erupts weeks after thousands were evacuated from a town on Reykjanes Peninsula

The old Hotel Hemenway, now called Parkside Tower.

Beyond the Gilded Gate

A Boston building, scattered souls, and rent control revisited

The end of rent control three decades ago helped push many working people out of a Fenway apartment building — and out of Boston. Their stories speak to one of the causes of the current housing crisis, and to the increasing demands that rent caps return.

Explore the project

Jerod Mayo's name frequently comes up when there's any discussion of the next Patriots leader after Bill Belichick.

Patriots mailbag: Malik Cunningham and a future after Bill Belichick popular topics

A ton of topics this week, including what Mayo’s coaching staff might look like, how the wide receiver and offensive market might shape up in free agency, and a few thoughts on the departure of Cunningham.

Rob 'Hardy' Poole was among those who moved from rock station WBCN when The Sports Hub began broadcasting in August 2009.

Chad Finn | Sports Media

Rob ‘Hardy’ Poole headed to Sports Hub morning show alongside Fred Toucher

Hardy, a Sports Hub veteran most recently the third voice on the midday 'Zolak and Bertrand Show,' will take the role vacated by Rich Shertenlieb in November.

Jayson Tatum and the Celtics were humbled by the Warriors after winning the first three games of a six-game road trip in December 2022. They hope to avoid the same fate on Tuesday.

Gary Washburn | On Basketball

Why the Celtics are better prepared for a long West Coast swing than they were last season

The Celtics are trying to avoid the same fate as last December, when they were humbled by the Warriors in California. They'll take on Golden State on Tuesday, the first of a four-game swing ending Christmas Day.

Stuart share podcast

Listen to ‘Murder in Boston’

Presented in association with HBO, “Murder in Boston: The untold story of the Charles and Carol Stuart shooting,” is available wherever you get your podcasts.

Read chapter one of ‘Nightmare in Mission Hill’ Read the full series

Opinion

Harvard President Claudine Gay's academic work has come under scrutiny for apparent plagiarism.

Did Claudine Gay plagiarize or not? Harvard should be clear.

The university’s governing board said a review of the president’s work had found instances of “inadequate citation,” but also that she hadn’t violated “standards for research misconduct.” Huh?

The Lynn temporary commuter rail platform is one stop along the way to a better MBTA

Ernesto Barbieri and Jess Ruliffson

When accidents happen: True stories from an ICU nurse

Edward J. Markey

America is both a leader and a laggard on climate action

Who should prep university presidents? Crisis managers, not lawyers.

More recent News

obituary

Merle Goldman, whose insights informed US relations with modern China, dies at 92
Historian Jonathan Mirsky once called Dr. Goldman “the foremost Western expert on China’s intellectual dissidents — especially writers."

Old North Church’s oldest artifacts, four wooden angels, repaired and reinstalled ahead of holiday services
The angels were made in present-day Belgium in the 1620s and have perched upon the church’s gallery railing since 1746.

The state’s first THC drink ‘package store’ is opening in Medford
The soon-to-be-open location of Theory Wellness includes a "beverage dispensary" full of seltzers, sodas, and energy drinks infused with cannabis.

R.I. to offer free ferry service to try to alleviate traffic from Washington Bridge closure
The ferry service, which will operate between Bristol and Providence, will begin Dec. 20.

Actor Jonathan Majors found guilty of assaulting his former girlfriend in car in New York
A Manhattan jury found Majors guilty of assault and harassment. He was also acquitted of a different assault charge and of aggravated harassment.

Dustin Pedroia, Jonathan Papelbon, Trot Nixon, and Elaine Steward to enter Red Sox Hall of Fame
The three former players and team executive will be honored at Fenway Park in May.

Globe Santa

Children confide in Globe Santa about their health challenges
Sprinkled among the heartfelt and often heartbreaking letters to Globe Santa are those written by children themselves.

Donate to Globe Santa

Globe Santa is a program of the Boston Globe Foundation and exists solely to deliver joy to children.

Recommended reads

An early-morning dusting of snow coated The Embrace sculpture on Jan. 11.

Money, Power, Inequality

‘We have a long way to go’: Three years after Boston declares racism a public health threat, the work is as critical as ever

The work for equality remains as critical as ever, especially as the level of public attention and motivation that mobilized in 2020 fades and as an “anti-woke” sentiment across the country aims to unravel the progress that has already been made.

Seven charts that show what’s behind the racial wealth gap in Boston

RFK Jr. is attracting support with celebrity and conspiracy. But can he get on the ballot that way?
Kennedy is trying to translate his quixotic campaign — a blend of leftist, right-wing, and conspiratorial populism — into an operation that can actually impact the 2024 presidential race.

A Northeastern grad baked the cakes Olivia Rodrigo destroyed on ‘SNL’
Morgan Knight started her cake business in Boston and has been baking up a storm ever since.

TALKING SHOP

A look at the new stores and restaurants coming to Chestnut Hill
Two non-traditional healthcare practices, a perfume bar, and a cookie business also landed in Greater Boston this season.

Culture & Lifestyle

Former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady with children Vivian, Benjamin, and Jack during a halftime celebration at Gillette Stadium earlier this season. A photo of the Brady clan from that event accidentally ended up in the hands of another family.

Tom Brady responds on TikTok to family who accidentally got a photo of him at CVS

Teyonah Parris attends the Netflix premiere of "They Cloned Tyrone" at Hollywood Legion Theater on June 27, 2023 in Los Angeles.

10 great performances our film critic loved in 2023

Boston Globe book critics share their favorites from 2023.

Here is a list of 55 books we loved in 2023

Singer-songwriter Mark Erelli released "Lay Your Darkness Down" in 2023.

An earful of artists, albums, and tracks that represent the best of Boston music

Special Projects

Photo Illustration

Boston thrives off the dreams of young people. But can they make it here?

Baby boomers and Gen Xers benefited from economic conditions that do not exist for millennials. And by many measures, the path ahead for Gen Z is even more fraught.

Boston, MA—12/14/2022 - Commuters wait for the T to arrive at Ruggles Station. (Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff)

Boston doesn’t work if the T doesn’t work

With the MBTA engulfed by issues, everyday riders are feeling the pain.

Brittany Tee, Soomaiiah Quraiishi, and Reina Morales Rojas are among thousands of people thought to be missing from Massachusetts.

How the missing become the uncounted

Inside the government’s flawed approach to finding missing persons.

Two Weeks in America

Two Weeks in America

We sent a dozen journalists on the road across this complex country. They found it’s better than you think.

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Opinion, ideas, and commentary

Methane is responsible for more than a third of global warming, and reducing it would prevent three times more warming at mid-century than cutting carbon dioxide alone.

Durwood Zaelke and Paul Bledsoe

A quick fix from COP28 to address climate change? Mandatory methane cuts

At five months, I found out that one of our babies had telltale signs of a chromosome abnormality, physical details that eluded me on grainy ultrasound images but were signal flares to my doctor.

Jennifer Belt DuChene

Like Kate Cox in Texas, my baby also had trisomy 18

How did Jack Teixeira, seen in this image being taken into custody by armed agents in April at his mother's home in Dighton, end up with a security clearance?

Otis data breach cries out for basic security fixes

The bell ornament that the author has kept since she was 7 years old.

IDEAS | LISA WEISS

The profound meaning of simple gifts

An undated photo of Louisa May Alcott.

IDEAS | CRAIG FEHRMAN

The Christmas miracle of a newly unearthed story by Louisa May Alcott

This image made from bodycam video footage taken by a Hamas militant and released by Israel Defense Forces shows the militant in a residential neighborhood at an undisclosed location in Israel.

I watched the Oct. 7 video. I don’t know how anyone can say Hamas are freedom fighters.

Metro

Wet grounds, wind gusts cause trees to fall across eastern Massachusetts

Heavy rain and high winds, combined with saturated grounds from rainfall last week, caused trees across New England to topple over during Monday’s powerful storm.

Dubbed the ‘Teele Square Pit,’ a vacant lot in Somerville has become the source of many questions — and quips

Surrounded by a chainlink fence, the property has stood vacant since 2011, testing residents' patience.

Parents of children with complex medical problems turn to Globe Santa for help

The 17,000-plus families who write letters to Globe Santa find their way to us through a variety of social service agencies that assist them in some way. There are 52 of these agencies in Greater Boston which are registered to recommend families for holiday gifts.

Authorities seek charges against 28 accused of buying sex from Cambridge, Watertown brothels

Last month, federal authorities made national news when they arrested three people on charges that they were running brothels out of Cambridge, Watertown, and the Washington, D.C., suburbs catering to a wealthy and well-connected clientele.

Sports

Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) makes a touchdown catch in front of Eagles cornerback James Bradberry with 28 seconds left to give host Seattle the upset victory Monday night.

SEAHAWKS 20, EAGLES 17

Drew Lock’s late touchdown pass rallies Seahawks to 20-17 victory over sliding Eagles

The backup quarterback threw a 29-yard pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba with 28 seconds left to cap a 92-yard drive, as host Seattle stunned Philadelphia.

Lincoln-Sudbury’s Harper Friedholm (No. 4) lets it rip on this shot on goal during a 3-1 victory at Billerica/Chelmsford Monday night at the Chelmsford Forum.

LINCOLN-SUDBURY 3, BILLERICA/CHELMSFORD 1

Lincoln-Sudbury beats the clock, holds off Billerica/Chelmsford girls’ hockey in a Merrimack Valley/Dual County Large win

Avery Acquaviva (power play), Kailey Cullen and senior captain Harper Friedholm all tallied for the unbeaten Warriors (3-0).

Hayden Springer, whose daughter died because of a genetic disorder, closed with a 1-under-par 69 on the rain-soaked Dye Valley course at TPC Sawgrass.

Hayden Springer earns PGA Tour card just over a month after the death of his 3-year-old daughter

He earned one of five PGA Tour cards at the tour’s first Q-school in 11 years.

PATRIOTS NOTEBOOK

No word on cornerback J.C. Jackson’s status from Bill Belichick

Gary Washburn | On Basketball

Why the Celtics are better prepared for a long West Coast swing than they were last season

Despite tongue-lashing, Broncos coach Sean Payton says all is well with QB Russell Wilson

Business

US Steel to be bought by Japanese rival after takeover drama

US Steel, which was formed more than a century ago from a part of Andrew Carnegie’s industrial empire, has been weighing several takeover bids, including by domestic rival Cleveland-Cliffs. A little-known steel producer, Esmark, made an even larger bid — one that was light on details — before withdrawing days later.

Apple to halt US sales of latest watches after patent loss

Sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 will be halted on the company's online store on Dec. 21 and at its physical retail stores beginning on Christmas Eve, it said in a statement.

Ron Shaich takes Life Alive and Level99 concepts out of state for first time in 2024

Did the Grinch come for the office holiday party?

magazine

Bostonians of the Year 2023

Tributes to Mel King, Tim Wakefield, and other giants we lost in 2023

My kids feel hurt that their aunts and uncles blow off important events

Our kids had a dream baby sitter, the kind who changes the world

How do you figure out which dating app is best for you?

metro

Nanotte Jean Francois, her 4-year-old son, and 1-year-old daughter seek resources for new arrivals in Boston. With the state reaching capacity for emergency housing, large numbers are seeking assistance at the Immigrant Family Services Institute, in Mattapan.

Healey admin proposes dipping into surplus funds to fill hole in shelter funding

Pope Francis formally allows priests to bless same-sex couples

Storm begins to taper off, but widespread power outages remain in Mass. Follow live updates.

sports

Ed Reilly ('90) will succeed his mentor, retiring 50-year head coach Jim Kelliher, at Abington High after serving as an assistant on the Green Wave staff since 1997.

Abington selects Ed Reilly to succeed the legendary Jim Kelliher as its football coach

Sharon’s stunning success on the hardcourt is rooted in the hard work implementing a winning culture

Dustin Pedroia, Jonathan Papelbon, Trot Nixon, and Elaine Steward to enter Red Sox Hall of Fame

business

Offices for Google, which shared guidelines with its teams for this year’s holiday parties, including the suggestion to consider earlier starting times, in New York, Jan 24, 2023. Corporate party planners have noted a shift since the coronavirus pandemic in what their clients want for office holiday festivities: more demand for daytime celebrations and parties with reduced alcohol.

Did the Grinch come for the office holiday party?

Coffee shop unions join forces to create a new local

MassHealth to raise rates for some independent practices, though doctors say more is urgently needed

politics

Children pass by the portait of Sandra Day O'Connor as mourners pay their respects as the flag-draped casket of the retired Supreme Court Justice lies in the Great Hall at the Supreme Court in Washington, on Dec. 18.

Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, first woman on the Supreme Court, to be laid to rest at funeral Tuesday

Appeals court says Mark Meadows can’t move Georgia election case charges to federal court

RFK Jr. is attracting support with celebrity and conspiracy. But can he get on the ballot that way?

Nation

Hannah Levy holds her daughter, Aylah, 6, at Codornices Park, a location Aylah attended as a Berkeley Forest School student, in Berkeley, Calif., on Nov. 8.

Many kids are still skipping kindergarten. Since the pandemic, some parents don’t see the point.

Thousands of lights at Chicago Botanic Garden illuminate tunnels, lilies and art

California set to become second state to OK rules for turning wastewater into drinking water

World

A government worker looks at the debris of a house brought down in the earthquake in Jishishan county in northwest China's Gansu province on Dec. 19.

Earthquake in northwestern China kills at least 118 people in Gansu and Qinghai provinces

US envoys work for a new hostage release deal and a scale-down of the Israel-Hamas war

Iceland volcano erupts weeks after thousands were evacuated from a town on Reykjanes Peninsula

opinion

Students on a field trip threw boxes of mock tea overboard at the Boston Tea Party Museum in Boston, Nov. 15, 2022.

The Boston Tea Party was a crime

Otis data breach cries out for basic security fixes

The profound meaning of simple gifts

lifestyle

Former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady with children Vivian, Benjamin, and Jack during a halftime celebration at Gillette Stadium earlier this season. A photo of the Brady clan from that event accidentally ended up in the hands of another family.

Tom Brady responds on TikTok to family who accidentally got a photo of him at CVS

Fans swoon over Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi Gillette appearances

Lynn program for Afghan refugees gets grant support from Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Archewell Foundation

food & dining

14cakes - Morgan Knight, a Northeastern alumna, made cakes for Olivia Rodrigo's "SNL" performance. (Morgan Knight/Saint Street Cakes)

A Northeastern grad baked the cakes Olivia Rodrigo destroyed on ‘SNL’

‘Bernard was the very best of Cambridge’: The bond between the Palestinian family behind Brookline Lunch and their Jewish lawyer

Mike Grgich dies at 100; his wine stunned the French by besting theirs

travel

A view of the expanded Terminal E at Logan airport from the Delta Sky lounge.

Does Logan really need a fifth Legal Sea Foods? What we like and don’t like about the airport’s Terminal E expansion.

At Pittsburgh’s Moonshot Museum, a window into the future of aerospace

What’s on your skiing and riding bucket list this year?

Arts

Christopher Gutierrez, art handler and lead technician, right, and David Manzi, owner of Manzi Appraisers & Restoration, reinstalled four hand-carved angelic figures in front of the organ inside the Old North Church.

Old North Church’s oldest artifacts, four wooden angels, repaired and reinstalled ahead of holiday services

David Smith’s ‘Medals for Dishonor’ at Harvard speak to the horrors of war, and our times

A photographer sizes up her subjects

Books

Issa Rae (left) and Nicole Kempskie in writer/director Cord Jefferson’s "American Fiction."

Movies rarely portray the publishing industry with any degree of realism, but ‘American Fiction’ is a refreshing exception

Here is a list of 55 books we loved in 2023

Author readings around Boston through Dec. 20

Movies

Soya Kurokawa and Sakura Ando in "Monster."

In ‘Monster,’ a mother seeks answers after discovering her son’s bully is his teacher

10 great performances our film critic loved in 2023

With ‘American Fiction,’ writer-director Cord Jefferson flips the script on stereotypes

Television

Larry David has announced that the upcoming season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" will be its last.

This week’s TV: Farewell to ‘Curb,’ Happy Birthday to Dick Van Dyke, and welcome to ‘Extended Family’

That’s a wrap: Bryant Gumbel and HBO’s ‘Real Sports’ air their last episode after 29 years.

Kate McKinnon talks life post-‘Saturday Night Live’ in return hosting Christmas-tinged episode

music

A fan holds a sign referencing Taylor Swift prior to a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Dec. 17.

Fans swoon over Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi Gillette appearances

Taylor Swift and Jerome Powell are an unlikely pair of economic titans

Our 50 favorite albums of the year

Theater/Dance

From left: Eliza Rose Fichter as Fiasco, Vincent Ernest Siders as the King, René Collins as Folly, and Roger Reed as Flop in "Midwinter Revels: The Feast of Fools."

Midwinter Revels serves up a frolicsome ‘Feast of Fools’

Yes, ‘Real Women Have Curves.’ And the ART has a winner.

‘The Rocky Menorah Christmas Show’ has the Gold Dust Orphans up to their usual mischief and mayhem

Health

A CVS pharmacy in Miami.

CVS to launch new pharmacy reimbursement model aimed at simplifying drug pricing

Many Americans ration insulin to save money. One nonprofit is trying to make the life-saving drug more affordable.

In R.I., there’s a lack of dentists caring for patients with special needs. This program is trying to change that.

Obituaries

Dr. Merle Goldman, a professor emerita of history at Boston University, was a widely respected expert on dissidents in China. Courtesy of the Goldman family

Merle Goldman, whose insights informed US relations with modern China, dies at 92

Influential people we lost in 2023

Eric Montross, Celtics draft pick and former UNC star, dies at 52 after cancer fight