Emily and Anna share the books, movies, albums, talks, recipes and rituals that inspired them in 2024 and that are propelling them into this bright, new year. Plus a playlist of all the songs linked last year in what we're listening to.

1. Ravilious & Co: The Pattern of Friendship, Andy Friend. A narrative account of Eric Ravilious' life and works. I loved learning about this influential and greatly loved British artist and the community he fostered before his untimely death. An inspiring read. 

2. The Solace of Open Spaces, Gretel Ehrlich. I hardly ever re-read a book but I have with this one. Set in the American west, the novel tells the story of a woman moved inwardly by loss and outwardly by a vast landscape. It is a story of the relationship between our interior lives and the world around us.

3. The Beauty of the Husband, Anne Carson. I've loved everything I've read by Anne Carson and this poetic narrative of a marriage, told in 29 'tangos', is no exception. 

4. Impressions, Jacqueline du Pré. A college boyfriend first introduced me to the cellist, Jacqueline du Pré. I've gone through periods of diving deep into her recordings and find myself in a period now. Her rendition of Elgar: Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op. 85 is hauntingly beautiful. The 1989 film, Hilary and Jackie, is a movie I've never gotten out of my head. If you want to learn more about her brilliance and tragic decline as she battled multiple sclerosis, definitely watch. 

5. Raga Vibrations, NTS Radio. By far my most listened to show. A monthly selection of Indian music curated by Greg Davis. Admittedly, I also listen to a lot of children's music at the moment with my 2 yr old. Pete Seeger's, Abiyoyo and Other Story Songs for Children, is our favorite.  

6. Rick Rubin's two-part interview with poet and philosopher, David Whyte. I guess Emily and I are Tetragrammaton fans lol. I didn't want this conversation to end. The presence and insight Whyte brings to everyday life is transformational.

7. I finally got my hands on Sonoko Sakai's, Wafu Cooking: Everyday Recipes with Japanese Style. I want to make everything in this book. Her five dal masala and chicken curry are already family favorites. I've also recently made Rachel Roddy's scarlet salad which was a winner, just the kind of salad I crave in winter. And this apple olive oil cake is the next thing I'm baking. 

8. Last but not least, my three most loved and consumed teas this past year: Vana Tulsi (just released), Mountain Beauty (every morning), and Serenitas (my son adores this tea. It soothes his tummy and my nerves).