I enjoyed reading this list! I think we would be good friends based on our shared love for MacDonald (and Lewis, Barfield, etc.) My list this year didn't have much from the Inklings, but I had a lot of MacDonald last year in celebration of his 200th bday. https://pjustin.com/baileys-book-awards-favorite-reads-from-2024
Man, what a great list. You inspire me to want to spend my 2026 better. Life is so short, and you don't seem to fritter any of it away.
Re: Taming of the Shrew, there's a wonderful version by Zeffirelli starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Those two, of course, are electric together on-screen. But more than this, Zeffirelli shows us how Kate and Petruchio, whose marriage ultimately becomes a kind of alliance between two strong characters against the rest of the world, have a much better marriage than the puppy-love (attraction without respect) that brought Bianca and Lucentio together. Taylor's delivery of the climactic monologue is extraordinary. Anyway, it helped me love this play more, and see what is so worthy in it.
Barfield was a genius. He changed the way I see the world.
This is incredibly cool discipline. I want to do this in 2026
I enjoyed reading this list! I think we would be good friends based on our shared love for MacDonald (and Lewis, Barfield, etc.) My list this year didn't have much from the Inklings, but I had a lot of MacDonald last year in celebration of his 200th bday. https://pjustin.com/baileys-book-awards-favorite-reads-from-2024
thanks for sharing this.
i’ve been trying to figure out why i’ve never been able to get into J Pageau. i think it’s something about how he comes across. i can’t place it
Man, what a great list. You inspire me to want to spend my 2026 better. Life is so short, and you don't seem to fritter any of it away.
Re: Taming of the Shrew, there's a wonderful version by Zeffirelli starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Those two, of course, are electric together on-screen. But more than this, Zeffirelli shows us how Kate and Petruchio, whose marriage ultimately becomes a kind of alliance between two strong characters against the rest of the world, have a much better marriage than the puppy-love (attraction without respect) that brought Bianca and Lucentio together. Taylor's delivery of the climactic monologue is extraordinary. Anyway, it helped me love this play more, and see what is so worthy in it.
Excited to dive into this. Thanks for sharing. Perfect read for the weeklong break with the fam. Blessings to you and your family, Ross!
Fantastic list! So thoughtfully put together. Definitely going to add more George to my list for this year.
Here is my list from this year.
https://samluce.substack.com/p/my-top-10-books-of-2025