We here at the Independent love every piece we run. There are no winners or losers. Having said that, here are May’s winners.
- “Has Gollum’s Literary Progenitor Been Discovered?” This essay, by Josh Trapani, first ran last year, but nerds, er, serious Tolkien fans, rediscovered it in a big way, intrigued by the idea that the Stoor Hobbit from Middle Earth might not have been an entirely original creation. Visitors flocked to this piece from all over. And, presumably, from their parents’ basements.
- “Everything Is Illuminated.” Martha Anne Toll’s evocative essay about what makes novelist Anthony Doerr’s work — including his latest masterpiece, All the Light We Cannot See — so luminescent clearly struck a chord with readers.
- Michael Causey’s review of But Enough about You: Essays by Christopher Buckley. “The son of conservative icon William…a friend of Christopher Hitchens and Joseph Heller, and the quintessential D.C. insider, Buckley is all the more impressive for not seeming to be very impressed with himself.” Readers were impressed with Causey’s review.
- Mandy Huckins’ interview with author Maggie Shipstead. Talking about her acclaimed second novel, Astonish Me, Shipstead explains how she so masterfully — and accurately — captured the ultra-competitive, often brutal world of professional ballet.
- Ann White’s review of Why Science Does Not Disprove God by Amir D. Aczel. Regardless of whether they’re on Team Nye or Team Ham, readers agreed on one thing: White’s review of Aczel’s thought-provoking book was worth a serious look.
