Reader staffers share stories that fascinate, amuse, or inspire us.

Hey, did you read:

• About the Venice Beach Freakshow? (Founder Todd Ray: "[T]here's things inside here that you can't Google.") —Tony Adler

• This epic account of the Last True Hermit? —Drew Hunt

• About why there are more dystopian novels than utopian novels these days? —Brianna Wellen

• About this innovative new zoo in Denmark? —Drew Hunt

• About what it's like to be a young black man in north Saint Louis County? —Aimee Levitt

• About the unexpected health benefits of cancelling a subscription to the Economist? —Aimee Levitt

• About the human side of Ebola treatment? —Drew Hunt