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

Hey, did you read:

• Philip Gourevitch on what Obama didn't say Wednesday, when he announced he was authorizing airstrikes in Syria and Iraq? ("His previous caution was not simply a character trait; it was a sober response to the reality of our past interventions, of our wars that have begat more and worse wars.") —Steve Bogira

• That our long international nightmare of having to pay attention to Oscar Pistorius is, well, almost over? (He still has to be sentenced.) —Tony Adler

• The 200 best American novels? —J.R. Jones

• About the great American water park? —Tal Rosenberg

• This map that shows how Chicagoans think about the rest of Illinois? —Aimee Levitt

• Chris Sale, sizing up his stunning 1.99 ERA in Yogi Berra fashion? ("I've said it a million times. I'm not a numbers guy.") —Steve Bogira

• About the mysterious connection between Facebooking grandparents and Grandmaster Flash? —Aimee Levitt