Below, our favorite stories of the week. Kindle users, you can also get them as a Readlist.

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1. By Noon They’d Both Be in Heaven

Hanna Rosin | New York Magazine | Oct. 19, 2014 | 30 minutes (7,708 words)

The story of Kelli Stapleton, who attempted to kill her autistic daughter.

2. Eye of the Storm

William Powell | St. Louis Magazine | Oct. 17, 2014 | 27 minutes (6,779 words)

Following the shooting of Michael Brown, the Ferguson Burger Bar & More has become a community gathering place to serve food and facilitate conversation.

3. Living on the Hyphen

Sarah Menkedick | Oxford American | Oct. 15, 2014 | 20 minutes (5,131 words)

On Spanglish: “My life is conducted in Spanish, English, and Spanglish, and I have chosen these situations, but not entirely.”

4. Rental America: Why the Poor Pay $4,150 for a $1,500 Sofa

Chico Harlan | The Washington Post | Oct. 16, 2014 | 8 minutes (2,200 words)

Rent-to-own stores offer low-income Americans a chance to own some of the material rewards of a middle class life—but at a much higher price.

5. The Stradivarius Affair

Buzz Bissinger | Vanity Fair | Oct. 17, 2014 | 27 minutes (6,779 words)

Buzz Bissinger reports about the case of the stolen Lipinksi Stradivarius violin last winter, which was recovered by the Milwaukee Police Department and FBI after they tracked down its thief, a street criminal who had allegedly dreamed of stealing one in prison.

Cover Image: Elinor Carucci / New York Magazine