It seems fitting to cap off one of the most boring weeks in years with the most boring day for S&P 500 in seven years. Index futures continued their slow creep upward this week, with miniscule volume and volatility, and even markets that have been more exciting recently – like grain futures – were uncharacteristically quiet this week. It may have been a boring week, but we’ve got just the thing to spice up your weekend: our weekend reads.

• Wasendorf pleads not guilty. He’s kidding, right? (Wall St. Journal)
• Architects compete to build the best zombie-proof home (The Economist)
• The untold story of pallets and their role in the global economy (Slate)
• Barry Ritholtz looks at what has driven retail investors out of the market (Washington Post)