The Sandman: Overture explores the back story of the central character, Orpheus, to explain how he wound up in captivity at the start of The Sandman. Courtesy of DC Entertainment hide caption

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield has spent a total of six months in space. In his new book, he writes that getting to space took only "8 minutes and 42 seconds. Give or take a few thousand days of training." NASA/Courtesy of Little, Brown and Company hide caption

Barnes & Noble is one of several stores that have refused to carry Amazon Publishing's books. Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

J.D. Salinger wrote nine letters and postcards to aspiring Canadian writer Marjorie Sheard. Graham Haber/The Morgan Library & Museum hide caption

Rachel Reynolds Luster became the Myrtle, Mo., librarian four months ago. The town rests in the rural Ozarks, about 5 miles north of the Arkansas state line. The nearest major bookstore is two hours away. Jennifer Davidson/KSMU hide caption

On both sides of the Atlantic, the 1920s saw strict gender roles bend — and break — as new kinds of relationships were tested in life and literature. Here, British actor Leslie Henson and his wife Madge Saunders show off the spirit of subversion in November 1920. Brooke/Getty Images hide caption

John Foster Dulles (right) is greeted by his brother Allen Welsh Dulles on his arrival at LaGuardia Field in New York City in 1948. Jacob Harris/AP hide caption

Malala Yousafzai speaks to NPR's Michel Martin while on tour for her new book, I Am Malala. Abbey Oldham/NPR hide caption

An employee walks through an aisle at Amazon.com's 1.2 million-square foot fulfillment center in Phoenix, Ariz., in November 2012. Ross D. Franklin/AP hide caption

Quill pen and ink iStockphoto.com hide caption