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
The Week's Best Stories From NPR Books This week: Meg Wolitzer's latest, Charles Frazier returns to the Civil War, the pressures of being the only black person in the room, a new Macbeth, and marriage-saving tips from a divorce lawyer.
Special Series
The Week's Best Stories From NPR Books
This week: Meg Wolitzer, Charles Frazier, Jo Nesbo, Nafissa Thompson-Spires and James Sexton.
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
Biography Doesn't Hold Back On Darkest Years Of 'The Man In Black'
J.D. Salinger wrote nine letters and postcards to aspiring Canadian writer Marjorie Sheard. Graham Haber/The Morgan Library & Museum hide caption
Pen Pal Of Young 'Jerry' Salinger May Have Been First To Meet Holden
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
What's Really Priceless? Art, Money And Fate In Tartt's 'Goldfinch'
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
One-Stop Shop: Jeff Bezos Wants You To Buy 'Everything' On Amazon
Quill pen and ink iStockphoto.com hide caption