According to a release from the Association of American Publishers, book sales for the month of September decreased by 2.0 percent—which puts the figures for the first three quarters of 2008 1.5 percent the comparable time period from the previous year. Adult books went down across the board; hardcovers dropped by nearly 30 percent for the month (9.2 percent for the year), while paperbacks went down 8.6 percent (but are still up 6.9 percent for the year). In the children's section, meanwhile, hardcover sales shot up 41.9 percent for the month, though they're down 26.3 percent from the Potter-filled climate of 2007.

There is one significant jump: E-books sales rose 77.8 percent for the month, and have increased 55.2 percent so far in 2008. Before you get your hopes up, though, keep in mind that those September sales represent just $5.1 million of a $1.062 billion playing field.