1.   Bezos attributed the slowdown in online book sales partly to a slowdown in the pace of new consumers connecting to the Internet.

2.   After five years of astonishing growth, the heyday of online book sales has apparently ended, and some book publishers are already beginning to miss it.

3.   Brian Bell, a spokesman for netLibrary.com, a Boulder, Colo., online book distributor, reported no overload problems.

4.   But some analysts warn that the slowdown in online book sales bodes ill for sales of other products that are not as well suited for Internet transactions.

5.   Earlier this year, the company acknowledged that growth in online book sales had diminished.

6.   He said the decline in independent stores has other causes, such as competition from online book services.

7.   Part of the appeal of online book discussion groups is the anonymity, but some book clubs still want face-to-face contact.

8.   Still, he said he remained confident that online book sales would continue to grow, especially if electronic books take off.

9.   The New York Times maintains links between its online book review and Barnesandnoble.com, receiving commissions for sales.

10.   The program is another swat at Amazon, the pioneer of online book vendors.