Bookstore sales rose 6.8%, to $1.19 billion, in October, according to preliminary estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. Total retail sales, led by car sales, increased 8.5% in October, the first time this year that the growth in bookstore sales was lower than that for the entire sector. For the first 10 months of the year, bookstore sales were up 10.1%, to $13.88 billion, while sales for all of retail increased 3.3%.