Online bookseller Amazon.com reported a shrinking net loss for the third quarter ended September 30 of $8.5 million, or 36 cents per share, compared with a net loss of $2.4 million, or 10 cents per share, for the same quarter last year. The company's online book sales increased over sales from the previous quarter by 36 percent, to $37.9 million. Sales increased 808 percent over sales from the same quarter in 1996.