COVER STORY - Hit the town, read a book - A salon in a saloon? L.A. book fans are getting lit in a whole new way.

FOR far too long, Los Angeles -- the largest book-buying market in the country -- was stuck with an undeserved reputation as a cultural wasteland where nobody reads. It was a ludicrous put-down, given L.A.'s well-documented literary pedigree as home to a multitude of talents both native (Ray Bradbury, Charles Bukowski) and imported (F. Scott Fitzgerald, Evelyn Waugh, William Faulkner). But the truth can no longer be denied. L.A.'s lit scene continues to grow and thrive, powered by a battalion of independent bookstores, small presses, writing programs and blogs.

"People dismissed L.A. as a serious literary presence because it's hard to pin down," says Los Angeles Times Book Review editor David L. Ulin. "It doesn't have a central, edifying sensibility here the way other cities do -- it has multitudes." But there's an upside to not being taken seriously, Ulin adds. "It allowed people to explore things they wouldn't if a lot of people were paying attention."

On a recent Sunday night, an enthusiastic throng has crammed into the M Bar in Hollywood for another group's literary event. WordTheatre features marquee-name actors reading the work of well-known writers. This particular evening's theme was "Novel Beginnings," and its lineup included actor James Franco ("Spider-Man 3"), reading a chapter from "Five Skies," Ron Carlson's first novel in 25 years.