Independent Book Store Day

Groucho Marx once noted that, outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend (and inside the dog it's too dark to read). Damned if he wasn't right. Some of our best friends are in books, because a great story never lets you down. Today Left Bank Books (399 North Euclid Avenue; www.left-bank.com) and Subterranean Books (6275 Delmar Boulevard; www.subbooks.com) both celebrate Independent Bookstore Day, which means we get to honor these fantastic bookeries and their contributions to the city's cultural life. Left Bank gets going at 10 a.m. with limited edition merchandise for sale, teatime for tots, a photobooth and YA author Antony John, who will critique your British accent from 1 to 2 p.m. Over at Subterranean the party starts at 11 a.m. Festivities include poetry written on demand, micro-story writing and the creation of a literary exquisite corpse (many people blindly adding a section to a story-in-progress). You can also get your picture taken with Teddy, Subby's bookselling dog (check out his recommended books; he knows his stuff). Admission to both parties is free, but bring money to buy books.