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GiveNOLA Day is TODAY! Give to your favorite local nonprofits (like WWNO) right now — remember, all gifts get bumped up by the Lagniappe Fund!

The Reading Life: Rory O'Neill Schmitt and Rosary O’Neill

Susan Larson talks with Rory O'Neill Schmitt and Rosary O’Neill whose new book is Kate Chopin in New Orleans.

Here’s what’s on tap in the literary life this week:

Celebrate Independent Bookstore DaySaturday, April 27, at your favorite indie bookstore. Seven participating bookstores -- Octavia BooksBaldwin & Co.Blue Cypress Books, Community Book Center, Frenchman Art & Books, Garden District Bookstorefor a city-wide literary "crawl" with a chance at a grand prize of giftcards for those who visit and get their IBD "passport" stamped at all seven participating bookstores

This year, the New Orleans Passport Challenge will take place over two weeks instead of just one day! One lucky reader will win a gift card from each of the participating stores. Readers have from Saturday, April 27 until Saturday, May 11 to visit all seven stores.

Tubby & Coo’s is opening a spot inside The Good Shop at 1114 Josephine St. The grand opening celebration in conjunction with Independent Bookstore Day on Saturday, April 27 from 11a.m. – 6 p.m. Events include a book signing from TQ Sims and Chris Clarkson, and pop-ups from local artist and author Alexis Braud (who cowrote Carnival of Creatures with Candice Huber!) and Little Ghost Co.

Leslie Hebert Helakoski signs “When the Rain Came Down: and “Gator’s Big Mouth,” Saturday, April 27, at 11 a.m. at Octavia Books.

TQ Sims discusses his novel, “Godspeed, Lovers” with journalist Tracey Anne Duncan, Tuesday, April 30th at 6:30 p.m. at Blue Cypress Books.

Coming up:

The BLK INK Book Festival returns for its second year Saturday, May 11, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the City Park Pavilion of the Two Sisters. There will be 75 participating authors representing a diverse range of genres. Featured guests include Farrah Rochon, Alex Jennings, Mona Lisa Saloy, and Kalamu ya Salaam. Admission is free but please preregister with Eventbrite.

The Reading Life in 2010, Susan Larson was the book editor for The New Orleans Times-Picayune from 1988-2009. She has served on the boards of the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival and the New Orleans Public Library. She is the founder of the New Orleans chapter of the Women's National Book Association, which presents the annual Diana Pinckley Prizes for Crime Fiction.. In 2007, she received the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities lifetime achievement award for her contributions to the literary community. She is also the author of The Booklover's Guide to New Orleans. If you run into her in a local bookstore or library, she'll be happy to suggest something you should read. She thinks New Orleans is the best literary town in the world, and she reads about a book a day.