Totally Booked with Zibby

Broadway performer Mandy Gonzalez — who most recently appeared as Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton — joins Zibby to discuss her new middle-grade novel, Fearless, as well as how her own journey served as inspiration for the story. Mandy shares how she first fell in love with theater by listening to old records with her grandmother, when she realized she wanted to write a book like this for her fans, and why it's important for young artists to surround themselves with creativity. Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3uv3r46Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3wzZEUk** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I read books so that I could learn from those characters and what they decided to do with those obstacles in their lives. Now, I get to write those characters." Alka Joshi joins Zibby and shares how her latest book, The Secret Keeper of Jaipur, stemmed from her readers' requests for more stories about the characters in her first novel, The Henna Artist. Alka and Zibby also discuss why sometimes it's better to become a writer later in life and where we'll see Alka's characters in the trilogy's third and final book. Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3fVkgQqBookshop: https://bit.ly/3hYWxl0Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books has teamed up with Camp Slumberkins! Use code CAMPZIBBY for 15% off until July 31st!!** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zibby and her daughter interviewed author Saadia Faruqi about her latest book, A Thousand Questions, as part of the Washington Post KidsPost Summer Book Club. Although it's a middle-grade novel, Saadia hopes that readers of all ages will enjoy it and learn something about Pakistan. She talks with Zibby about why she wants to write books for kids about other cultures that go beyond news headlines, invite young readers to have complex conversations, and feature characters that are not often seen in books. Join the KidsPost Summer Book Club here: https://bit.ly/3vGgaByPurchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3gNTkCGBookshop: https://bit.ly/2TVc9fuMoms Don’t Have Time to Read Books has teamed up with Camp Slumberkins! Use code CAMPZIBBY for 15% off until July 31st!!** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"If we all operated in oak time, I think we'd be a lot calmer, a lot more chilled out." Naturalist and author James Canton explains to Zibby how he wanted to combine his academic background in wild writing with his experience as an ecologist to write a book about what humans can learn from oak trees. Through meditation, journaling, and historical research, James shows readers how to slow down and take time to really observe the world around us. Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3yLi7PNBookshop: https://bit.ly/3fQustx** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When #1 bestselling author and illustrator Peter Brown was younger, his mother found him trying on her makeup. He recalls that she reacted with a smile and helped him apply it properly, like an artist would. Peter explains to Zibby how he used this moment as inspiration for his latest picture book, Fred Gets Dressed, why he loves creating both picture and chapter books, and his advice to encourage creative children.Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3zsUE6nBookshop: https://bit.ly/35oSCqc** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When cartoonist and animator Liz Climo set out to write You're Dad — a hilarious follow-up to her book You're Mom — she realized she wanted to start a conversation. While You're Mom serves as more of a guide to parenting from someone who wanted one, You're Dad takes a look at the different sizes and shapes families can come in. Liz talks with Zibby about her career in both animation and illustration, how to encourage children when they display a passion for art, and The Simpsons' uncanny ability to predict the future.Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/2SAacogBookshop: https://bit.ly/3wuhnNo** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zibby is joined by Joanna Rakoff, author of the memoir My Salinger Year, which details the year she worked at the literary agency that represented J.D. Salinger. From responding to Salinger's fan mail to essentially running the agency when her boss suffered a personal tragedy, Joanna shares countless unbelievable stories — including one about the secrets her family kept hidden from her for decades. Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3frWRqABookshop: https://bit.ly/3wXKSrx** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"The problem with most biographies is that the subjects are made out to be god-like. I really wanted to make these three-dimensional characters." Journalist and author Olivia Campbell joins Zibby to discuss her new book, Women in White Coats. Olivia shares the traumatic experiences that inspired her to research the women who changed the world of medicine, and how those same experiences led the earliest female doctors to pursue their careers.Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3wL567fBookshop: https://bit.ly/3wFYIOp** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alexandra Andrews joins Zibby for an impromptu therapy session and conversation about her debut novel, Who is Maud Dixon? The two joke about how many drafts of the story Alexandra wrote before reaching publication, why she hates when other writers say they hate writing, and what it's like being married to another author.Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3uuG76uBookshop: https://bit.ly/3yVcCye** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Journalist and author Genevieve Gannon explains to Zibby how her latest novel, The Mothers, started as a failed newspaper article pitch about two families and an IVF mix up. She continues on to discuss why it's important for women to talk publicly about experiences with IVF and miscarriages, the influence her career in journalism has had on her novels, and how she outlined the characters to allow the story to focus on —you guessed it— the mothers.Purchase a copy on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3yJ9pBCBookshop: https://bit.ly/3vBqpbe** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zibby is joined by bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe who has not one but three books coming out this year. Mary Alice shares how her own quarantine experience influenced the way the COVID-19 pandemic was explored in her book The Summer of Lost and Found, why her middle-grade novel, The Islanders, was written to help kids unplug, and the significance of writing a story for Reunion Beach to honor Dorothea Benton Frank.Purchase & Pre-Order on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3fPPvMEBookshop: https://bit.ly/3yVbCKuThe Islanders: https://amzn.to/3iOepQ5** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I didn't want to be preachy. I wanted to be me, who is not perfect and a friend, and give that out into the world." Writer and producer Quinta Brunson wanted the essays in her new book, She Memes Well, to display her personal growth parallel to the development of the Internet where she first began her career in comedy. She talks with Zibby about how writing the book allowed her to explore her relationships with her mother and what thinking critically about the Internet made her realize about life offline.Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/34xmmAt Bookshop: https://bit.ly/2SzuQoj** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Raakhee Mirchandani and Holly Hatam, the author and illustrator duo behind the picture book, Hair Twins, joined Zibby over IG Live to talk about their book and so much more!Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/2TGB0U7Bookshop: https://bit.ly/34IENlR** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chris Bohjalian, author of Hour of the Witch and The Flight Attendant (which was adapted for the hit HBO miniseries), recently talked with Zibby over IG Live— released here as a special episode. Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop. Amazon: https://amzn.to/3uOLoWABookshop: https://bit.ly/3fIFYbT** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zibby spoke with Susan Groner, author of Parenting with Sanity and Joy: 101 Simple Strategies, via IG Live— and we’re now releasing the event’s audio as a special episode!Purchase on Amazon or BookshopAmazon: https://amzn.to/2S6rs48Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3vPDLjT** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jenny Lee joined Zibby on a recent IG Live —released here as a podcast— to discuss her latest novel, Anna K Away, the sequel to her bestselling book, Anna K.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3g5kJ2xBookshop: https://bit.ly/3wwZiP6** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zibby recently moderated a conversation with Judy Batalion to once again discuss her novel, The Light of Days, as a part of series with the UJA-Federation of New York.Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3g5kJ2xBookshop: https://bit.ly/3wwZiP6** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emiko Jean realized that although she had always been a voracious reader, she never believed that she could be a writer because she had never read a YA book written by a Japanese American like herself while she was growing up. Now, Emiko is only just beginning to tell the kinds of stories she wants to see more of in the world. Her latest book, Tokyo Ever After, features a protagonist descended from Japanese royalty and was written to be a lighthearted and joyful read.Purchase a copy on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3urtw3TBookshop: https://bit.ly/3i7dMjU** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Journalist and author Denene Millner is living every writer's dream: her imprint, Denene Millner Books, has just released their first season of books with Simon & Schuster. Focusing on stories for children that celebrate Black families and firsts, Denene has begun to cultivate a community and a platform just as she did when she started her column, My Brown Baby. She talks with Zibby about finding time for her own writing while serving as a doula for others' projects, and the role her own family plays in the stories she wants to tell.https://simonandschusterpublishing.com/denenemillnerbooks/** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When author Hannah Mary McKinnon experienced a professional failure, she realized she had an opportunity to pursue what she had always wanted to do: write a book. With her fifth book now out, it's clear that everything works out for a reason. Hannah's latest novel, You Will Remember Me, was inspired by a news story about a man who suffered retrograde amnesia and what happens to the people in his life that he forgot.Purchase a copy on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ywnyCgBookshop: https://bit.ly/3bIEivZ** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I was left with an outline and a mission and the question of, 'Do I continue with this thing?' What does it mean to write a book with somebody who was so well-known and so beloved and who is no longer here?" Zibby is joined by Laurie Woolever, assistant to the late Anthony Bourdain and co-writer of their new atlas guide, World Travel. Laurie talks with Zibby about what the world was like in Bourdain's orbit, how their guide manages to capture all of his irreverence, and the mark he's left behind on the global culinary community.Purchase on Amazon and Bookshop: Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xumT3p Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3nnoxiU** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jen Spyra, a former writer for The Onion and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, joins Zibby to talk about her new book of short stories, Big Time. Jen shares how she wanted to write stories that weren't TV-friendly (and that wouldn't be rejected in a writer's room), as well as how she drew inspiration by recalling events from her life and asking, "What if this had turned out differently?"Amazon: https://amzn.to/3oDHEG5Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3yA45Rc** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"When I'm drawing pictures for children in picture books, I know they're going to get stuff that maybe they don't have the actual vocabulary to articulate, but they will take in the story on a really deep level." Zibby talks with Marla Frazee, the author, and illustrator for favorites like Boss Baby and The Farmer and the Circus, about how she always knew she wanted to work with picture books. Marla also shares how adult emotions like heartbreak have inspired her children's books and the advice she tries to pass on to all of the artists who take her illustration class.Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop:Amazon: https://amzn.to/348cCg4Bookshop: https://bit.ly/2SiYRsl** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zibby is joined by three very special guest hosts to interview Meredith Badger and Hilary Rogers, the duo behind Maddy Mara. Zibby and her kids ask about how the pair began their partnership, what it's like writing together while in different parts of the world, and how many Dragon Girls books they plan to write.Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vo8wwnBookshop: https://bit.ly/3hZ53AB** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former magazine editor and teacher Lindsey Palmer joins Zibby to discuss how her engagement —and the period of life when she felt like everyone was getting engaged and married— inspired her latest novel, aptly named Otherwise Engaged. The two talk about Lindsey's creative approach to writing universal experiences, the ways in which the feedback she received on her past two novels inspired elements of her third, and how the book's cover is truly just the surface.Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/2T9NKSKBookshop: https://bit.ly/2RD6Al5** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Naima Coster's latest novel, What’s Mine and Yours, was an instant New York Times bestseller, not to mention both a Read with Jenna and Book of the Month Club pick. Naima talks with Zibby about the ways in which her intergenerational trauma has led her to write more optimistic familial dynamics, how it took her two years of deferring medical school to admit she wanted to be a writer, and why her self-doubt is essential to her writing process.Purchase a copy on Amazon or BookshopAmazon: https://amzn.to/2SePJEYBookshop: https://bit.ly/3ysUKue** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"What would you do if the one who got away came back?” This question inspired Tia Williams’ latest novel, Seven Days in June. She talks with Zibby about the invisible struggle of living with debilitating chronic pain and discusses how the publishing landscape is changing for black voices.Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ws4K5iBookshop: https://bit.ly/3bHp7Dx** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rainbow Milk author Paul Mendez sits down with Zibby to discuss how his “story of overcoming indoctrination” came to be. He details the role method acting played in his character creation, the story’s parallels to his own life, and the Windrush generation that served as the novel’s inspiration. Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3oZocUwBookshop: https://bit.ly/3chSGfl** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Danielle Henderson talks with Zibby about her incredibly moving new memoir, The Ugly Cry. She details how reading helped her cope, shares her present-day family dynamics, and explains the roundabout way she ended up writing for television.  Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3yMFcBBBookshop: https://bit.ly/2RSkf7F** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zibby is joined by Chief People Officer for Allbirds Laila Tarraf to discuss how three significant losses made her reconcile the tenderness of her personal life with the strength she had acquired in the business world. Laila shares the most valuable lessons she's learned from her bosses through the years, and how combining courage and compassion may be the most advantageous thing you can do for both your personal and professional personas.Purchase a copy on Amazon or Bookshop:Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xrzZ1uBookshop: https://bit.ly/2S3sEF7** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even before Cheryl Espinosa-Jones' first wife died, she knew she wanted to become a therapist and grief counselor to help others process the struggles that they may be going through. Now with her successful podcast, Good Grief, and her book, An Ocean Between Them, Cheryl is continuously working towards healing others and herself.Purchase a copy on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3hVscUoBookshop: https://bit.ly/3fTY7Si** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just like you can't judge a book by its cover, you can never tell a person's story by looking at them. Samantha Hart has led an illustrious career working on marketing campaigns for movies and music, but her memoir, Blind Pony, paints a different picture as it details the abuse and trauma she endured in her childhood. Samantha shares how her struggles have led to her success and why writing this book was so cathartic.Purchase a copy on Amazon or Bookshop. Amazon: https://amzn.to/3pnGM8LBookshop: https://bit.ly/3uIZtF6** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"The shape of our lives makes a difference in the end. I'd like to die knowing a little bit about what this has all been about." Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Russo talks with Zibby about the intimate family histories that he explored in his latest book, Marriage Story, a Scribd Original. Richard shares what he learned about his maternal grandmother that uprooted some of his childhood memories, why he believes his writing has a narrow scope, and how he approached writing during the pandemic.Subscribe to Scribd to read the piece at https://www.scribd.com/book/500811718/Marriage-Story** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2006, Lee Woodruff's husband Bob Woodruff —a prominent ABC news anchor at the time— was severely injured while reporting on the war in Iraq. Immediately, life changed for their family and Lee began to document everything, partially as a recounting of events for Bob if he survived and partially as a history for their four children if he didn't. Lee talks with Zibby about what life was like while writing her 2007 book, In An Instant, and what life has been like for her, Bob, and their family in the years since its publication.Purchase a copy on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3cbEOTJBookshop: https://bit.ly/3wMXqRQ** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"It doesn't take a psychiatrist to see what Shakespeare has done there: he's allowed his son to live." Novelist Maggie O'Farrell has been fascinated by Shakespeare's son, Hamnet, since she was in high school and decided it was time for the rest of the world to learn of his story. Maggie tells Zibby about the years of research that went into weaving a fictionalized account of how the Shakespeares handled the grief of losing a child, and encourages listeners to reread Hamlet with fresh eyes.Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop:Amazon: https://amzn.to/3voE7y5 Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3yvblO6** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lisa and Zibby fangirl over their admiration for one another as well as for Lisa's latest historical novel, Eternal, which continues to receive phenomenal reviews. Set in Rome over the span of 20 years, the story captures a love triangle between three characters coming of age during the weight of fascism. The two discuss how Lisa's failures still fuel her work ethic today, why this book feels like it might be Lisa's magnum opus, and, of course, their shared attraction to the novel's male leads.Purchase a copy on Amazon or Bookshop:Amazon: https://amzn.to/2SqkFSLBookshop: https://bit.ly/3bQPjvC** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When dancer and choreographer Dacía James Lewis looked back over the journal entries she wrote during a season of infertility and struggles, she knew she had a story that could help other women feel less alone. Through her faith and with a supportive partner by her side, Dacía weathered that storm of hopelessness and is now sharing her story to inspire those who might be going through their own struggle, too.Purchase a copy on Amazon or Bookshop: Amazon: https://amzn.to/348KKbMBookshop: https://bit.ly/3ucYVa2** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I wanted to cultivate a life where when I looked in the mirror, I wasn't ashamed of what I saw." Sarah Jakes Roberts shares her journey from becoming a mother at fourteen to a New York Times bestselling author set on empowering other women. After rediscovering her spirituality, Sarah connected deeply with Eve and has since used her biblical story to encourage women to find their own redemption narratives in her latest book.Purchase a copy on Amazon or Bookshop:Amazon: https://amzn.to/3bTUD18Bookshop: https://bit.ly/34htReX** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zibby is joined by Wendy Francis to discuss her latest novel which is all about love in the summertime— but with a twist!! Inspired by the real Wentworth By the Sea hotel, Wendy weaves together multiple storylines to create wonderfully thrilling love stories.Purchase a copy of the book on Amazon or Bookshop:Amazon: https://amzn.to/3u9sMRTBookshop: https://bit.ly/32VmsRT** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lawyer and co-host of The View Sunny Hostin joins Zibby to discuss her debut novel, Summer on the Bluffs. Sunny reveals how she set up a writers room of friends to help workshop the book, why she chose to feature this specific house on the cover, and the ways in which her own battle with infertility inspired elements of her story.Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop: Amazon: https://amzn.to/3fb4924Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3u9ICLh** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author and screenwriter Paul Rudnick joins Zibby to talk about his latest novel, Playing the Palace. Paul shares why he wanted to write a gay romance novel rather than a coming out story, how the changing dynamics of the royal family launched by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle helped inspire this book, and what the significance of IHOP is to both him and his characters.Purchase a copy on Amazon or Bookshop:Amazon: https://amzn.to/346rLyjBookshop: https://bit.ly/2Slgojl** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zibby moderated a conversation with actress Tovah Feldshuh about her memoir, Lilyville, as part of the Authors in Conversation @ Home series with the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC in Houston. Tovah answered questions about both her story and her mother's, what her experience was like as a first-time writer, and why she decided to structure her memoir as though it were a theatrical performance.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3sVVgNpBookshop: https://bit.ly/2R6lcII** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hadassah Lieberman piques Zibby's interest in transgenerational trauma in today's episode as she recounts the need she felt to share her family story. Born to Holocaust survivors and married to a former U.S. Senator, Hadassah has had an extraordinary life and carries the weight of others' narratives with her: after finding and translating her mother's diary, she knew this memoir could not be just hers alone.Purchase a copy of the book on Amazon or Bookshop: Amazon: https://amzn.to/3eyxeD4 Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3sRajbf** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When former ESPN reporter Kate Fagan's father was diagnosed with ALS, she knew she had to make some changes in her life in order to show up for her family. Despite the wall that had grown between Kate and her father after years of things left unsaid, the two find their way back to their old dynamic, learning some new life lessons along the way.Purchase a copy of the book on Amazon or Bookshop:Amazon: https://amzn.to/3u8XQ31Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3vbfnct** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Beard Award-winning chef Kwame Onwuachi opens up to Zibby about the events that shaped his life and went into his memoir, Notes from a Young Black Chef. He shares how he manages to maintain his positive mindset every day, why his approach to food, fashion, and nail polish is all the same, and the responsibility he feels to share his unique story with the world.Purchase a copy of the book on Amazon or Bookshop:Amazon: https://amzn.to/2SiIgViBookshop: https://bit.ly/3wEBdWb** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zibby moderated a conversation between Emmy-nominated comedy writer, Bess Kalb, and author of I Am My Mother’s Daughter, Dana Kurtz, as part of the Florida JCC's Author Series. The recorded panel, released here as a podcast, focuses on how Bess and Dana both processed the grief of losing the most influential female figures in their lives through writing as well as the lessons that have been collectively passed down through generations of Jewish women.Purchase your copies on Amazon or Bookshop:Amazon Dara: https://amzn.to/2Sm4Yw4Bookshop Dara: https://bit.ly/3wonq5OAmazon Bess: https://amzn.to/2SlnqocBookshop Bess: https://bit.ly/3vbetwB** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The bestselling author of The Devil Wears Prada, which became a smash box office hit with Meryl Streep and is now in development with Elton John and Paul Rudnick as a Broadway musical, Lauren Weisberger launched her latest — and already bestselling! — novel with Zibby at a Barnes & Noble virtual event. And they did it in person! They discussed sisterhood, breaching trust, suburbs vs. the city, the college admissions scandal, and how Lauren coped with the success of her first novel in her early twenties. There were a lot of laughs!Purchase a copy on Amazon or Bookshop: Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ur2Ss4Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3wBj4by** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zibby did a Facebook Live with bestselling author Jennifer Weiner to celebrate the launch of her latest summer read, That Summer. Jen recently lost both her mother and her father-in-law. She and Zibby discussed the illness, how blindsided she was by its speed and ferocity, how she’s managing a book launch through it all, and the parts of their mental make-ups they’d prefer their daughters didn’t inherit.Purchase your copy on Amazon or Bookshop:Amazon: https://amzn.to/2RCPwLTBookshop: https://bit.ly/3fB3Qwt** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christine Mangan walks Zibby through her worldly life story and how her experiences have directly led to a number of plot points in her writing. The two discuss the inspiration for Christine's latest novel, Palace of the Drowned, and why she wanted to write empowered female characters in a story set during the 1960s.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3utB5avBookshop: https://bit.ly/2Tk5CdL** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rebecca Starford tells Zibby all about her new book, The Unlikely Spy, from the obituary that inspired her protagonist to the four years it took to research and write the historical novel, and what it has been like to work on a book like this during the last four years of global affairs.Amazon: https://amzn.to/2RCfXS1Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3yCkbcQ** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.