Totally Booked with Zibby

David K. Israel, one of the contributors to my anthology On Being Jewish Now: Reflections from Authors and Advocates , has a quirky, dry sense of humor that permeates his latest release, The Lost Mozart . A composer, David shared fun details about his entry into the world of symphonies and sounds, how it felt to lose his home in the Palisades where we were neighbors, and the creativity involved in...

I loved this book! Couldn’t put it down. Join me in September  (9/15 at 7 pm ET) to discuss  When Lemons Give You Life  by Australian author Anna Johnston, whose prior novel,  The Secret Life of Frederick Fife,  is being adapted by Netflix. It’s about a retired Michelin-star chef who ends up at a nursing home, wondering if life is still worth living, who finds a new sense...

I don’t know what Jaclyn Moriarty’s parents did so right to raise a slew of brilliant women writers, but Jaclyn has a few ideas. Hear from her about the games her family played including sister Liane Moriarty, Big Little Lies , how she got the idea for the book on a bus ride, the lives not lived, and fate itself. The book is so fun; Jaclyn’s prose is so witty I continually chuckled as I read it. H...

Bestselling author Chris Bohjalian has written 26 books, including mega-bestsellers Oprah’s Book Club pick Midwives and The Flight Attendant , adapted into an Emmy-winning TV series — and yet he still worries that his next book won’t be any good. Isn’t it funny that even the greats of the field still worry?! But not to fear: Chris is no amateur and his latest book is thought-provoking, different,...

I reread (and listened to) one of my favorite books, When Breath Becomes Air , before speaking to late author Dr. Paul Kalanithi’s widow, Lucy. The book was as moving, thought-provoking, and immersive now as it was when I first inhaled it. It’s no surprise that the book spent 68 weeks on the New York Times nonfiction list and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Dr. Paul Kalinithi was obsessed...

The newly minted New York Times bestseller The Renoir Girls by Brit Catherine Ostler tells a hidden story of what really happened to the young girls in Renoir’s famous portraits. As it turns out, they were victims of the Holocaust. How could these high-society children have ended up suffering, one even at Auschwitz? The story digs into government, politics, hatred, antisemitism, art, family, wealt...

We can’t all completely start our lives over again. But Cece Downing, down on her luck, tries to do just that. An intriguing neighbor catches her attention. Antics ensue. Soon Wiley captures the interior life of a woman’s mind with brilliance (how does he do it?!) and depicts a turning point with literary prowess. We spoke about his upcoming move, his stage of life, the inspiration for the book, a...

I spoke to Sarah Vaughan about her riveting new novel, Based on a True Story (think: cliffside manor, a matriarch at her 70th birthday party, a secret, a threat). Her prior novel Anatomy of a Scandal was made into a Netflix show in 2022. But Sarah opened up about far more than the book. For the real true story, listen in.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Elisa Port, chief of breast surgery at Mount Sinai and one of the nation's leading breast cancer specialists, joins Zibby to discuss her compassionate new guide, The Breast Advice . Drawing on decades of clinical experience and the stories of real patients, Dr. Port shares the latest advances in breast cancer screening and treatment, dispels common myths, offers practical advice for reducing r...

Kate Doerge is a FORCE. When her daughter Penny passed away, Kate channeled her overwhelming grief into community building, giving back, and even her much-needed workouts. She opened up her home, even when Penny was dying, for all her teenage friends and family friends, to be a part of it. And that's when they saw the angel light in the driveway. Written in collaboration with past podcast guest Sa...

Elizabeth Jannuzzi and I spoke about her journey from being a high-functioning alcoholic who managed to hide her addiction from her family to a "sober mom." Liz shares her most shameful moments, the affair that almost blew up her marriage, and how she turned her life around. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’ve been a fan of Justin Halpern’s for years and have read all his hilarious, heartbreaking, original stories. His debut novel Get Lost is a new take on some themes he’s been writing about all along. And it’s funny! We talked about his screenwriting and how an encounter with Quinta Brunson on a studio lot changed everything. You can also watch his hilarious event at Zibby's Bookshop here!! Hosted...

Well, he said it. Prize-winning author Michael Cunningham opens up about his formative relationships as he teaches the reader what great writing looks like. I read his unforgettable novel The Hours for a now-defunct book club years ago. I couldn’t wait to discuss! A professor, Michael shares in the book and on the podcast, what his secrets are. By including sample paragraphs throughout, we pick up...

August Book Club Pick!! You might know bestselling author Matthew Quick from his blockbuster hit Silver Linings Playbook , which became an Academy Award-winning film. Now we not only get a behind-the-scenes look at his personal life, but also his professional struggles, something most accomplished authors don’t open up about. Matthew shares what happened after Hollywood lost interest and how he de...

Obsessed. Super obsessed. Can’t stop talking about this book and recommending it. I have to admit, my mother is the one who finally got me to read it. Apparently, Oprah selecting it last year paled in comparison to my mom! Culpability raises all sorts of questions about ethics, secrets, AI, family loyalties, success, and love. Bruce Holsinger and I discussed all of it, including how he completely...

I can’t stop thinking about my interview with #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva. Not only did we discuss the themes in his latest book Ransom (and his wife!), but we covered how he feels about the fact that men aren’t reading anymore. He discusses how women are all over the bestseller list right now and his concern going forward. Curious what you all think!  Hosted on Acast. S...

Jean Kwok ventured into writing fantasy after her own divorce, which we discuss, in addition to how she grew up working in sweatshops in Chinatown and ended up at Harvard. Jean, a Read with Jenna pick, is one of the most effusive, lovely authors who is constantly lifting others up.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You know who was probably excited when masked robbers invaded the Louvre? Just kidding. But Jo Piazza’s novel The Parisian Heist couldn’t be more timely! Hear from mega-bestselling author and host of Under the Influence Jo Piazza as we discuss the other Jo—Jo van Gogh, art, her own love of art history, forgotten women, and twisty reads.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa...

This is the third book I’ve interviewed Rachel Beanland about; I just love her writing. Did you know she won the National Jewish Book Award for debut fiction for Florence Adler Swims Forever? In The Half Life, she takes us to Sardinia into the military world where one young woman finds her way. We spoke about Rachel’s late father, her own experience growing up on military bases, how to really figu...

Emily Giffin is a legend in women’s fiction (and we discussed whether we like calling it women’s fiction). Love You More is yet another fabulous read. Emily and I went deep and spoke about her own divorce, the lifestage she’s in now that her kids are all off to college, and how essential a role writing plays in her life.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Searles was an editor at Cosmopolitan back in the Helen Gurley Brown days. That’s why he’s the perfect person to have written Single Girls , this juicy, page-turning read. John and I spoke about his own personal history of loss and how it related to Helen’s past, the evolution of magazines, why he was in the mood to deviate from his typical darker fiction, and how important coworkers really a...

New York Times bestselling author Jessica Knoll joined me live at the Whitby Hotel to discuss Helpless , her gripping new psychological thriller (her "slimmest, tightest novel yet") about a Hollywood power player forced to confront a toxic relationship from her past. Jessica shares how her own experiences informed her writing, reflects on the lasting impact of trauma (trigger warning: we discussed...

Zibby chats with Ben Reeves about EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL AND NOTHING HURT, an imaginative and deeply moving novel about finding beauty in the brevity of life, as narrated by the one who knows it best: Death. Zibby and Ben explore how a story about mortality ultimately becomes a celebration of life, love, family, and the fleeting moments that make our time meaningful. Ben shares the inspiration b...

Zibby welcomes back Robinne Lee to discuss CRASH INTO ME, a stunning, emotionally layered novel about identity, desire, beauty, race, and motherhood. Robinne shares how she moved beyond the success of THE IDEA OF YOU to write a fearlessly intimate story inspired by her own experiences living in Los Angeles and Paris, reflecting on beauty standards, interracial marriage, aging, privilege, and the p...

Zibby welcomes New York Times bestselling author Amanda Eyre Ward back on the podcast to discuss ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES , a transporting novel that reunites readers with the beloved family from THE JETSETTERS. Amanda shares the real-life inspiration behind the story—from interviewing romance scammers and drawing on her own experiences being scammed to writing about complicated family dynamics, me...