Totally Booked with Zibby

Zibby chats with bestselling author and speaker Amber Rae about her deeply intimate, raw, and courageous memoir, LOVEABLE: One Woman’s Path from Good to Free. Amber shares the emotional journey behind her decision to leave a “good on paper” marriage in pursuit of true connection and joy. (While building a home with her husband in Mexico, she met the man she knew she was meant to spend the rest of...

Totally Booked: LIVE! In this special episode of the podcast (in-person at the Whitby Hotel with a live audience!), Zibby interviews bestselling author Emma Rosenblum about her delicious, addictive, and slyly observed new novel, MEAN MOMS. Known for her sharp wit and insider takes on elite social circles, Emma dives into the world of competitive moms at a NYC private school, where one mysterious n...

Zibby interviews anthology co-editors Lee Kofman and Tamar Paluch about RUPTURED, a powerful collection from thirty-six Australian Jewish women responding to the October 7 attacks and the surge of antisemitism that followed. Tamar shares the grassroots origins of the project, born from women-led activism, while Lee discusses her personal experience with doxing and the painful silencing of Jewish v...

Zibby welcomes debut author Kate Hash to discuss GRACIE HARRIS IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, a resplendent, moving love story that unfolds for tenderhearted Gracie—a mom of two and recent widow—as she navigates grief, reinvention, and second chances. The two dive into Kate’s unexpected journey to becoming a published author, the personal experiences that informed her portrayal of loss, and the book’s lay...

Mary Catherine Starr, the artist behind the @momlife_comics Instagram account, chats with Zibby about her utterly hilarious and relatable illustrated memoir about modern motherhood, MAMA NEEDS A MINUTE! Mary opens up about the emotional toll of early parenthood, the sleep deprivation that rocked her first year as a mom, and the mental load that continues to weigh on mothers today. She also shares...

Zibby welcomes acclaimed poet and debut novelist Yrsa Daley-Ward to discuss THE CATCH, a darkly whimsical, riveting tale of women daring to live and create with impunity—and the inaugural novel in the Well-Read Black Girl Books series. Yrsa delves into the story, which follows two estranged sisters whose lives are upended when one believes she sees their mother, who was long presumed dead. Yrsa to...

Bestselling author Katie Sise returns to the podcast to discuss YOU MUST BE NEW HERE, a dark and twisty suspense novel about a friendship that is put to the test when a young woman disappears from a quiet community. Katie dives into her novel’s themes of intoxicating, magnetic friendships; motherhood; divorce; and the emotional weight of raising a medically fragile child. She also shares how her o...

Totally Booked: LIVE! In this special episode of the podcast (in-person at the Whitby Hotel with a live audience!), Zibby interviews debut author Kate Broad about her stunning, fast-paced, atmospheric novel, GREENWICH. The story centers on Rachel, a 17-year-old navigating a pivotal summer in the opulent world of Greenwich, Connecticut, where a terrible accident forces her to make a life-altering d...

Zibby welcomes Adam Met—musician, climate activist, academic, and now author—to discuss his powerful new book AMPLIFY: How to Use the Power of Connection to Engage, Take Action, and Build a Better World. Best known as a member of the band AJR, Adam shares how his journey from indie musician to arena headliner taught him the secrets of building a passionate fanbase, which he now applies to activism...

Debut author Emma Pei Yin chats with Zibby about her remarkable and harrowing new novel, WHEN SLEEPING WOMEN WAKE. Set in Japanese-occupied Hong Kong during WWII, the book follows the gripping journey of a mother, daughter, and maid as they struggle to reunite after being torn apart by the war. Emma shares the personal family history that inspired the novel, including stories from her grandfather,...

Zibby interviews internationally renowned pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. David I. Sandberg about BRAIN AND HEART, a warm, brilliant, and unforgettable memoir that captures the medical and emotional intensity of pediatric neurosurgery. David touches on navigating difficult conversations with families, his experiences performing surgery in low-resource countries like Haiti, and the toll—and joy—of...

Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Judy Collins joins Zibby to discuss SOMETIMES IT’S HEAVEN: Poems of Love, Loss, and Redemption, a timeless, bold, and vulnerable collection of poetry that captures the ethereal and inspiring nature of her artistry in an all-new way. Judy reveals how the death of her son and recent loss of her husband inspired her writing—and how she channeled grief, memo...

New York Times  bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz chats with Zibby about her entertaining and poignant new novel, WHEN STARS ALIGN, published under Mindy Kaling’s imprint at Amazon! Inspired by an iconic early-2000s photo of Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, and Britney Spears, the book explores friendship, fame, and identity through the intertwined stories of three starlets navigating the dar...

Zibby chats with author Scott Johnston about his provocative, satirical new novel, THE SANDERSONS FAIL MANHATTAN. Set in the elite world of New York’s Upper East Side, the story follows the unraveling of a seemingly perfect family as they collide with modern cultural and educational upheaval. Scott shares the inspiration behind the book—from viral blog posts about private school politics to real-l...

Zibby is joined by beloved #1  New York Times  bestselling author and illustrator Peter Brown to discuss THE WILD ROBOT ON THE ISLAND, a stunning new picture book that brings the origin story of Roz to life through full-color illustrations. Peter reflects on the evolution of  The Wild Robot  series—from his early doubts as a first-time novelist to the global phenomenon it...

New York Times  bestselling author Jo Piazza returns to the podcast, this time to discuss her explosive new #tradwife murder mystery, EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU. Jo describes her deep dive into the “trad wife” influencer phenomenon and shares how motherhood, friendship breakups, modern identity, and the glossy but unsettling world of social media shaped this novel. She also explores the blurred...

Author Amy Blumenfeld returns to the podcast to discuss her new novel, SUCH GOOD PEOPLE, a masterfully crafted and nuanced story about a decades-long friendship tested by loyalty, justice, and the ripple effects of one life-altering decision. Amy shares her inspiration for this novel, from growing up with a criminal court judge father to uncovering story ideas in unlikely places (like a halfway ho...

Zibby interviews author Loretta Rothschild about her strikingly original and deeply moving debut, FINDING GRACE. The two discuss the book’s intoxicating blend of sweeping love story and emotional thriller, its nuanced exploration of grief, motherhood, secrets, and identity, and the unforgettable narrator, Anna. Loretta opens up about her creative process, the long road to finishing the novel, and...

Zibby chats with bestselling author Jennifer Pastiloff about her powerful and invigorating new book, PROOF OF LIFE: Let Go, Let Love, and Stop Looking for Permission to Live Your Life. Jennifer opens up about her progressive hearing loss, the emotional weight of shame, the importance of embracing imperfection, and the courage it takes to start over. Together, she and Zibby explore the magic of syn...

New York Times  bestselling author Adriana Trigiani returns to the podcast to discuss her effervescent and big-hearted new book, THE VIEW FROM LAKE COMO. The two dive into the novel’s surprising New Jersey setting (yes,  that  Lake Como) and the emotional journey of protagonist Jess Capodimonte Baratta, an Italian-American woman rebuilding her life and identity after divorce, f...

Bestselling author Christine Pride returns to the podcast, this time to discuss her dazzling, unputdownable solo debut novel, ALL THE MEN I’VE LOVED AGAIN, which follows a woman in the impossible situation of being in love with the same two men who won her heart in her early 20s… as she nears 40. Christine delves into the novel’s themes of lost love, second chances, friendship, grief, and identity...

Zibby chats with Argentine-American writer, comedian, and ex-child star Tamara Yajia about her wildly unhinged, hilarious, and vulnerable debut memoir, CRY FOR ME, ARGENTINA: My Life as a Failed Child Star. They dive into Tamara’s raw, no-holds-barred memoir chronicling her tumultuous upbringing between Argentina and the U.S., her chaotic family dynamics, her early brushes with fame, and the...

In this special episode (a live podcast at Zibby’s Bookshop!), Zibby welcomes Grammy Award-winning musician, author, and father of seven, Ziggy Marley, to discuss his latest children’s book, PAJAMMIN’. Inspired by the playful songs he created for his own children at bedtime, PAJAMMIN’ turns nightly routines into musical adventures. Ziggy shares his philosophy on parenting by example, the deeper pu...

Zibby interviews renowned orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Erin Nance, about her thought-provoking and revealing debut essay collection, LITTLE MISS DIAGNOSED: A Surgeon’s Guide to Breaking Bones and Bending Rules, which offers a raw, unfiltered look into the exhilarating but complicated world of healthcare. Dr. Erin Nance shares her journey in medicine, from her first day on the job treating her brother a...

Totally Booked: LIVE! In this special episode of the podcast (in-person at the Whitby Hotel with a live audience!), Zibby interviews debut author (and creative force behind @nycbookgirl), Morgan Pager, about THE ART OF VANISHING, a wildly inventive and deeply moving love story between a museum employee and the man in a masterpiece hanging on the walls. Morgan delves into her journey from Broadway...