Totally Booked with Zibby

Author Sarah LaBrie joins Zibby to discuss her spellbinding, harrowing new memoir, NO ONE GETS TO FALL APART. Sarah shares how a period of profound pain and self-discovery led her to come to terms with her mother’s schizophrenia, find therapeutic resources, and start crafting this book. She reflects on her childhood, which was marked by an all-consuming closeness to her mom, and then touches on he...

Zibby chats with debut author Julie Fingersh about her warm, witty, and beautifully written memoir, STAY: A Story of Family, Love, and Other Traumas. Julie and Zibby discuss the book's themes, from parenting adult children and the challenges of middle age to women’s ambitions and self-perception and confronting the lingering effects of past trauma. Julie also opens up about her brother’s struggle...

Author Susan Rieger joins Zibby to discuss LIKE MOTHER, LIKE MOTHER, an enthralling novel about three generations of strong-willed women unknowingly shaped by the secrets buried in their family’s past. Susan describes how her own family secrets and complex relationship with her mother inspired this story and its central character, Lila, a brilliant, career-focused executive editor at a major newsp...

Zibby Books author alert! Zibby welcomes back bestselling Australian author Emma Grey to discuss PICTURES OF YOU, a stunning, urgent, profoundly affecting novel about a woman who wakes up in a hospital bed after an accident with the mind of her 16-year-old self… and must confront the life and choices she doesn’t recognize now, at 29. Emma and Zibby dive into the novel’s themes of toxic relationshi...

Zibby chats with beloved actress Judy Greer about THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER, the new Christmas comedy-drama film based on the classic 1972 children’s book by Barbara Robinson. Judy delves into her role (the mom!), describing how her own mother’s work ethic, resilience, and community involvement have shaped her personally and on set. She and Zibby also talk about her career—particularly her s...

Zibby chats with author Nikkya Hargrove about MAMA, a searing, heart-filled memoir about a young Black queer woman fresh out of college who adopts her baby brother after their incarcerated mother dies, determined to create the kind of family she never had. Nikkya shares what it was like to raise her half-brother, Jonathan, delving into the challenges of balancing her own aspirations with the serio...

Writer and playwright Cherry Lou Sy chats with Zibby about LOVE CAN’T FEED YOU, a beautiful, tender, searing debut novel that follows a young woman who immigrates to the United States from the Philippines to reunite with her mother and finds herself adrift between familial expectations and her own burning desires. While discussing the themes of identity, sacrifice, and the disillusionment of the A...

Zibby is joined by Meredith Seacrest Leach to discuss THE MAKE-BELIEVERS, the delightful picture book she co-wrote with her brother, America’s favorite host and media personality, Ryan Seacrest. Meredith reveals that her daughter, Flora, inspired the story, which explores the surprising strengths of a child’s wild, wonderful imagination. She also touches on the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, which prov...

Zibby interviews venture capitalist, political strategist, philanthropist, and founder of the Mobile Voting Project, Bradley Tusk, about his deeply informative and timely analysis of the American voting system, VOTE WITH YOUR PHONE. Bradley shares his passion for improving democracy and making voting more accessible through mobile voting, revealing he has invested $20 million to create secure voti...

Author Lotte Bowser joins Zibby to discuss BITTERSWEET, a raw, brave, and deeply moving memoir about true love, the darkness of grief, and finding your way back into the light. Lotte shares the story of her relationship with Ben—a profound love (and happy, adventurous life) that was cut short by his battle with cancer amid the COVID pandemic. She delves into their whirlwind romance, Ben’s diagnosi...

Zibby chats with Nikki Schreiber, the editor and founder of the popular social media brand @humansofjudaism, about her new book, HUMANS OF JUDAISM—a heartwarming collection of stories filled with joy, bravery, community, perseverance, and unyielding hope. Nikki shares how her Instagram page began as a tribute to her father and evolved over ten years into a community that celebrates Jewish identity...

Zibby is joined by #1  New York Times  and  USA Today  bestselling author W. Bruce Cameron to discuss his charming and heartfelt new novel, MY THREE DOGS—his 36th published book! Bruce reveals how a car ride conversation with his now-wife Cathryn Michon (who was just on the podcast!) inspired A DOG’S PURPOSE, the first novel that launched him into the “dog book” niche and trans...

TODAY Show cohost and America’s favorite weatherman, Al Roker, and his daughter, Courtney Roker Laga, join Zibby to discuss AL ROKER’S RECIPES TO LIVE BY: Easy, Memory-Making Family Dishes for Every Occasion. The father-daughter duo discuss the joys (and challenges) of working together on this project and then delve into the sentimental value behind the recipes and the nostalgia tied to their favo...

Zibby is joined by the renowned founder of Well-Read Black Girl, Glory Edim, to discuss her inspiring memoir of family, community, resilience, and literature, GATHER ME: A Memoir in Praise of the Books That Saved Me. Glory reflects on the books that were a refuge and guiding force throughout her life, especially in her childhood when her mother struggled with depression. She also highlights t...

Actress and film producer Jennifer Love Hewitt chats with Zibby about INHERITING MAGIC, a heartfelt, candid chronicle of her grief and discovering she inherited her late mother’s “magic”—with family photos, recipes, holiday traditions, and foolproof strategies for adding magic to our everyday lives. Jennifer delves into the pain and surrealness of losing her mother while traveling and not being ab...

Zibby is joined by  New York Times  bestselling author Charles Bock to discuss I WILL DO BETTER, a tender and searingly honest memoir about parenting his infant daughter in the wake of his wife’s untimely death. Charles shares the heartbreaking story of losing his wife Diana to leukemia just days before their daughter Lily’s third birthday. He reflects on becoming a single father, naviga...

Zibby chats with author Marian Schembari about her warm, astutely observed, incandescently written, and unexpectedly hilarious memoir, A LITTLE LESS BROKEN: How an Autism Diagnosis Finally Made Me Whole. Marian shares how an autism diagnosis at age 34 changed her life and then talks about the concept of “masking,” how common neurodivergence is in our society, and how important it is to offer neuro...

Zibby interviews  New York Times  bestselling author Eileen Goudge about ALL THEY NEED TO KNOW, a riveting, emotionally gripping novel about a woman who runs away from her abusive husband and reinvents herself in a peaceful California town—a tenuous sanctuary that brings her new friendships and romance. Eileen shares her own experience of being in an emotionally abusive relationship and...

NSYNC superstar Lance Bass joins Zibby to discuss TRICK OR TREAT ON SCARY STREET, a quirky and surprising children’s book inspired by his love for Halloween. Lance shares how trick-or-treating was an adventurous, magical experience for him and his friends—and how spooked they were by a mysterious, dark house in the neighborhood! He shares the real motivation for this book—creating content that his...

Zibby chats with author Samantha Greene Woodruff about THE TRADE OFF, a captivating 1920s historical novel about an ambitious woman who fights for her place on Wall Street, inspired by the true story of a pioneering investment legend. Samantha delves into her protagonist, who, as a poor Jewish woman, faces societal barriers and has to support her brother as the “woman behind the man.” She touches...

#1 bestselling author Sophie Kinsella joins Zibby to discuss WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE?, an extraordinary, unforgettable novel about a successful novelist who faces a devastating diagnosis and must learn to live and love anew—a story that is rooted in Sophie’s own battle with brain cancer and ensuing memory issues. Sophie opens up about her journey and shares how this book came to be—it involves slow...

Zibby interviews filmmaker, actor, animal advocate, and bestselling author Cathryn Michon about her comforting, heartfelt, richly illustrated gift book for people grieving the loss of a pet, I’M STILL HERE: A Dog’s Purpose Forever. Cathryn delves into her emotional, ten-year writing journey, sharing how her own dog, Tucker, and her husband, W. Bruce Cameron, inspired her to bring this book to life...

In this special episode (a live event at the Streicker Center!), world-renowned soprano and arts/health advocate Renée Fleming chats with Zibby about MUSIC AND MIND, a groundbreaking collection of essays about the powerful impacts of music on health and the human experience. The conversation covers the scientific effects of music on the brain and emotional healing, as well as the transcendent powe...

Zibby is joined by chart-topping, Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum recording artist Joanna “JoJo” Levesque to discuss her instant  New York Times  bestselling, breathtakingly candid new memoir, OVER THE INFLUENCE. JoJo reflects on her 20-year journey in the music industry, delving into her relationships, her mother’s struggles with mental health, the toll of losing her father, and ho...

Zibby interviews author Lynda Cohen Loigman about her charming, quirky, and utterly satisfying second-chance love story, THE LOVE ELIXIR OF AUGUSTA STERN. Lynda talks about her protagonist, 79-year-old Augusta Stern, who relocates to a Florida retirement community and runs into the man who broke her heart 60 years prior. She also describes her novel’s flashbacks to the 1920s, where we learn about...