Totally Booked with Zibby

Zibby speaks to professor, historian, and author Drew Gilpin Faust about  Necessary Trouble: Growing Up at Midcentury,  a brave and poignant memoir about Drew's privileged childhood in the segregated South and the birth of her questioning spirit. Drew describes instances of the “necessary trouble” she created growing up (like writing a strongly worded letter to Eisenhower in support of s...

Zibby interviews bestselling author Adam Gopnik about  The Real Work: On the Mystery of Mastery,  a spirited and profound collection of self-help essays that investigate how we learn and master a new skill–from boxing to drawing nude bodies. Adam discusses the bliss of accomplishment: pursuing a new hobby without needing to do it perfectly. He also reveals what he’d like to master next a...

Zibby interviews debut author Cecilia Rabess about  Everything’s Fine,  a sharp and intimate novel about two young people–a liberal Black woman and a conservative white man–who fall reluctantly, complicatedly, and deeply in love with each other during the Obama and Trump administrations. Cecilia shares the origins of this story, her long journey to getting an agent (and very short journe...

Guest host Julie Chavez is joined by  New York Times  bestselling author Kristin Harmel to discuss  The Paris Daughter,  a gripping and gut-wrenching historical novel about two mothers who must make unthinkable choices in the face of Nazi occupation. Kristin talks about the power of WWII books (and the lessons that still resonate today); the themes of motherhood, fear, and sacr...

Guest host Julie Chavez interviews debut author Elysha Chang about  A Quitter’s Paradise,  a darkly humorous and compulsively readable book (and the first one from Sarah Jessica Parker’s SJP Lit!) about a young woman who tries to ignore her mother’s death even as unearthed family secrets become increasingly inextricable from her own. Elysha talks about her job teaching creative writing t...

Amy Newmark, publisher and editor-in-chief of   Chicken Soup for the Soul, joins Zibby to discuss the Chicken Soup series and the thirtieth-anniversary edition that Zibby wrote a bonus essay for! Amy describes how some of her favorite Chicken Soup stories–those on forgiveness, gratitude, and grief–have helped her navigate challenges in her own life, including her journey with cancer. She also...

Zibby speaks to journalist and debut author Katie Bishop about  The Girls of Summer,  a mesmerizing, unsettling, and gripping dual-timeline story about a woman who, in her mid-thirties, cannot stop thinking about the summer she spent in Greece as a teenager and the affair she had with a much older man. Katie explains how the MeToo movement inspired this story and how she makes places, re...

Zibby interviews playwright, screenwriter, Emmy Award-winning journalist, and author Byron Lane about  Big Gay Wedding,  a hilarious, quirky, and unashamedly proud novel about a conservative mom (who runs a small-town rescue ranch for misfit animals) and her gay son (who wants to get married at the farm). Byron shares his coming out story (and how it inspired bits of this novel); his jou...

Sara Shepard, the  New York Times  bestselling author of the Pretty Little Liars series, speaks to guest host Julie Chavez about  Penny Draws a Best Friend,  a humorous and heartfelt middle-grade series about Penny, a fifth grader who is navigating friendships, finding her people, and lots of worries. Sara reveals she was just like Penny growing up and shares stories of her anx...

In this special weekend re-release, Zibby speaks to  New York Times  bestselling author and literary legend Dave Eggers about  We Became Jaguars,  a breathtaking picture book about a child and a grandmother who transform into jaguars and journey into the undiscovered world of nature. Dave describes the ins and outs of the publishing process, how he began writing picture books,...

In this special weekend re-release, Zibby speaks to Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and #1  New York Times  bestselling author Anna Quindlen about  Nanaville: Adventures in Grandparenting , a bighearted book of wisdom, wit, and insight, celebrating the love and joy of being a grandmother. Anna Quindlen talks to Zibby about all the wonderful things grandmothers have time to do and s...

Award-winning children’s book author Julia Cook joins Zibby to discuss  Herman Jiggle, Just Be You,  a heartwarming tale about overcoming insecurities and learning to accept and love oneself. Julia shares how she came to publish 140 books–it all started when she couldn’t quite figure out how to teach children! She also discusses her most memorable books; the mistakes she’s made in a coup...

Zibby speaks to debut author Emi Nietfeld about  Acceptance,  a gripping, page-turning, and darkly humorous memoir about a life that took her from homelessness and foster care to Harvard and Google. Emi describes the chaos that ensued after her parents’ divorce–from her mother’s compulsive hoarding to her own mental health crisis and hospitalization. She also shares what it was like when...

Guest host Julie Chavez interviews comedy writing duo Alli Frank and Asha Youmans about  The Better Half,  a charming, laugh-out-loud funny book about a woman who has reached her personal and professional pinnacle and then… gets pregnant! Alli and Asha share their mission of exploring challenging subjects through a lens of humor and joy. They also talk about their partnership with Mindy’...

Zibby speaks to award-winning investigative journalist and  New York Times  bestselling author Stephanie Clifford about  The Farewell Tour,  a shimmering and heartbreakingly authentic country-music saga about one woman achieving stardom in a world dominated by men. Stephanie describes her unforgettable protagonist (who was inspired by her grandmother!) and the fascinating resea...

Guest host Julie Chavez interviews debut author Courtney Sender about  In Other Lifetimes, All I’ve Lost Comes Back to Me,  a wise, fierce, and lyrical collection of stories about the longings and loneliness of love. Courtney reveals how her own experiences with heartbreak have inspired her writing and how they infiltrate her characters in this book. She also describes her path to writin...

In this special weekend re-release, #1  New York Times  bestselling author of more than 20 books, Kristin Hannah, joins Zibby to discuss  The Four Winds,  a powerful American epic about love, heroism, and hope, set during the Great Depression. Kristin talks with Zibby about her iterative writing process, a mother's unconditional love, and the importance of female friendships. P...

In this special weekend re-release, Zibby speaks to award-winning author David Sedaris about  The Best of Me,  a wickedly funny and memorable collection of stories about life's surprises. In the interview, David Sedaris talks about owning who you are as a writer and explains why "publishing isn’t writing.” He also tells Zibby why he doesn’t read internet comments and discloses how h...

Guest host Julie Chavez interviews bestselling co-authors Jo Piazza and Christine Pride about  You Were Always Mine,  a tender, provocative, and thoughtful novel about a Black woman who finds an abandoned white baby. The three discuss the themes of motherhood, adoption, and intimate interracial relationships, as they relate to the book and to their real lives. Jo and Christine also talk...

Zibby interviews debut author Avery Carpenter Forrey about  Social Engagement , a bitingly sharp and wickedly funny novel about a bride whose marriage implodes on her wedding night. It is an unputdownable critique of millennial wedding culture… and the lies we tell on social media. Avery describes the neverending wedding season that inspired this novel and admits she is part of the culture sh...

Guest host Julie Chavez speaks to accomplished Canadian wine expert and  New York Times  bestselling author Natalie MacLean about  Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much,  her powerful coming-of-middle-age memoir about how she resurrected her life and career in the cutthroat wine industry. Natalie reveals why she decided to...

Zibby Books author alert!!! Zibby interviews author Michelle Wildgen about  Wine People,  an intoxicating escape into the cutthroat world of wine and the complicated terrain of women’s friendship. Michelle describes her journey to food writing (she started as a back waiter!) and shares the secrets to doing it well! She also discusses her two fascinating female protagonists (and the real-...

Zibby speaks to therapist, creative coach, and  New York Times  bestselling author Julia Bartz about  The Writing Retreat,  a pulse-pounding, claustrophobic, unputdownable thriller about a young author who attends an exclusive writer’s retreat that soon descends into a nightmare. Julia talks about the first iterations of this story and the changes it went through since 2014 NaN...

In this special weekend re-release, Zibby speaks to #1  New York Times  bestselling author and "queen of beach reads" Elin Hilderbrand about  Troubles in Paradise,  a sizzling, sun-soaked summer novel that transports the reader to the bright Caribbean for romance and passion.  Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/43DzO21 Share, rate, & review the podcast, and foll...

In this special weekend re-release, Zibby interviews Academy Award-winning actress, director, producer, activist, and  New York Times  bestselling author Natalie Portman about  Natalie Portman's Fables,  a children's book with playful, witty, and insightful retellings of three classic fables:  The Tortoise and the Hare, The Three Little Pigs,  and  Country Mouse...