Totally Booked with Zibby

Zibby is joined by actress and writer Jenny Mollen to discuss her first novel,  City of Likes , which required a labor of love to publish. The two talk about how the story was inspired by the disconnect Jenny witnessed between mommy influencers' on and offline lives, what her short-lived agent said that prompted her to try fiction instead of a third memoir, and when she knew writing was her n...

"To become a participant in a democracy, to become a participant in a country so that your citizenship is guaranteed, it's so absolutely, positively critical. Otherwise, you always see yourself as an outsider." Professor Dr. Daniel Black joins Zibby to talk about his latest novel,  Don't Cry For Me , which he finished the very same day his father died. Daniel and Zibby discuss why Daniel want...

Charmaine Wilkerson joins Zibby to discuss her debut novel,  Black Cake , which was already a Read with Jenna book club pick and a  New York Times  Editors Choice. The two talk about the moment Charmaine knew the story she was going to write, which experiences and feelings from her own life are infused in her writing, and the roundabout way she ultimately became a novelist. Cha...

Zibby is joined by the two co-hosts of the  Forever35  podcast Doree Shafrir and Kate Spencer to talk about their show and respective books. Doree tells Zibby why she wanted to share the lessons she learned as a late-bloomer in her new memoir,  Thanks for Waiting,  while Kate shares how romance novels saved her after her mom's death which led her to write both her memoir,&...

#1  New York Times  bestselling author Victoria "V.E." Schwab joins Zibby to discuss her most recent two novels,  Gallant  and  The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue . The two talk about why Victoria writes under the moniker V.E., what her traumatic response to creativity looks like, and which of her projects have been optioned to be adapted. They also connect over the up...

Zibby is joined by novelist Nina Navisky to discuss her latest novel,  The Fortune Cookie Writer,  which follows a single mother working multiple jobs to make ends meet for her son. Nina shares why both of her books have featured neurologically diverse characters, as well as how she recreated the exact layout of her town in this story. Nina also tells Zibby about the event that inspired...

"When someone is standing in front of you loving you and saying, 'I'm not going anywhere,' that's when your avoidant self comes out and says, 'Get me the hell out of here.'" Columnist and author Heather Havrilesky joins Zibby to talk about her latest book,  Foreverland: On the Divine Tedium of Marriage . The two discuss when Heather realized she was comfortable sharing intimate details a...

Zibby is joined by Alafair Burke,  New York Times  bestselling author of 14 crime novels, including her most recent book,  Find Me . The two talk about which real true-crime facts inspired elements of this story, why Alafair's father's suggestions that she become a writer like him led her to pursue a career as a prosecutor instead, and how collaborating on six books with the la...

Literary giant James Patterson joins Zibby to talk about his autobiography,  James Patterson by James Patterson . The two discuss the impact the two major loves of James' life have had on him, why encouraging children to read and promoting literacy in schools are so important to him, and a handful of some of James' very funny stories. James also shares what it's like to go out in public and b...

#1  New York Times  bestselling duo Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen return to talk with Zibby about their latest novel,  The Golden Couple,  which grew out of a title suggestion from their editor. Greer and Sarah share why they love writing about complicated relationships and dynamics, where they pull their inspiration from in their real lives, and what it was like...

Mary Laura Philpott returns to discuss her latest memoir,  Bomb Shelter , which was selected as an Editor’s Choice by the  New York Times Book Review . Mary Laura tells Zibby about her mental spatial awareness and how it informs her sentence structure, the main themes that thread the chapters of this book together, and why she loves discovering art she didn't initially thi...

Novelist Katy Regan joins Zibby to talk about her latest book,  How to Find Your Way Home . The two discuss why Katy wanted to write about homelessness with a bother and sister dynamic, their shared love and mourning for print magazines, and the personal connection that inspired Katy to include a birdwatching element to the story. Katy also shares the wide range of books she's reading now and...

New York Times  bestselling author and owner of  Books Are Magic  Emma Straub returns to talk with Zibby about her latest novel,  This Time Tomorrow , which was inspired by her relationship with her father while he was hospitalized in 2020. Emma shares why she wanted to tie in her own 1980s nostalgia and if she felt a sense of closure after writing her most personal story...

Zibby is joined by the  New York Times  bestselling author of  The Year of Living Biblically , A.J. Jacobs, to talk about his latest book,  The Puzzler . The two discuss their personal favorite kinds of puzzles, how puzzles have recently and historically brought people together, and the most important lesson puzzles can teach us. To participate in The Puzzler Hunt contest...

New York Times  bestselling author Jean Hanff Korelitz returns to discuss her latest novel,  The Latecomer , which she has been working on for years on and off. Jean tells Zibby about the role Steve Martin played in writing this novel, which episode of the British  Antiques Roadshow  inspired parts of the story, and what elements of fertility journeys Jean made sure to inc...

Author and editor Anna Pitoniak joins Zibby to talk about her latest novel,  Our American Friend , which was inspired by a combination of Anna's fascination with Russian culture and a 2016  GQ  article about Melania Trump. The two discuss why writing this novel felt different from Anna's previous two, which life experiences have found their way into each of her books, and what she m...

Zibby is joined by professor and author Amy Butcher to talk about her book,  Mothertrucker , and the story of how she found herself in an eighteen-wheeler in Alaska with a woman named Joy who she met on Instagram. Amy and Zibby discuss the domestic violence situation that inspired Amy to make a change in her life, how Joy and Amy forged a deep connection despite so many differences, and what...

Zibby moderated a conversation with instant  New York Times  bestseller Qian Julie Wang about her debut memoir,  Beautiful Country,  as part of the Streicker Center's Women on the Move author series. The two talked about the self-healing journey Qian Julie had to start before she began writing about her family's immigration story, what it must have looked like to other peo...

#1  New York Times  bestseller Jodi Picoult returns to talk with Zibby about her new Audible Original,  Choice , as well as the long-awaited debut of her Broadway musical,  Between the Lines . Jodi shares how she was inspired by her anger at the current political moment to create the world in  Choice  in which cisgender men are able to get pregnant, as well as why she...

Eliza Jane Brazier joins Zibby to discuss her latest novel,  Good Rich People , which pulls fascinating bits and pieces from her real life. The two talk about Eliza's experience living below the poverty line, how her sister-in-law's success as a writer inspired her to try her hand at it, and the impact her husband's death had on her writing. Eliza also shares how writing has become more...

Zibby is joined by Kai Harris to discuss her debut novel,  What the Fireflies Knew , which is the first fiction title out from former podcast guest Phoebe Robinson's new imprint. Kai shares how this book grew from a short story she had started while working on her master's, which parts of it were inspired by her own life, and the two pieces of advice that strengthened this project. Zibby...

Zibby is joined by  New York Times  bestselling author Jennifer Haigh to talk about her seventh novel,  Mercy Street , which was inspired by her experience volunteering at a women's clinic. The two discuss the impact Jennifer's upbringing had on her opinions on reproductive rights and class, as well as why it is so important — especially right now — to talk frankly about abortions....

Co-editors Hillary Jordan and Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan join Zibby to talk about their anthology,  Anonymous Sex,  which features stories from 27 bestselling and award-winning authors, all published anonymously. The three discuss the confidentiality agreements that made this project possible, how Hillary and Cheryl's individual paths led them to collaborate on this during the early days of quar...

Zibby is joined by high school sweethearts and writing duo Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka to talk about their first adult romance novel,  The Roughest Draft . The two tell Zibby about how they got their start writing YA books together, what real life moments in their relationship found their way into this story, and which authors are their biggest inspirations. Purchase on Am...

Zibby is joined by National Book Foundation 5 under 35 honoree Hannah Lillith Assadi to talk about her latest novel,  The Stars Are Not Yet Bells , which is narrated by a woman with dementia. The two discuss which family stories inspired Hannah, how the book's delayed timeline has impacted her connection to it, and what she's considering working on next.  Purchase on Amazon or...