Totally Booked with Zibby

"We live our inner life, and then we live the life that we show people. Sometimes, we're just putting on the performance." Zibby is joined by bestselling author Taylor Jenkins Reid to talk about her latest novel,  Malibu Rising , which features the children of one of her former characters — from both  The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo  and  Daisy Jones and the Six — over t...

"One of the things that I was working through in my life and in this book was recognizing that I couldn't keep somebody else alive. That was hard to accept." Zibby is joined by Eleanor Henderson, author of the visceral memoir,  Everything I Have Is Yours , to talk about the painful reality of caring for a loved one who's suffering from an undiagnosable condition. Eleanor shares the...

Mona Awad joins Zibby to discuss her latest novel,  All's Well . The pair talk about Mona's own experience with chronic pain and how she found solace from it in Shakespeare's plays, much like the book's protagonist. Mona also recounts her rocky educational journey and why she credits fairytales with helping her find her way to creative writing. Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop. Amazon: htt...

Zibby is joined by author and screenwriter Simon Rich to discuss his latest book of comedic short stories,  New Teeth . One of the youngest writers to be hired on  Saturday Night Live , Simon shares how his writing has become much more optimistic since becoming a father, where he finds inspiration for his absurdist fiction, and why his primary goal for the future is so simple.  Purc...

Sara Arnell joins Zibby to discuss her debut book,  There Will Be Lobster , which documents her midlife crisis and what she learned in the throes of it. Sara and Zibby talk about the resistance many feel to recognizing they are middle-aged. Sara also shares the serious tolls this era took on her mental health, how her children got involved with shaping and sharing the story, and why she hopes...

Zibby led a discussion with actress Mena Suvari for a virtual event with Book Soup in Los Angeles where they discussed Mena's debut memoir,  The Great Peace . Their conversation touched on how Mena knew it was the perfect time to share her story, the ways in which she processed her relationship with fame, and why the miracles in her life have helped her to find her place in this world. Watch...

Zibby was joined by sisters Lynne and Val Constantine — the duo behind Liv Constantine who wrote the Reese's Book Club pick,  The Last Mrs. Parrish — for an Instagram Live to discuss their latest thriller,  The Stranger in the Mirror . They talk about the research that went into writing about amnesia, why the book's suspicious mother-in-law ended up becoming their favorite character, and...

"Grief is what we pay for love. If you don't really love somebody, you just get past it." Zibby is joined by poet, professor, and author Honorée Fanonne Jeffers to talk about her debut novel,  The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois . Honorée shares how she wanted to infuse the book with memories from her childhood without stealing stories directly from her family, as well as how a prolong...

Before Katie Russell Newland's mom died, the two planned to visit every Major League Baseball stadium in the country. After overcoming health issues of her own, Katie decided to finally complete her mother's wish. Her debut memoir, A Season with Mom , tells the story of Katie's journey in the form of letters to her mother documenting what she learned about herself and their relationship, and has a...

Bestselling author Jennifer Weiner joined Zibby's Virtual Book Club to talk about her latest novel,  That Summer . Jennifer shares how she was inspired to write her recent trilogy after receiving another Jennifer Weiner's emails and why she wanted to combine that story with the #MeToo movement. She also answers questions from readers about her father, raising two book-loving daughters, and ho...

"Laughter goes hand in hand with tragedy and how we cope." Saturday Night Live star Cecily Strong joined Zibby for an Instagram Live to discuss her debut memoir,  This Will All Be Over Soon . Combining her own story with that of her beloved cousin Owen, Cecily reflects on the pandemic as it unfolded and what the loss felt like. Cecily hopes the book will keep Owen's optimistic spirit alive, a...

Zibby was joined by the authors of  The Personal Librarian , Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, for an Instagram Live to talk about their GMA Book Club pick. Marie and Victoria share the story of how they met each other, why they're more like soulmates than collaborators, and how the social movements during the last year served to strengthen both their story and their interracial...

Zibby moderated a conversation with Sara Shepard about her latest novel,  Safe in My Arms , as part of the virtual Penguin Bookshop Writers Series in Pittsburgh. The two bonded over their habit of expecting the worst-case scenario in every situation, and Sara shared what projects she's working on next. The two also talked about Sara's essay in Zibby's first anthology as well as why it might b...

Zibby is joined by illustrious crime author Karin Slaughter, whose books have sold over 35 million copies in 37 languages. The two talk about how Karin's experiences with the pandemic and babysitting factored into her latest book,  False Witness , as well as how writing stories throughout her childhood about her sisters disappearing led to her current career. She also shares what it...

"You can only control your own life and what you do. Tomorrow isn't here. We just have today. Today, we're fine." Author of  Baby Teeth  Zoje Stage joins Zibby to discuss her latest novel,  Getaway , which is not about a breezy vacation as the title may suggest. Zoje shares how the trauma she endured as a resident of Squirrel Hill — the neighborhood that was home to the 2018 Pittsbu...

Jason Mott's latest novel,  Hell of a Book — which is already a  New York Times  bestseller and a Read With Jenna Book Club pick —  is   meant to make readers laugh out loud on one page while offering a critical look at serious topics like race and policing in America on the next. Jason joins Zibby to discuss the technical structure of the book, as well as how his introver...

Although Gina Yashere's path to comedy wasn't easy, writing her memoir,  Cack-Handed , in her own voice allowed her to work through some things she thought she had left behind. Now a legend in the comedy world, with a CBS sitcom that she created and stars in, Gina is reflecting on how she got to where she is. She shares what growing up as the daughter of two Nigerian immigrants in the U....

Former Moms Don't Have Time to Lose Weight guest Ann Garvin joins Zibby for a new conversation. The two discuss Ann's latest novel,  I Thought You Said This Would Work , and how we rarely ever talk about how significant friendships are in our lives, as well as how destabilizing it can be to lose them. Ann also shares what motivated her to start Tall Poppy Writers, a female writing collec...

Zibby is joined by journalist Claire Nelson to talk about her incredible debut memoir,  Things I Learned From Falling , which documents her near-death experience while hiking at Joshua Tree. As Claire waited for days for assistance to arrive —wondering if any would come at all— she set out on a self-reflection journey in which she uncovered uncomfortable truths about her inner beliefs an...

While  The Photographer  may be Mary Dixie Carter's first novel, she has been writing and creating art her entire life. Mary Dixie tells Zibby how her previous roles as an actress and a journalist helped shape her into the writer she is today, the bizarre real-life interaction with a photographer that inspired her dark and suspicious protagonist, and why she finds life more fas...

Zibby is joined by restaurateur Peter Hoffman to talk about his debut memoir,  What's Good , which not only takes readers through Peter's own history but through those of his favorite ingredients as well. The two talk about the people who shaped Peter's cooking style, what we all gain when we cook with local ingredients, and where to find the best strawberries in New York City. Purchase on Am...

"I realized that being a good reader and helping other people read well is a political act. You take a stand in society when you decide to chase after that." Along with instilling a lifelong love of reading, Tracy Swinton Bailey's father taught her how powerful literacy could be, which inspired her to start the literacy nonprofit Freedom Readers in 2010. Tracy talked with Zibby about her memoir,&n...

Abbie Greaves is still perplexed by the question posed on the cover of her latest book, Anywhere for You : "How far would you go for the love of your life?" Abbie and Zibby also discussed heartbreaking truths about missing persons, why they love stories with a large cast of characters, and all of the amazing things we often overlook during our daily commutes. Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop. A...

Emily Henry joined Zibby for an Instagram Live to discuss her latest novel,  People We Meet on Vacation — one of her two books currently on the  New York Times  bestsellers list! The two had a wide-ranging and fun conversation about everything from expensing vacations to their favorite rom-com, and why it's so hard for them to pick out book recommendations. Purchase on Amazon or Boo...

With the Hampton Classic horse show around the corner,  New York Times  reporter Sarah Maslin Nir's debut memoir,  Horse Crazy , is more timely than ever. As she traveled the world for work, Sarah secretly documented the history of horses in each region, satisfying a lifelong obsession while also developing her own personal narrative. From growing up as the daughter of a Holocaust s...