Totally Booked with Zibby

#1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything and The Sun Is Also a Star, Nicola Yoon, is back with another amazing novel, Instructions for Dancing. Nicola and Zibby discussed her family’s illness, how she wrote part of this book literally in the hospital caring for sick loved ones, and how she coped through writing. They also discussed the theme of the book: ’tis better to have l...

Zakiya Dalila Harris tells Zibby about how she knew it was the right time to leave her job in the publishing industry to focus on her own writing, the unsettling workplace encounter that inspired her debut novel, The Other Black Girl, and what her experience has been co-writing Hulu's adaptation of her book with Rashida Jones. Amazon: https://amzn.to/2TkTsBt Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3yDHOln *...

Christine Mangan walks Zibby through her worldly life story and how her experiences have directly led to a number of plot points in her writing. The two discuss the inspiration for Christine's latest novel, Palace of the Drowned, and why she wanted to write empowered female characters in a story set during the 1960s. Amazon: https://amzn.to/3utB5av Bookshop: https://bit.ly/2Tk5CdL ** Want more? Be...

Rebecca Starford tells Zibby all about her new book, The Unlikely Spy, from the obituary that inspired her protagonist to the four years it took to research and write the historical novel, and what it has been like to work on a book like this during the last four years of global affairs. Amazon: https://amzn.to/2RCfXS1 Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3yCkbcQ ** Want more? Become a part of my community! S...

Zibby is joined by narrative nonfiction author Daniel James Brown to talk about his latest book which has already hit the New York Times bestseller list, Facing the Mountain, which looks at the story of a Japanese-American combat unit fighting at the height of World War II. Daniel shares how his wife helped him conduct over five years of research for the book, what he uncovered when studying first...

Zibby did an Instagram Live for @gmabookclub with bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell about his new book, The Bomber Mafia, already a New York Times bestseller! His five previous books have also “hit the list:" The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, What the Dog Saw, and David and Goliath. Malcolm is also the co-founder of Pushkin Industries, an audio content company that the amazing audiobook versio...

"I have a voice at this moment in time. I have a voice that I can use for good. I intend to keep using it as long as I can." Cindy McCain joins Zibby to discuss some of the things she reveals in her new memoir, such as why she tried to keep her opioid addiction hidden from everyone, what it was like to adopt her daughter Bridget and watch their relationship become politicized, and how her home lif...

"Asking for help does not make us weak. It's honestly probably the strongest thing that we can do." Paralympian swimmer Mallory Weggemann takes Zibby through the first few months of her paralysis and how the lessons she learned then have shaped the forward-thinking mentality she carries with her to this day. She shares her incredible story in her new book, Limitless, with the hope that it will emp...

"There's a lot of darkness, but there has to be some sort of sliver of light that we keep going. I do think these stories help us feel less alone. I do." Amanda Fairbanks explains how her career as a journalist shaped her approach to both researching and writing her first book The Lost Boys of Montauk. She also shares what the experience taught her about grief, trauma, and personal histories. Purc...

Zibby is joined by Carol Orange to talk about her debut novel, A Discerning Eye, and the rich art history at its core. The pair discuss Carol's career shift from the art world to the literary, their shared appreciation for the study of art history, and the Gardner Museum robbery that inspired this book.  Amazon:  https://amzn.to/3vtTmFz Bookshop:  https://bit.ly/2QBOdw3 ** Want more...

"It's very hard to demonize someone you know and care about. It's very easy to objectify someone you know nothing about. We really need each other." Rabbi Steve Leder recently joined Zibby for an Instagram Live conversation to discuss this month's hostilities between Israel and Palestine and how the violence is now manifesting in America. The two discussed the importance of building genuine relati...

Jessica Anya Blau joins Zibby to discuss her latest novel, Mary Jane, which was written in part over FaceTime with friends during the pandemic. The two talked about Jessica's journey to becoming a writer, the ways in which her own adolescence figured into motherhood, and how dancing around her empty kitchen to the biggest hits of 1975 helped her write the book. Purchase a copy of the book on Amazo...

Gabriela Garcia joins Zibby to talk about her debut novel, Of Women and Salt, which was a Good Morning America pick for April. The two discuss the variety of mother-daughter dynamics the book captures, why Gabriela wanted to portray immigrant characters in a particular way, and the importance of setting the story in her hometown of Miami.  Amazon:  https://amzn.to/3dTCstK Books...

"We're waiting on everybody to check in on us. No, you can check in on somebody, too. You don't know what they're going through." Grammy Award-winning member of Destiny's Child Michelle Williams opens up to Zibby about her experience living for over a decade with undiagnosed depression and how she hopes advocating for mental health awareness will help others who might be struggling, too. Purchase...

Zibby is joined by Dwayne Reed, the teacher who went viral for his creative and educational YouTube videos, to talk about his latest book, Simon B. Rhymin'. Dwayne shares how he became an educator, what messages he wants his books to convey, and the importance of teaching children lessons that extend outside of the classroom. Purchase a copy of Dwayne's book on Amazon or Bookshop: Amazon:  ht...

Former CNN anchor and journalist Brooke Baldwin joins Zibby to talk about how essential it is for women to cultivate their communities —or huddles— wherever they may exist. From workout classes to work friends, Brooke shares stories from successful women as well as from her own life to encourage and inspire readers to focus on lifting one another up.  Purchase Brooke's book on Amazo...

"One of the big messages of the book that I hope people allow in is: some hard conversations are hard because you're uncovering a truth that you're not quite ready to face." Journalist and host of the WNYC podcast Death, Sex & Money Anna Sale talks with Zibby about the hard conversations she had to have to write this book and how they feel different from the ones she's been having throughout h...

"I think that we tell these stories to put it in the record, to honor these people, to showcase them for who they really are." Zibby is joined by former New York Times writer and editor Cate Doty to discuss their shared obsession with the NYT's Vows section (which Cate began her career writing for), as well as what drove Cate to initially become a journalist and what her thoughts on marriage are t...

Abigail Tucker joins Zibby to break down the science in her latest book. The two talk about the research that is being conducted on how "mommy brain" is a real biological phenomenon, how the way we treat new mothers can have a psychological impact, and how our own mother's genes may still be inside us today. Purchase a copy of Abigail's book on Amazon or Bookshop. Amazon:  https://amzn.to/3dT...

Zibby is joined by Deborah Goodrich Royce, owner of the Ocean House Hotel (the site of the Moms Don't Have Time to Travel Retreat!!) and author of the new novel, Ruby Falls. The two discuss Deborah's career —from soap opera star to script story editor, and finally to novelist— and where she found inspiration for her latest book. Purchase your copy on Amazon or Bookshop. Amazon:  https://...

This month's Read with Jenna/Today Show book pick!! Maggie Shipstead, author of Great Circle, joins Zibby to talk about her latest book which took almost seven years to write. The two discuss the extensive research that went into the story, how Maggie managed to weave together two narrative arcs without any prepared outline, and how her pre-COVID travels inspired so much of the novel. Buy a c...

This month's Reese's Book Club pick and number 1 on the bestseller list!! Author Laura Dave explains why she couldn't let the story behind her latest novel, The Last Thing He Told Me, go after starting it nearly ten years ago. Laura talks with Zibby about wanting to write a thriller about the Enron scandal, what the process of adapting the book into a TV show has looked like, and why she's drawn t...

"It's a great thing about books in general: they don't go anywhere." Jean Hanff Korelitz joins to discuss missing Zibby's in-person salons, why she prefers writing and reading about unlikable protagonists, and how she's welcoming a surge of popularity following the adaptation of her novel You Should've Known into HBO's The Undoing. Purchase your copy of THE PLOT on Amazon or Bookshop. Am...

Zibby talks with Naomi Davis, author of A Coat of Yellow Paint and creator of the Love Taza blog. The two discussed motherhood in some of its many shapes and sizes, from issues with fertility to feeling undervalued, as well as how to learn to look at your body the way your child does.  Purchase a copy of the book on Amazon or Bookshop: Amazon:  https://amzn.to/3aIw86l Bookshop:  htt...

“If you never get rejected, then it means you’re never trying anything that really pushes you in a way that you’ll grow.” Zibby is joined by Jessica Bacal, author of The Rejection That Changed My Life: 25+ Powerful Women on Being Let Down, Turning It Around, and Burning It Up at Work ,  as well as two of the book’s contributors, Chelsea Kline and Polly Rodriguez. The four talk about what they...