Totally Booked with Zibby

In this engaging conversation, debut novelist Heather Aimee O’Neill shares insights about her poignant book, The Irish Goodbye. She explores the themes of sisterhood and grief as three sisters confront their brother's tragic suicide and the secrets that bind them. Heather reflects on her family's connection to 9/11 and how it shaped her understanding of loss. With a focus on compassion, humor, and the complexities of family dynamics, she captures the struggle of balancing personal challenges alongside the weight of emotional history.

Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström, a Nigerian-American author and award-winning travel writer based in Stockholm, shares insights into her novel Bitter Honey, delving into themes of family secrets and generational trauma. She discusses the challenges of maintaining creativity during personal upheaval and the impact of fame on identity. Lolá reveals her inspirations for writing, including her upcoming travel-centered novel. Additionally, she highlights her photography project celebrating Afro-Swedish identity and offers travel recommendations from Uzbekistan to Croatia.

Totally Booked: LIVE! In this special episode of the podcast (in-person at the Whitby Hotel with a live audience!), Zibby interviews Rabbi Angela Buchdahl (Senior Rabbi of Central Synagogue and the first Asian American rabbi) about her astonishingly beautiful, searing new memoir (and an instant New York Times bestseller), HEART OF A STRANGER: An Unlikely Rabbi’s Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging. Rabbi Buchdahl shares her extraordinary journey, from Seoul to New York City, weaving together personal stories, Jewish wisdom, and lessons on belonging, grief, empathy, and resilience. She even sings for the audience, which you don’t want to miss!Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for listening guides and more. **(Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact allie.gallo@acast.com.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zibby welcomes former Dance Moms star Nia Sioux to the podcast to discuss her powerful new memoir, BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID: A Memoir of Persevering, Dancing for Myself, and Starring in My Own Life. Joined by a few young fans (Zibby’s kids!), Nia answers heartfelt questions about growing up on reality TV, dealing with pressure and criticism, and learning to stay true to herself. She also opens up about stage fright, friendship, sibling dynamics, and managing her chronic pain disorder.Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for listening guides and more. **(Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact allie.gallo@acast.com.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zibby Publishing alert! Bestselling Israeli author Lihi Lapid chats with Zibby about I WANTED TO BE WONDERFUL, her gut-wrenching, lyrical, and sharply observed novel about marriage, motherhood, sacrifice, and self-discovery. Originally published in Israel as Woman of Valor, the novel intertwines fiction and memoir, portraying both a woman’s inner life and the complexities of family, love, and identity. Lihi shares the real-life inspiration behind the book, including her journey as a mother to a daughter with autism, her experience as the wife of a public figure, and the struggle to reclaim her own creative voice.Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for listening guides and more. **(Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact allie.gallo@acast.com.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pastor Shawn Johnson joins Zibby to discuss his powerful new book, KISS THE FIRE: 7 Ways to get Back Up When You Want to Give Up. Shawn opens up about his diagnosis with an incurable brain disease, his lifelong struggles with anxiety and depression, and how faith and vulnerability helped him find purpose in pain. He and Zibby also discuss how vulnerability creates connection, why sharing our struggles can be freeing, and how even in life’s darkest moments, hope and purpose can emerge.Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for listening guides and more. **(Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact allie.gallo@acast.com.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Totally Booked: LIVE! In this special episode of the podcast (in-person at the Whitby Hotel with a live audience!), Zibby interviews beloved New York Times bestselling author Susan Orlean about her brilliant, high-spirited, exhilarating debut memoir, JOYRIDE. Susan reflects on the “reign of good fortune” that has shaped her career and personal life, from serendipitous early writing breaks to the heartbreaks and rebirths that followed. She also opens up about her complicated first marriage, a surprising post-divorce romance in Bhutan, and rebuilding her life after loss, from 9/11 to the California wildfires.Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for listening guides and more. **(Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact allie.gallo@acast.com.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Totally Booked: LIVE! In this special episode of the podcast (in-person at the Whitby Hotel with a live audience!), Zibby interviews journalist and New York Times bestselling author Marisa Meltzer about her dazzling and intimate new book, IT GIRL: The Life and Legacy of Jane Birkin. Together, they explore the iconic muse’s complex life beyond the famed Hermès bag, from her bohemian beginnings and creative triumphs to the deep personal losses that shaped her. Marisa shares what drew her to Birkin’s story, her research adventures in Paris, and what she’s learned from studying a woman who lived boldly, loved deeply, and refused to conform.Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for listening guides and more. **(Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact allie.gallo@acast.com.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Totally Booked: LIVE! In this special episode of the podcast (in-person at the Whitby Hotel with a live audience!), Zibby interviews economist Dr. Corinne Low about her groundbreaking new book, HAVING IT ALL: What Data Tells Us About Women’s Lives and Getting the Most Out of Yours. Corinne shares how thinking like an economist can help women redefine what it truly means to “have it all”—not by maximizing achievement, but by maximizing utility: joy, meaning, and fulfillment over a lifetime. She opens up about her own life changes—from leaving a high-pressure job and a long commute to reshaping her marriage and motherhood—and offers data-driven insights on why modern women feel so squeezed, how to find balance, and what it really takes to create an equitable partnership at home and at work.Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for listening guides and more. **(Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact allie.gallo@acast.com.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jewish social media influencer and food blogger Melinda Strauss chats with Zibby about her debut cookbook, EAT JEWISH: Over 100 Recipes that Blend Jewish Heritage, Modern Flavors, and Family Traditions. Melinda shares how she found her voice online—celebrating Judaism, answering questions, and connecting through food—and how her social media community inspired this book. They also discuss family recipes (including her grandma’s famous Cornflake kugel!), how cooking became her creative outlet, and why EAT JEWISH is both a celebration of culture and a quiet act of fighting antisemitism through education and joy.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/47we0tkShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for listening guides and more. **(Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact allie.gallo@acast.com.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.