Totally Booked with Zibby

Laura Nicole Diamond joins to discuss her 2015 bestselling novel, Shelter Us, and how it changed her life. Laura tells Zibby about how she made the jump from working as a civil rights lawyer who wrote in private to a novelist, as well as what she did to hold herself to the commitment of writing a novel. Laura also shares how the inclusion of a Guatemalan character in the novel led her family to foster a young Guatemalan refugee seeking asylum, what she learned from her experience volunteering with the houseless community in LA, and why she's currently working on a memoir.Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ue8VmPBookshop: https://bit.ly/3x4z61bSubscribe to Zibby's weekly newsletter here.** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (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.

"I'm having more fun in my fifties than I have ever had before in my life. I'm very aware now that I'm not somebody who fits in, and that's fine. In fact, I love it." New York Times bestselling author Jane Green returns to talk about her first biographical novel, Sister Stardust, which centers around the life of socialite Talitha Getty. The two talk about how Jane originally found her way into Talitha's world, what projects her research may spin off into next, and which parts of her own coming-of-age story she infused into her protagonist. Jane also shares how her life has changed since she hit 50 and which decisions she made to help her feel most like her authentic self.Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3uRRRlyBookshop: https://bit.ly/3LIjHrtSubscribe to Zibby's weekly newsletter here.** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (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.

Bonnie Garmus joins Zibby to talk about her debut novel, Lessons in Chemistry, which has already been optioned for Apple TV by Brie Larson and is this month's GMA Book Club pick. Bonnie shares how the process of selling this book differed drastically from her previous novel (which was rejected ninety-eight times), where she learned the chemistry included in the story, and what moment in her professional history inspired her to write the first chapter of this project. The two also chat about how cooking is a form of chemistry and what Bonnie is reading right now.Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3uXabtGBookshop: https://bit.ly/3j9rN07Subscribe to Zibby's weekly newsletter here.** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (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.

Author of Godshot Chelsea Bieker joins Zibby to talk about her latest book, Heartbroke, which is a collection of short stories all set in California's Central Valley where she grew up. The two discuss one story, in particular, that was partially inspired by Chelsea's tumultuous childhood and troubled relationship with her mother. She also shares how she's been working on these stories for nearly a decade as she procrastinated other work, what her writing process looks like after having two children of her own, and the new novel she's working on next.Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3LIKNi7Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3ucfwhGSubscribe to Zibby's weekly newsletter here.** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (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.

"I love strong women, so that's what I write." Author and host of the Debut Spotlight podcast Rachel Barenbaum returns to talk about her latest novel, Atomic Anna, an intergenerational time-travel story. Rachel shares why the 1986 Chernobyl disaster has long been a source of inspiration for her, how she manages to write so visually, and what moral questions she believes more people should ponder especially after the past two years of Covid. Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xmpZJxBookshop: https://bit.ly/3x2HspVSubscribe to Zibby's weekly newsletter here.** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (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 is joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jennifer Egan to discuss her latest novel, The Candy House, which is linked to her 2010 bestseller, A Visit from the Goon Squad. The two talk about Jennifer's journey to becoming a successful writer and how she's glad in some ways that she wasn't famous sooner. Jennifer also shares what her writing process looks like, the experience that changed the course of her career path, and how to tell if you are cut out to be a writer.Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/36VoIxVBookshop: https://bit.ly/3r3ipzcSubscribe to Zibby's weekly newsletter here.** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (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.

Broadway superstar Kristin Chenoweth joins Zibby to talk about her new picture book, What Will I Do with My Love Today?, which was inspired in part by her beloved dog, Thunder. The two discuss why Kristin decided to incorporate heavy themes like loss, adoption, and perseverance in the face of adversity, as well as how the pandemic played a role in the story. Kristin also shares her favorite passage and the responsibility artists have to put their work out into the world. Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3K9RQjoBookshop: https://bit.ly/3Kczb6ESubscribe to Zibby's weekly newsletter here.** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (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.

Debut novelist Jessamine Chan joins Zibby to discuss her book, The School for Good Mothers, which is now a Read with Jenna pick and an instant New York Times best-seller. Jessamine shares which parts of the book changed when she became a mother herself, the shocking research she conducted into family separation that inspired elements of the story, and how her physical isolation while writing bled into her work. Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3qQVKGpBookshop: https://bit.ly/3IXZeNASubscribe to Zibby's weekly newsletter here.** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (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.

Editor-at-Large at People Magazine and host of the PEOPLE Every Day podcast Janine Rubenstein joins Zibby to talk about her career and her current book recommendations. Janine shares how she started her career as an editorial assistant helping to select People's book picks and has since made her way around the entire People ecosystem. She also tells Zibby what it's like interviewing celebrities on red carpets for the podcast, as well as how celebrity culture has shifted in some ways since the pandemic. Make sure to listen for Janine's top three recommendations at the moment!Subscribe to Zibby's weekly newsletter here.** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (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.

"I feel like I'm still adding selves and identity. It's not a process that stops. You don't stop growing and sit in a rocking chair." Zibby is joined by Stephanie Gangi to talk about her latest novel, Carry the Dog. The two discuss why it is so important to center stories around older women that feel honest, the influence Stephanie's relationships and personal life have had on her fiction, and what she is looking forward to from life in her 60s. Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3LwobS0Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3iRxHmhSubscribe to Zibby's weekly newsletter here.** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (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.