Totally Booked with Zibby

"To me, this book, in a lot of ways, the core intellectual arc of the book is this journey of me figuring out what it means to be American." Zibby is joined by investigative journalist and editor at BuzzFeed News Albert Samaha to talk about his new memoir, Concepcion, which is a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. Albert and Zibby talk about the ways in which the shape of the narrative changed over the five years it took to write it, which moments in recent history have had the greatest effect on Albert's family, and how he determined which memories made it into the book.Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/35KUk91Bookshop: https://bit.ly/37hH3FrSubscribe 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.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Jacquelyn Mitchard joins Zibby to discuss her latest novel, The Good Son, and the brief interaction at a writer's conference that inspired it. The two talk about the unreasoning love parents have for their children, what Jacquelyn's experience was like raising nine kids, and the project she is working on next. Jacquelyn also shares what the experience was like being chosen as Oprah's first book club pick, from almost missing the opportunity when she didn't believe Oprah was really calling her to what it was like to be a part of a massive literary phenomenon.  Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3sWGNEdBookshop: https://bit.ly/3tMgCPNSubscribe 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 Clothilde Ewig to talk about her very first picture book, Stella Keeps the Sun Up, which is out this week from Denene Millner Books. Clothilde shares how an op-ed from Denene was what originally inspired her to begin writing and how her own childrens' sleep habits helped her shape the story. Clothilde also tells Zibby about her time working as a producer for The Oprah Winfrey Show as well as what she is working on now, both for her second picture book and as Vice President of Strategic Communications at The Chicago Community Trust.Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/34pOV6JBookshop: https://bit.ly/35HmqlpSubscribe 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.

New York Times bestselling author Brad Meltzer returns to talk with Zibby his latest thriller, The Lightning Rod, which was inspired by a real figure hired by the United States Army to paint disasters as they occur. Brad shares how influential his mother and the loss of his parents have been on all of his novels, which real-life spy tricks he has included in his projects that have impressed his kids, and what his experience was like reading to former President George H. W. Bush just before he passed away.Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3pKlq7bBookshop: https://bit.ly/35HIKvcSubscribe 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.

Award-winning journalist and author Lisa Barr returns to talk with Zibby about her latest novel, Woman on Fire, which is one of this month's Barnes and Noble picks and has just been optioned by Sharon Stone. The two discuss which life experiences Lisa lent to her protagonist, how she managed to fully flesh out every character in her expansive cast, and why her family's Holocaust story continues to inspire her to write books about the era. Lisa also shares the real historical moments she wove into the plot, proving that truth is sometimes stranger than fiction. Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3CiJwe7Bookshop: https://bit.ly/349uyueSubscribe 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.

Nick Hornby, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of High Fidelity, About a Boy, and Fever Pitch, joins Zibby to discuss his latest novel, Just Like You. The two talk about why his writing is so easily adapted for the screen, the occupational hazards that come with being a writer, and the inadvertent effects parenting can have on kids — both fictional and real. Nick also shares the encounter he observed that lay the groundwork for this story and which political events finally inspired him to write the book.Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/35l0w7HBookshop: https://bit.ly/3KdjqvYSubscribe 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 author Nikki May to discuss her debut novel, Wahala, which many are calling "Sex and the City with a killer twist." Nikki shares the meal with friends that inspired her to write this story, how she mapped out her four main characters' personalities on a spreadsheet that ended up being taller than her, and why she wants all of her novels to feature mixed-race characters with true-to-life experiences. Nikki and Zibby also talk about the upcoming BBC adaptation of the novel and what role Nikki is happily playing in that development.Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3MjFG90Bookshop: https://bit.ly/36YLzbNSubscribe 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 once again joined by New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis to talk about her latest novel, The Magnolia Palace, which takes place in New York's famed Frick Collection. The two talk about what inspired Fiona to tell a fictionalized version of the Frick's story, how she managed to write so vividly about the museum during the early days of the pandemic while in lockdown, and the multiple projects she's working on next. Fiona also shares why she decided to talk publicly about her Parkinson's disease and how it may fit into one of her upcoming books. Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3hyI4e1Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3MhxmqxSubscribe 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.

Science journalist, consultant, and author Catherine Price returns to talk with Zibby about her latest book, The Power of Fun. Catherine explains how signing up for the guitar lessons she always wanted to take inspired her to re-evaluate how we define "fun" and the importance having fun has in our everyday lives. She shares what she learned from interviewing several people about the most fun they've ever had, how the misconceptions around seeking enjoyment often prevent adults from doing the things that make them the happiest, and why the human connection that results from having fun is essential as we emerge from the pandemic. Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vqotoBBookshop: https://bit.ly/3MaVpaxSubscribe 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 British television star and author of the Meet Me In series Georgia Toffolo — better known to fans as Toff — to talk about how she always wanted to be a writer and what she plans to work on after the fourth and final book, Meet Me at the Wedding, comes out later this year. The two discuss which pieces of Toff's personal life inspired her series, what it was like to write travel novels during the pandemic, and why she wishes she had waited a few more years before writing her first memoir. Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/344vsbrBookshop: https://bit.ly/3vv6M79Subscribe 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.