Totally Booked with Zibby

Zibby Books author alert! Zibby speaks to debut author Mary Jones about THE GOODBYE PROCESS, an arresting, original, and beautifully rendered short story collection that examines loss and the painful ways we say goodbye—not just after the death of a loved one, but also after divorces, friendship breakups, and when aging, as we lose our younger selves. Mary shares her path to writing—which started after her father's death when she was just 15—and then touches on her love for the short story and her experiences teaching creative writing.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3yvQG10Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!** 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 chats with author Alison Espach about her absurdly funny and devastatingly tender new novel, THE WEDDING PEOPLE—a Zibby’s Book Club, Read With Jenna, and B&N Book Club pick! Alison delves into the book’s unique premise: Phoebe, a divorced English professor, goes to a luxury hotel to end her life—but then she meets the bride getting married there that weekend, and they form an unlikely friendship. Alison delves into the characters, the inspiration behind the story, and her use of humor to explore dark themes. She also reveals how her own experiences with grief and loss have influenced her writing.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3zZANjTShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!** 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 two-time Pushcart Prize nominee Tara M. Stringfellow to discuss MAGIC ENUFF, an electrifying, glorious collection of poems that tells a universal tale of survival and revolution through the lens of Black femininity. Tara opens up about her identity as a Black woman and poet. She highlights specific poems, such as "Exodus," written in memory of Tyree Nichols, a Black artist from Memphis who was killed, and “This Woman,” which draws from her mother's experience of racial violence as a child during the Civil Rights Movement. Finally, she reflects on the success of MEMPHIS, which was a “Read With Jenna” pick.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4dgOdX9Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!** 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.

National Book Award finalist Julia Phillips joins Zibby to discuss BEAR, a spellbinding and richly imagined novel about survival, obsession, and two sisters on San Juan Island whose lives are disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious bear. Julia delves into the symbolic and narrative significance of the bear, drawing inspiration from Grimm’s fairy tales and her personal fascination with the animal. She touches on family dynamics, isolation, violence, and resilience, all set against the backdrop of a vividly depicted island. She also delves into her writing process, her research into bear behavior, and her upcoming project—this time set on Cape Cod.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4cV982hShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!** 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 chats with co-authors Rachel Dodes and Lauren Mechling about THE MEMO, a smart, addictive, bittersweet, and ultimately triumphant debut novel about a woman who is approaching her 36th birthday, feeling like she missed life’s crucial “memo” as her friends succeed while she struggles—until she’s given the "memo” and can go back in time… Lauren and Rachel, who co-wrote the novel during the pandemic, drew from their experiences as underemployed freelancers, questioning the small choices that led them there. They discuss ambition, regrets, societal pressures, unseen struggles, and the subjective nature of success. They also share invaluable insights on their collaborative writing process.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3WaEL0AShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!** 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 chats with author Jessica Fein about her astonishing, heartrending, vulnerable new book, BREATH TAKING: A Memoir of Family, Dreams, and Broken Genes. Jessica describes her lengthy infertility journey, her and her husband’s unconventional journey to parenthood through international adoption, their three children from Guatemala, and their middle daughter Dalia’s diagnosis with an ultra-rare degenerative disease. She shares what it was like to turn her house into an ICU and care for Dalia 24/7 until she passed away at the age of 17—and how it impacted her marriage and other children. Ultimately, she reflects on the role of writing as a therapeutic outlet.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3LyD8ouShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!** 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.

Bestselling author Ali Rosen returns to the podcast, this time to discuss ALTERNATE ENDINGS, a smart, witty, breathless second-chance romance about a single mother juggling homelife and career who starts traveling to Ireland for work… and reconnects with a high school love who is now the CTO of her company. Ali discusses the complexities of motherhood, divorce and custody, female friendships, writing a (slightly) older heroine, and the book’s breathtaking Irish setting. In the end, she reveals what her next book is about!Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4cTQVC8Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!** 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 chats with New York Times bestselling author Catherine Newman about SANDWICH, a wise, hilarious, and exquisitely written story about a family’s yearly Cape Cod vacation—but this time, fifty-something Rocky is sandwiched between her half-grown kids and aging parents and her secrets and memories start coming to the surface... Catherine discusses the universal experiences of middle-aged women, the real-life moments that have inspired her writing, and how she writes about life’s messiness with sensitivity and laugh-out-loud humor. Finally, she reveals her idea for her next book and shares the book she read recently and loved.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4bRJcmCShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!** 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.

The View cohost and three-time Emmy Award winner Sunny Hostin returns to the podcast—this time to discuss SUMMER ON HIGHLAND BEACH, the third novel in her New York Times bestselling Summer Beach series. Sunny reveals how she makes time to write, which she balances with her morning talk show and a busy family life. Then, she delves into the novel, describing the tense family drama, the themes of self-discovery and self-worth, and the tension between honoring our legacies and finding our own way in the world. Finally, Sunny teases an upcoming project… and it involves witches.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3W90N3FShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!** 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 chats with author Madeleine Henry about MY FAVORITE TERRIBLE THING, an evocative mystery about the sudden disappearance of the world’s most famous author on her wedding day, and the private investigator who reads between the haunting lines of her book…falling into a spiral of secret love, obsession, and death. Madeleine delves into her book’s intricate plot, atmospheric, off-season Hamptons setting, memorable characters, and the theme of extreme fame—and how isolating it can be. She also shares her experiences as a new mom, the topic of her next book, and her best advice for aspiring writers. Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4faBCqqShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!** 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.