Totally Booked with Zibby
Zibby Owens
Hi! I'm Zibby Owens, host of Totally Booked with Zibby (formerly Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books). In my daily show, I interview today’s latest, bestselling, buzziest, or underrated authors and story creators whose work I think is worth your time. As a bookstore owner, publisher, author and (obviously) podcaster, I get a comprehensive look at everything that’s coming out and spend my time curating the best books so you don’t have to. Stay in the know, get insider insights, and connect with guests like I do. Every single day.FYI, my show has won many awards! It was one of Oprah's top literary podcasts - twice! - and has been downloaded 15 million+ times. With 2,000+ episodes to choose from, you'll never run out of book talk. For more information, go to zibbymedia.com and follow me on Instagram at @zibbyowens. If you love the show, please rate and review it. And go buy the books!(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.
Episodes
Mentioned books
May 30, 2025 • 24min
Annabel Monaghan, IT'S A LOVE STORY
Bestselling author Annabel Monaghan returns to the podcast to discuss her latest novel, IT’S A LOVE STORY, an adorable, poignant rom-com about a former teen star-turned-Hollywood producer navigating second chances, big lies, and a complicated love with a charming (and quiet) man. Annabel reveals how the story evolved over twelve drafts, why she’s drawn to messy characters, and what she’s learned from nearly 30 years of marriage about real love (“Love actually happens over breakfast…during our morning dog walk… in line at the DMV and in hospital rooms…”). The two also bond over big families, awkward Substack lives, and The Notebook.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4jnc5LoShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 29, 2025 • 29min
Michele Filgate, Kelly McMasters, and Joanna Rakoff, WHAT MY FATHER AND I DON'T TALK ABOUT: Sixteen Writers Break the Silence
Totally Booked: LIVE! In this special episode of the podcast (in-person at the Whitby Hotel with a live audience!), Zibby welcomes editor Michele Filgate and contributors Joanna Rakoff and Kelly McMasters to discuss their moving and deeply relatable new essay collection, WHAT MY FATHER AND I DON’T TALK ABOUT. Michele shares how her viral essay inspired the original mother-themed anthology, and why a companion book about fathers felt essential. Joanna opens up about uncovering long-held family secrets and the mythologies we inherit, while Kelly reflects on intergenerational parenting, memory, and the unspoken ways love is shown.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4jn1U9EShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 28, 2025 • 23min
Sarah Ruhl, LESSONS FROM MY TEACHERS: From Preschool to the Present
Totally Booked: LIVE! In this special episode of the podcast (in-person at the Whitby Hotel with a live audience!), Zibby chats with critically acclaimed author, MacArthur genius, two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, and Tony Award-nominated playwright, Sarah Ruhl, about her tender and thoughtful essay collection, LESSONS FROM MY TEACHERS. Sarah reveals the figures—inside and outside the classroom—who shaped her life and work, from her eccentric actress mother to her legendary mentor Paula Vogel. She also talks about memory, grief, her writing process, unexpected health journeys, the healing power of literature, and the impact of honoring teachers while they're still with us.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3HbVuNgShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 27, 2025 • 26min
Jill Bialosky, THE END IS THE BEGINNING: A Personal History of My Mother
Totally Booked: LIVE! In this special episode of the podcast (in-person at the Whitby Hotel with a live audience!), Zibby chats with poet and New York Times bestselling author Jill Bialosky about her lyrical, profoundly moving new book, THE END IS THE BEGINNING. Told in reverse chronology, it traces the remarkable life of her mother, from her death during COVID back to her Depression-era childhood, exploring memory, identity, loss, and resilience. Jill opens up about losing her mother to Alzheimer’s, the pain of her sister’s suicide, the impact of an abusive stepfather, and the inherited strength passed through generations of women. With raw honesty, she shares how writing became a refuge—and a way to bring her mother back to life on the page.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4k3HrrzShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 26, 2025 • 41min
Judy Blume, LIVE at the Streicker Center!
In this very special episode (and live event at the Streicker Center), Zibby interviews a literary icon: the extraordinary Judy Blume. Judy shares deeply personal stories—including how she coped with anxiety as a young girl, her childhood secrets, her complex relationship with religion, her journey into writing, and her evolution from children’s literature to adult fiction. The discussion touches on love, marriage, motherhood, aging, tap dancing, the joys of running a bookstore, and what it means to live a creative, meaningful, and enduringly curious life. Finally, she reflects on her legacy, gratitude for her readers, and the seriousness of today’s book-banning climate.Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 25, 2025 • 28min
Lori Gold, ROMANTIC FRICTION
Zibby interviews Lori Gold about ROMANTIC FRICTION, an irreverent, hilarious, raucous romp through the publishing world. They dive into the behind-the-scenes realities of publishing, the anxiety and ambition that fuel the writing life, and the looming impact of AI on creativity. Lori shares the inspiration behind this story, which traces a bestselling romance author’s battle against an AI-generated rival, and opens up about her unexpected path from journalist to novelist. Finally, she shares what she’s working on next!Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4ka3BITShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 24, 2025 • 24min
Lili Taylor, Turning to Birds: The Power and Beauty of Noticing
Award-winning actor and debut author Lili Taylor chats with Zibby about TURNING TO BIRDS, a collection of beautifully crafted, inquisitive, eye-opening essays about the search for peace in a cacophony of birds and discovering a world of meaning in small moments. The two dive into Lili’s deep love of birding—how it began well before the pandemic and became a way of seeing and being in the world. They explore the emotional and neurological power of paying attention, the art of listening, and the beauty of connecting with nature to feel more at home in ourselves and the world. Lili shares stories of rooftop bird rescues, birding in unexpected places, and her quiet but profound journey into authorship.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4kxqmWDShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 23, 2025 • 27min
Nicola Kraus, THE BEST WE COULD HOPE FOR
Zibby interviews #1 New York Times bestselling author Nicola Kraus about THE BEST WE COULD HOPE FOR, a sweeping novel spanning from 1943 to 2014 about a broken family and the women who knit together the remains. Nicola explains how her book traces the ripple effects of choices, trauma, privilege, and parenting through several generations of one family, and then touches on themes of race, motherhood, sibling bonds, healing, and even the transformative power of EMDR therapy. Finally, she shares her writing journey, her memories of growing up on the Upper East Side, and how her personal experiences shaped this book’s emotional core.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4duegLCShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 22, 2025 • 22min
Daria Burke, OF MY OWN MAKING: A Memoir
Award-winning business leader, investor, and speaker Daria Burke joins Zibby to discuss OF MY OWN MAKING, a lyrical, fearless memoir about facing the stark reality of your past and reclaiming the life you deserve. Daria opens up about her childhood with an absent father and a mother battling addiction, and then shares what it was like to discover a decades-old news photo of the car crash that killed her grandmother, reopening wounds she didn’t know were still raw. She also talks about her career in beauty and tech, the long journey to writing this memoir, the role of memory, and the radical act of telling your story on your own terms.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3F4xuelShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 21, 2025 • 24min
Bonnie Tsui, ON MUSCLE: The Stuff That Moves Us and Why It Matters
Zibby chats with bestselling author Bonnie Tsui about ON MUSCLE, a remarkable, mind-expanding exploration of the body, movement, and connection that will change how you think about muscle and how we move through the world. Bonnie shares how her relationship with her martial artist father inspired her to write this book, and then delves into how muscles shape our identity, our connections, and our shared humanity. She also recalls an intimate moment with her father-in-law, who has ALS, and shares insights from paraplegic yogi Matthew Sanford.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4dpYxNCShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
