Totally Booked with Zibby
by Zibby Owens
For nearly a decade, Totally Booked with Zibby has been one of publishing's premier podcasts and a regular stop on book tours for today's biggest authors. Hosted by bestselling author, bookstore owner, and publisher Zibby Owens, the show has featured more than 2,000 conversations with bestselling authors, actors, athletes, chefs, musicians, and entrepreneurs. Known for her warmth, empathy, and genuine curiosity, Zibby has a gift for asking the questions that lead to unforgettable conversations. What begins with the book leads to talks about creativity, ambition, love, loss, family, resilience, and reinvention. With thousands of episodes and dozens of industry honors, Totally Booked with Zibby reminds us all that talking about books is really talking about life. See acast.com/pri
Episodes
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Blake J. Harris on People Loving to be Yelled at by Larry David
Writer and producer Blake J. Harris spoke to Zibby Owens about his latest book Emperor of Nothing: The Making of Larry David, an inside look at the real man behind the comedy empire that includes TV hits Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Blake shares how he convinced Larry to participate in the...
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Sarah Langan on Trad Wives, Twists, and Timing
Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Good Neighbors Sarah Langan joins Zibby Owens in person to chat about her new book Trad Wife, which takes readers on a scary ride with a cancelled journalist out to save her reputation by interviewing a “trad wife.” Sarah discusses the online phenomenon around...
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Chef Alon Shaya on the Power of Meals and Memories
James Beard Award-winning chef Alon Shaya talks with Zibby Owens about his new book, Memories of a Good Meal: Recipes of Resilience Inspired by Stories of World War II Survival, which he co-wrote with author June Hersh. The book includes recipes and stories from Holocaust survivors and WWII…
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This is What Happens When Women Read with Julianna Glasse
Former Christian pop star turned activist Julianna Glasse speaks with Zibby Owens about her new book This is What Happens When Women Read. Her memoir shares the same name as her global foundation which supports women’s autonomy through education, curriculum, and community. Julianna shares what...
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Sarah Wright Olsen + Diane Debrovner and Stacy Cervenka
********* A story for the messy middle. Zibby's essay collection Between Chapters is out now! Love to listen? She narrated the audiobook. Listen on Spotify here. Listen on Apple here.
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Mary Beth Keane on Love and Forgiveness in Whale Harbor
New York Times bestselling author Mary Beth Keane talks with Zibby Owens about her new book, this month’s GMA Book Club pick Whale Harbor, an epic, multigenerational story about 11 brothers in Ireland in 1963 who become scattered after their mother’s death. The author of Ask Again, Yes shares how...
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Meghan Cox Gurdon on Being a Greedy Reader
Wall Street Journal journalist Meghan Cox Gurdon talked to Zibby Owens about her new book Free Range Girl: A Memoir which focuses on the year that twelve-year-old Meghan spent with her father in rural Maine in 1976. Meghan shares how her life shifted from conventional (with her mother) to highly...
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Jessica Radloff on Young Sheldon
Jessica Radloff joins Zibby Owens to chat about her new book Young Sheldon: The (Juicier-Than-Meemaw's-Brisket) Inside Story of the Hit Comedy which gives readers an inside look at the hit comedy and spotlights interviews with the cast and crew. In addition to discussing Young Sheldon, Jessica...
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Jane Leeves: A Look Behind the Scenes of Hit Sitcom Frasier
Actress Jane Leeves talks with Zibby Owens about her new book Daphne & Me: My Life on Frasier (And a Bit More) which gives a glimpse behind the scenes of her time on the hit show. Jane wrote Daphne & Me with her daughter Isabella Kathryn Coben, who also wrote the foreword. Jane shares memories…
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Yale Professor Meghan O’Rourke Uses Poetry to Navigate the Invisible Kingdom
New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Kingdom Meghan O’Rourke sits down with Zibby Owens to talk about her new, slim, poetry anthology The Story of the Body, a collection of 82 poems about illness, pain, and recovery. Meghan talks about her own experience of falling ill in her early...
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Israeli Author Noa Yedlin on Humor in Family-Based Fiction
Israeli novelist and contributor to On Being Jewish Now Noa Yedlin speaks with Zibby Owens about her novel House Arrest, a story about a Jerusalem family and the scandal that leads to their downfall. Noa discusses how she first approached writing the book and how it is not just an Israeli story…
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Christine Pride and Jo Piazza on The Ripple Effect of Secrets
Co-authors Christine Pride and Jo Piazza join Zibby Owens to discuss their new book I Never Knew You At All, the story of Simone and the investigation into her husband’s grandfather that exposes secrets, traumas, and moral dilemmas around her interracial marriage. Christine and Jo talk about the...
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Double Episode! Kate Hash & Kara Infante on The Power of Book Clubs, Reading, and Community
In this special double episode, Zibby Owens talks to author Kate Hash and podcaster Kara Infante about book clubs, the power of community, and how reading can change lives. First up, Kate Hash tells Zibby about her new book The Mother-In-Law Book Club, a story of friendship, unexpected chances…
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Bonnie Garmus on Her Novel After Lessons in Chemistry
Bonnie Garmus joins Zibby Owens to talk about her new novel Peck & Peck, the story of recent graduate Batter Gray who struggles with what to do with his arts degree after college, only to find himself at a prestigious poetry quarterly in the midst of a secret war between two editors. Bonnie...
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Julie Orringer’s New Novel: Think “Still Alice” meets “The Plot”
Julie Orringer sits down with Zibby Owens to discuss her new novel Luna, Phoenix, Queen, a multiple narrative story about a husband who steals his wife’s novel while she suffers from early-onset Alzheimer’s and the people in the orbit of this betrayal. Julie talks about the reason for showing...
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Maria Shriver and Zibby Owens on Life’s Chapters and Forging New Identities
Maria Shriver and Zibby Owens speak in-person at Zibby’s Bookshop about their life and work inspired by Zibby’s new book Between Chapters and Maria’s poetry collection I Am Maria. Zibby talks about how starting a podcast was a turning point in her life, the fear of unfulfilled dreams at any age,...
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Dr. Florence Comite on Living Longer -- and Better
Endocrinologist and longevity expert Dr. Florence Comite joins Zibby Owens to discuss Invincible, her new book that dives deep into genetics, aging, longevity, and reclaiming your health. Dr. Florence Comite talks about how having an identical twin made her realize that genetics wasn’t the only...
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Audrey Niffenegger on Her Return to The Time Traveler’s Wife
Audrey Niffenegger sits down with Zibby Owens to talk about her new novel Life Out of Order, a follow-up to her bestselling book The Time Traveler’s Wife. Audrey discusses how she ended up returning to this story years later, her artistic childhood, the themes of loss and love in her work, and…
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Shai Davidai on the October 7 Anniversary
Releasing today in honor of the third anniversary of the October 7th attacks, Shai Davidai joins Zibby Owens to discuss his book American Intellectual Antisemitism, the story of how he went from Columbia business professor to accidental activist. Shai shares the shock he experienced regarding...
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NYT Bestselling Author Michael Lewis on Blockers
Michael Lewis sits down with Zibby Owens to discuss his new book Blockers, a deep dive into the early days of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency through the lens of six targeted public servants. Michael discusses how the title was inspired by an Elon Musk quote, the fascinating work into...
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Erin Schlozman on the Myth of the Perfect Mom
Erin Schlozman joins Zibby Owens to discuss her book The Myth of the Perfect Mom, a guide to new motherhood and postpartum that rejects the idea of the perfect mother in place of authenticity, self-compassion, and joy. Erin talks about debunking the aspiration to be perfect, how her experience as…
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Hank Phillippi Ryan on Storytelling
Hank Phillippi Ryan sits down with Zibby Owens to chat about her new novel Mother Daughter Sister Stranger, a twisty thriller about Eliza’s search for her sister Bea who goes missing on the eleventh anniversary of the plane crash they survived but killed their parents. Hank talks about how…
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Rebekah Lowin on Jewish Joy
Rebekah Lowin sits down with Zibby Owens to discuss A Year of Jewish Joy, her new cookbook full of meaningful recipes, homemade crafts, and table guides for the Jewish holidays. Rebekah talks about being inspired by her grandmother, the joy of the Jewish people, her experience working for Martha...
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Elizabeth Wellington Rollins on Her Debut Novel
Elizabeth Wellington Rollins joins Zibby Owens to discuss her debut novel and Book of the Month Club Pick The Three Graces of Pearl Street, the story of an Italian American grandmother, daughter, and granddaughter who must all live together again after years apart and what that collision stirs…
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Meg Mason: The New Reese's Book Club pick!
Newly minted Reese's Book Club pick Meg Mason joins Zibby Owens to discuss her new novel (and Zibby’s October Book Club pick!) Sophie, Standing There, the story of book lover Sophie Pattison who finds herself living alone and isolated, and how her favorite author provides solace when she needs it...
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Susan Coll on the Fictional Bookshop in Her Novel
Susan Coll sits down with Zibby Owens to discuss her new novel Word Salad, a bookish comedy about former economics major Matilda who finds herself working at her hometown bookstore where she must navigate the business of publishing and the people in it. Susan talks about teaching herself to…
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Fran Hauser on Embracing the Twenty-Minute Mindset
Fran Hauser joins Zibby Owens to discuss her new book Twenty Minutes is the New Hour, a guide to help women embrace the twenty-minute mindset, reclaim their time, and take small steps towards better productivity. Fran talks about the techniques she used to launch her bookstore Bedford Books in…
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Allison Sweet Grant on Sharing Her Cancer Journey Through Poetry
Allison Sweet Grant joins Zibby Owens to talk about her new poetic memoir Lump, an unconventional, moving collection of essays and verse about her experience with breast cancer. Allison discusses how the book started out as a journal to process the difficult moments of her cancer journey, being...
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Isabel Allende on The Quiet Happiness of Aging
Isabel Allende joins Zibby Owens to discuss her new memoir Story Telling, a heartfelt love letter to life and writing that recounts the past forty-five years of her career, the philosophy and emotion behind craft, and the lessons she’s learned along the way. Inspired by the masterclass she did…
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Zibby Owens on Between Chapters, Her New Essay Collection
Live from Matchmaker Bookshop in Highland Park, IL! Bestselling author Renée Rosen interviews Zibby Owens about her new book Between Chapters, a heartfelt and candid collection of essays centered around her decade of extreme change and where it all led. Zibby discusses overcoming intense social...
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Laura Moriarty on her Read with Jenna pick
Laura Moriarty sits down with Zibby Owens to discuss her new novel and August 2026 Read With Jenna Pick Sunlight Finds You, a deeply felt love story set in 1949 that ends in heartbreak and shame, and changes the course of seventeen-year-old Nora’s life forever. Laura talks about the book’s look...
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NYT Bestseller Harlan Coben with the Best Writing Advice Ever
NYT Bestseller! Harlan Coben sits down with Zibby Owens to discuss his new book Plot Twist, a memoir that blends personal narrative and writing advice, acknowledging that both are inevitably connected. Harlan talks about the importance of critical thinking in fiction, incremental ambition,...
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Dara Horn on Antisemitism, History, and Hope
Instant New York Times bestseller! Dara Horn joins Zibby Owens to discuss her new book The Final Solution to the Jewish Question, an exploration into the lies of antisemitism throughout history and her vision for the future. Dara discusses how Holocaust education fails to do its job, her surprise...
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Sona Movsesian on Being the World's Worst Mom
USA Today bestseller Sona Movsesian sits down with Zibby Owens to discuss her new book The World’s Worst Mom, a funny and relatable look into motherhood. Sona discusses her experience with IVF and the conversations that it demands, her obsession with mortality after having kids, the trauma of...
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Elizabeth Castellano on Her Follow-Up Novel to the GMA Book Club Pick
Elizabeth Castellano joins Zibby Owens to talk about her new novel Proof of Progress, the humorous story of B-list actress and comedian Maria Astorini whose second book is thirty-seven years overdue. Elizabeth shares how this book was inspired by her own difficulties while writing her second…
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Amy Chozick, live from CMEE, on Her Friendship Novel
Live from the Children’s Museum of the East End, Amy Chozick sits down with Zibby Owens to talk about her new psychological thriller With Friends Like You. In the novel Emily, a struggling new mom in Manhattan, embarks on the search for her long-lost friend Daisy who disappeared years ago. But…
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Lea Vale on Her Ode to 9/11
Lea Vale joins Zibby Owens to discuss her new novel Blue Sky Black, the second-chance romance told across two timelines that she wrote as a love letter to the friend she lost on 9/11. Lea shares her own experience in New York City that day 25 years ago, the trauma of having to cope with a loved…
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Zibby’s 9/11 Essay
Zibby was one of the countless people who lost a loved one on 9/11. Stacey Sanders, Zibby’s college roommate, worked in the North Tower of the World Trade Center. To process the loss, Zibby wrote an essay for her business school newspaper, The Harbus, two weeks after it happened. She reads it…
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Kara Kavensky on Finding Joy
Kara Kavensky sits down with Zibby Owens to talk about her memoir Tell Me About Joy, inspired by WWII veteran Bob who shared with her his greatest regret: “I missed out on marrying the love of my life. Her name is Joy.” Interwoven with her own personal story, Kara writes about her journey to find...
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Jonathan Santlofer on His Art World Thriller
Jonathan Santlofer joins Zibby Owens for a deep dive into his new novel Ten Perfect Guests, an immersive, fun, “whodunit” thriller following the aftermath of a beloved art figure’s death and the people summoned to a remote island under threat of losing their inheritance. Jonathan discusses the...
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Eriq La Salle (of "ER" Fame) on His Soulful Mystery
Eriq La Salle joins Zibby Owens to discuss his new thriller Laws of Solomon, the fourth book in his Martyr Maker series, which takes a previous side character who was inspired by The Godfather’s Luca Brasi and lifts him up to the lead. Eriq discusses the ever-present question of ‘can our most...
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Amanda Peters on The Birthing Tree -- Zibby's Book Club Pick
Amanda Peters sits down with Zibby Owens to discuss her new novel (and Zibby’s November Book Club pick!) The Birthing Tree, the story of a young girl growing up in a family with secrets, her withdrawal from the grandmother who raised her among the generational traditions of Mi’kmaq women, and…
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Sarah Addison Allen, PAPER GHOSTS, on Grief
Sarah Addison Allen’s book Paper Ghosts was, quite fittingly, haunting. We discussed grief, loss, fiction, writing, and more. I left feeling like I had a new friend. ********* A story for the messy middle. Zibby's essay collection Between Chapters is out now! Love to listen? She narrated the...
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Jonah Platt, Being Jewish with Jonah Platt
Jonah Platt and I both have TV shows on the JBS network which is how we connected for this episode. I’d been dying to interview Jonah about his Jewish advocacy and what he’d learned from interviewing so many leaders in the field. What he answered surprised me. I also learned about how he’s…
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Beth Ricanati, MD, THE BRAIDED PRESCRIPTION: Seven Practices for Living Well from the Ancient Ritual of Making Challah
Beth Ricanati, MD, and I made challah together in my kitchen in L.A. eight years ago — and filmed it. Since then, our lives continue to intersect from the podcast to the bookstore to her being part of the On Being Jewish Now anthology. In this conversation recorded at Zibby’s Bookshop, we covered...
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Laurie Notaro, I'VE GOT A NEW COMPLAINT: Essays on Aging Disgracefully and Other Small Disasters
Laurie Notaro makes me laugh. A bestselling humorist, Laurie writes about whatever life stage she’s in with wit and bluntness. We talked about her hilarious parents and how her dad often says he’s glad Laurie didn’t have a twin, how we regress as soon as we go “home,” the indignities of aging…
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Community Builders' Spotlight: Jennifer Shoop, Magpie, and the Wine Sisters Book Club
Today’s episode features female founders of two communities: Jennifer Shoop, Magpie, and Aly Wente and Niki Wente, The Wine Sisters Book Club. Both groups have prioritized books — in addition to birds, wine, and more interests and avenues. Jennifer Shoop’s book, Small Wonders: A Field Guide to...
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Dr. Rachel Zoffness on The Truth About Pain
Pain psychologist Dr. Rachel Zoffness sits down with Zibby Owens to discuss her new book, Tell Me Where It Hurts: The New Science of Pain and How to Heal. Prompted by one parent’s powerful question and the transformative experience of working with teenagers, Rachel reflects on her personal and...
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Sara Goodman Confino on Women in Journalism and The Power of a Strong Mentor
Sara Goodman Confino’s high school journalism teacher was the first person who told her “you can do better than this.” And she did. Sara joins Zibby Owens for an intimate talk about her new novel Off The Record, a fun, thrilling, and mysterious romantic comedy set in 1962 about 22-year-old Judy...
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Margie Lachman, PhD, PRIMETIME: A New Vision for Midlife
Midlife desperately needs a rebrand. Dr. Margie Lachman is doing just that with her research at the Lifespan Lab at Brandeis University where she teaches psychology. She has pioneered the lifespan psychology approach to midlife. We talked about the joys midlife can bring and why her academic...
About this show
For nearly a decade, Totally Booked with Zibby has been one of publishing's premier podcasts and a regular stop on book tours for today's biggest authors. Hosted by bestselling author, bookstore owner, and publisher Zibby Owens, the show has featured more than 2,000 conversations with bestselling authors, actors, athletes, chefs, musicians, and entrepreneurs.
Known for her warmth, empathy, and genuine curiosity, Zibby has a gift for asking the questions that lead to unforgettable conversations. What begins with the book leads to talks about creativity, ambition, love, loss, family, resilience, and reinvention. With thousands of episodes and dozens of industry honors, Totally Booked with Zibby reminds us all that talking about books is really talking about life.
See acast.com/pri
Hosted by
Zibby Owens