Totally Booked with Zibby

Latest Episodes:

Mary Kay Andrews, THE NEWCOMER: A Novel Oct 03, 2021

Show notes

"I think my work defines me. I feel as though if I'm not writing, who am I?" Mary Kay Andrews — bestselling author of 26 novels — joins Zibby to talk about her two latest books, The Newcomer and The Santa Suit. Mary Kay shares how the pandemic both changed her writing habits and inspired her and a few fellow writers to start "Friends and Fiction." The group livestreams their conversations and interviews to an audience that has grown to well over 50,000, and they encourage listeners to continue supporting independent bookstores. Mary Kay also tells Zibby what she learned during her career that has allowed her to remain such a prolific author.

Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3m2ED0X

Bookshop: https://bit.ly/2ZGrxPL

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mira Jacob, GOOD TALK: A Memoir in Conversations Oct 02, 2021

Show notes

Zibby is joined by Mira Jacob to talk about her latest book, Good Talk, which was named one of the best books of 2019 by the New York Times Book Review. The graphic memoir was the result of Mira's attempts to answer her young son's questions about race in America while dealing with the political developments of 2016 — especially those that took place within her own family. Mira tells Zibby how she was able to assemble this book despite not being an illustrator or a memoirist and how her husband's family has received her side of their shared story.

Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3m10EgU

Bookshop: https://bit.ly/2ZDyXTJ

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bethany Saltman, STRANGE SITUATION: A Mother's Journey into the Science of Attachment Oct 01, 2021

Show notes

Writer and poet Bethany Saltman didn't set out to write a memoir but when her research into the life and studies of Mary Ainsworth overlapped with her own childhood, she knew she had to delve into her past. Bethany tells Zibby about how Ainsworth's attachment theories apply to the often complicated relationship she had with her older brothers, in which ways her familial past has affected her connection to her own daughter, and what the dynamic with her mother is like today.

Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3EQZ49X

Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3zK2eIQ

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Phoebe Robinson, PLEASE DON'T SIT ON MY BED IN YOUR OUTSIDE CLOTHES: Essays Sep 30, 2021

Show notes

Zibby is joined by Phoebe Robinson — stand-up comedian, co-creator of 2 Dope Queens, and founder of Tiny Reparations Books — to talk about her latest essay collection, Please Don't Sit on My Bed in Your Outside Clothes. Phoebe shares what inspired her to write a series of essays about the pandemic that did not give readers a simple play-play-play of her quarantine life, why writing an essay about her decision not to have children felt so necessary, and how becoming a boss offered her a new level of empathy for others.

Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2XUUYww

Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3lYlMnQ

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jayne Allen, BLACK GIRLS MUST DIE EXHAUSTED: A Novel Sep 29, 2021

Show notes

Although Jayne Allen has been writing all of her life, it wasn't until 2016 when she adopted a pseudonym that she finally felt comfortable publishing her debut novel, Black Girls Must Die Exhausted. Now, Jaunique Sealey (the woman behind Jayne Allen) serves as Vice President of Strategy & Community for Zibby Books and her novel is Target's October Book Club pick. Jaunique and Zibby talk about the importance of creating complex characters, why they both like drafting individual scenes first and stitching them together after, and how Jaunique found time in her busy career to write such a beautiful and necessary story.

Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3kpD7Fn

Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3jlR34a

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

R.J. Palacio, PONY Sep 28, 2021

Show notes

After years spent writing within the world of her bestselling book, Wonder, R.J. Palacio's new novel Pony is a stunning change of pace. Set in the American frontier in the 1850s, the "quick epic," as R.J. calls it, grapples with big themes like life, death, and family. R.J. tells Zibby about how her own orphanhood inspired elements of the story, why she scrapped the first version of her manuscript after two years of work and began it from scratch, and the role music played in helping her complete the novel.

Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3yhsoSl

Bookshop: https://bit.ly/2Wq5rzl

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paula Hawkins, A SLOW FIRE BURNING: A Novel Sep 27, 2021

Show notes

Paula Hawkins, the bestselling author of The Girl on the Train, joins Zibby to discuss her latest novel, A Slow Fire Burning which debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Paula shares how she found her way to thriller writing after working as a business journalist and a rom-com ghostwriter for years, as well as why she has always been drawn to darker stories. The two also talk about how Paula's writing process helps her create such intriguing characters, where she used to go pre-pandemic when she needed inspiration, and what she wants to do next that's not writing.

Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/38igPja

Bookshop: https://bit.ly/2WspwoW

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gregg Behr (WHEN YOU WONDER, YOU'RE LEARNING: Mister Rogers' Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids) & Joan Koenig (THE MUSICAL CHILD: Using the Power of Music to Raise Children Who Are Happy, Healthy, and Whole) Sep 26, 2021

Show notes

"This whole notion that learning needs to be difficult to be effective is just bullshit. I always used to say a laughing child is a learning child— science proves it now." Gregg Behr, co-author of When You Wonder, You're Learning, and Joan Koenig, author of The Musical Child, come together to talk to Zibby about the importance of emphasizing wonder and creativity in young kids' lives. The three all share ideas about how to make imagination a daily habit in the classroom and at home, which of Mister Rogers' lessons are still essential to teach young children today, and why it is so important that your kids see you express joy.

Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.

Amazon (When You Wonder): https://amzn.to/3CGYB8a

Amazon (The Musical Child): https://amzn.to/2ZpYP5r

Bookshop (When You Wonder): https://bit.ly/3i19wSd

Bookshop (The Musical Child): https://bit.ly/2W6x54p

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Abby Freireich and Brian Platzer, TAKING THE STRESS OUT OF HOMEWORK: Organizational, Content-Specific, and Test-Prep Strategies to Help Your Children Help Themselves Sep 25, 2021

Show notes

Zibby is joined by Brian Platzer and Abby Freireich, two Manhattan teachers who also run New York's only tutoring company fully staffed by professional classroom teachers, to talk about their new book, Taking the Stress Out of Homework. Brian and Abby share their top tips for how parents can assist with homework in non-invasive ways, the importance of teaching young students how to back-plan their schedules, and why their book doesn't offer a one-size-fits-all approach to learning.

Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3BimZfB

Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3DoVp2u

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Renée Rosen, THE SOCIAL GRACES: A Novel Sep 24, 2021

Show notes

Although Renée Rosen's latest book is a work of fiction, she manages to tell the incredible true story of the feud between Alva Vanderbilt and Caroline Astor in The Social Graces. Set during the Gilded Age, the book comments on the societal absurdities and paradoxes of the era and examines how women were able to create their own way in the world at a time when they had few guaranteed rights.

Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3sMcwpW

Bookshop: https://bit.ly/2WsZHoH

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected