Totally Booked with Zibby

Latest Episodes:

NYT Bestselling Author Michael Lewis on Blockers Oct 06, 2026

Show notes

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.

Michaeldiscusses how the title was inspired by an Elon Musk quote, the fascinating work into fire research that the government made difficult, and why narrative matters.

He also shares what actions readers can take, how government and politics are related but not the same, the process of “casting” this book out of the thousands of workers he could have focused on, and the experience of having three of his books turned into movies.

Learn more about Michael here https://www.michaellewiswrites.com.

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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.

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

Erin Schlozman on the Myth of the Perfect Mom Oct 05, 2026

Show notes

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 a licensed therapist working on an addiction medicine team led her to opening her own private practice, her daughter being born eight weeks early, and launching 4th Trimester Wellness on Instagram.

She also shares working through imposter syndrome while writing this book, the importance of transparency, embracing ambition as mothers, what surprised her about the publishing industry, mom guilt, and her hope that readers feel less alone through this book.

Learn more about Erin here https://www.erinschlozman.com and follow her on Instagram @erin.schlozman.

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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.

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

Hank Phillippi Ryan on Storytelling Oct 02, 2026

Show notes

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 stories shape our lives, family lore, the experience of writing a young character on the cusp of growing up, and why reading the end of a book first teaches her about story construction.

She also recounts growing up as the oldest of five children in rural Indiana, how her books benefit from her long career as a TV crime journalist, the question of ‘what happens after a story’s happy ending?’, and the touching reason she and her husband celebrate the day before their anniversary.

Learn more about Hank at https://hankphillippiryan.com and follow her on Instagram @hankpryan.

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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.

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

Rebekah Lowin on Jewish Joy Oct 01, 2026

Show notes

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 Stewart in New York City years ago, and how the blog she started in 2019 led to this book.

She also shares her experience growing up in Connecticut without a Jewish community, reverence for tradition while making things new, how pressure is part of the joy of hosting, and her dream of opening a brick-and-mortar shop one day.

Learn more about Rebekah here https://rebekahlowin.com and follow her on Instagram @rebekahlowin.

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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.

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

Elizabeth Wellington Rollins on Her Debut Novel Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

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 up.

Elizabeth talks about the little threads of home she wove into this story, her inspiration from the Roman myth of the three graces, the story’s intentional conversation with The Godfather, and distilling the big energy of her grandmother and great-aunts into her character Graziella.

Elizabeth also shares about growing up in Westchester, her career journey from tech copywriter and travel writer to fiction writing, the impact of having gestational diabetes while pregnant with her daughter, and how living in a small Vermont town gives her the mental space to write.

Follow Elizabeth on Instagram @elizabethwellingtonrollins.

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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.

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

Meg Mason: The New Reese's Book Club pick! Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

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 most.

Meg talks about the surreal success of her first novel, her struggles while trying to write another book, depression after touring, and the moderating mess while interviewing Ann Patchett that inspired Sophie’s story.

She also shares how the literary landscape had changed between publishing her first and second books, the temporary but daunting feeling of loneliness, and the authors who have inspired her most.

Join Meg and Zibby virtually for Zibby’s October Book Club on October 4, 2026 here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/zibbys-book-club-meg-mason-tickets-1994577848036

Learn more about Meg here https://www.megmason.com.

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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.

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

Susan Coll on the Fictional Bookshop in Her Novel Sep 28, 2026

Show notes

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 write, structuring each chapter as a scene, the remarkable literary community in Washington, DC, and her endless fascination with the publishing industry.

She also shares her own background as a bookseller, the determination that kept her writing after her first novel died on submission, and using different parts of her brain at work versus while writing.

Learn more about Susan here https://susancoll.com and follow her on Instagram @susan_keselenko_coll.

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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.

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

Fran Hauser on Embracing the Twenty-Minute Mindset Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

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 just eight weeks, how time becomes the enemy of the good, and adding more kairos over chronos in women's lives.

She also dives deeper into setting boundaries around notifications, the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people, the fear connected to procrastination, email management, and what she feels guilty about.

Learn more about Fran here https://www.franhauser.com/about and follow her on Instagram @fran_hauser.

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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.

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

Allison Sweet Grant on Sharing Her Cancer Journey Through Poetry Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

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.

Allisondiscusses how the book started out as a journal to process the difficult moments of her cancer journey, being diagnosed at the beginning of Covid at forty years old, what kept her from going to the doctor right away, and the psychological weight of this horrible disease.

She also shares her initial attraction to poetry in elementary school, how intimidating it is to publish a book while married to a bestselling author, the barometer cancer becomes for daily life challenges, and sharing the book with her daughters.

Follow Allison on Instagram @allisonsweetgrant.

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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.

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

Isabel Allende on The Quiet Happiness of Aging Sep 23, 2026

Show notes

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 with the BBC, Isabel writes about the quiet happiness of aging, how the inner critic never goes away, the loss of her daughter, and the bad aspects of life that make great literature.

She also shares the challenges of irony and humor in translation, her soul’s need to write, her belief that her stories exist in another dimension, how to overcome feeling stuck while writing, and the benefits of writing a bad novel.

Learn more about Isabel here https://isabelallende.com/en/home.

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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.

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