Totally Booked with Zibby

Latest Episodes:

David Denby, EMINENT JEWS: Bernstein, Brooks, Friedan, Mailer Apr 30, 2025

Show notes

New York Times bestselling author, veteran film critic, and New Yorker staff writer David Denby chats with Zibby about EMINENT JEWS, which profiles Leonard Bernstein, Mel Brooks, Betty Friedan, and Norman Mailer. The conversation spans from Denby’s early years under the mentorship of Pauline Kael to his decades-long career at The New Yorker, before diving into the cultural impact and complex legacies of the book’s four iconic Jewish figures. Along the way, they discuss the evolution of Jewish identity in American media, the legacy of Bernstein as portrayed in Bradley Cooper’s Maestro, Mel Brooks’ fearless comedy, and what it means to reclaim the word "Jew."

Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/42QJ84l

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

Lisa A. Phillips, FIRST LOVE: Guiding Teens Through Relationships and Heartbreak Apr 29, 2025

Show notes

Zibby chats with professor and award-winning journalist Lisa A. Phillips about her new book, FIRST LOVE: Guiding Teens Through Relationships and Heartbreak. Lisa delves into how parents can support their teens through first crushes, breakups, and young love, emphasizing the importance of validating teens’ feelings and offering practical strategies to help them heal, from setting social media boundaries to finding healthy distractions. She also touches on the science behind heartbreak and the addictive nature of romantic love.

Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4lPVUbX

Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!

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

Melissa Wirt, I WAS TOLD THERE'D BE A VILLAGE: Transforming Motherhood Through the Power of Connection Apr 28, 2025

Show notes

Writer, entrepreneur, and founder of Latched Mama, Melissa Wirt, joins Zibby to discuss I WAS TOLD THERE’D BE A VILLAGE, a wise, honest, and heartening roadmap for finding and building your village—and transforming oppressive, solitary motherhood into a connected and joyful experience. Melissa shares the deeply personal story behind her book, from building a thriving online community for moms to confronting her own loneliness while raising six children on a farm. Together, they discuss the science of connection, the silent epidemic of maternal isolation, and practical frameworks like the “Three E’s” of engineering connection.

Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4cM4btc

Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!

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

Owen Lewis, A PRAYER OF SIX WINGS Apr 25, 2025

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Zibby interviews award-winning poet and psychiatrist Owen Lewis about A PRAYER OF SIX WINGS, a masterful, moving, and timely collection written in the wake of the October 7th attacks in Israel. Owen reflects on the heartbreak of watching global antisemitism resurge, the personal anguish of having family in Israel, and the urgent need to record this moment through poetry. He and Zibby talk about how, interwoven with headlines, personal stories, and lyrical snapshots of grief and resilience, Owen’s poems bear witness to a year of trauma and hope.

Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4lN9AV6

Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!

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

Casey Sherman, BLOOD IN THE WATER: The Untold Story of a Family Tragedy Apr 24, 2025

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New York Times bestselling author Casey Sherman joins Zibby to discuss BLOOD IN THE WATER, a gripping, cinematic, jaw-dropping crime tale of greed, wealth, suspicion, and revenge, perfect for anyone who was fascinated by the Murdaugh murders. Casey delves into the twisted, real-life story of Nathan Carman, a man accused of murdering his mother and grandfather for a $50 million inheritance. He unravels the shocking layers of the years-long investigation, including a mysterious disappearance at sea and a wealthy family with secrets. They also explore the emotional heart of true crime storytelling, Casey’s personal connection to violence through the Boston Strangler case, and his upcoming Hollywood adaptations.

Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4jJBmQp

Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!

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

Annie B. Jones, ORDINARY TIME: Lessons Learned While Staying Put Apr 23, 2025

Show notes

Zibby chats with indie bookstore owner and host of the popular From the Front Porch podcast, Annie B. Jones, about her earnest, graceful, and beautifully written new book, ORDINARY TIME: Lessons Learned While Staying Put. Annie shares her journey from journalist to beloved bookseller in Thomasville, GA, and describes the unexpected beauty she’s found in staying rooted and building a quiet life, challenging the idea that loud lives matter most. Then, she delves into her reflections on small-town life, motherhood, friendship, introversion, and the transformative power of books.

Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4jEs8oC

Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!

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

Anne Berest, GABRIËLE Apr 22, 2025

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Bestselling French author Anne Berest returns to the podcast to discuss GABRIËLE, an atmospheric and exuberant novel about love, sex, art, revolution, and the life of her great-grandmother Gabriële Buffet-Picabia—muse and revolutionary partner to artist Francis Picabia. Anne discusses the legacy of creativity and pain in her lineage, the invisible labor of women who shape art behind the scenes, the fun she had co-writing with her sister, and the impact of being embraced by American readers. She also touches on her other book, THE POSTCARD, which began with an anonymous postcard listing the names of her Jewish relatives murdered during WWII, sparking an investigation into her family’s history and inherited trauma. You can listen to that episode, too!

Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3Elq1Hn

Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!

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

Lihi Lapid, ON HER OWN (now in paperback!) Apr 21, 2025

Show notes

Zibby interviews bestselling Israeli author, photojournalist, columnist, and activist Lihi Lapid about her latest novel, ON HER OWN (a tense and immersive psychological read about two families in crisis), and her earlier book, WOMAN OF VALOR, which will soon be published for the first time in the U.S. by our company, Zibby Publishing, with a new title, I WANTED TO BE WONDERFUL! This powerful memoir about motherhood, identity, sacrifice, and raising a daughter with severe autism left a lingering effect on Zibby, leading her to acquire it for her publishing house. Lihi talks about her journey from news photographer to writer, her experience as a mother in the public eye (she is married to the former Prime Minister of Israel), and the courage it took to publish such a vulnerable and honest book. The idea to acquire it came up in this episode and now it's coming out October 21st!!!

Purchase on Bookshop:

Woman of Valor: https://bit.ly/3EbtOqM

On Her Own: https://bit.ly/4jfeuZa

Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!

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

Jackie Goldschneider, THE WEIGHT OF BEAUTIFUL: My Battle with Anorexia and Journey to Recovery Apr 18, 2025

Show notes

Jackie Goldschneider, star of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, chats with Zibby about THE WEIGHT OF BEAUTIFUL, the courageously candid memoir about her decades-long battle with anorexia and public journey to recovery. Jackie shares the origins of her disordered eating—from generational food trauma to cultural diet obsessions—and the emotional toll it took on her family, body, and joy. She and Zibby both reflect on their experiences with food, body image, and painful pressures of perfection. Finally, Jackie reveals what she’s working on next!

Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4jfPEbS

Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!

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

E.A. Hanks, THE 10: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road Apr 17, 2025

Show notes

Zibby chats with Vanity Fair and New York Times contributor E. A. Hanks about her sparkling, heartfelt, poetic new memoir, THE 10: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road, which follows her solo, cross-country journey across the American southwest. E. A. Hanks shares the inspiration behind the road trip and then delves into her complex relationship with her mother, whose journals and poetry become part of the emotional terrain of the book. She also talks about grief, identity, navigating trauma, and the ongoing effects of her unconventional childhood.

Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/42xPNjv

Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!

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

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