Zibby is joined by doctor and New York Times bestselling author Abraham Verghese to discuss The Covenant of Water, a dazzling and unforgettable story of love, faith, and medicine that follows three generations of a family navigating a deadly curse in South India. Abraham reveals the inspiration behind this story and discusses the elements that stand out: loss, family, and arranged marriage. He also talks about his career in medicine and explains how it led him to write (it involves a scientific ...
May 05, 2023•31 min•Season 17Ep. 14
Guest host Julie Chavez interviews New York Times bestselling author Luvvie Ajayi Jones about Little Troublemaker Makes a Mess , a funny, sweet, and brightly illustrated children’s book about a bighearted girl with the best of intentions. Luvvie shares her book’s inspiring message (even kids who make messes are loved!), describes her collaboration with the talented Joey Spiotto (who used photos of Luvvie as a child to draw the protagonist!), and explains how she infused her Nigerian culture into...
May 04, 2023•36 min•Season 17Ep. 13
Zibby interviews #1 New York Times bestselling author Brian Selznick about Big Tree, an enthralling and hopeful book of finely detailed pencil drawings about two little seeds on an epic adventure to find a safe place to grow. Brian explains how Steven Spielberg was involved in this project, which was originally a movie screenplay. He also reveals that both seeds’ personalities are based on his own and then discusses his book’s central themes: sibling relationships, climate change, and the braver...
May 03, 2023•30 min•Season 17Ep. 12
Zibby Books author alert!!! Debut author Megan Tady joins Zibby to discuss Super Bloom , a sparkling, heartwarming novel about a massage therapist at an iconic Vermont spa who, while grieving the death of her boyfriend, agrees to supply a demanding and eccentric romance novelist with spa secrets for her next book... but is instead inspired to write her own. Meg describes the real-life spa trip that inspired this story and her long journey to publishing it (after years of editing, querying, and n...
May 02, 2023•36 min•Season 17Ep. 11
Zibby speaks to author (and Reese’s Book Club veteran) Balli Kaur Jaswal about Now You See Us, a wildly entertaining and heartfelt novel about three domestic workers in Singapore who band together to exonerate a friend who has been accused of murder. Balli describes the real, suspected murder case that inspired this story and the research she conducted to understand the nuanced lives of domestic workers in Singapore, where she is from. She also talks about her experience as a Reese’s Book Club p...
May 01, 2023•25 min•Season 17Ep. 10
Author Susanna Moore joins Zibby to discuss The Lost Wife, a stirring and immersive historical novel about a white woman who sympathizes with her Native American captors after they abduct her and her two children during the Sioux Uprising of 1862, and is thus vilified and rejected by the white settlers. Susanna talks about her fascinating research on the Sioux and the lives of women during that period. Then, she shares her life story, from Hawaii to New York and from working at Bergdorf's to tea...
Apr 30, 2023•26 min•Season 17Ep. 9
Zibby interviews award-winning author Mona Simpson about Commitment, a powerful, engrossing, and deeply-felt family story about a single mother’s depression, and the fate of her three children as she enters a California state hospital in the 1970s. Mona talks about her fascinating research on mental health institutions; her complex mother character, who does everything to give her children a better life; and her own childhood with a single mom. She also explains how she came to be an author, and...
Apr 29, 2023•25 min•Season 17Ep. 8
Zibby speaks to former national television host, advice columnist, nonprofit board leader, and professor Carmen Rita Wong about Why Didn’t You Tell Me? , an explosive and raw memoir about an immigrant mother’s powerful secret and how it upends her Dominican-Chinese daughter’s life. Carmen delves into her fascinating story, which involves a deceptive mother, a gangster father, a genealogist, generational trauma, racism, and a lifelong identity crisis. She also talks about her wonderful daughter, ...
Apr 28, 2023•27 min•Season 17Ep. 7
Zibby interviews debut author and fifth-generation Coloradoan Shelley Read about Go as a River, a spellbinding and devastatingly beautiful coming-of-age story of a young woman who is broken by tragedy but perseveres, set against the forests and rivers of Colorado from 1948 to 1971. Shelley describes her strong ties to the Colorado Rockies, her love of the wilderness, and her journey to publishing this book after more than a decade of chipping away at it while raising her kids (moms don’t have ti...
Apr 27, 2023•24 min•Season 17Ep. 6
Zibby speaks to beloved author and repeat MDHTTRB guest Katherine Heiny about Games and Rituals, a beautiful collection of stories brimming with humor, tenderness, and empathy. Katherine talks about her favorite stories (they involve the DMV, teenagers smoking weed, hearing aids being mistaken for cashews, infidelity, and dying parents). She reveals that all her stories are inspired by real events and shares how each one came to be (one of them took her 35 years!!). Finally, the two share their ...
Apr 26, 2023•32 min•Season 17Ep. 5
Zibby is joined by former fashion executive and bestselling author Aliza Licht to discuss her indispensable and entertaining personal branding guidebook On Brand: Shape Your Narrative. Share Your Vision. Shift Their Perception. Aliza reveals what it was like to be the voice behind Twitter’s DKNY PR Girl and the transition from corporate PR to entrepreneur, author, and podcaster upon leaving Donna Karan. She also shares the importance of building a personal brand that helps you stand out–face-to-...
Apr 25, 2023•27 min•Season 17Ep. 4
Judy Blume Forever explores the life and legacy of trailblazing author Judy Blume, whose honest and captivating books changed the way millions of adolescent readers understood themselves and what it meant to grow up. In this special episode, Zibby interviews Judy (again!?!) and the film's directors. Zibby and Judy talk about their bookstores, giving love another chance, and fan mail (Judy has kept every single letter she has ever received!). Then, the directors share what it was like to work on ...
Apr 24, 2023•22 min•Season 17Ep. 2
Judy Blume’s beloved bestselling classic, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, is hitting the big screen, and Zibby was lucky enough to interview Judy (who she idolizes!!) and the movie’s talented screenwriter and cast. Zibby and a few other podcast hosts ask Rachel McAdams and Abby Ryder Fortson about the books and films that shaped them, behind-the-scenes filming mishaps, and their connection to their on-screen characters. Then, Judy talks about watching the movie for the first time, her favo...
Apr 24, 2023•34 min•Season 17Ep. 1
Zibby speaks to bestselling author and repeat MDHTTRB guest Cathleen Schine about Künstlers in Paradise, a dreamy, captivating novel about an Austrian family of movie stars and musicians who flee to LA during WWII; decades later, during the pandemic lockdown, their stories are finally passed down to the next generation. Cathleen talks about the Jewish immigration experience, the beauty and allure of LA then and now, and her own lockdown experience. She also shares her best advice for aspiring au...
Apr 23, 2023•27 min•Season 16Ep. 100
Zibby interviews author Julie Gerstenblatt about Daughters of Nantucket, a sweeping and emotional novel about Nantucket’s Great Fire of 1846, and the three women whose personal dramas, secrets, and jealousies intersected as the fire hit town. Julie explains how a lifetime of summers on Nantucket inspired this story and then shares all the details of her unexpected agent break-up, several title iterations, fascinating character development and book research, and next two novels! Purchase on Zibby...
Apr 22, 2023•30 min•Season 16Ep. 100
Zibby speaks to debut author Jennifer Savran Kelly about Endpapers, an evocative and sharply-written early-2000s literary mystery about a queer bookbinder who finds a love letter and becomes obsessed with tracking down the author (all while struggling in her artistic life and with her gender identity). Jennifer talks about her love of papermaking, bookbinding, and book conservation. She also reveals she is part of the #5amWritersClub on Twitter, explains why she started writing in the first plac...
Apr 21, 2023•27 min•Season 16Ep. 99
Zibby interviews New York Times bestselling authors Susan and James Patterson about Things I Wish I Told My Mother, an irresistible, funny, and heartfelt novel about a dynamic mother-daughter duo, their spontaneous trip to Europe, and the lifetime of secrets they finally unpack while abroad. Susan talks about her own mother, who lived to 98 and inspired this novel, and shares how much fun she had collaborating with Susan DiLallo (and James!) on this project. The two also share some of their own ...
Apr 20, 2023•29 min•Season 16Ep. 98
Zibby is joined by #1 New York Times bestselling author Jeannette Walls to discuss Hang the Moon , an energetic and propulsive Prohibition-era story about an indomitable young woman in a world of lawlessness, secrets, scandals, and death. Jeannette describes her love of history and her fascination with prohibition, which stems from a childhood with an alcoholic father. She also talks about her feisty protagonist, her extensive historical research and obsessive re-writing, and her relationship wi...
Apr 19, 2023•33 min•Season 16Ep. 97
Zibby interviews New York Times bestselling author Emily St. John Mandel about Sea of Tranquility, a shimmering work of speculative and historical fiction about a time-traveling detective investigating an anomaly that seems to indicate her world is a simulation. Emily describes her unique path to becoming an author (it involves homeschooling and dance) and her experience writing this novel mid-pandemic. She also discusses the connections between all her books, reveals what she is working on now ...
Apr 18, 2023•28 min•Season 16Ep. 96
Zibby speaks to New York Times bestselling author and repeat MDHTTRB guest Katherine May about Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age, a lyrical, profound, and warm guide to feeling less burnt out and disconnected and more in tune with our beautiful surroundings. Katherine describes how she came to be an author–it involves years of denying her calling and even once, as a teenager, throwing out all of her poems. She also talks about her own experience of being overwhelmed and stuck in a ...
Apr 17, 2023•29 min•Season 16Ep. 95
Zibby interviews New York Times bestselling author Curtis Sittenfeld about Romantic Comedy, a hilarious and compelling meta-romance (and Reese's Book Club pick!) about a comedy writer who has sworn off love, the comedy sketch she writes about the phenomenon of ordinary-looking men dating gorgeous female celebrities (and how the opposite just doesn’t happen), and the dreamy pop star that flips the script on all her assumptions. Curtis talks about her love of SNL , how much fun she had researching...
Apr 16, 2023•32 min•Season 16Ep. 94
Zibby speaks to perinatal psychiatrist and New York Times contributor Pooja Lakshmin, MD, about her compassionate and actionable new book Real Self Care: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness (Crystals, Cleanses, and Bubble Baths Not Included). Dr. Lakshmin discusses her New York Times article, “This is Betrayal, Not Burnout,” which argues women are burnt out because their social systems have failed them. Then, she dives into “real self-care” – an internal, self-reflective process tha...
Apr 15, 2023•27 min•Season 16Ep. 93
Zibby interviews author Jane Roper about The Society of Shame, a heartfelt, witty, and hysterical satirical novel about forty-seven-year-old perimenopausal Kathleen Held, her cheating politician husband, and the big period stain that catapults her to unwanted fame (#YesWeBleed). Jane talks about her fascination with the internet and cancel culture, her journey to writing this book (and how she finally let herself be funny!), the inspiration behind the beautiful cover, and her experience raising ...
Apr 14, 2023•26 min•Season 16Ep. 92
Bestselling poet and repeat MDHTTRB guest Maggie Smith joins Zibby to discuss You Could Make This Place Beautiful, a beautiful and heartrending memoir-in-vignettes about how she reckoned with her past and found herself again after the disintegration of her marriage. Maggie discusses her book’s unique structure and style. She also talks about her divorce, parenting, the power of home and community, her hobbies, her next few projects (one is an anti-anxiety bedtime story!), and the writers who ins...
Apr 13, 2023•31 min•Season 16Ep. 91
Zibby interviews author and pediatrician Dr. Kelly Fradin about her important, empathetic, and comprehensive new guidebook Advanced Parenting: Advice for Helping Kids Through Diagnoses, Differences, and Mental Health Challenges. Dr. Kelly Fradin explains how her mother advocated for her when she had childhood cancer and how she too has had to trust her own parental intuition and advocate for her daughter. She also shares her tips for dealing with difficult diagnoses, building and leaning on supp...
Apr 12, 2023•20 min•Season 16Ep. 90
Zibby is joined by author, award-winning journalist, and repeat MDHTTRB guest Anissa Gray to discuss Life and Other Love Songs, a riveting, complex, and astonishingly moving African American family saga about a father’s sudden disappearance and how it unravels the lives of the family members he leaves behind. Anissa talks about her decision to write from different perspectives and time periods, the real-life disappearance that inspired this story, and the difficult events that happened in her ow...
Apr 11, 2023•18 min•Season 16Ep. 89
Zibby speaks to award-winning author and repeat MDHTTRB guest Rachel Beanland about The House is on Fire, a propulsive work of historical fiction about a fire that ravaged a theater mid-performance and forever entwined the lives of four very different Americans: a young stagehand, a society widow, an enslaved woman, and a blacksmith. Rachel talks about her meticulous research of the real 1811 Richmond fire and her use of fiction to fill in the gaps in the historical records and create a gripping...
Apr 10, 2023•27 min•Season 16Ep. 88
Zibby is joined by writer and podcaster Laura Tremaine to discuss her latest book The Life Council: 10 Friends Every Woman Needs, an adult friendship book filled with honest confessions, wisdom, and wit. Laura discusses the different types of friends (from the “battle buddy” to the “obsessive”) and then describes her personal experiences with friendship, from making her deepest friendships in her tiny Oklahoma hometown to feeling completely lonely after moving to LA to finally learning how to ev...
Apr 09, 2023•28 min•Season 16Ep. 87
Zibby interviews author Ella Berman about her second novel, Before We Were Innocent , a haunting and dazzling page-turner about three teenage best friends and the fateful summer trip to Greece that ends with one of them dying and the other two being blamed for it. Ella discusses a theme she loved exploring: the simultaneous power and vulnerability of youth and female friendships. She also talks about her life before publishing her books (it involves Sony Music and selling vintage clothes), the s...
Apr 08, 2023•24 min•Season 16Ep. 86
Zibby speaks to debut author Tiffany Clarke-Harrison about Blue Hour, a raw and transcendent novel about a Black Japanese woman struggling with infertility and questioning if she should even bring another Black child into the world, especially after her photography student is a victim of police brutality. Tiffany discusses the themes she explored so beautifully: grief, motherhood, marriage, resilience, art, race, and violence, admitting that it was, at times, a grueling experience. She also shar...
Apr 07, 2023•28 min•Season 16Ep. 85
