Zen practitioner and elite ultrarunner Katie Arnold chats with Zibby about BRIEF FLASHINGS IN THE PHENOMENAL WORLD, a wise, contemplative memoir of destruction and healing written about her struggle to overcome a life-shattering injury. Katie starts by describing her harrowing whitewater rafting accident—the event that opens the novel and unearthed deeper issues in her life and marriage. She then delves into the Zen philosophy that helped her, her deep connection to nature, and the power of find...
Aug 06, 2024•23 min•Season 21Ep. 35
Debby Herbenick, PhD, an internationally recognized sexuality researcher and educator and author of five bestselling books, joins Zibby to discuss her authoritative, supportive, sex-positive, and facts-forward parenting guide, YES, YOUR KID: What Parents Need to Know About Today’s Teens and Sex. Dr. Herbenick explains her extensive background in sex research and her observations on recent trends, emphasizing the importance of parents staying informed and open with their children. She touches on ...
Aug 05, 2024•25 min•Season 21Ep. 33
Zibby chats with author Jess H. Gutierrez about A PRODUCT OF GENETICS (AND DAY DRINKING), a laugh-out-loud, bawdy memoir-in-essays that is overflowing with 90s nostalgia and relatable tales of a millennial who feels like a dumpster fire. Jessica describes her chaotic childhood, boomer mom, and coming-out journey while reminiscing on the 90s—from Wow Chips and Journey to glamour shots and candy cigarettes. She also reflects on motherhood, her struggles with fertility, her decision to take writing...
Aug 05, 2024•29 min•Season 21Ep. 32
Zibby welcomes back New York Times bestselling author Emily Giffin to discuss THE SUMMER PACT, a tender and heartfelt novel about four college friends who, after suffering a tragedy their senior year, make a pact that causes them to reunite a decade later and embark on a life-changing adventure together. Emily delves into her characters’ individual journeys, touching on narcissistic parents, high academic and athletic pressures, personal growth and self-worth, and the importance of formative fri...
Aug 02, 2024•30 min•Season 21Ep. 31
Award-winning journalist Brooke Lea Foster returns to the podcast, this time to discuss ALL THE SUMMERS IN BETWEEN, a breathtaking dual-timeline novel that is at once a mesmerizing portrait of a complex friendship, a delicious glimpse into a bygone Hamptons, and a powerful coming-of-age for two young women who don’t speak for a decade after a devastating night. Brooke delves into her female protagonists, touching on self-esteem, self-identity, and the tension between family and personal ambition...
Aug 01, 2024•25 min•Season 21Ep. 30
Zibby Books author alert! Zibby speaks to debut author Mary Jones about THE GOODBYE PROCESS, an arresting, original, and beautifully rendered short story collection that examines loss and the painful ways we say goodbye—not just after the death of a loved one, but also after divorces, friendship breakups, and when aging, as we lose our younger selves. Mary shares her path to writing—which started after her father's death when she was just 15—and then touches on her love for the short story and h...
Jul 31, 2024•23 min•Season 21Ep. 29
Zibby chats with author Alison Espach about her absurdly funny and devastatingly tender new novel, THE WEDDING PEOPLE—a Zibby’s Book Club, Read With Jenna, and B&N Book Club pick! Alison delves into the book’s unique premise: Phoebe, a divorced English professor, goes to a luxury hotel to end her life—but then she meets the bride getting married there that weekend, and they form an unlikely friendship. Alison delves into the characters, the inspiration behind the story, and her use of humor ...
Jul 30, 2024•33 min•Season 21Ep. 28
Zibby is joined by two-time Pushcart Prize nominee Tara M. Stringfellow to discuss MAGIC ENUFF, an electrifying, glorious collection of poems that tells a universal tale of survival and revolution through the lens of Black femininity. Tara opens up about her identity as a Black woman and poet. She highlights specific poems, such as "Exodus," written in memory of Tyree Nichols, a Black artist from Memphis who was killed, and “This Woman,” which draws from her mother's experience of racial violenc...
Jul 29, 2024•19 min•Season 21Ep. 27
National Book Award finalist Julia Phillips joins Zibby to discuss BEAR, a spellbinding and richly imagined novel about survival, obsession, and two sisters on San Juan Island whose lives are disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious bear. Julia delves into the symbolic and narrative significance of the bear, drawing inspiration from Grimm’s fairy tales and her personal fascination with the animal. She touches on family dynamics, isolation, violence, and resilience, all set against the backdrop o...
Jul 26, 2024•29 min•Season 21Ep. 26
Zibby chats with co-authors Rachel Dodes and Lauren Mechling about THE MEMO, a smart, addictive, bittersweet, and ultimately triumphant debut novel about a woman who is approaching her 36th birthday, feeling like she missed life’s crucial “memo” as her friends succeed while she struggles—until she’s given the "memo” and can go back in time… Lauren and Rachel, who co-wrote the novel during the pandemic, drew from their experiences as underemployed freelancers, questioning the small choices that l...
Jul 25, 2024•22 min•Season 21Ep. 25
Zibby chats with author Jessica Fein about her astonishing, heartrending, vulnerable new book, BREATH TAKING: A Memoir of Family, Dreams, and Broken Genes. Jessica describes her lengthy infertility journey, her and her husband’s unconventional journey to parenthood through international adoption, their three children from Guatemala, and their middle daughter Dalia’s diagnosis with an ultra-rare degenerative disease. She shares what it was like to turn her house into an ICU and care for Dalia 24/...
Jul 24, 2024•24 min•Season 21Ep. 24
Bestselling author Ali Rosen returns to the podcast, this time to discuss ALTERNATE ENDINGS, a smart, witty, breathless second-chance romance about a single mother juggling homelife and career who starts traveling to Ireland for work… and reconnects with a high school love who is now the CTO of her company. Ali discusses the complexities of motherhood, divorce and custody, female friendships, writing a (slightly) older heroine, and the book’s breathtaking Irish setting. In the end, she reveals w...
Jul 23, 2024•27 min•Season 21Ep. 23
Zibby chats with New York Times bestselling author Catherine Newman about SANDWICH, a wise, hilarious, and exquisitely written story about a family’s yearly Cape Cod vacation—but this time, fifty-something Rocky is sandwiched between her half-grown kids and aging parents and her secrets and memories start coming to the surface... Catherine discusses the universal experiences of middle-aged women, the real-life moments that have inspired her writing, and how she writes about life’s messiness with...
Jul 22, 2024•27 min•Season 21Ep. 22
The View cohost and three-time Emmy Award winner Sunny Hostin returns to the podcast—this time to discuss SUMMER ON HIGHLAND BEACH, the third novel in her New York Times bestselling Summer Beach series. Sunny reveals how she makes time to write, which she balances with her morning talk show and a busy family life. Then, she delves into the novel, describing the tense family drama, the themes of self-discovery and self-worth, and the tension between honoring our legacies and finding our own way i...
Jul 19, 2024•28 min•Season 21Ep. 21
Zibby chats with author Madeleine Henry about MY FAVORITE TERRIBLE THING, an evocative mystery about the sudden disappearance of the world’s most famous author on her wedding day, and the private investigator who reads between the haunting lines of her book…falling into a spiral of secret love, obsession, and death. Madeleine delves into her book’s intricate plot, atmospheric, off-season Hamptons setting, memorable characters, and the theme of extreme fame—and how isolating it can be. She also s...
Jul 18, 2024•29 min•Season 21Ep. 20
Zibby is joined by author Yukiko Tominaga to discuss SEE: LOSS. SEE ALSO: LOVE., a tender and honest debut novel about a Japanese widow raising her son in San Francisco with the help of her Jewish mother-in-law—which Yukiko reveals is inspired by her own mother-in-law. She talks about the San Francisco parenting community, the difference between Japanese and Jewish customs, and the universal nature of family and love. She also shares her best advice for aspiring authors—and details of her next p...
Jul 17, 2024•23 min•Season 21Ep. 19
PEN USA Award-winning author Victor Lodato chats with Zibby about HONEY, a masterful and utterly enchanting novel about Honey Fasinga, an unforgettable heroine who escapes her mob family at 17 and reinvents herself as a stylish personality in the LA art world… but returns home decades later to settle old scores and confront family ghosts. Victor reveals who inspired this character and how he was able to capture the voice of an 82-year-old woman so perfectly. He also touches on his transition fro...
Jul 16, 2024•19 min•Season 21Ep. 18
Award-winning actor and comedian Paul Scheer joins Zibby to discuss JOYFUL RECOLLECTIONS OF TRAUMA, a vulnerable and hilarious memoir-in-essays about coming to terms with his childhood trauma and embracing his authentic self. Paul reflects on his experiences growing up with an abusive stepfather and how it shaped his need to hold onto positive memories through keepsakes. He also describes his late-in-life ADHD diagnosis and shares his best advice for aspiring writers. Purchase on Bookshop: https...
Jul 15, 2024•32 min•Season 21Ep. 17
New York Times bestselling author Steven Rowley returns to the podcast, this time to discuss his much-anticipated sequel, the wildly witty and tenderhearted THE GUNCLE ABROAD. Patrick O’Hara, a reclusive former sitcom actor who unexpectedly becomes the guardian of his niece and nephew after their mother’s death in THE GUNCLE, is now, five years later, returning to his guncle duties by taking them to their dad’s wedding in Italy. Steven talks about his writing process, from tackling loss and grie...
Jul 12, 2024•24 min•Season 21Ep. 16
Critically acclaimed author (and repeat podcast guest!) Jamie Figueroa joins Zibby to discuss MOTHER ISLAND, a poignant, lushly written memoir about a Puerto Rican woman’s relationship with home, lineage, and selfhood. Jamie reflects on her career as a massage therapist and its profound influence on her storytelling. She also shares what it was like to connect with her Puerto Rican community, examine her mother’s life and their relationship, and put a very complex family history on paper. Purcha...
Jul 11, 2024•26 min•Season 21Ep. 15
Zibby speaks with Irish author Claire Kilroy about SOLDIER SAILOR, an urgent, gut-wrenching novel about new motherhood that explores the clash of fierce love for a new life with a seismic change in identity. Claire describes the relationship between her characters: Soldier, the new mom, and Sailor, her young child. She dives into the challenges of motherhood and the emotions that range from love to resentment. She also delves into her own writing journey, the long gaps between her novels, and he...
Jul 10, 2024•23 min•Season 21Ep. 14
Zibby is joined by critically acclaimed, bestselling author Francine Prose to discuss 1974, a remarkable, artistic coming-of-age memoir about the close relationship she developed with activist Anthony Russo, one of the men who leaked the Pentagon Papers—and the year our country changed. Francine shares how difficult it was to write about her younger self—although she has always hidden behind her fictional characters. She also shares anecdotes from her life in San Francisco in 1974 and explains h...
Jul 09, 2024•20 min•Season 21Ep. 13
Bestselling author Paige Toon chats with Zibby about SEVEN SUMMERS, a beautiful, heart-wrenching story about second chances, grief, and everlasting love. Paige shares the inspiration behind the novel (it involves sand art and a Taylor Swift song) and then delves into the story of Liv, a woman living in a beachside town, and Finn, a singer-songwriter who returns each summer. She also talks about Liv's challenges, including caring for her brother with Down Syndrome. Finally, she describes her jour...
Jul 08, 2024•21 min•Season 21Ep. 12
Zibby is joined by Academy Award-winning screenwriter and bestselling author Graham Moore to discuss THE WEALTH OF SHADOWS, a thrilling, mind-expanding historical novel about an ordinary man—a tax attorney from Minnesota—who joins a secret mission to undermine the Nazi economy during WWII. Graham explains how he discovered this true story and delves into his extensive, fascinating research process, which included unearthing a hidden 700-page document from the US Treasury and meeting Ansel’s chil...
Jul 05, 2024•31 min•Season 21Ep. 11
Zibby speaks to author Charles Kenny about AMERICAN SYCAMORE, a gripping, profoundly moving novel about the turbulence in today's American life and the invincible power of love between a husband, a wife, and their friend, even in the face of unthinkable tragedy. Charles shares stories from growing up in a big Irish Catholic family in Boston with a father who loved to read. He also describes the profound influence of his late son on his work—and reflects on the therapeutic power of writing in pro...
Jul 04, 2024•26 min•Season 21Ep. 10
In this special episode (a live recording at Zibby’s Asheville Retreat!), Zibby interviews New York Times bestselling author and southern sensation Kristy Woodson Harvey about A HAPPIER LIFE, a beautiful, big-hearted novel about a young woman who returns to her grandparent’s long-abandoned home in Beaufort, North Carolina, to clean it out... and uncovers her family's secrets. Kristy talks about the amazing way homes preserve stories, the value of connecting people (via dinner parties!), and the ...
Jul 03, 2024•30 min•Season 21Ep. 9
Zibby is joined by Holly Smale, the author of the cheeky, hilarious, internationally bestselling GEEK GIRL series, and Jeff Norton, the executive producer of the books’ recent Netflix adaptation. Holly and Jeff discuss their long-standing friendship and Jeff’s relentless commitment to adapting the series. Holly emphasizes the importance of keeping her protagonist, Harriet, true to her British identity and relatable outsiderness—which has resonated with audiences worldwide. Finally, Holly opens u...
Jul 02, 2024•28 min•Season 21Ep. 8
Bestselling author and Bustle Digital Group Chief Content Officer Emma Rosenblum returns to the podcast, this time to discuss VERY BAD COMPANY, an irresistible, darkly funny beach read about a trendy tech startup’s team-building retreat in Miami… and what happens when one of the executives goes missing after a night of celebration. Emma delves into her writing process—particularly how she develops large casts of characters and alternating viewpoints. She also shares how her own professional expe...
Jul 01, 2024•31 min•Season 21Ep. 7
#1 New York Times bestseller! Powerhouse children’s writer and Newbery Award-winner Katherine Applegate joins Zibby to discuss THE ONE AND ONLY FAMILY, the poignant, delightful, and heartbreaking final installment in the quartet that began with THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN—the story of the world’s favorite silverback gorilla. Katherine reveals the inspiration behind this iconic series and then delves into the themes of family and parenthood through the eyes of her animal characters. She also talks abou...
Jun 28, 2024•20 min•Season 21Ep. 6
Zibby speaks with Sherri Crichton and literary giant James Patterson about their collaboration on ERUPTION, a partial manuscript written by the late Michael Crichton—creator of Jurassic Park, ER, and Twister—before his passing in 2008. Sherri, who discovered the unfinished manuscript in 2010, describes the years-long journey to piece it together and her partnership with Patterson, who helped finish the heart-pounding summer read. They delve into the book’s themes, such as humanity’s interference...
Jun 27, 2024•29 min•Season 21Ep. 5
