Totally Booked with Zibby

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  Fran Hauser on Embracing the Twenty-Minute Mindset 25.09.2026 30min

  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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Allison Sweet Grant on The Psychological Weight of Cancer 24.09.2026 25min

  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. Allison discusses 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.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Isabel Allende on The Quiet Happiness of Aging 23.09.2026 25min

  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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Zibby Owens on Her Decade of Extreme Change 22.09.2026 37min

  Bestselling author Renée Rosen interviews Zibby Owens about her new book Between Chapters, a heartfelt and candid collection of essays centered around her decade of extreme change and where it all led. Zibby discusses overcoming intense social anxiety as a young girl, the impact of her first published piece in Seventeen Magazine after her parent’s divorce, her editing process, and launching a Between Chapters essay platform on Substack featuring stories from her community. She also talks about the overwhelming aspects of motherhood, the rocky journey with weight loss and food noise that ended with Mounjaro, the pain and devastation of the Palisades wildfires, the start of her podcast, and navigating the online hate after speaking about October 7th. Order Between Chapters here https://zibbymedia.com/products/between-chapters or follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Laura Moriarty on Writing Amid Her Cancer Diagnosis 21.09.2026 21min

  Laura Moriarty sits down with Zibby Owens to discuss her new novel and August 2026 Read With Jenna Pick Sunlight Finds You, a deeply felt love story set in 1949 that ends in heartbreak and shame, and changes the course of seventeen-year-old Nora’s life forever. Laura talks about the book’s look into dealing with uncertainty, her extensive research into the time period, and the conversations with her mother that shed light on both the joys and challenges of being a woman during that time. She also shares the hardship of being diagnosed with oral cancer while writing this book, letting go of writing expectations to free the story, and her gratitude for the perspective into life that reading gives us.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Harlan Coben on The Blurry Line Between Memoir and Fiction 18.09.2026 34min

  Harlan Coben sits down with Zibby Owens to discuss his new book Plot Twist, a memoir that blends personal narrative and writing advice, acknowledging that both are inevitably connected.Harlan talks about the importance of critical thinking in fiction, incremental ambition, accepting adaptations as a different perspective, and how insecurity makes good writers. He also shares personal experiences, from loving and losing his parents, his time at Amherst College, navigating the blurry line between memoir and fiction, and the magic behind creating from a blank page.Learn more about Harlan here https://www.harlancoben.com and follow Harlan on Instagram @harlancoben Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Dara Horn on The Big Lie of Antisemitism 17.09.2026 29min

  Instant New York Times bestseller! Dara Horn joins Zibby Owens to discuss her new book The Final Solution to the Jewish Question, an exploration into the lies of antisemitism throughout history and her vision for the future.  Dara discusses how Holocaust education fails to do its job, her surprise at finding so much more ignorance than malice, how the hate movement has taken over AI, and the big lie of antisemitism. She also shares her own personal experiences, from serving on Harvard’s Antisemitism Advisory Group to wrestling with how to help herself, and the struggles her son has already faced. But Dara also leaves us with an important, hopeful reminder: “the opposite of hate isn’t love, it’s curiosity”.Learn more about Dara at https://www.darahorn.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Sona Movsesian on Betraying Her Preconceptions of Motherhood 16.09.2026 27min

  USA Today bestseller Sona Movsesian sits down with Zibby Owens to discuss her new book The World’s Worst Mom, a funny and relatable look into motherhood.Sona discusses her experience with IVF and the conversations that it demands, her obsession with mortality after having kids, the trauma of losing her home in the 2025 Southern California wildfires, and betraying her preconceptions about motherhood. She also shares the need for laughter, her experience working with Conan O’Brien for over seventeen years, and how she hopes her sons will see her in twenty years. Follow Sona on Instagram @sonamov.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Elizabeth Castellano on the Pressure of a Two-Book Deal 15.09.2026 21min

  Elizabeth Castellano joins Zibby Owens to talk about her new novel Proof of Progress, the humorous story of B-list actress and comedian Maria Astorini whose second book is thirty-seven years overdue. Elizabeth shares how this book was inspired by her own difficulties while writing her second novel under contract, the impact of pressure on her writing, and the pieces of real life that made it into the story. She also discusses unconventional friendship, debunking the myth that book deals are impossible, and imparting little truths through humor. Learn more about Elizabeth here https://www.elizabethcastellano.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Amy Chozick on Sex Work and Motherhood 14.09.2026 25min

  Live from the Children’s Museum of the East End, Amy Chozick sits down with Zibby Owens to talk about her new psychological thriller With Friends Like You. In the novel Emily, a struggling new mom in Manhattan, embarks on the search for her long-lost friend Daisy who disappeared years ago after becoming a stripper. But when Emily finally finds her, the question becomes: Is Daisy saving her life or destroying everything?Amy discusses how her own experiences have influenced her characters, the resentment in postpartum that has nowhere to go, female friendship, and the unique challenges of raising kids in New York City. She also recounts her career as a journalist, the piece she wrote on Stormy Daniels three weeks postpartum, the fascinating collision of new motherhood and sex work, and her current work as a TV writer. Follow Amy on Instagram @amychozick.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Lea Vale on Her Ode to 9/11 11.09.2026 24min

  Lea Vale joins Zibby Owens to discuss her new novel Blue Sky Black, the second-chance romance told across two timelines that she wrote as a love letter to the friend she lost on 9/11.Lea shares her own experience in New York City that day 25 years ago, the trauma of having to cope with a loved one simply disappearing, and the importance of talking about tragedy. She also recounts how the romance genre finally allowed her to write this story, infusing hope and light into such a difficult subject. Learn more about Lea Vale at https://leavale.com and follow her on Instagram @leavaleauthor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Zibby’s 9/11 Essay 11.09.2026 4min

  Zibby was one of the countless people who lost a loved one on 9/11. Stacey Sanders, Zibby’s college roommate, worked in the North Tower of the World Trade Center. To process the loss, Zibby wrote an essay for her business school newspaper, The Harbus, two weeks after it happened. She reads it here to pay tribute to the 25th anniversary of the attacks.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Kara Kavensky on Finding Joy 10.09.2026 28min

  Kara Kavensky sits down with Zibby Owens to talk about her memoir Tell Me About Joy, inspired by WWII veteran Bob who shared with her his greatest regret: “I missed out on marrying the love of my life. Her name is Joy.”Interwoven with her own personal story, Kara writes about her journey to find Bob’s long-lost love and how it changed her life. She touches on her own healing after being married to a narcissist, the human face of war, sharing stories of resilience, the heaviness of losing a child, and ultimately, finding joy again.  Learn more about Kara here https://www.karakavensky.com/home and follow her on Instagram @karakavensky Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Jonathan Santlofer on Finding Empathy for His Villainous Characters 09.09.2026 27min

  Jonathan Santlofer joins Zibby Owens for a deep dive into his new novel Ten Perfect Guests, an immersive, fun, “whodunit” thriller following the aftermath of a beloved art figure’s death and the people summoned to a remote island under threat of losing their inheritance. Jonathan discusses the challenges of juggling ten different points of views, the joy of playing with familiar tropes like greed, lust, and betrayal, and the beauty of finding empathy for his most villainous characters. He also recounts the discovery of his mild dyslexia in art school, how losing ten years of his artwork to a building fire eventually led him to writing, and the grief of unexpectedly losing his wife. Learn more about Jonathan at https://jonathansantlofer.com and follow him on Instagram at @jonathansantlofer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Eriq La Salle on the Journey of a Character’s Soul 08.09.2026 28min

  Eriq La Salle joins Zibby Owens to discuss his new thriller Laws of Solomon, the fourth book in his Martyr Maker series, which takes a previous side character who was inspired by The Godfather’s Luca Brasi and lifts him up to the lead. Eriq discusses the ever-present question of ‘can our most villainous, vile characters find redemption?’, the journey of a character’s soul, how his favorite films have inspired his work, and the coming of age story of a man. He also touches on his transition from actor to author, the duality of his thrillers, and the blessings that come from failure. Learn more about Eriq here https://www.iameriqlasalle.com and follow him on Instagram @eriqlasalle  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Amanda Peters on the Importance of Tradition 07.09.2026 20min

  Amanda Peters sits down with Zibby Owens to discuss her new novel (and Zibby’s November Book Club pick!) The Birthing Tree, the story of a young girl growing up in a family with secrets, her withdrawal from the grandmother who raised her among the generational traditions of Mi’kmaq women, and what eventually draws her back home as an adult. Rooted in community and feeling, The Birthing Tree weaves together the chase for identity, connection to home, repairing wounds from the past, and revering not only nature and the land, but the extraordinary feats of the human body. Amanda touches on how she drew inspiration for this book from a conversation with her own Nan, the importance of tradition within an always advancing modern world, and the terror of writing another book after a bestselling debut. Join Zibby and Amanda at Zibby’s Book Club on November 11 at 7pm for a virtual Q&A as they dive deeper into The Birthing Tree. Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/zibbys-book-club-amanda-peters-tickets-1994014022619 Learn more about Amanda at https://amandapetersauthor.com and follow her @amandapetersauthor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Sarah Addison Allen, PAPER GHOSTS, on Grief 04.09.2026 23min

  Sarah Addison Allen’s book Paper Ghosts was, quite fittingly, haunting. We discussed grief, loss, fiction, writing, and more. I left feeling like I had a new friend.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Jonah Platt, Being Jewish with Jonah Platt 03.09.2026 31min

  Jonah Platt and I both have TV shows on the JBS network which is how we connected for this episode. I’d been dying to interview Jonah about his Jewish advocacy and what he’d learned from interviewing so many leaders in the field. What he answered surprised me. I also learned about how he’s raising his children and more.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Beth Ricanati, MD, THE BRAIDED PRESCRIPTION: Seven Practices for Living Well from the Ancient Ritual of Making Challah 02.09.2026 18min

  Beth Ricanati, MD, and I made challah together in my kitchen in L.A. eight years ago — and filmed it. Since then, our lives continue to intersect from the podcast to the bookstore to her being part of the On Being Jewish Now anthology. In this conversation recorded at Zibby’s Bookshop, we covered health benefits to baking, her suggestions as a physician for how to live more healthfully, and the windy path to her second book. (If you want to watch our original film, click here!)  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Laurie Notaro, I'VE GOT A NEW COMPLAINT: Essays on Aging Disgracefully and Other Small Disasters 01.09.2026 25min

  Laurie Notaro makes me laugh. A bestselling humorist, Laurie writes about whatever life stage she’s in with wit and bluntness. We talked about her hilarious parents and how her dad often says he’s glad Laurie didn’t have a twin, how we regress as soon as we go “home,” the indignities of aging, and the free cosmetic procedure she tried and had her skin burned off.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.