Totally Booked with Zibby

Tovah Feldshuh, veteran stage, film, and TV actress and memoirist known for Lilyville, shares stories from a new documentary and her surprise early-career revelations. She recounts Carnegie Hall performances, turning her memoir into theater, memorable mother impressions, thoughts on typecasting and aging in performance, and upcoming projects including a spy role. The conversation is warm, theatrical, and full of sparkle.

Matti Friedman, an award-winning journalist and nonfiction author based in Jerusalem, discusses heroism and memory. He delves into a 1944 parachutist mission, archival sleuthing, travels across Europe, and how stories shaped Israeli public memory. Conversations touch on female parachutists, literary motivations for wartime deeds, and the naming of streets after these figures.

Sara Schiller, experiential entrepreneur who built the Sloomoo Institute to spark sensory play. Melissa De La Cruz, bestselling storyteller and co-writer of the Sloomoo graphic novel. They chat about turning a tactile slime attraction into a graphic novel. They discuss slime types, recipes, sensory installations, STEM-forward characters, original songs, and how play brings joy and resilience to kids and families.

I like to think of Marie Benedict as my midlife history professor; every novel she writes teaches me more about periods of time I thought I understood. In Daughter of Egypt, Marie transports us to post-WWI England and Egypt through the eyes of a young woman who is more interested in archeology than cotillion. I interviewed Marie as part of Totally Booked: Live in Palm Beach. Prepare to be transported. ** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact allie.gallo@acast.com.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you remember The Book Thief? It came out twenty years ago and was a massive bestseller. It was just re-released as a 20th anniversary edition and oh my gosh, it’s gorgeous. I re-read the book to prepare for my interview with Markus and highly encourage you to do so, too — or read it for the first time if you missed it. Spectacular. It’s a story about a young, book-loving, non-Jewish girl in Nazi Germany, her family’s relationship with the man they hid, her own family’s struggle, and a town reeling from the war. I’m not doing it justice. It’s so good, a coming-of-age in wartime. Also? Incredibly creative. Hear from Markus Zusak about how he wrote the book only he could write. ** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact allie.gallo@acast.com.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bestselling author Allison Pataki introduces us to yet another powerful woman forgotten in history in her latest historical novel, It Girl. Evelyn Talbot shot onto the scene in the early 20th century and rose to prominence (think: Kardashian). But her relationships with men destroyed her career and her life. Read Allison’s reimagined ending for this star. ** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact allie.gallo@acast.com.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brian Platzer’s novel The Optimists was just reviewed in the New York Times Book Review. I interviewed him live at the Whitby about his beloved teacher, who fell victim to a stroke and whom he visited for years afterwards, how Sarah Jessica Parker interviewed him at a recent event, and the power of loyalty. It also features a love story gone wrong about teens and a star student’s descent. Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact allie.gallo@acast.com.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Want to travel to the Southwest? I Am Agatha by debut author Nancy Foley takes us there. Inspired by her grandmother’s past, Nancy wrote a story about two elderly ladies and their antics. It’s as much about the land as the people. Here’s to pursuing writing dreams until they come true. Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact allie.gallo@acast.com.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Table 4 at The River Cafe, restaurant owner Ruthie Rogers shares conversations with her high-profile podcast guests including Paul McCartney, David Beckham, and Martha Stewart. Learn more about them through the relationships to food. Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact allie.gallo@acast.com.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever wondered what a fictitious book club would look like in Anna Quindlen’s mind? Enter More Than Enough, her latest powerhouse of a novel which centers on what happens to the members of a book club including DNA-based identity disruptions, illness, infertility, and more — with a dose of alpaca. Read to find out. We recorded our episode live at The Whitby Hotel. Watch it on my TV show “Totally Booked” on the JBS network when it comes out. Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact allie.gallo@acast.com.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.