Totally Booked with Zibby

Zibby interviews New York Times bestselling author Lauren Belfer about Ashton Hall, a moody mystery about an American mom and her neurodivergent son and the summer they spend caring for a relative and unearthing the dark, buried secrets of an English manor house. Lauren talks about her character’s neurodiversity (an element rarely portrayed in fiction) and the important themes she explores in the book–marriage, infidelity, and the financial prison that often confines stay-at-home moms. Finally, she reveals the inspiration behind the book (it involves a grandiose British mansion, a sinking cottage, and free-roaming cows!). Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: bit.ly/3FLdjOzBookshop: bit.ly/3BL9UyjSubscribe to Zibby's weekly newsletter here.Purchase Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books merch here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zibby is joined by critically acclaimed artist and bestselling author Maira Kalman to discuss Women Holding Things, an extraordinary visual meditation on women and the objects they carry in their hands, hearts, and minds. Maira explains the origin of this project and analyzes many of its paintings, anecdotes, and themes (including motherhood, the constraints of time, and the inevitability of death). Finally, she describes her artistic process (it involves classical music and falling in love with people on the street), her next big project, and the books she is currently reading!Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: bit.ly/3G8PQITBookshop: bit.ly/3Wf0KCbSubscribe to Zibby's weekly newsletter here.Purchase Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books merch here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zibby is joined by British actress Kirby Howell-Baptiste (from “Queenpins,” “The Good Place,” “Killing Eve,” and more!) to discuss her two beautiful and uplifting picture books (and love letters to her inner child): Little Black Girl: Oh, the Things You Can Do! and Little Black Boy: Oh, the Things You Will Do! Kirby describes her book publishing experience, the themes that inspired her (community-building, Black female empowerment, and Black male joy), and the significant reason behind the slightly different book titles. Kirby also talks about her acting career, her favorite creative outlet (it involves unsent Tweets), and her dream of writing a toilet book!Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon (Little Black Boy): bit.ly/3W8Ht5xAmazon (Little Black Girl): bit.ly/3jdAhXkBookshop (Little Black Boy): bit.ly/3YyIMfHBookshop (Little Black Girl): bit.ly/3G45MMrSubscribe to Zibby's weekly newsletter here.Purchase Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books merch here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zibby speaks to author Amy Fusselman about The Mean$, a breezy and hysterical new novel about a stay-at-home Manhattan mom who is hell-bent on purchasing a Hamptons house (or shipping container, if necessary!). Amy talks about the inspiration behind the story, her fascinating protagonist (Shelly Means–disgruntled, enraged, and deep in capitalist delusion), and the themes she enjoyed exploring–wealth, desire, and the value of a mom’s unpaid labor. She also describes her journey to becoming an author and shares her best advice for aspiring authors.Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: bit.ly/3HN0xSlBookshop: bit.ly/3FHOlQcSubscribe to Zibby's weekly newsletter here.Purchase Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books merch here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zibby interviews Emmy Award-winning reporter Jen Maxfield about her extraordinary new book More After the Break: A Reporter Returns to Ten Unforgettable News Stories. Jen describes the unrelenting curiosity and profound empathy that drove her to revisit the most memorable interviewees of her career, from Staten Island ferry crash survivor Paul Esposito to domestic violence survivor Tamika Tompkins. She offers us a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the demands and challenges of her job and reveals how she has kept her emotions in check for the last 20 years (especially when she goes home to her children!).Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: bit.ly/3BMJ0G9Bookshop: bit.ly/3jf4lBNSubscribe to Zibby's weekly newsletter here.Purchase Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books merch here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zibby speaks to bestselling and award-winning author Elizabeth McCracken about her remarkable new novel The Hero of This Book (a Best Book of the Year by Time, People, Washington Post, and more). Elizabeth discusses the autobiographical elements that made their way into the story and then delves into the poignant portrayal of her mother. She also talks about her journey to becoming a successful author (befriending Ann Patchett helped!), the projects she is working on now, and the books on her TBR list (one of which is Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro, which was featured on MDHTTRB just a few episodes ago!).Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: bit.ly/3V9v28iBookshop: bit.ly/3FZfNueSubscribe to Zibby's weekly newsletter here.Purchase Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books merch here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zibby speaks to bestselling author Rebecca Woolf about her beautifully written and provocative book All of This: A Memoir of Death and Desire, which tells the story of how her husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer two weeks after she asked for a divorce and how she navigated feelings of grief and relief after he died. Rebecca shares the most intimate details of her story, from a marriage riddled with lies and infidelity to a widowhood marked by primal desire and sexual experimentation (all while raising four resilient children). She also shares her admiration of divorced women and describes the online community she built to provide resources and advice to women trying to end their marriages. Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: bit.ly/3WlscOfBookshop: bit.ly/3VYWh6GSubscribe to Zibby's weekly newsletter here.Purchase Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books merch here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guest host Julianna Goldman speaks to best-selling author A.M. Homes about The Unfolding, a hilarious and sharp political satire about a family’s unraveling in the wake of the 2008 presidential election. A.M. describes the inspiration behind this story, her interest in American society and culture, and the process of developing a cast of characters whose backgrounds and philosophies differ vastly from her own (like The Big Guy–a politically conservative and delusional white male). She also talks about her writing regimen and how she balances being an author with her roles of parent, partner, and teacher.Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: bit.ly/3WgTrcNBookshop: bit.ly/3PrSk7YSubscribe to Zibby's weekly newsletter here.Purchase Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books merch here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zibby interviews internationally acclaimed speaker, renowned podcast host, and bestselling author John O’Leary about his heartfelt and empowering new book On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life. At the age of 9, John survived a near-fatal fire. He shares the gutwrenching details of the accident, the heroic siblings who saved him, the torturous hospital treatments, and the unconditional love that guided him through it all. He also describes the journey from hiding his past to selling out arenas and shares his hope that people will find themselves in his story and be inspired to live a life on fire, filled with possibility and purpose. Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: bit.ly/3PqfkV4Bookshop: bit.ly/3Fre6UNSubscribe to Zibby's weekly newsletter here.Purchase Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books merch here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guest host Allison Pataki interviews health and science journalist Chelsea Conaboy about her groundbreaking and myth-busting new book Mother Brain: How Neuroscience Is Rewriting the Story of Parenthood. Chelsea analyzes the postpartum experience–a time of distress, adaptation, and powerful neurological and hormonal shifts for parents. She also dismantles the dangerous myth of maternal instinct and outlines the sociopolitical areas that desperately need reform in the United States. Finally, she describes her research and writing process and shares her best advice for aspiring authors. Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: bit.ly/3PuDGwEBookshop: bit.ly/3WgZDl5Subscribe to Zibby's weekly newsletter here.Purchase Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books merch here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.