Totally Booked with Zibby

"I'm so grateful to anyone who's read the book or passed the book onto someone or posted about it because it wouldn't exist without all of that." Meg Mason talks with Zibby about how she wrote an entire draft for the wrong book before she found her way into writing her latest novel, Sorrow and Bliss. The two also talk about why doctors often approach mental illness with women, what it's like to come of age in your forties, and how Meg relied on her characters' dark British humor to write about heavy topics with levity.  Purchase your copy on Amazon and Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3s1Dp76Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3wCpjfX Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Whether you're dealing with your muffin top over the waistband of your pants or friends who die too young or careers that blow up or slowly shrivel or whatever, you have to remember you're just lucky to be here." Former Editor in Chief of Real Simple and author of Did I Say That Out Loud Kristin van Ogtrop joins Zibby to talk about the importance of a self-chuckle, what it was like to start a new career later in life, and why she will always love print magazines. Purchase your copy on Amazon and Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3uCQG87Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3cRVSi8 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former model and YA writer Laurie Elizabeth Flynn talks with Zibby about her debut adult novel, The Girls Are All So Nice Here, and her process of writing it. From cringing at the memory of high school emotions to buying a pillow to remind herself not to overthink, Laurie explains how she found her inspiration for her book and why she doesn't plot out her stories before writing. Purchase your copy on Amazon and Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/39VXaqKBookshop: https://bit.ly/3t2Z5ky  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Fixing fatigue is not about doing less. Look, we did less during this past year, and we were more tired than ever. It's not about doing less. It's actually about doing more of the things that actually recharge you." Double board certified doctor Amy Shah, MD, talks with Zibby about how she set out to fix the burnout she felt in her own life after a life-threatening car crash and why she wants to offer what she's learned to others. Amy explains how to find time to recharge during the day, implement small calming rituals that only take a moment, and protect yourself from energy-suckers. Purchase your copy on Amazon and Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3utSxMsBookshop: https://bit.ly/3uxs54z  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zibby talks with the author and illustrator duo behind Allergic, Megan Wagner Lloyd and Michelle Mee Nutter, about their process of working together and how Megan's own lifelong experience with allergies influenced the book. Although Allergic is a middle grade graphic novel, the three talk about how it's both an entertaining and important read for the whole family, especially those coping with food allergies in the family.  Purchase your copy on Amazon and Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3wFTov6Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3dMnpB2  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I started writing just to remember her stories and her voice in this world that doesn't exist anymore." Zibby is joined by fellow memoir enthusiast J. Nicole Jones to discuss her upcoming memoir, Low Country, and the family secrets that it reveals. Nicole tells Zibby about the process of rewriting her grandmother's stories after her first draft was stolen, how her South Carolina hometown became its own character, and what it's like to hear your life told through your father's songs. Purchase the book on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3fQcngJBookshop: https://bit.ly/39RyaAY Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"This whole book is about finding your center. The center does hold with a couple of good friends." Anne Lamott recently joined Zibby's Book Club to discuss her latest book, Dusk, Night, Dawn: On Revival and Courage, and answered questions from book club members. Anne talked about those she looks to for inspiration, her experience watching her son's journey to sobriety as a former alcoholic herself, and how she seeks forgiveness every day, especially during the pandemic. Purchase her book on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3t1tEarBookshop: https://bit.ly/3rWc86d Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"We're all shades of gray. There's always complexity in the human story. That's what I'm interested in.” Paula McLain shares how the inspiration for her latest novel, When the Stars Go Dark, struck during a dog walk. She reveals to Zibby the anxiety she felt about departing from her usual genre, and discusses the courage found in vulnerability. Purchase your copy on Amazon or Bookshop!Amazon: https://amzn.to/3wNb4p1Bookshop: https://bit.ly/39JXuc4 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"These anonymous people who are struggling have no idea that they saved people's lives. I just think it really speaks to how wonderful it is when we can share our struggles and realize that we're not alone." Jenny Lawson talks with Zibby about the community that has formed in the comments sections of her blog, The Bloggess, and how their candor inspired her to write more openly about heavier topics like her depression and rheumatoid arthritis. The two also discuss what it has been like for Jenny to open up an independent bookstore in the middle of the pandemic and how she still meets with her fellow essayist friends (though it's not how you imagine).  Purchase the book on Amazon on Bookshop Amazon: https://amzn.to/39LLd6W Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3dyKU09  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"As soon as we can all go out again, I really think it's so important to recapture that feeling of connection to our friends and our family." Julie Metz tells Zibby about the journey her research took her on through the histories of Vienna and her own family tree. Her latest book, Eva and Eve, paints vivid pictures of the world her family lived in prior to the Holocaust as well as of the life Julie lives today. Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3sVBYbU Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3wpYhZg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.