Totally Booked with Zibby

I had so much fun interviewing Lionel Shriver about her latest book, The Motion of the Body Through Space. Lionel's previous novels include the international best-seller We Need to Talk About Kevin, among other terrific books like Double Fault. Her journalism has appeared in The Guardian, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. Lionel is witty and insightful and has her finger on the pulse of contemporary culture, as evidenced in the narrative and characters in The Motion of the Body Through Space. Our conversation was sprinkled with laughter as we talked about her novel, which highlights what she calls today's "cult of exercise" and how exercise has become somewhat of a spiritual pursuit plus a socially competitive activity. We also explored the experience of aging especially as an athlete. I loved her advice to aspiring authors: "write whatever you damn well please!" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I had the privilege of interviewing author Anna Solomon on the Good Morning America Book Club Instagram Live account. Her book, The Book of V., was the GMA Book Club pick for the month of May! The most recent of Anna’s three novels is The Book of V., an intricate tale interweaving three stories of three women spread out across three different centuries. I was completely floored when I reached the end of the book! Anna and I talked about the exploration and subversion of power and gender dynamics in her characters, the impact of female friendships, and the fundamental relationship between grandmothers, mothers, and daughters, plus her really interesting and visual writing process.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elizabeth Wetmore is the debut author — at age 52 — of Valentine, which is a #ReadWithJenna Today Show pick. Elizabeth also came to my virtual book club, which was so much fun! She and her thrilling, emotional debut novel that explores a brutal crime in a small Texas town, are on a huge meteoric rise! I loved our conversation about how she blended her experiences with compelling characters to create an astonishing work of fiction, the complexities in mother-daughter relationships, and her advice to writers: you are not alone, and you are not on anyone else's timetable.     Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I had the best time talking to Ruthie Lindsey, the author of There I Am: The Journey from Hopelessness to Healing - A Memoir. A speaker, author, podcast host, and social media figure, Ruthie travels the globe sharing her story empowering others to find purpose in their pain and to "look for beauty in the midst of their sacred wounds." Ruthie and I talked about the trauma she faced while in "Earth school," survival and resilience, breakdowns and breakthroughs, healing and hope. Her memoir is astounding to read, but listening to Ruthie's story in her own words is really something else - she brings a spiritual contribution to the world that is remarkable.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I was over the moon (!!!) to interview Alicia Keys recently. Just in case you don't already know, Alicia Keys is a modern-day renaissance woman. A 15-time Grammy Award-winning artist, Alicia is a songwriter, musician, producer, accomplished actress, New York Times best-selling author, film/television/Broadway producer, entrepreneur, and a powerful force in the world of activism. Alicia recently released her bestselling book, More Myself: A Journey. Alicia and I talked about the chaos and beauty of creativity, the differences between her experience songwriting and writing a book, the path of discovering who we are under the layers we build up, and leaning into your intuition. We also bonded over how our 5-year-old sons seem to be running our lives during this pandemic! Alicia's positive presence and authenticity is contagious; you can just feel it while listening to our conversation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lindsay Powers is the author of You Can't F*ck Up Your Kids: A Judgment-Free Guide to Stress-Free Parenting and the creator of the perfectly named #NoShameParenting movement which has reached more than 170 million people across social media. A long-time journalist, her work has appeared in The Washington Post, the New York Post, CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, CNN, and more. She was founding editor-in-chief of Yahoo! Parenting and most recently, she was the Vice President for Lifestyle and Entertainment at SiriusXM and the founder of a digital content consulting company. Lindsay and I talked over Skype about trusting your instincts as a parent, that one extra minute of screen time isn't going to preclude your kids from getting into college, and the importance of creating a judgement-free parenting culture. This book is terrific at any time, but it feels even more significant as parents are spending even more time with their kids right now! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest, Brad Meltzer, is unbelievably accomplished. He is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of 12 thrillers, he has written several nonfiction books, and now his latest adult book is available: The Lincoln Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill America's 16th President--and Why It Failed, co-written with Josh Mensch. Brad has also written gift and advice books, as well as the massively successful Ordinary People Change the World series of children's books, comic books, and two History Channel TV shows. The Hollywood Reporter, understandably, put Brad on their list of Hollywood's 25 Most Powerful Authors. Brad and I talked about remembering that every accomplished person - from presidents to pop stars - were once kids, the important role failure plays in success, and how to look for and thank the heroes in our everyday lives. My kids and I are obsessed with his "I am...." series and love his latest book, I Am Leonardo Da Vinci.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I loved talking to Kimberly McCreight about her latest book, A Good Marriage. Kimberly has such an her impressive body of work including The New York Times best-selling book Reconstructing Amelia, which was nominated for the Edgar, Anthony, and Alex Awards and was called Entertainment Weekly’s favorite book of the year and optioned for film by HBO and Nicole Kidman’s Blossom Films. Her second adult novel, Where They Found Her, was a USA Today best seller and a Kirkus Best Mystery of the Year. She's also the author of The New York Times best-selling young adult trilogy The Outliers, which was optioned for film by Lionsgate and Reese Witherspoon’s Pacific Standard. Her latest book, A Good Marriage, is a legal and domestic suspense novel that had me gasping out loud while I was reading it. The characters and their exploration of marriage, secrets, and compromises is riveting. Kimberly and I spoke about "sleepaway camp parties," plot twists, and what happiness or "a good marriage" can really mean.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alli Frank and Asha Youmans are the debut co-authors of Tiny Imperfections, a novel. Alli has worked in education for 20-plus years in San Francisco and Seattle in both public and private schools as a teacher, college counselor, coach, and assistant head. Asha has taught in public and private elementary schools for almost 20 years. Their book, an intergenerational, mother-daughter story, is hilarious and pitch perfect. Set against a backdrop of a prestigious San Francisco private school, the story addresses race, single parenting, and dating at 40. The three of us talked about the school admissions process, family relationships, Alli and Asha's terrific dynamic, and how their experience as educators for over 20 years shines through in this heart-filled and humorous love letter to schools and school communities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I recently interviewed Betsey Johnson, the supremely colorful, world-renowned fashion designer and author of Betsey: A Memoir. A designer at the forefront of fashion for the past forty years, Betsey's new memoir illustrates more than just her iconic brand, exploring the fierce fashion industry, motherhood, love, cancer, and more. Betsey and I talked about hard work, talent, and luck as a trifecta that has contributed to her path, being a Leo, and asking for what you want and need. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.