Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books

Melissa Gould calls her emotional memoir a modern love story. Her writing deeply resonated with Zibby, and they talked about grieving, expectations, parenting through loss, and falling in love.

Jordan Thierry is the author of A Kids Book About Systemic Racism and Ben Sand is the author of A Kids Book About White Privilege—both part of a fantastic, educational, and inspiring new series of kids' books. They talked to Zibby about the challenges of writing about deep topics for a young set of readers, creating digestible conversations about race in the home and on the page, and how we can all take part in disseminating a positive message about "love and hope and resistance and change and acceptance."

Caroline Gertler taught herself to read around age three and knew from then on that she wanted to be a writer. She chatted with Zibby about the books that inspired her, her love of art history, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, and more. 

Sara Faith Alterman's funny and moving memoir takes off from the day her G-rated upbringing came to a screeching halt when she discovered her father's pornographic writing career. With brilliant humor, Sara recounts how she stumbled upon the books as a child, the difficulty in talking about sex in a matter-of-fact way, and reconciling the different sides to her father. 

Rio Cortez is a Pushcart-nominated poet whose beautifully written, illustrated book presents Black history to younger children. She talked with Zibby about creating a story that depicts diverse figures from Black culture around the globe, tracing her own roots, diaspora communities, her pregnancy journey, and more.

Gabrielle Korn's former life as the editor-in-chief of NYLON at age twenty-eight looked shiny and glamorous by day; however, as soon as she left the office, her reality was different. She talked to Zibby about identity and personally struggling with an eating disorder while fighting for body positivity at work. They also discussed how the media creates impossible beauty standards and what it's like to be in the middle of it. 

Helen Fisher talked to Zibby about having to change the title of her novel in the United States, beginning to write in her forties, how difficult it can be to portray loss and grief in writing, managing rejection, and more.

Zibby was honored to interview Chelsea Clinton and talk about advocacy, writing books centered on girls and women, their mutual admiration for teachers, raising children in the public eye, and the importance of practicing persistence. 

Charles Yu's story is a depiction of Earth in the 3000's in which all that's left of an otherwise abandoned planet is a gift shop. He and Zibby talked about spaceships, teenagedom, mother-daughter dynamics, television writing, and more.

Brittany Barnett's book is "a memoir that shows how she came to understand injustice in the courts, how she discovered genius behind bars, and how this journey caused her definition of freedom to evolve.” Her book was Amazon’s "#1 Best Book of 2020." Zibby was utterly impressed by A Knock at Midnight and moved by her conversation with Brittany. 

Jennifer Rosner's journey to becoming a writer is deeply personal and as beautiful as her debut novel - a mesmerizing story set during World War II. She and Zibby talked about silence, risk, the bond between parents and children, collective trauma, and more.

An instant New York Times bestseller, Christina Baker Kline's The Exiles is a riveting novel about three women in nineteenth-century Australia. Christina talked to Zibby about history, how terrifying it can be to write about the past, and the importance of taking chances.

Shari Medini's timely guide and chat with Zibby will help you navigate the delicate balance of wearing many hats like pursuing a career and working from home, parenting and being a partner, and caring for yourself. She shares simple solutions and actionable ideas that prioritize taking things one step at a time! 

Elizabeth Passarella's collection of essays explores and normalizes dualities in personal identity. She chats about being a Southern girl in New York, small apartments and suburban houses, religion, and politics - all while unpacking various stereotypes from her unique vantage point and witty style.

If you need encouragement, Read This for Inspiration is your ticket to feeling uplifted. Ashly Perez talked to Zibby about her creative and nonlinear book, BuzzFeed background, being diagnosed with ADHD in her late twenties, her special relationship with her abuelo, and more.

How do we create psychological togetherness when physical togetherness is not an option? Priya Parker shares that "gathering" is a source of meaning, inspiration, and beauty. She gives wonderful examples to Zibby about shifting away from conventional structures of gathering toward coming together in ways that create unexpected connection and adventure.

Katherine May's perspective on the transformative power of "wintering" is both timely and timeless. She embraces the ethos of winter to rest, renew, and restore to amass energy to reframe everyday chaos and challenging moments. Katherine says that being "quick to put on a brave face" may be doing us more harm than good because part of being human includes imperfection. Zibby might just put that reminder on a sticky-note by her bedside.

Rabbi Steve Leder has officiated roughly one thousand funerals over thirty years. Even with so much experience helping people deal with loss, he realized he wasn’t prepared when his father passed away after a ten-year decline through Alzheimer's. His insights about what death can teach us about life are profound, and his conversation with Zibby is just as heartfelt as his book, which he hopes serves as a field guide for readers.

Gabriel Byrne's memoir is absolutely gorgeous, and he has so much wisdom to share. His interview with Zibby was briefly interrupted by a goat in the background, but they still got to chat about how his love of literature started with his mother reading classics at bedtime, finding his authentic voice, and the deep work it took to write about the most painful areas of his life.  

Zibby loved reading Particulate Matter, Felicia Luna Lemus's uniquely crafted work of creative nonfiction. She spoke with Felicia Luna Lemus about her process of creating this "portrait" of a challenging year, human vulnerability, and noticing the beauty in everyday details.

Malcolm Mitchell and Zibby talked about new fatherhood, the inspirational book he wrote about his journey through literacy and finding magic in reading, and his message to kids that sometimes the best stories can be found inside of ourselves.

Shani King's books stem from conversations he has and wants to have with his kids about identity, history, and celebration. He spoke to Zibby about raising a generation that knows there is power in who they are, teaching his own children about their unique background, African American history, and more. 

Liz Tichenor spoke with Zibby about becoming ordained as a priest while experiencing the monumental losses of her young son and her mother. She opened up about the challenge of maintaining her faith in the face of extreme grief and the importance of showing up authentically in her leadership position by sharing her own story.

Ashley Audrain's amazing book is both chilling and life-affirming - even though she didn’t originally set out to write a book that was so rife with emotional suspense. The two talked about unexpected challenges in parenting, inherited trauma, only finishing books they love, and Ashley's great advice for new mothers who are writers.

 

 

Jen Sincero's book is a must-read to start off 2021. Jen has brought "badass" into mainstream culture, and her latest book tackles all of our "badass habits and shares the important message that we can do anything we want...as long as we get in the right mindset!

Zibby did an Instagram Live with Sabaa Tahir for Good Morning America's Book Club Instagram page. Sabaa is a New York Times best-selling author and one of the few Pakistani American authors writing speculative fiction. She brings a unique perspective to the fantasy genre, and Zibby loved discussing the fourth book in her series.

John Allman's children's books are amazing. He chatted with Zibby about growing up in Texas as a dancer, his love of performance, the American Ballet Theater, and following your North Star.

Adventures in Opting Out is so timely. Cait Flanders and Zibby talked about taking new paths, making intentional decisions like opting out of drinking, being reflective, and more.

Zibby had a blast interviewing Sophie Cousens for Good Morning America's Book Club Instagram page. This Time Next Year is the perfect book to read right now. They talked about New Year's Eve, bad luck, getting stuck in bathrooms, self-fulfilling prophecies, and how nothing is as perfect as what the veneer of any exterior might convey.

Zibby couldn't wait to talk to Lauren Martin about her memoir. The book shifted Zibby's whole mindset about how moods affect us, impact the people around us, and how we can navigate through those individual characteristics in a helpful and meaningful way. 

Nessa Rapoport's novel is thirty years in the making. Her writing is just as poetic as how she describes to Zibby the way all the parts came together to create this beautiful book.

Zibby was excited to do an Instagram Live with Paola Mendoza and Abby Sher about their novel set in 2032. They discuss a world where citizens are chipped and tracked, what it means to survive as an undocumented immigrant, and the meaning of sanctuary.

Zibby devoured Kara Goldin's memoir. Her approach to entrepreneurism, success in business, and overcoming challenges is sharp, inspiring, and refreshingly applicable to achieving any goal you have. Take Kara's "no idea is crazy" approach into 2021 for a fulfilling new year!

Dr. Reshma Shah's book is filled with recipes that will make even avid omnivores wonder why they haven't tried more plant-based dishes before. Dr. Shah talked to Zibby about her winding journey to plant-based eating, the impact of food choices on the environment, and how to really connect with what's on our dinner plates.

Isabel Wilkerson - already a Pulitzer Prize-winning, bestselling author - has captured attention with her stunning new book Caste, which has been lauded as "an instant American classic" by The New York Times. Zibby was thrilled to learn more about Isabel's extensive research process, how the people she writes about become a part of her, and her masterful ability to excavate truths and explain phenomena in such an enthralling format. 

Zibby talked to Anne-Louise Nieto and Hanna Chiou, the co-founders of Habbi Habbi, a brilliant way to bring bilingual education into your home. They talked about their inspiration for the reading wand and bilingual books they created, making learning accessible to children and adults, and how studying different languages helps us celebrate people and cultures around the world.

Paige Peterson was Zibby's first boss ever - at age eleven she started babysitting Paige's daughter! Their connection comes through in their special conversation as Paige revealed more about the inspiration behind her captivating book: a childhood spent in the beautiful Northern California nature, coming of age in the '60s, silence and secrets in small towns, raising her own children, and more.

From Zibby: I woke up this morning to the horrific news that Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, father of four, grandfather, philanthropist, and author of PRINCIPLES OF SUCCESS about which I interviewed him last January, had tragically lost his 42-year-old son in a car accident. I've never met Ray in person. I didn't even know his oldest son's name until this morning. But I am shaken with grief knowing how much pain Ray and his entire family must be in now. He has already tweeted about his loss and kindly mentioned all the other families reeling from losing a child in the midst of his own sorrow. Ray discussed his four sons, parenting and grandparenting a lot in our conversation. In honor of his horrific loss, I'm rereleasing his episode so you can all get to know him and mourn with him today. 

When Zibby started reading Father-Ish, she wasn't in a good mood, but Clint Edwards's book is so funny that she started laughing out loud right away. Clint has a way of making everyday moments in parenting life feel funny and relatable. Using his signature humor, he talked to Zibby about some of the serious things like rejection, mental health, and why being reflective and writing is the best thing he's done for his marriage and family. 

Zibby's family has long loved Jarrett Krosoczka's New York Times bestselling books, so it was special for Zibby to learn more about Jarrett's life. He shared how his wildly famous TED Talk came to life, how to deal with strangers talking to you about your private life, growing up with parents who are addicts, and the importance of a strong work ethic.

Rachel Bloom's memoir will capture your heart just like her Golden Globe winning tv series, "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend." They chatted about what "normal" means, award shows, OCD, comedy, and more.

For passionate readers, Sarah Gelman has the world's best job - she's the Director of Books, PR, and Editorial at Amazon. In this special episode, she and Zibby talked about Amazon's "Best Books of 2020," jumping on trampolines with their children, and their mutual love of sharing good books with people.

Zibby and her family love Natalie Portman's reimagining of classic fairy tales. She had a blast talking to the actress, filmmaker, writer, and mother about judging people by their character rather than their gender, the upside of social media, and bringing women's soccer to Los Angeles. 

Jean Kwok's inspiration for her latest novel is deeply personal. Her conversation with Zibby is captivating - sharing intimate details about her brother who went missing ten years ago, growing up in New York City in a working-class immigrant family, and feeling like the black sheep of her family. 

Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America, created a brilliant playbook for navigating free speech in an era of Twitter, cancel culture, and a divided culture. She talked to Zibby about what it means to defend free speech, creating inclusivity, and how we can use the power of the written word to mend a fractured society.

Zibby talked to power couple Jennifer Risher, author of We Need To Talk, and her husband David. They shared their stories about joining Microsoft and Amazon in the early years, managing unexpected wealth in their early thirties, the hidden effects of being newly affluent, and pulling the curtain back on the taboo topic of money talk.

Michelle Buteau, comedy queen, talked to Zibby about IVF and hormones, beauty and body image, and raising twins. Michelle reminded Zibby how important it is to stop worrying about being perfect and to focus on your passion. 

Zibby thanked Tod Jacobs and Peter Lynn on behalf of couples everywhere for their terrific book. Their conversation explored some of our biggest questions about relationships: what does a sparkling marriage look like, why do we stop trying to impress each other when the honeymoon phase is over, and can you fall back in love with your partner by making simple changes? This will now be Zibby’s go-to gift for engaged couples (and close friends who might admit to some marital issues)!

Kazu has been drawing comics since he was five years old. He chatted with Zibby about the inspiration for his popular graphic novel series, how cartoons are a universal language, and how he had to relearn to do what he loves after being in a coma. 

"Uncomfortable" is a bit of a misnomer because Emmanuel Acho is gifted at making people feel at ease having honest conversations about racism and social injustice. He talked to Zibby about making our way to the middle to find the truth, why he believes we learn history in school when we're too young to understand it, and creating a catalyst for racial reconciliation through dialogue.