Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books

Zibby truly enjoyed getting to know Shannon. Shannon shared what she’d learned from her father, renowned movie star and martial artist Bruce Lee, how it felt to have to “hide” who she was growing up, why she has taken over managing his legacy, how the tragic death of her brother affected her, and how her dad's meaningful practices and timeless concepts inspired Shannon's journey.

 

Based on Anne Helen Petersen's viral BuzzFeed article, Can't Even is an in-depth and fascinating examination of millennial burnout culture. She and Zibby chatted about deciphering how and why we got to this place of non-vacations and unrealistic work expectations. They discussed the hopeful possibility of reorienting our lives away from being "on" 24/7. 

Zibby did an Instagram Live with bestselling author Cheryl Strayed (author of WILD) and was over the moon to be interviewing her. They talked about This Telling, her Amazon Original Story, feminism over the last century, the radical act of telling the truth, and vulnerability.

Terri Cheney portrays mental illness through beautiful and often humorous writing in her latest book. She and Zibby talked about her Modern Love article that was adapted for the HBO show, her life as an entertainment lawyer for Hollywood stars, and keeping her bipolar diagnosis a secret. 

 

 

Alexandra Elle calls her new collection of work her "big girl book" filled with hope, camaraderie, and lessons from motherhood. Listen to their moving talk about healing, self-love, and community. 

Zibby was thrilled to talk with Jamie Lee Curtis, who has contributed so much to so many different areas in the artistic world. Jamie and Zibby chatted about Letters from Camp, her recent and delightful Audible Original, sleepaway camp, nostalgia, telling the truth about ourselves, and giving back. 

Deborah Tannen calls her father's life a walking tour through history - growing up in a Jewish community in Warsaw during World War I, The Bolshevik Revolution, The Great Depression - and Zibby was fascinated by his stories and the father-daughter relationship. Deborah and Zibby talked about dreams, communication, and reflecting on the past.

Zibby loved the lessons from Victoria Montgomery-Brown's new book and their interview. Her unique position as a female business founder, entrepreneur, and CEO is inspiring - and her stories about the NYPD, therapy, and honesty are fascinating. 

Comedienne Heather Land told Zibby about how she became a public persona due to a dare from a friend and how a coping mechanism turned into a career. They also bonded over second marriages and falling in love after divorce. Zibby recommended this as one of her Good Morning America October picks! 

Zibby and Brooke Adams Law covered a lot of ground in this special conversation from Alzheimers to self-expression and discovery to writing circles. Zibby especially loved Brooke's inspiring story of how Catchlight came to be.

Zibby was equal parts honored and excited to interview Nicholas Sparks. They talked about different kinds of love stories, how he was encouraged to become a writer by his mother, therapy, reacting to trauma, and more.

Zibby had a great time getting to know Mikki Daughtry and Rachael Lippincott, who are the #1 New York Times best-selling team of Five Feet Apart which was a hit movie. Now they’ve come back with their second joint novel called All This Time, which was beautiful and a total tearjerker. Zibby recommends having tissues on hand!

 

 

Zibby has been a longtime fan of Bill Clegg's beautiful writing especially his fantastic memoir, Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man. They talked about everything from addiction to parenting to audiobooks… and everything in between. 

Zibby could have talked to Arden Myrin all day. She chatted with the actress, comedian, and first time author about how her parents married on a dare, her quirky small-town upbringing, being honest with your audience, and being okay with not being okay during times of loss. 

Jeff Hobbs and Zibby talked about Jeff's latest book, immersion journalism, the messiness of being a teenager, high-school dances, and how different lives along the same timelines can veer off in different ways. 

Meredith Masony's book is basically Zibby's life manual. You can expect Meredith's laugh-inducing brand of humor and relatability from her "That’s Inappropriate" viral series in her essay collection. She shared her experience as a mom of three young kids having a life-threatening tumor. She spoke with Zibby about not waiting until tomorrow to do the things you want to do today, home-schooling, the pandemic, and more.

Zibby laughed her way through her conversation with Lan Cao and Harlan Margaret Van Cao. She enjoyed their beautiful memoir about identity, belonging, Vietnam, and more. She had a front row seat to their authentic mother-daughter dynamic in this priceless interview. 

Zibby was honored to interview bestselling author Ken Follett, one of the world's best-loved and prolific authors. They talked about Ken’s role as a stepfather, his experience of tragically losing his grown son, how he comes up with ideas for his books, and the key to the longevity of his career.

Catherine Gildiner's book Good Morning, Monster is an impactful read that follows five patients' journeys to emotional recovery. Zibby was captivated by these stories and her conversation with Catherine about treatment, trauma, and truth being stranger than fiction.

Zibby loved reading country music star Sara Evans's inspiring memoir. She and Sara had a beautiful talk about blended families and step-parenting, owning your talents, and not letting people put you in a box. Their talk about body image and eating was emotional and truly authentic.

Nancy Jooyoun Kim's beautiful novel explores a nuanced mother-daughter relationship through a dual narrative. Her book was just picked as this month’s Reese’s Book Club pick and is already a New York Times bestseller. She and Zibby talked about the fragility of families, keeping secrets, and the complexities of language and lived experience between immigrant parents with American-born children. 

Elizabeth Ames is the author of the terrific debut novel The Other's Gold. She and Zibby talked about living at Harvard, writing a campus novel, and their formative college years. 

The superstar host of TV hit show So You Think You Can Dance, Cat Deeley, has a written a lovely children’s book, originally intended for her boys. Her interview with Zibby is a heartfelt reminder that all parents want their kids to be happy, kind, and feel confident in dreaming big.

Caitlin Moran's observational humor is in a class of its own. Zibby laughed her way through Caitlin's book and their conversation: comparing raising children to addiction, motherhood as a superhero narrative, and how sharing our parenting stories is the key to sanity.

Zibby was enthralled by Catherine Cho's memoir about her postpartum psychosis when her son was three months old. They talked about preparation for pregnancy being primarily about the physical aspects without considering the mental or psychological shift of becoming a mother, unfolding the trauma of abusive relationships, and the road to recovery. 

This short reflection was intended as a voiceover for an IGTV/Instagram slideshow of Zibby’s six months after quarantine hit, from March 12th to September 13th, 2020. As she heads back to New York City, she discusses how the pandemic has changed her. Go to instagram.com/zibbyowens to see the accompanying photos. 

Lisa Donovan, renowned pastry chef and essayist, talked to Zibby about creating societal change by reclaiming her story and the stories of women in an industry — and world —  in which men have traditionally been dominant.

 

Kendra Adachi's book is a New York Times best seller about spending your energy on what matters to you. Listen to Zibby (who hopes she is now on her way to becoming a lazy genius, too) and Kendra talk about best friends, Oreos, and principles to help you live a meaningful life by your own definition.

Legendary bestselling author Sue Miller's critically acclaimed, elegant, and sharply realistic new account of the contemporary family is just as powerful as her previous blockbuster hits. This novel, about a couple, their marriage, and what happens when one of them suddenly passes away, is one of the most accurate and searing records of what it’s like to deal with a spouse who passes away in the night — or the loss of any loved one. She and Zibby talked about quasi-monogamy, bringing characters to life, and the intricacies of grief.

Deshaun Watson, NFL quarterback for the Houston Texans, is a marvel on and off the field. Zibby was ultra-impressed by his book and loved talking to him about his relationship with his mom, Habitat for Humanity, chess, and finding balance and energy in his personal and professional life. 

Julia Phillips always knew she wanted to be a novelist, and her debut of Disappearing Earth is a breathtaking national bestseller. She and Zibby talked about their love of libraries, what a happy writing place looks like, and finding your creative community.

In this short, heartfelt, tearjerker of an episode (you might need some Kleenex), Zibby shares her own thoughts and feelings during a tragic time. Her husband Kyle’s mother, Susan Felice Owens, and grandmother Marie (“Nene”) Felice, both passed away recently from COVID. This is Zibby's direct outreach to podcast listeners to share what she’s been going through and to hopefully help those who have lost anyone they have loved, too…. (and to encourage everyone to protect themselves from COVID). 

Zibby couldn't resist asking Sheila Grinell about the story of her birth (spoiler: it involves a New York City taxi cab), and she loved their conversation about Sheila's winding path to writing, which included a journey through math, science, business, and the museum world. 

Zibby couldn't put down Kate Riordan's thriller, a compelling mystery set in the South of France (making it the perfect backdrop for a long-weekend read)!

Zibby had a blast talking to bestselling author Robert Weintraub about his captivation with the life of tennis star, Alice Marble, and his experience traveling the country to uncover the mystery of her extraordinary life.

Zibby did a live virtual event with The Strand Bookstore and award-winning reporter Heather Cabot about her bookThe New Chardonnay, a fascinating look into the new world of legal cannabis. 

Amy Schmidt brings her signature brand of honesty and openness to her book, podcast, and conversation with Zibby, reminding us to live fearlessly and with confidence. You'll probably feel like she's your best friend by the time you're done listening to this episode. 

Marisa Porges and Zibby explored Marisa's powerful book about what girls need to succeed. 

Zibby loved talking to Charlotte McConaghy about her beautiful debut novel, family trauma, and the search for home. 

Raven Leilani's debut novel has been one of the most anticipated books of 2020. She and Zibby talked about different forms of creativity, reconciling fantasy and reality, and the experience of Black women in publishing. 

Sara Schaefer talked to Zibby about Grand, an honest, witty, and vulnerable memoir. They talked about family scandal, reflecting on childhood, moral anxiety, and whitewater rafting in the Grand Canyon.

Zibby loved Michele's New York Times bestselling memoir and the chance to talk with her about overcoming growing up in an abusive household, her philosophy around fixing what's broken, and considering her work as a doctor a practice of healing. 

Zibby and Heather Lanier talked about Raising a Rare Girl, Heather's beautiful account of raising her daughter with a rare chromosomal syndrome, being a medical advocate, and what happens when the map of "normal" parents expect is turned upside down.  

Alyssa Shelasky talked to Zibby about her memoir: learning to cook, the world of food and celebrity chefs, being happy for your ex, and universal truths about love and loss. 

Today, Saturday, August 29th, is Independent Bookstore Day. Listen to a selection of notable authors from this podcast as they share their favorite independent bookstores and why they love them. Watch them on Instagram here. 

Authors include:

Fiona Davis, The Lions of Fifth Avenue

Raven Leilani, Luster

Bethany Saltman, Strange Situation: A Mother's Journey into the Science of Attachment

Jennifer Rosner, The Yellow Bird Sings

Candace Bushnell, Is There Still Sex in the City?, Rules for Being a Girl

Kristy Woodson Harvey, Feels Like Falling

Bonnie Tsui, Why We Swim

Liz Astrof, Don't Wait Up: Confessions of a Stay-at-Work Mom

Erin Geiger Smith, Thank You For Voting

Elissa Altman, Motherland: A Memoir of Love, Loathing and Longing

Heather Cabot, The New Chardonnay: The Unlikely Story of How Marijuana Went Mainstream

Rebecca Serle, In Five Years

Kendra Adachi, The Lazy Genius Way: Embrace What Matters, Ditch What Doesn't and Get Stuff Done

 

Samantha Irby's humor is exactly what everyone needs right now. She and Zibby talked about rituals, lip balm, bribing children, and what it's like to share your inner monologue with the world. 

 

 

Zibby interviewed Sue Monk Kidd, award-winning and international best-selling author, for Armonk's North Castle Public Library 2020 speaker series. Already a literary phenomenon, Sue's breathtaking novel The Book of Longings is her latest brilliant work of fiction, and her creativity and characters are a gift.

Laura Lippman, the best-selling crime writer, has come out with a fantastic book of essays called My Life as a Villainess. Zibby loved reading this collection and talking with Laura about shifting from creating worlds through novels to revealing the inner workings of her own world.

Pamela Redmond is the New York Times best-selling author of more than 20 books of fiction and nonfiction including Younger, now a hit TV show created by Darren Star. Her new novel, Older, a sequel to Younger, is just coming out, so she and Zibby (of course) talked about age, as well as makeovers, beauty, confidence and authenticity.

Supriya Kelkar drew from personal experience growing up Indian American in a small town in the U.S. for her moving YA novel. She talked to Zibby about hiding her curls until her thirties, microaggressions, and South Asian American culture.