Totally Booked with Zibby

Award-winning author Kit de Waal chats with Zibby Owens about her beautiful new novel, Sweet Pea, which was just chosen as Read with Jenna's November 2026 pick! Kit shares the story of her main character, Paulette, a 29-year-old woman who wants nothing more than life's modest necessities: a home, good neighbors, a child, and to be loved. Kit explains how the narrative follows Paulette’s life across decades, acting as a testament to her profound kindness and her unique ability to welcome the most unexpected people into her world.

Kit reveals how Paulette originally outgrew her role as a side character in a failed manuscript, and shares her own unique childhood as the daughter of an African-Caribbean father and an Irish mother. She also reflects on starting her own writing journey later in life at age 45, the "magical, secret love affair" of plotting a book, the deep power behind the kindness of strangers, and why the publishing industry needs to embrace vibrant debut writers over 50.

Learn more about Kit de Waal and her work here and follow her on Instagram @kitdewaal. You can purchase Sweet Pea here.
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A story for the messy middle. Zibby's essay collection Between Chapters is out now!
Love to listen? She narrated the audiobook.
Listen on Spotify here.
Listen on Apple here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Beard Award-winning writer and food journalist Tarajia Morrell speaks with Zibby Owens about her beautifully written new book, Desire Feeds the Feast: A Memoir, a coming-of-age story about food, family, loss, love, and finding your way, published by Zibby Publishing. It’s also Zibby’s December Book Club pick! Returning as a single mother to the apartment where she grew up, Tarajia began writing to make sense of life's unexpected twists. As she shares, happiness can look very different from what we once imagined.

Born into one of New York's most celebrated wine families, Tarajia grew up where food was a love language and every meal told a story. In this conversation, she reflects on growing up on Manhattan's Upper East Side, searching for belonging, and finding herself through food, travel, grief, and unexpected detours. Along the way, she shares how food became both a language and a throughline, connecting her family history, travels, and deepest memories.

Learn more about Tarajia Morrell here and follow her on Instagram @tarajiamorrell. You can purchase Desire Feeds the Feast here and register for the virtual book club meeting here.
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A story for the messy middle. Zibby's essay collection Between Chapters is out now!
Love to listen? She narrated the audiobook.
Listen on Spotify here.
Listen on Apple here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Psychotherapist, writer, and co-author of the New York Times bestseller The Tools, Barry Michels joins Zibby Owens to discuss his powerful new memoir, Ahead of All Parting: On Learning to Live with an Open Heart. After being diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, a disease that also affected his father, Barry found himself facing profound questions about mortality, identity, and connection.

Barry shares how his diagnosis unexpectedly opened him up to deeper friendships, greater vulnerability, and a surge of creative energy that inspired hundreds of poems. He also reflects on the difficult family experiences that shaped him, the practical tools that helped him navigate fear and grief, and the role music continues to play in his life.

Along the way, Barry offers advice for writers, discusses the importance of community, and shares what it means to live fully in the face of uncertainty.

Learn more about Barry Michels and his work here, and follow him on Substack. You can purchase Ahead of All Parting: On Learning to Live with an Open Heart here.
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A story for the messy middle. Zibby's essay collection Between Chapters is out now!
Love to listen? She narrated the audiobook.
Listen on Spotify here.
Listen on Apple here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Writer and producer Blake J. Harris spoke to Zibby Owens about his latest book Emperor of Nothing: The Making of Larry David, an inside look at the real man behind the comedy empire that includes TV hits Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Blake shares how he convinced Larry to participate in the book (spoiler: it involved the Yankees).

Blake recounts how Larry David pulled many bits from his own life for his career, from a real-life Kramer neighbor to his eventual catchphrase on Curb. Despite what his character may be like on the show (and some say the real-life counterpart is similar), Blake reports that Larry David is a loving, happy man and devoted father.

Blake J. Harris is also the writer of Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation. Learn more about him and his work here and follow Blake on Instagram @blakeharrisnyc. You can purchase Emperor of Nothing: The Making of Larry David here.
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A story for the messy middle. Zibby's essay collection Between Chapters is out now!
Love to listen? She narrated the audiobook.
Listen on Spotify here.
Listen on Apple here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Good Neighbors Sarah Langan joins Zibby Owens in person to chat about her new book Trad Wife, which takes readers on a scary ride with a cancelled journalist out to save her reputation by interviewing a “trad wife.”

Sarah discusses the online phenomenon around the “trad wife” trend, the research she did for the book, and the ways social media distorts what information we may see. She also touches upon the isolation and lack of agency women can face, especially related to femininity.

Sarah shares the books she’s been reading lately and the next project she’s already working on.

Learn more about Sarah Langan and her books here and follow her on Instagram @sarahlangan. You can purchase Trad Wife here.
*********
A story for the messy middle. Zibby's essay collection Between Chapters is out now!
Love to listen? She narrated the audiobook.
Listen on Spotify here.
Listen on Apple here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.