Zibby’s December Book Club Pick! New York Times bestselling author Sophie Cousens returns to the podcast to discuss IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM?, an enchanting, witty, laugh-out-loud funny enemies-to-lovers romance about a disillusioned divorcée who agrees to let her children play matchmaker—all of which she will write about in her column at work. Sophie delves into her protagonist’s hilarious misadventures as a 38-year-old single mom in the dating scene. She and Zibby discuss the importance of featuring mature and relatable protagonists in romance and then touch on modern dating and career reinvention. Sophie also shares her writing process and the challenge of balancing parenting with her career.

Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4fSzuD1

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(Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].)

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#1 New York Times bestselling author Ana Huang chats with Zibby about THE STRIKER, a steamy, unputdownable romance between the world’s best soccer player and a primadonna ballerina he can’t have. Ana shares the excitement of hosting a midnight release party with 800 fans! Then, she delves into her novel’s themes of rivalry, personal growth, and forbidden love. She also reflects on her immigrant upbringing and how writing stories helped her learn English, her pivot back to writing during the pandemic, and the rise of indie publishing. Listen for teasers about her next novel!

Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3ULS2N6

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(Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].)

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Author Sarah LaBrie joins Zibby to discuss her spellbinding, harrowing new memoir, NO ONE GETS TO FALL APART. Sarah shares how a period of profound pain and self-discovery led her to come to terms with her mother’s schizophrenia, find therapeutic resources, and start crafting this book. She reflects on her childhood, which was marked by an all-consuming closeness to her mom, and then touches on her complicated feelings about her white partner. She and Zibby discuss the importance of openness and authenticity in memoirs— and their role in offering solidarity and connecting with readers who may feel isolated by similar experiences.

Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/48MtoSq

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(Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].)

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Zibby chats with debut author Julie Fingersh about her warm, witty, and beautifully written memoir, STAY: A Story of Family, Love, and Other Traumas. Julie and Zibby discuss the book's themes, from parenting adult children and the challenges of middle age to women’s ambitions and self-perception and confronting the lingering effects of past trauma. Julie also opens up about her brother’s struggle with mental illness, her daughter’s health challenges, and the disorienting feeling of envy as she watches her daughter step into her own extraordinary life (like when she was part of Hillary Clinton's motorcade). Finally, she describes Anna Quindlen’s influence on her work.

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(Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].)

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Author Susan Rieger joins Zibby to discuss LIKE MOTHER, LIKE MOTHER, an enthralling novel about three generations of strong-willed women unknowingly shaped by the secrets buried in their family’s past. Susan describes how her own family secrets and complex relationship with her mother inspired this story and its central character, Lila, a brilliant, career-focused executive editor at a major newspaper who feels inherently unsuited for motherhood. Susan also talks about her journey through psychoanalysis, the power of introspection, and her journey from law to writing. Finally, she shares the news of a TV adaptation—and who she hopes will be cast as Lila!

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(Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].)

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Zibby Books author alert! Zibby welcomes back bestselling Australian author Emma Grey to discuss PICTURES OF YOU, a stunning, urgent, profoundly affecting novel about a woman who wakes up in a hospital bed after an accident with the mind of her 16-year-old self… and must confront the life and choices she doesn’t recognize now, at 29. Emma and Zibby dive into the novel’s themes of toxic relationships and personal reinvention. Emma also touches on her love of photography, a healing tool for her grief and motif throughout this story.

Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4ekKFTW

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(Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].)

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Zibby chats with beloved actress Judy Greer about THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER, the new Christmas comedy-drama film based on the classic 1972 children’s book by Barbara Robinson. Judy delves into her role (the mom!), describing how her own mother’s work ethic, resilience, and community involvement have shaped her personally and on set. She and Zibby also talk about her career—particularly her shift from character actor (often playing “the friend”) to leading roles. Finally, Judy talks about her nightly reading ritual, her favorite recent reads, and how she finds comfort in bookstores wherever she travels. 

Buy tickets here: https://bestchristmaspageantever.movie/

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(Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].)

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Zibby chats with author Nikkya Hargrove about MAMA, a searing, heart-filled memoir about a young Black queer woman fresh out of college who adopts her baby brother after their incarcerated mother dies, determined to create the kind of family she never had. Nikkya shares what it was like to raise her half-brother, Jonathan, delving into the challenges of balancing her own aspirations with the serious responsibility of caring for him. She and Zibby also discuss the memoir's themes of generational struggle, complex family dynamics, societal judgment, resilience, self-discovery, and finding your voice.

Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3AALzOf

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(Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].)

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Writer and playwright Cherry Lou Sy chats with Zibby about LOVE CAN’T FEED YOU, a beautiful, tender, searing debut novel that follows a young woman who immigrates to the United States from the Philippines to reunite with her mother and finds herself adrift between familial expectations and her own burning desires. While discussing the themes of identity, sacrifice, and the disillusionment of the American dream, Cherry delves into her own immigration story. She also reflects emotionally on her father’s recent death and shares her excitement for a new writing project inspired by him.

Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3Av8Z7E

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(Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].)

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Zibby is joined by Meredith Seacrest Leach to discuss THE MAKE-BELIEVERS, the delightful picture book she co-wrote with her brother, America’s favorite host and media personality, Ryan Seacrest. Meredith reveals that her daughter, Flora, inspired the story, which explores the surprising strengths of a child’s wild, wonderful imagination. She also touches on the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, which provides creative outlets for hospitalized children, helping them escape and express themselves.

Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4fyAlsj

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(Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact [email protected].)

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