Share

cover art for Alisha Fernandez Miranda, MY WHAT IF YEAR: A Novel

Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books™️

Alisha Fernandez Miranda, MY WHAT IF YEAR: A Novel

Season 16, Ep. 26

Zibby Books author alert!!! Zibby interviews debut author Alisha Fernandez Miranda about My What If Year, an exuberant and inspiring new memoir about her decision to pause her successful (but incredibly stressful and draining) career to pursue the dream jobs of her youth. Alisha shares the details of her exhilarating internship adventure, from working on Broadway and mastering virtual yoga to handling multi-million dollar artwork and waiting tables at a posh restaurant in Scotland. Tune in to laugh at Alisha’s internship mishaps, feel inspired to step outside of your comfort zone, and discover where you can meet her on tour this week! And, in case you missed it, watch Zibby and Alisha on Good Morning America here.



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


Subscribe to Zibby's weekly newsletter here.

Purchase Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books merch here.

** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!

** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode.


(Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact allie.gallo@acast.com.)

More episodes

View all episodes

  • 25. Joan Lunden Shares What’s Beyond the Script

    43:14||Season 26, Ep. 25
    I interviewed the one and only Joan Lunden live in front of an audience for this very special discussion about her career as a longtime GMA anchor, her women’s health advocacy, the loss of her father at a young age, her marriage and second marriage, and so much more. What a thrill! Check out her latest memoir Joan: Life Beyond the Script. Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!
  • 24. From Infertility to Empty Nesting in Fiction

    28:48||Season 26, Ep. 24
    Trying something new here! I interviewed three women authors on the same day whose novels took me through the full spectrum of motherhood — so I wanted you all to have the same experience. We start with Angela Brown’s Ways to Find Yourself in which Grace Whittaker meets younger versions of herself as she mourns her mother’s loss while attempting to get pregnant. We then move on to British “it girl” Saba Sams’s Gunk which really throws you into the birth and baby experience. And then we fast forward to empty nesting in Lindsey Goldstein’s Gap Year in which a middle-aged mom takes off on an adventure after being left by her husband. Would love your input on this new episode format. I had fun doing it! Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!
  • 23. “Midwinter Break” Director Polly Findlay Discusses Adaptation

    16:03||Season 26, Ep. 23
    Focus Features was kind enough to offer me the chance to host a screening of the new film “Midwinter Break,” which many of you in my community attended! Based on the novel Midwinter Break by Bernard MacLaverty, which was edited by podcast guest and author Jill Bialosky, the film “Midwinter Break” paints an intimate portrait of a marriage in its later years. Director Polly Findlay and I discussed the adaptation, how to depict intimate relationships, and the power of stories in all mediums. Watch the movie trailer here. Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!
  • 22. Poetry That Makes Motherhood Beautiful with Jessica Urlichs

    25:25||Season 26, Ep. 22
    I loved these poems by Jessica Urlichs so much that I ended up reading some to my son. Somehow, they take the unwieldy, much-discussed experience of motherhood and reframe it, distill it, and make it relatable in a new way. Isn’t it wild how effective great poetry can be? We discussed all of it and made each other cry. Check out her collection We Bloom Because of You.Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!
  • 21. An Earlier Hostage Speaks Out

    25:01||Season 26, Ep. 21
    Mimi Nichter was an American teenager returning from a summer in Israel on September 6th, 1970 when the plane she was on was hijacked. She was then taken hostage. Until recently, she’d never shared what happened. With the release of her memoir, Hostage: A Memoir of Terrorism, Trauma, and Resilience, she sets the stage for how what happened to her has echoes in the news literally today. I’m embarrassed to say I’d never heard about this flight hijacking. Now I can’t forget it. Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!
  • 20. Zeeva Bukai Wins a National Jewish Book Award

    18:15||Season 26, Ep. 20
    Congratulations to author Zeeva Bukai for winning a National Jewish Book Award from the Jewish Book Council for her novel The Anatomy of Exile. On our episode, we spoke about her new book, The World Between, which is a slim, powerful narrative about a woman who travels to Tel Aviv to the home where she first started her marriage and revisits later in her life. It’s about mental health, the after-effects of World War II, recovery, mistakes, lost love, shame, survival, and healing. It’s really short and definitely worth reading: immersive, thought-provoking, soulful. I can’t stop thinking about it — and was thrilled to hear she won the award! Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!
  • 19. Elizabeth Day is Super Smart

    26:15||Season 26, Ep. 19
    I’m hooked. Somehow, I’d never read Elizabeth Day’s books until her latest, One of Us, a smart look at relationships, cancel culture, and more. I enjoyed her writing so much that I ordered her backlist. Elizabeth hosts the popular podcast “How to Fail.” In this book, she absolutely hasn’t. We connected as writers named Elizabeth who started podcasts on a whim post-divorce and grew a following. It was a really fun conversation. Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!
  • 18. Norah O’Donnell Writes The Ultimate Guide to American Women in U.S. History

    25:00||Season 26, Ep. 18
    Who knew?!! Well, apparently, senior correspondent for CBS News Norah O’Donnell did. In her book, We the Women: The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America, the stories of many unknown — and some well-known — are brought to the surface. The story of the U.S. is reshaped through what she uncovered. Written with Kate Andersen Brower, who joined us for the episode, Norah and WE THE WOMEN will change the way you think about the past — and the future. P.S. Norah is good friends with my college fave, Sarah (Ogilvie) Saint-Amand. Hi Sarah!Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!
  • 17. Art, Family, Escape and Reinvention in Saoirse with Charleen Hurtubise

    20:36||Season 26, Ep. 17
    Author Charleen Hurtubise paints a picture of a woman reinvented. We meet Saoirse on an airplane, faking her identity with a friend’s passport, on her way to start over entirely overseas. Why? You’ll find out. Art plays a central role in Saoirse’s new life — and in her unraveling. Does her husband know? You’ll find out. (Note: We had some technical issues during this episode, but we’ve edited them so you’ll never know. It is a bit shorter than usual as a result.)Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!