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Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books™️
Gretchen Rubin, THE FOUR TENDENCIES: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People's Lives Better, Too)
Zibby speaks to New York Times bestselling author and one of today’s most influential observers of happiness and human nature, Gretchen Rubin, about her latest groundbreaking book, The Four Tendencies, which analyzes four personality types based on how we respond to expectations: upholders, questioners, obligers, and rebels. Gretchen and Zibby examine the four tendencies as they relate to parenting and relationships, and Gretchen offers the best advice on managing all types (mainly the rebels!). Take the quiz now at gretchenrubin.com/fourtendencies to find out which one you are!
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51. Michelle Jungmin Bang, SUN & SSUKGAT, The Korean Art of Self-Care, Wellness & Longevity
26:48||Season 23, Ep. 51Award-winning Korean American eco-entrepreneur and author Michelle Jungmin Bang joins Zibby to discuss her charming, life-changing new guide, SUN & SSUKGAT: The Korean Art of Self-Care, Wellness & Longevity—which also includes Michelle’s gorgeous, hand-drawn illustrations. Michelle describes the severe burnout she experienced while launching a startup that led her to explore traditional East Asian health practices. She reflects on the urgency of preserving cultural health traditions—touching on gut health, the wisdom of ancestral diets, and the simple lifestyle changes (like mindful eating and walking) that can dramatically improve well-being.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/43wLmHRShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!50. Ione Skye, SAY EVERYTHING: A Memoir
33:42||Season 23, Ep. 50Gen X icon Ione Skye joins Zibby to discuss SAY EVERYTHING, her achingly vulnerable memoir about chasing fame, desire, and true love in the shadow of her famous, absent father. Ione opens up about coming of age in the 80s and 90s, her high-profile romances with the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Anthony Kiedis and Beastie Boy Adam Horovitz, her struggles with identity and fidelity, and how she ultimately found love and stability. She and Zibby also talk about fame, parenting, aging, and personal growth, with Ione sharing candid reflections on the moments that shaped her.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/43rfh48Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!49. Ada Calhoun, CRUSH: A Novel
20:50||Season 23, Ep. 49New York Times bestselling author Ada Calhoun joins Zibby to discuss CRUSH, a visceral, intelligent, revolutionary romance about the dissolution of a marriage and a new midlife romance—inspired by the author’s personal experiences. Ada talks about her novel’s exploration of love, desire, and (open) marriage. She and Zibby delve into the unruliness of love, how people try (and often fail) to control it, and the myths surrounding relationships—especially the idea that they can be managed with rules and structures. Ultimately, Ada reflects on the freedom of writing fiction after years of nonfiction.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3Xyna4iShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!48. Angelica Baker, WHEN WE GROW UP: A Novel
21:34||Season 23, Ep. 48Zibby interviews author Angelica Baker about WHEN WE GROW UP, an electrifying novel about six longtime friends whose tropical vacation is interrupted by an unexpected crisis, forcing them to ask how strong their bonds really are. Angelica describes the false missile alert she experienced in Hawaii, a harrowing moment that sparked this book’s premise and shaped its themes of fear, self-discovery, and the messy dynamics of adult friendships. Angelica also reflects on how writing this book made her think profoundly about loyalty, regret, the passage of time, the weight of our decisions, and what it truly means to “grow up.”Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3QJdP5AShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!47. Clare Leslie Hall, BROKEN COUNTRY
27:48||Season 23, Ep. 47Reese’s Book Club Pick! Zibby chats with Clare Leslie Hall about BROKEN COUNTRY, a completely immersive and unforgettable love story that is simmering with passion, impossible choices, and explosive consequences. Clare shares the inspiration behind her book, which blends a love triangle, a murder trial, and a deep sense of place in the English countryside. They discuss Clare’s journey from journalist to novelist, the challenges of weaving suspense into love stories, the novel's themes of grief and loss, and how she immersed herself in farm life to bring authenticity to her setting.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3XufFvbShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!46. Nanda Reddy, A GIRL WITHIN A GIRL WITHIN A GIRL: A Novel
23:07||Season 23, Ep. 46Zibby Publishing author alert! Zibby chats with debut author Nanda Reddy about A GIRL WITHIN A GIRL WITHIN A GIRL, a riveting and redemptive story of a young Guyanese trafficking victim and her journey to build and protect her life in the United States. Nanda shares how her personal experiences as an immigrant shaped this narrative, and then talks about her protagonist, who has hidden her past from her family for decades—until her sister’s reappearance forces her to confront the truth. She also talks about the novel’s portrayal of a deaf sibling and then delves into its themes of immigration, code-switching, identity, trauma, and resilience.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4blR80ZShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!45. Matt Gutman on the LA fires, his news coverage, and his book
26:49||Season 23, Ep. 45Zibby welcomes back award-winning reporter and author Matt Gutman to discuss his firsthand experience covering the devastating California wildfires. Matt, who previously opened up about his struggles with anxiety in NO TIME TO PANIC, shares how high-stakes reporting in crisis zones—from Gaza to LA—puts him in a rare state of clarity. He explains why, in moments of real danger, his anxiety dissipates, replaced by hyperfocus and adrenaline. Matt recounts the harrowing days spent on the ground as entire communities burned, including his own family's home, and the lasting imprint these traumatic events leave behind.Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!44. Tova Mirvis, WE WOULD NEVER: A Novel
27:19||Season 23, Ep. 44Bestselling author Tova Mirvis joins Zibby to discuss WE WOULD NEVER, a thrillingly plotted, provocative, fever dream of a novel about a close-knit Florida family whose all-consuming love for each other turns sinister. Tova shares how her own divorce and Orthodox Jewish upbringing influenced this story—though she emphasizes that the plot is fictional! She also delves into complex family dynamics (from overbearing mothers to custody disputes to fears of empty-nesting) and the lengths parents will go to protect their children.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4bn20MgShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!43. Maggie Smith, DEAR WRITER: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life
30:40||Season 23, Ep. 43New York Times bestselling author and poet Maggie Smith returns to the podcast to discuss DEAR WRITER: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life. Maggie shares the long journey of writing this book (she drew from twenty years of teaching experience and her popular Substack newsletter!), her love of craft books, and her desire to demystify the creative process for writers and readers alike. She also talks about how delicate ideas are, the importance of staying open and receptive to creativity, the power of silencing your inner critic, and, ultimately, how we are all, at our core, poets.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/41zuleZShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!