Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books™️

Zibby interviews fertility specialist Dr. Jaime Knopman and co-author Rebecca Raphael about their book, OWN YOUR FERTILITY. They discuss the realities of modern family planning, the rise in infertility, egg freezing, fertility preservation, and the importance of educating women earlier about their reproductive health. Drawing from both medical expertise and personal experience, Jaime and Rebecca share practical advice and empowering information to help women make informed decisions about their futures.Zibby also interviews Lindsay Bartels about IMOGEN IN WAITING: A Memoir of Modern Reproduction, a powerful and deeply personal exploration of genetic inheritance, fertility, and reproductive choice. Lindsay shares her experience navigating breast cancer, carrying the BRCA1 mutation, IVF, and the difficult ethical questions surrounding embryo testing. Together, they discuss motherhood, resilience, medical advances, and the complex decisions that arise when science offers unprecedented control over the future.

Douglas Brunt returns to Totally Booked to discuss THE LOST EMPIRE OF EMANUEL NOBEL, the fascinating true story of the Nobel family’s rise in imperial Russia, their pivotal role in the global oil industry, and the revolutionary forces that reshaped the twentieth century. From the origins of the Nobel Prize to the rise of Stalin and the fall of the Romanovs, Brunt shares how he uncovered this forgotten family saga—and why its lessons about power, energy, and history still resonate today.Bestselling author Ben Mezrich discusses CHECKMATE, his gripping deep dive into the biggest cheating scandal in chess history. From a shocking showdown between world champion Magnus Carlsen and controversial young challenger Hans Niemann to questions about AI, truth, and the future of competition, Mezrich unpacks the real-life drama behind a story that reads like a thriller. He also shares his unique approach to turning headline-making nonfiction into blockbuster books and films.

Loop in your teens! Get some life advice from Meredith Walker who founded Smart Girls with Amy Poehler in Be Yourself and Other Bad Advice and then laugh along with Adam Mansbach whose unorthodox parenting “advice” has gotten me through a lot. Now he’s back with Go the F*** to College.

NYT bestselling author Judy Batalion shares a compelling pre-WWII story of a family in a changing city, in The Last Woman of Warsaw. (The more things change…)

This double episode tackles love in all its forms with Katherine Center’s The Shippers and Lila Raicek’s The Plunge. Hear from NYT bestselling author Katherine Center about her writing process and why she likes to give away the (happy) ending from the start. Cry with playwright Lila Raicek as she shares the friend she lost and the dark times that inspired her debut novel.

Your story makes a difference. How did you get through that last painful chapter? Why are you loving your current chapter? Which chapter are you leaving and which are you entering? Karson Brown shares her story of going from full-time motherhood to depression to writing and now publishing her first memoir, 48 Days to Barbados in "The Chapter I Never Saw Coming." Now you can share yours. Click here to be inspired, connect, commiserate, laugh, feel, and think. All stories welcome. Inspired by Between Chapters: How I Started Over, Took Some Chances, and Found the Plot (9/22/26) by Zibby Owens.

Loved Selfish! Co-founder of Faherty, Kerry Docherty, was a college athlete and superstar with a natural healer’s energy before helping her husband and his twin brother launch the clothing company. In the midst of start-up life, Kerry started losing herself and became entangled in an emotional affair with a famous musician. Her story explores what it means for a woman to put her needs first and how business and family mix.Arkansas-based humorist Jess H. Gutierrez turns on the funny in her second collection of essays, Adulting for Amateurs. If you’ve ever made a mix tape, this book is for you. Nothing is off the table from her dog-sitting gone wrong to being married to a woman firefighter. I laughed out loud many times.

Caitlin Shetterly wrote about a mom with breast cancer in The Gulf of Lions, a follow-up to Pete and Alice in Maine. Then, in a strange plot twist, she got breast cancer herself. It’s hard to believe Caitlin’s diagnosis came after the fact because the emotions are so visceral and descriptive in the story. It’s like it had already happened. The plot centers on a mom taking her two teen/tween daughters to France for the summer after her husband cheated on her — and the unexpected twists and turns of the trip. Themes include family, secrets, trust, lust, and the joy of travel.Lauren and I spoke about her novel, Very Slowly All at Once, about a couple who starts getting mysterious checks in the mail. The husband is an out-of-work professor who finds out something odd when visiting his mother in her post-stroke home. The wife is desperate to find excitement. What happens next? Read and find out.

Yes, this is about a group of moms and daughters, a story told in many alternating viewpoints during a fun getaway in Europe and beyond. But at its core, it’s about the ripple effects of an accident: misunderstandings, long-held resentments, and the impact of the unexpected on even the closest friends and loved ones. James and Sue Patterson spoke to me about their collaborations and more. Can you guess who James Patterson is writing a book with next?! Listen and find out. Clue: his last name rhymes with feast.