Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books™️

Emmy and Peabody Award–winning sports journalist Sarah Spain and celebrated football figure Deland McCullough join Zibby to discuss their remarkable new memoir, RUNS IN THE FAMILY: An Incredible True Story of Football, Fatherhood, and Belonging. Deland, now a Super Bowl–winning coach, opens up about his journey from a difficult childhood in Youngstown, Ohio, through college football, fatherhood, and ultimately, the life-changing discovery he unearthed when unsealing his adoption records. Sarah, his co-author, shares how she brought nuance, research, empathy, and emotional insight to Deland’s story. Together, they discuss adoption, identity, chosen family, and the book’s broader message: that our past doesn’t define us, and healing and growth are always possible.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4mxwPSIShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!

Zibby chats with bestselling author and speaker Amber Rae about her deeply intimate, raw, and courageous memoir, LOVEABLE: One Woman’s Path from Good to Free. Amber shares the emotional journey behind her decision to leave a “good on paper” marriage in pursuit of true connection and joy. (While building a home with her husband in Mexico, she met the man she knew she was meant to spend the rest of her life with.) She and Zibby unpack generational patterns, the difference between selfishness and self-honoring, navigating sexual insecurity, and how synchronicity and spirituality guided her toward a new life.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/451lgx5Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!

Totally Booked: LIVE! In this special episode of the podcast (in-person at the Whitby Hotel with a live audience!), Zibby interviews bestselling author Emma Rosenblum about her delicious, addictive, and slyly observed new novel, MEAN MOMS. Known for her sharp wit and insider takes on elite social circles, Emma dives into the world of competitive moms at a NYC private school, where one mysterious new arrival shakes everything up. She and Zibby talk about writing satire with heart, the insanity of mom groups, and why sometimes entertainment is the message. Plus, Emma shares the scoop on her next novel—based on an idea Zibby gave her!Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3HePSlBShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!

Zibby interviews anthology co-editors Lee Kofman and Tamar Paluch about RUPTURED, a powerful collection from thirty-six Australian Jewish women responding to the October 7 attacks and the surge of antisemitism that followed. Tamar shares the grassroots origins of the project, born from women-led activism, while Lee discusses her personal experience with doxing and the painful silencing of Jewish voices in creative and academic circles. Together, they reflect on intergenerational trauma, fear, resilience, and the urgent need to document Jewish experiences in their rawest, most authentic form.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3HcgxQ0Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!

Zibby welcomes debut author Kate Hash to discuss GRACIE HARRIS IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, a resplendent, moving love story that unfolds for tenderhearted Gracie—a mom of two and recent widow—as she navigates grief, reinvention, and second chances. The two dive into Kate’s unexpected journey to becoming a published author, the personal experiences that informed her portrayal of loss, and the book’s layered exploration of motherhood, fame, and healing. They also chat about the novel’s charming small-town setting, the meta experience of writing about writing, and the freedom found in starting over.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4fb5NOqShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!

Mary Catherine Starr, the artist behind the @momlife_comics Instagram account, chats with Zibby about her utterly hilarious and relatable illustrated memoir about modern motherhood, MAMA NEEDS A MINUTE! Mary opens up about the emotional toll of early parenthood, the sleep deprivation that rocked her first year as a mom, and the mental load that continues to weigh on mothers today. She also shares how her comics—born out of personal overwhelm—have struck a chord with women around the world, and how motherhood reshaped her marriage and creative life.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4ocFJXmShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!

Zibby welcomes acclaimed poet and debut novelist Yrsa Daley-Ward to discuss THE CATCH, a darkly whimsical, riveting tale of women daring to live and create with impunity—and the inaugural novel in the Well-Read Black Girl Books series. Yrsa delves into the story, which follows two estranged sisters whose lives are upended when one believes she sees their mother, who was long presumed dead. Yrsa touches on the book’s poetic structure and themes of identity, loss, imagination, and sisterhood, and then shares how the grief of losing her own mother in early adulthood inspired the novel’s emotional core. Finally, she offers powerful advice for aspiring writers.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4lHZrZkShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!

Bestselling author Katie Sise returns to the podcast to discuss YOU MUST BE NEW HERE, a dark and twisty suspense novel about a friendship that is put to the test when a young woman disappears from a quiet community. Katie dives into her novel’s themes of intoxicating, magnetic friendships; motherhood; divorce; and the emotional weight of raising a medically fragile child. She also shares how her own family’s experiences with loss and illness shaped the story, as well as her improvisational writing style, love of teen characters, and commitment to telling emotionally resonant, twisty stories.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/40FTx2xShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!

Totally Booked: LIVE! In this special episode of the podcast (in-person at the Whitby Hotel with a live audience!), Zibby interviews debut author Kate Broad about her stunning, fast-paced, atmospheric novel, GREENWICH. The story centers on Rachel, a 17-year-old navigating a pivotal summer in the opulent world of Greenwich, Connecticut, where a terrible accident forces her to make a life-altering decision. Kate discusses the book’s themes of girlhood, class, moral ambiguity, and family loyalty, as well as the emotional isolation that spans generations. She also opens up about her long road to publication, sharing advice for aspiring writers and the persistence it takes to bring a novel to life. Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4f2rJuWShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!