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Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books™️
Rachel Kapelke-Dale, THE INGENUE: A Novel
Zibby speaks to Paris-based author Rachel Kapelke-Dale about The Ingenue, an exhilarating new suspense novel about a former piano prodigy who returns to her hometown for her mother’s funeral and discovers her massive family estate will be given to someone else. Rachel talks about her journey to becoming a writer, from Brown University to a Ph.D. in London to life in Paris, and the themes she enjoyed exploring in her book–mother-daughter relationships, real estate, and the darkness in her protagonist. She also discusses her earlier book, The Ballerinas (inspired by Judy Blume and her own career in ballet), and the book she is working on now (hint: it's a Yale equestrian mystery).
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91. Esther Chehebar, SISTERS OF FORTUNE: A Novel
28:09||Season 24, Ep. 91Zibby interviews debut novelist Esther Chehebar about SISTERS OF FORTUNE, a warm, perceptive, witty, and utterly enjoyable novel about three Syrian Jewish sisters navigating family, tradition, body image, and love in Brooklyn. Esther shares the inspiration behind the story, the unique dynamics of the Syrian Jewish community, and her own path from blogging and essays to fiction. She also opens up about the challenges of sisterhood, the humor and contradictions around food and body image, and the joy she hopes readers take away from the book.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3JFs4bnShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!90. Rebecca Gardner, A SCREAMING BLAST: Exceptional Entertaining
24:09||Season 24, Ep. 90Zibby chats with Rebecca Gardner, founder and creative director of the online shop Houses & Parties, about her dazzling new book, A SCREAMING BLAST: Exceptional Entertaining, a vibrant journey through twenty of her most fabulous parties. Rebecca shares stories from her South Texas upbringing and her path into event and interior design. She also talks about working with inspiring figures like Sofia Coppola, the influence of her grandmother’s hospitality, and her philosophy that “celebrating is really, really important in life.”Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/46bcxc4Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!89. David Duchovny, ABOUT TIME: Poems
26:41||Season 24, Ep. 89Acclaimed author, actor, and singer-songwriter David Duchovny returns to the podcast to discuss ABOUT TIME, a deeply personal, existential, and insightful debut poetry collection. They dive into the paradox of poetry as both “useless” and deeply essential, exploring its power to connect, surprise, and give voice to grief, memory, and love. David shares moving poems about his late father and beloved dog, reflecting on loss, the beauty of language, and why poetry still matters in a world obsessed with utility.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/45u0ir2Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!88. Raegan Revord, RULES FOR FAKE GIRLFRIENDS
30:10||Season 24, Ep. 88Raegan Revord, debut author and star of the CBS hit series Young Sheldon, chats with Zibby about her charming YA rom-com, RULES FOR FAKE GIRLFRIENDS. They discuss how the novel blends grief, love, friendship, and self-discovery through Avery’s journey to England on a scavenger hunt left by her late mother. Raegan shares how her acting background informs her ability to capture emotion on the page and how she built a thriving book club community with Read with Raegan. She also opens up about growing up on Young Sheldon, the importance of found family both on screen and in her writing, and why storytelling has always been at the core of who she is.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/45Msog7Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!87. Rebecca Wolf, ALIVE AND BEATING
25:38||Season 24, Ep. 87Zibby welcomes author Rebecca Wolf to discuss her debut novel, ALIVE AND BEATING. Inspired by the true story of Rebecca’s close friend, who was killed in a 1995 suicide bombing in Israel, the novel imagines the lives of the six people who will receive organ transplants from the victim. Rebecca shares how she wove together multiple perspectives to honor her friend’s legacy, the diversity of Jerusalem, and our shared humanity. She also reflects on the challenges of writing such a personal story, the research that went into capturing medical and cultural details, and how the book became both a tribute and a cathartic process. Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4fTn137Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!86. Rachel Cockerell, MELTING POINT: Family, Memory, and the Search for a Promised Land
22:29||Season 24, Ep. 86Zibby chats with author Rachel Cockerell about her dazzling, eclectic, genre-bending new book, MELTING POINT: Family, Memory, and the Search for a Promised Land. Blending family memoir with forgotten chapters of Jewish history, Rachel uncovers the extraordinary life of her great-grandfather, the early debates within Zionism, and the little-known Galveston Plan to resettle Jewish immigrants in Texas. She explains her innovative method of weaving together primary sources to create a vivid, novel-like narrative, and reflects on themes of assimilation, identity, and historical memory.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4lAp4ubShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!85. Marian Thurm, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO TELL YOU THIS
23:19||Season 24, Ep. 85Novelist and short story writer Marian Thurm joins Zibby to discuss I DON’T KNOW HOW TO TELL YOU THIS, a touching and quirkily humorous book about a family court judge navigating complex cases in the courtroom and the heartbreaking decline of her brilliant husband. Marian shares the deeply personal inspiration for the book, including her parents’ struggles with dementia, and opens up about the two decades it took to bring this novel to life. She also reflects on her early career, her first publication in The New Yorker, and the surprising role persistence, luck, and motherhood have played in shaping her journey.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/45AXw1KShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!84. Dr. Vonda Wright, UNBREAKABLE: A Woman's Guide to Aging with Power
23:55||Season 24, Ep. 84Zibby chats with renowned orthopedic surgeon and longevity specialist, Dr. Vonda Wright, about her groundbreaking new book, UNBREAKABLE: A Woman’s Guide to Aging with Power. Dr. Wright shares her journey from working in sports medicine to becoming a leading advocate for women’s health, challenging the myth that aging means inevitable decline. She explains why women’s bodies age differently, how simple daily habits like walking and lifting can transform long-term health, and why mindset and self-worth are key to lasting change. Together, they discuss the empowering message behind Unbreakable: that women can remain strong, joyful, and resilient at every age.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4fGXo5uShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!83. Ilana Kurshan, CHILDREN OF THE BOOK: A Memoir of Reading Together
28:58||Season 24, Ep. 83Zibby interviews award-winning author Ilana Kurshan about her luminous, heartfelt new book, CHILDREN OF THE BOOK: A Memoir of Reading Together. Ilana shares how reading aloud to her five children—from GOODNIGHT MOON to CHARLOTTE’S WEB—became deeply intertwined with her lifelong practice of reading from the Torah. She reflects on how books create a common family language, forge intimacy, and shift in meaning as we revisit them through different stages of life. She also opens up about raising her children in Jerusalem, the role of literature in calming fears, and how parenthood itself can feel like a sacred journey mirrored in biblical stories.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4oS9KfxShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!