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Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books™️
Rachelle Unreich, A BRILLIANT LIFE: My Mother's Inspiring True Story of Surviving the Holocaust
Zibby speaks to journalist Rachelle Unreich about A BRILLIANT LIFE: My Mother’s Inspiring True Story of Surviving the Holocaust, a delicate and evocative family history built from the interviews she conducted with her 89-year-old mother, Mira, before she died of cancer. Rachelle shares what it was like to uncover both the horrors of the Holocaust and her mother’s incredible resilience and optimism. She highlights her mother’s unwavering faith in humanity and the lessons she imparted about finding hope in dark times. Finally, she reflects on the painstaking process of writing this book during the pandemic lockdown and then touches on the themes of intergenerational strength and mother-daughter bonds.
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29. Jessica Soffer, THIS IS A LOVE STORY: A Novel
22:02||Season 23, Ep. 29Zibby chats with author Jessica Soffer about THIS IS A LOVE STORY, a beautiful, delicately radiant New York love story spanning 50 years that tenderly and suspensefully captures deep truths about life and marriage. Jessica delves into the novel’s layered perspectives, including the love story of Abe and Jane, their son Max’s struggles with intimacy, and the presence of Central Park as a silent witness to countless relationships. She shares the evolution of the book’s structure, the inspiration behind its fragmented, lyrical style, and how teaching writing has shaped her own craft. The conversation also touches on the power of place, the impact of great teachers, and life as a writer in Sag Harbor.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3EheVmmShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!28. Victoria Christopher Murray, HARLEM RHAPSODY
23:03||Season 23, Ep. 28Zibby is joined by New York Times bestselling author Victoria Christopher Murray to discuss HARLEM RHAPSODY, a powerful, stunning novel that resurrects the memory of Jessie Redmond Fauset, the strong-willed literary editor who ignited the Harlem Renaissance. Victoria shares how Fauset discovered and mentored literary greats like Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen yet was largely forgotten by history. She describes Fauset’s career, struggles in publishing, and secret love affair with WEB Du Bois—and the extensive research that helped bring her story to life.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/40G3V9sShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!27. Allegra Goodman, ISOLA: A Novel
20:11||Season 23, Ep. 27Bestselling author Allegra Goodman returns to the podcast to discuss ISOLA, a blazing, immersive castaway survival story through the eyes of Marguerite de la Rocque—based on the real story of a young French noblewoman who sails to the new world in 1544. Allegra shares the fascinating 22-year journey of writing this book—from discovering the story during a sleepless road trip with her four young children to finally finding her protagonist’s voice years later. She and Zibby delve into the challenges of writing historical fiction, the universal nature of survival and isolation, and how motherhood shaped Allegra's creative process.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4aHoYxiShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!26. Jane Costello, IT'S GETTING HOT IN HERE: A Novel
30:04||Season 23, Ep. 26Zibby Books author alert! Bestselling British author Jane Costello joins Zibby to discuss her hilarious, relatable, and delightfully swoon-worthy rom-com meets mom-com, IT’S GETTING HOT IN HERE. Jane talks about her protagonist, Lisa Darling—a single mom navigating perimenopause, teenage drama, and an unexpected office romance. This leads to a discussion about the challenges and joys of midlife and the importance of finding love at any age. Jane also shares her journey from journalist to bestselling author, balancing motherhood with writing, and how her characters have grown alongside her readers.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3PVizEPShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!25. Brooke Bentley & Julia Whelan, SIDELINE CONFIDENTIAL
32:39||Season 23, Ep. 25Zibby welcomes author Brooke Bentley and audiobook narrator Julia Whelan to discuss SIDELINE CONFIDENTIAL, a powerful novel that explores the challenges women face in the male-dominated world of professional sports media, inspired by Brooke’s time as the first woman to travel with the Houston Texans. Julia, who narrates the audiobook, shares how they worked together to bring the story to life through her new company, Audiobrary, which champions fair compensation for narrators. The trio dives into the evolution of women’s roles in the NFL, the book’s unexpected connection to the Taylor Swift effect, and the importance of telling authentic stories that break free from traditional romance tropes.'Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3EgBqYBShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!24. Adeena Sussman, SHABBAT: Recipes and Rituals from My Table to Yours
23:10||Season 23, Ep. 24Beloved cookbook author Adeena Sussman joins Zibby to discuss SHABBAT, a collection of good-for-the-soul recipes that embody the spirit and the pleasures of Shabbat—and an instant New York Times bestseller. Adeena shares how her love for cooking began in her childhood home, her path from journalism to recipe development, and her experiences co-authoring cookbooks—including moving in with Chrissy Teigen to collaborate on her bestselling books. She also reflects on the storytelling power of cookbooks, the meticulous process of recipe testing, and how living in Israel has shaped her approach to food and life.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3WHQR2bShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!23. Brooke Shields, BROOKE SHIELDS IS NOT ALLOWED TO GET OLD: Thoughts on Aging as a Woman
01:00:26||Season 23, Ep. 23In this special episode (a live event for the Streicker Center sponsored by Zibby Media!), award-winning actor, model, and New York Times bestselling author Brooke Shields chats with SiriusXM's Jessica Shaw about her new memoir, BROOKE SHIELDS IS NOT ALLOWED TO GET OLD, an intimate and empowering portrait of a woman embracing the prime of her life by bucking the narrative about women and aging. The two touch on outdated myths, refusing to recede into the shadows, and writing your own midlife story.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4hbsty9Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!22. Jennifer Grey, OUT OF THE CORNER: A Memoir
35:18||Season 23, Ep. 22Special re-release: In support of authors who have lost their homes in the tragic LA fires, we will be resharing their podcast episodes.Zibby is joined by the star of Dirty Dancing and other hit films, Jennifer Grey, to talk about her debut memoir, OUT OF THE CORNER, which she says was one of the best experiences of her life. The two discuss how Jennifer came to terms with her anxiety as well as with her chronic pain, what it was like for her to recall long-buried memories, and how her relationship with her family has evolved throughout her life and career. Jennifer also shares some of the kind things her daughter told her after reading (and annotating) the book.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/42vAzNAShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!21. Gina Yashere, CACK-HANDED: A Memoir
27:41||Season 23, Ep. 21Special re-release: In support of authors who have lost their homes in the tragic LA fires, we will be resharing their podcast episodes.Although Gina Yashere’s path to comedy wasn’t easy, writing her memoir, CACK-HANDED, in her own voice allowed her to work through some things she thought she had left behind. Now a legend in the comedy world, with a CBS sitcom that she created and stars in, Gina is reflecting on how she got to where she is. She shares what growing up as the daughter of two Nigerian immigrants in the U.K. was like in the 1980s, why she turned to comedy as a way to mitigate some of the racialized violence she experienced, and how writing this book helped her understand her mother in a brand-new way.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3E7L8fGShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!