Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books™️

Harlan Coben sits down with Zibby Owens to discuss his new book Plot Twist, a memoir that blends personal narrative and writing advice, acknowledging that both are inevitably connected.Harlan talks about the importance of critical thinking in fiction, incremental ambition, accepting adaptations as a different perspective, and how insecurity makes good writers. He also shares personal experiences, from loving and losing his parents, his time at Amherst College, navigating the blurry line between memoir and fiction, and the magic behind creating from a blank page.Learn more about Harlan here https://www.harlancoben.com and follow Harlan on Instagram @harlancoben

Instant New York Times bestseller! Dara Horn joins Zibby Owens to discuss her new book The Final Solution to the Jewish Question, an exploration into the lies of antisemitism throughout history and her vision for the future.  Dara discusses how Holocaust education fails to do its job, her surprise at finding so much more ignorance than malice, how the hate movement has taken over AI, and the big lie of antisemitism. She also shares her own personal experiences, from serving on Harvard’s Antisemitism Advisory Group to wrestling with how to help herself, and the struggles her son has already faced. But Dara also leaves us with an important, hopeful reminder: “the opposite of hate isn’t love, it’s curiosity”.Learn more about Dara at https://www.darahorn.com.

USA Today bestseller Sona Movsesian sits down with Zibby Owens to discuss her new book The World’s Worst Mom, a funny and relatable look into motherhood.Sona discusses her experience with IVF and the conversations that it demands, her obsession with mortality after having kids, the trauma of losing her home in the 2025 Southern California wildfires, and betraying her preconceptions about motherhood. She also shares the need for laughter, her experience working with Conan O’Brien for over seventeen years, and how she hopes her sons will see her in twenty years. Follow Sona on Instagram @sonamov. 

Elizabeth Castellano joins Zibby Owens to talk about her new novel Proof of Progress, the humorous story of B-list actress and comedian Maria Astorini whose second book is thirty-seven years overdue. Elizabeth shares how this book was inspired by her own difficulties while writing her second novel under contract, the impact of pressure on her writing, and the pieces of real life that made it into the story. She also discusses unconventional friendship, debunking the myth that book deals are impossible, and imparting little truths through humor. Learn more about Elizabeth here https://www.elizabethcastellano.com.

Live from the Children’s Museum of the East End, Amy Chozick sits down with Zibby Owens to talk about her new psychological thriller With Friends Like You. In the novel Emily, a struggling new mom in Manhattan, embarks on the search for her long-lost friend Daisy who disappeared years ago after becoming a stripper. But when Emily finally finds her, the question becomes: Is Daisy saving her life or destroying everything?Amy discusses how her own experiences have influenced her characters, the resentment in postpartum that has nowhere to go, female friendship, and the unique challenges of raising kids in New York City. She also recounts her career as a journalist, the piece she wrote on Stormy Daniels three weeks postpartum, the fascinating collision of new motherhood and sex work, and her current work as a TV writer. Follow Amy on Instagram @amychozick. 

Lea Vale joins Zibby Owens to discuss her new novel Blue Sky Black, the second-chance romance told across two timelines that she wrote as a love letter to the friend she lost on 9/11.Lea shares her own experience in New York City that day 25 years ago, the trauma of having to cope with a loved one simply disappearing, and the importance of talking about tragedy. She also recounts how the romance genre finally allowed her to write this story, infusing hope and light into such a difficult subject. Learn more about Lea Vale at https://leavale.com and follow her on Instagram @leavaleauthor

Zibby was one of the countless people who lost a loved one on 9/11. Stacey Sanders, Zibby’s college roommate, worked in the North Tower of the World Trade Center. To process the loss, Zibby wrote an essay for her business school newspaper, The Harbus, two weeks after it happened. She reads it here to pay tribute to the 25th anniversary of the attacks. 

Kara Kavensky sits down with Zibby Owens to talk about her memoir Tell Me About Joy, inspired by WWII veteran Bob who shared with her his greatest regret: “I missed out on marrying the love of my life. Her name is Joy.”Interwoven with her own personal story, Kara writes about her journey to find Bob’s long-lost love and how it changed her life. She touches on her own healing after being married to a narcissist, the human face of war, sharing stories of resilience, the heaviness of losing a child, and ultimately, finding joy again.  Learn more about Kara here https://www.karakavensky.com/home and follow her on Instagram @karakavensky

Jonathan Santlofer joins Zibby Owens for a deep dive into his new novel Ten Perfect Guests, an immersive, fun, “whodunit” thriller following the aftermath of a beloved art figure’s death and the people summoned to a remote island under threat of losing their inheritance. Jonathan discusses the challenges of juggling ten different points of views, the joy of playing with familiar tropes like greed, lust, and betrayal, and the beauty of finding empathy for his most villainous characters. He also recounts the discovery of his mild dyslexia in art school, how losing ten years of his artwork to a building fire eventually led him to writing, and the grief of unexpectedly losing his wife. Learn more about Jonathan at https://jonathansantlofer.com and follow him on Instagram at @jonathansantlofer