Father’s Day is just a few days away (June 21st!). Dads can be tricky to shop for. Luckily, we know that books make the best gifts. (Agree?) The booksellers at Zibby’s Bookshop compiled their recommendations. Hope they help.

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Books for the Dad Who…

Loves Sports

• Open by Andre Aggasi

• Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey

• A Life Well Played by Arnold Palmer

• The Running Ground by Nicholas Thompson

• Checkmate by Ben Mezrich

Wants a Classic Mystery

• The Widow by John Grisham

• Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown

• L.A. Confidential by James Ellroy

• Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly

Looks for Laughs

• I See You’ve Called In Dead by John Kenney

• Wild Houses by Colin Barrett

• Love Poems (For Married People) by John Kenney

Does a Great Storytime:

• Grumpy Monkey Fathers Day Fuss by Suzanne Lang

• Dad by Christian Robinson

• Love, Dad by Dr. Joel Warsh & Andrew Gardner

Inhales History Books:

• London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe

• Chronicles Volume 1 by Bob Dylan

• The Golden Road by William Dalrymple

• SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard

• The Lost Empire of Emanuel Nobel by Douglas Brunt

Any other non-book gift ideas? We’re all ears.

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On June 2nd, we released the paperback version of John Kenney’s bestselling, wry, delightful novel, I See You’ve Called in Dead. The book, about Bud Stanley, an obituary writer who is afraid to live, came out in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook on April 1, 2025. Like many hardcover titles that pick up steam, we decide to release a paperback edition a year later, but we had to devise a marketing strategy for the release.

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“A Reading Rager”

First, we decided to host another event. Events are at the heart of everything we do. When the book originally launched, we threw a party (designed to look like a memorial service) at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel. Dark idea, but funny, like the book. (Alix Strauss originated this concept with her book The Joy of Funerals.)

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This time, our Executive Editor, Kathleen Harris, hosted a party at her home.

“One of the best parts of my job is getting to feel readers' excitement and connection to a book,” Kathleen explained. “To see John swarmed by this incredible community of readers, all who were bursting with questions for him, wanting to know more about Bud, about the editing process, about what he thinks makes a good obituary, is an unforgettable experience.”

She continued, “This is why we do what we do: so people can clutch a book close to their hearts, raise a glass, and feel pure joy about meeting the author behind the words. It was the ultimate reading rager.”

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We also decided to take an ad in The New Yorker where John is a regular contributor. It was down to the wire getting the design in by the deadline (technically a bit over the wire), but we were thrilled with the placement. In publishing, it’s hard to know what works and why. Some things are great for awareness like GoodReads giveaways, others for conversion and clicks like Meta ads, still others for buzz. We typically do a little of everything.

Now John is heading out on a very exciting book tour to Northern and Southern California, Oregon, Delaware, and Massachusetts, along with a few virtual events. He’ll be in conversation with literary powerhouses including Jane Hamilton, Shalom Auslander, Karen Joy Fowler, and others.

We can’t wait to host him this Sunday, June 14th at 5 pm at Zibby’s Bookshop in Santa Monica. (We’ll be sending out a Substack Live link.)

We’re pleased to report that the paperback debuted on the USA Today bestseller list. But we’ll still be doing everything we can to spread the word. The best way for a book to break out? Ann Patchett said it best this week: the #1 way to have a book break out is for one person to recommend it to a friend after reading it.

Thoughts? What has worked for you? What makes you buy a paperback?

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These quotes excerpted from Totally Booked with Zibby interviews are part of the Between Chapters project, inspired by the book. What chapters are you between? How did you get from one chapter to another? Share your story here.

Jo Piazza, The Parisian Heist

What Chapters Are You Between?

I'm out of the baby phase, which I think is really, really interesting because I have been kind of in breeding mode for about ten years. I have a nine-year-old, a six-year-old and a three-year-old, who is now finally much more of a self-sufficient human.

I have never felt so much freedom over my body. They're still touching me all the time, literally trying to, like, climb back inside of me. But at the same time, that baby phase is over and I'm not going back to that.

I feel free — and I feel like I've let go of a lot. And that's amazing because I feel more creative than ever. I talk to so many young women who are really nervous about having kids because they're like, what if I can't still be an artist? What if I can't still be a creative person in the world? I've gotten so much more creative and prolific after becoming a mother because seeing the world through my kids’ eyes just sparks so much in my brain.

To that end, I have new news, which is like breaking news I haven't talked about yet: I am writing a middle grade series.

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Sara Goodman Confino, Off the Record

What Chapters Are You Between?

I left my teaching career. We’re hoping that's a permanent change at this point. It always depends on book sales. And I'm definitely in the mom phase right now. My boys are six and nine years old.

Women are constantly reinventing ourselves. We go from being our own people to suddenly we have jobs and we're that person, and then we get married and we're the wifey person, and then we have kids and we're mom or bruh, as my six-year-old calls me these days. And you kind of get lost in there sometimes.

I'm just starting to be like, wait, am I still in here? What do I still like to do? Can I have hobbies? Can I go do things? Is this still me inside this mom shell?

I'm also working and writing full time, and I'm going to have two books out next year, so I am working a lot. It is hard to kind of find time to figure out what that next chapter is going to be. And do I exist outside of my children and writing?

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Soon Wiley, Cece Downing’s Start Over Summer

What Chapters Are You Between?

I am transitioning creatively; this book is very different from my first book which was more of a mystery and a self-discovery book about identity. This is a feel-good romantic beach read. Creatively, I'm wondering what my third book will be about. I have some ideas. But when I was working on my second book, I had a couple of different directions that I could go in. And this is the direction that was the most fun for me. It was the one I wanted to keep working on past 80 pages or wherever it is where you usually hit that wall.

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Also, I was writing and finishing this book during the birth of my daughter. So that was also a big change. I'm trying to figure out how to find time to write while I'm giving her as much attention as I can.

What chapter are you in? Share your story here.

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This essay is part of the Between Chapters project, inspired by the book. What chapters are you between? How did you get from one chapter to another? Share your story here.

I am going to be a blushing bride at age fifty-seven. On August 8th, my adult daughters will stand at the altar beside me. I am going to wear a long, lacy ivory dress, because why not? After leaving my husband of twenty-four years and burning my life to the ground to make space for something better, I have something better.

This fresh new love is a miracle.

Three years ago, I left my home of twenty-two years in a California college town and moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico to start a new job, cultivate my writing life (I am just about done revising my first novel), and see if there could be one more great love in my life story.

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I put “Happy to be Here” on my Hinge profile. I wanted someone joyful and upbeat, like how I am wired. I did not want a cynic or a jaded grump; I never want a man to bring me down again.

It worked. James, a kind, cheerful, generous, reliable, brilliant, handy, handsy man matched with me. He sent me a poem about his morning, describing dawn birds singing while he soaked in his hot tub. I sent a poem back about the moon shining through my window onto an unsettled, displaced me.

We met for dinner. He was an adorable carrot-top ginger with a sporty frame and a great voice. Friendship and then love bloomed. I checked off many green flags: he was close with his mother and family, maintained a circle of close friends in the community, kept a beautiful home. Financially stable. We shared interests, eating habits, lifestyle choices.

I panicked.

Why is this guy so nice, thoughtful, and attentive? There must be something wrong with him! Plus, I could tell he was completely and wholeheartedly falling in love with me. Weird! That’s not normal.

So I broke up with him. I told him I was sorry, but he was not my type. Maybe I would introduce him to one of my friends. Not enough drama, inner demons, cruelty, I didn’t say.

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In the weeks that followed, I plowed the dirt of my first, troubled marriage and assessed my wounds. I thought about the first four months with James. I needed to be sure I truly loved him, and not all the awesome, kind things he did for me, helped me with, and gifted me. Because that is how he is wired.

Can love be easy, peaceful, supportive? Why would I say ‘no' to that?

Because of old patterns I am ready to be done with.

After six weeks. I decided he was my type, after all. I asked for another chance. In the two years that have followed, we’ve built a beautiful relationship while navigating all the good and bad life tosses at us. Everything is easier, softer, calmer, and more fun with this man by my side. Our chemistry is fire.

We both understand how lucky we are. At this age!

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Every night before bed, I open a little tub of lip balm, dip my finger in it, and rub it on my lips. One night last November, I opened my lip balm and found a diamond ring in it with five diamonds, one for each of us and our three adult daughters. I gasped in absolute shock and put the ring on my finger. It fit perfectly.

“I want to be like that lip balm for you,” James said. “I want to give you comfort and bliss and be right there with you every night. No matter what else happens during the day.”

He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.

As older beloveds, we don’t know how long we have left, so we make every day — and every soft, snuggly night — count.

So yes, I will be wearing a lacy, long dress, and a veil. The works. It is my moment to celebrate moving through the hardships of past difficulties, becoming wiser, and choosing the miracle of this later-in-life love.

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This essay is part of the Between Chapters project, inspired by the book. What chapters are you between? How did you get from one chapter to another? Share your story here.

I’ve charted a path I never could have imagined. It’s non-linear and often disconnected. How did this happen? By continually stepping up to the plate to become the woman I want to be.

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I’ve had different goals at different times: building a world class ballpark and baseball organization, learning and evolving, empowering women, acclimating to life after being a high-powered sports executive, starting my own business, leading a women’s fashion company, and being a good wife and mother. There are, however, several common threads that connect my journey: following my passion, making difficult choices, and taking risks.

For me, big change happened at age forty-five. After a fifteen-year career with the Milwaukee Brewers that began as General Counsel, then President & CEO and finally Chairman of the Board, we moved to Arizona (not a change this Midwest-East Coast girl would have embarked on if her husband’s career had not brought us there). Not only was I in a city where I had no roots, I was starting my own business with a women’s fashion company (Worth New York), which couldn’t have been more different from my baseball career and my legal background.

While I wouldn’t trade a day of my life with the Brewers, I found myself at a place where my priority was to be more family-focused. I chose this business because it afforded me the flexibility to be the wife, mother, daughter, and friend I wanted to be while also having the opportunity to succeed in business.

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I was more than a little anxious as I stepped into this next chapter. The typical woman of Worth was well connected and a woman of influence in her community. Not only was I not this, I was doing something I had no training for, in a place where I knew no one.

I questioned whether I was making the right pivot. You know doubt—that really nasty voice inside your head questioning you and warning you of all the things that might go wrong. I call that voice “my nasty roommate.” She can be nastier than the meanest of Twitter wars. My doubts were exasperated by friends and colleagues who didn’t understand why I would transition away from something I truly loved to something that lacked the glamour and prestige of my baseball life.

The rewards of putting myself through times of self-doubt were huge. Clients became friends, I built my business into one of the largest in the country, and my family life flourished. Ultimately, I was recruited to become president of the company. The happiest part of this story is the knowledge and confidence I gained with the reinvention of myself in pursuit of my definition of personal success. It made my next pivot a little less daunting as I reminded myself that doubt kills more dreams than failure does.

After eleven great years in Arizona, we became empty nesters and moved to New York. I took a “gap year” to give myself time and space to figure out what I wanted my next chapter to be. I’m a big believer in taking small steps to test new ideas and opportunities. My experience transitioning from a Baseball executive and Midwest-East Coast girl gave me the confidence to believe the reward of stepping away from a career and place I loved were risks worth taking.

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There were more than a few uncomfortable moments. One of the questions I grew to hate was when someone asked what I did. For the first time in my life, I didn’t have a title. While I was serving as a strategic advisor, mentoring and writing, I needed an answer to this question so I gave myself a title: “Serial Reinventor.”

Part of my DNA is finding the opportunity in challenges and thriving when I’m learning and growing. I’m always interested in learning other people’s stories. So I ended up starting a passion project a few years ago with the intent to create a keepsake for my family which entailed answering about 100 questions. This Playbook captures the author’s beliefs, passions, experiences, successes, challenges, and more. No one’s life is a highlight reel. A life is made up of many experiences, thoughts and details. As is often the case, one thing leads to another.

After completing the Playbook, I formed My Playbook Collectives where a small group completes the Playbook together. We meet and share our answers with each other. The result is not only a cherished keepsake, but lifelong friendships for the participants.

In an age where we’re all striving for more authentic and deeper interactions, there is no better way to achieve this than to share your stories and experiences. Maria Shriver, who I greatly admire, recently wrote about how she was feeling lonely and that her world was shrinking. I was stunned to learn that Maria, who is still doing great things, was lonely. You never know what someone else is feeling. It’s easy to see the glamour and success in others’ lives but not always the pain and challenges. I’ve learned that no matter who you are and what you have or don’t have, what brings you happiness and meets your definition of success will change as you age, and more importantly, as your opportunities and priorities change.

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Most of us would rather embrace the status quo. But change happens. Sometimes we like it; often we don’t. Sometimes we get to initiate it; often we don’t. Either way, it’s hard because growth and comfort do not coexist. And I love that Between Chapters is supporting and inspiring others to do so.

Today, I’m a mom, wife, businesswoman, board member, advocate for women and families, mentor, friend, and baseball fan (order depends on the day!).

I don’t know how “my story” will end, but I do know I’ll never stop evolving and learning.

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Hi readers,

Welcome to the new and improved bookshop newsletter! Below, you’ll find everything you have come to expect from this weekly newsletter, from our bestseller list, bookseller recommendations, to our upcoming events. Keep reading to about the the ways we’ve made it even better.

But first, some updates happening at the store: new merch recently landed! There are cute new library card-inspired tumblers, bookish playing cards, and more. We also recently reorganized the store with new categories—come by to shop around!

Bookshop Event Highlight

We have so many fantastic events coming up at the bookshop! Perhaps most excitingly, John Kenney is coming back to our coast for an event at the bookshop on Sunday, June 14th at 5pm PT in celebration of the paperback release of his nationally bestselling novel I See You’ve Called in Dead with Shalom Auslander, author of Feh. We hope we’ll see you there—it is sure to be a laugh with these two.

What makes John Kenney’s event even more exciting? We will be kicking off our state-of-the-art live streaming event series with this one, and all of our subscribers will be able to tune in, no matter where in the world you are! In the future, this perk will be available only to paid members. Learn more about how to join by clicking the button below.

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You can browse all of our upcoming events on Eventbrite, but see below for which events coming up in the next 2 weeks! We can’t wait to host you.

Zibby’s Santa Monica Retreat for Book Lovers!

In case you missed it, Zibby’s Book Lover Retreat for the fall was just announced, and it will be in Santa Monica! We are so excited to show a group of retreaters around the neighborhood that we love, celebrate the release of Zibby’s new essay collection, Between Chapters, host 12+ incredible authors including Laura Dave, Cleo Wade, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Annabelle Gurwitch, and more. And, great news for all Santa Monica locals: there are day passes! Learn more about the retreat here, and reserve your space—Zibby’s retreats tend to sell out quickly!

Events Coming Up in the Next Two Weeks:

• Tuesday, June 9 at 6:00 PM: Jill Wintersteen and Krista Williams

• Wednesday, June 10 at 7:00 PM: Zibby’s Bookshop Book Club!

• Thursday, June 11 at 6:00 PM: Dr. Gillian Goddard and Dr. Cara Natterson

• Saturday, June 13 at 11:00 AM: author signing with Emily Singer

• Sunday, June 14 at 5:00 PM: John Kenney & Shalom Auslander

• Monday, June 15 at 6:00 PM: Lauren Okie and Clare Osongco

• Tuesday, June 16 at 6:00 PM: Sonya Walger with Samantha Dockser

• Wednesday, June 17 at 6:00 PM: Katherine Center

  Weekly Bestsellers!

Nonfiction:

Famesick by Lena Dunham

Strangers by Belle Burden

London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe

Being 40 by Stacey Lindsay

On Being Jewish Now by Zibby Owens

Fiction:

Forty Love by Jane Costello

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

Go Gentle by Maria Semple

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout

Recently on Totally Booked with Zibby

There have been some real standouts on the podcast this week! From Kerry Docherty, the author of the new un-put-down-able marriage memoir Selfish, to a fascinating conversation with Susan and James Patterson where they discuss the value of collaboration, to a delightful recap of Zibby’s Summer Reads Party as a bonus episode!

Don’t forget to save these episodes on Spotify so you can listen on your commutes, while folding laundry, or whenever you listen to podcasts!

Weekly Bookseller Recommendation

Bookseller Kerry recommends Tana French’s newest novel, The Keeper, saying that “French continues to be the master of atmospheric, gorgeously written crime fiction.”

“In the third and final volume of French’s detective series starring Cal Hooper, a young woman’s drowning brings to light the ugliest secrets of a small town in rural Ireland. . . . This book is French at the height of her powers.” —The New York Times

Thank you for reading, and have a great week!

— The Zibby’s Bookshop team

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Hi everyone! Thanks so much for moving with us from our prior newsletter to our new home on Substack! (Didn’t realize you had? Don’t worry! You don’t have to do anything differently.) Expect the same free weekly email with Zibby’s Bookshop’s bestsellers, upcoming events, and more.

If you want EVEN MORE from your favorite Santa Monica indie, we’ve added some options!

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We’ve just installed a new state-of-the-art live-streaming video system. You’ll get access to all our in-store events as they happen, plus 10% off all purchases at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Stay connected wherever you are in the world.

FYI, we’ll kick things off with the livestream of John Kenney, I See You’ve Called in Dead, and Shalom Auslander on June 14th at 5 pm PT for all subscribers so you can see what we mean. (Obviously still keep going to events in the store in person at 1113 Montana Ave!) Reminder: all events here.

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Thanks for being a part of our story.

Warmly,

Zibby and the Zibby’s Bookshop team

This essay is part of the Between Chapters project, inspired by the book. What chapters are you between? How did you get from one chapter to another? Share your story here.

What Chapter Are You….

Leaving:

I’ve been in pain for nearly a year. I no longer remember what the “pain free” chapter felt like.

In:

Impatiently healing from a spine fusion.

Entering:

Begging and pleading with God to help me reach a pain-free existence.

I am in a dark space. I spend my days in bed or hobbling around our small home, constantly watching the clock to be able to take my next dose of pain medicine, then glaring at the clock while I wait for the meds to kick in — not always a sure thing. And it sucks. I’m amid a pity party I definitely didn’t want to be invited to.

Last summer, we took a road trip and my spine took it personally. By the time we returned home, I was in agony. I’d felt that pain before. I’ve had three spine surgeries and only the first two were successful. I’ve battled chronic pain before, but this was different — and excruciating. I didn’t need a medical degree to know I needed surgery. But the healthcare system doesn’t operate on hunches, so it took ten grueling months to get to the OR.

The procedure was major: entry through my abdomen to access the spine more easily, then, two entries in my back to wrap things up. Ultimately, the surgeon bolted together three vertebrae and inserted spacers between them to open up areas that had been compressed for years. You’d think the many nerves crunched for so long would throw a party to be set free. You’d be wrong. The burning, throbbing pain still wanders from my hips to my thighs to my calves to my Achilles. No two days have been the same. No windows of pain or response to pain meds have been the same.

Okay, you’re thinking, be patient. Surely things will look up.

But it’s the mental side of this journey that’s really weighing me down. My son just finished his freshman year in high school in what has felt like the most successful year he’s had. At sixteen, he has Down syndrome and really struggled to be supported successfully during elementary school. The Covid lockdown turned out to be the reset he needed. But this year, as I juggled a full time job and increasing pain, my husband became The Parent the School Knows. That was a mental hit. I already felt like I was failing.

Our daughter is about to transition from middle school to high school. She’s figuring it out —from what true friendship feels like to what fashion means to her and how she wants to show up in the world. And she’s got a mama who has spent more time in bed over the past year than as a functioning parent. We have long talks (late-night talks — do teens ever want to bond during daylight hours?!) and I do what I can verbally, emotionally… but it doesn’t feel right. My heart sinks as they all bounce out of the house in the morning, tossing me a wave from the doorway.

Our youngest has his promotion ceremony from elementary school to middle school this week. I’m praying I can walk in without a cane and sit like a normal person to enjoy the event.

But I know I’ll be battling pain and the urge to cry for so many reasons.

All three kids have been touchingly supportive. My husband has been a saint. He knows what this pain is like, and he’s done everything to help me. He’s taken the brunt of my fury when the pain sears through my body and decimates my patience and ability to answer a simple question without biting at the air like a rabid, chained animal.

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Somehow, I’ve allowed his kindness and compassion to push me to a darker depth because I am so grateful yet feel so utterly useless. So, I take another deep breath and imagine future mornings when I again race around like a headless chicken, feeling stressed by the ticking clock instead of the pulsating pain in my body.

I hope when that chapter begins, I remember what today felt like. I hope I never again take a pain-free day for granted. I hope I dive back into being a functional parent and wife. I hope I leave this chapter far behind but reflect on it with gratitude for a morning punctuated by the usual gentle urges rather than piercing pain.

I’m so ready for that next chapter. So, so ready.

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This essay is part of the Between Chapters project, inspired by the upcoming book. What chapters are you between? How did you get from one chapter to another? Share your story here.

“Mommy is writing a musical.”

When I announced the news two years ago to my family at a Mother’s Day brunch, everyone stared at me, confused.

“Why? Will you make any money? And why?”

At 57, I’m at the age when many people start thinking about slowing down, not starting over. At the time, I didn’t really have an answer. Just a feeling—and an endless supply of self-doubt. Imposter syndrome, if you will. Who did I think I was?

But the truth is, it’s not such an out-there idea. I spent my college years interning at Theater Week magazine and later wrote for InTheatre and American Theatre. I’ve interviewed countless theater professionals and have ghostwritten memoirs for several stage stars. I have been lucky enough to attend press and opening nights, the Drama Desk Awards and the Tonys. I count numerous Broadway actors, critics and publicists among my friends.

This world isn’t foreign to me. It’s familiar, lived-in.

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I was a theater kid who took tap and singing from an old Vaudeville guy every Sunday at Carnegie Hall. My classmates were Donny Most, Sarah Jessica Parker, and what felt like every Annie on Broadway. I was a classical voice minor in college, and have written several scripts for TV, Film and children’s theater. Heck, I’m a card-carrying member of The Dramatists Guild.

But a commercial musical, one with the lofty goal of landing on Broadway? That’s a whole other ball of wax.

At the beginning of the 2024 Broadway theater season, I went to see a highly hyped production with a close friend who reviews shows. About halfway through, during one particularly cringe-worthy number, I leaned over and whispered, “I can do better than this.”

He didn’t laugh. “Yes,” he said. “You can, and you should. You know everything about musicals. I say go for it.”

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I didn’t take him seriously at the time. But that moment, sitting in the theater, half amused and half horrified, a seed was planted. For days, all I could think about was, could I? It felt daunting, even a little terrifying. I understood musical structure and form, but I was far removed from the business side of Broadway. How does one find a collaborator? Raise money? Stage a reading? What are the actual steps to getting a show up on its feet?

I sat down one evening, when my husband had gone to bed and the dog was snoring in harmony next to him, and opened up a blank document. I started a list of characters. Then a first scene. Then a second. Then a third. The words poured out of me, as if I was possessed. When I finally went to sleep, the sun was coming up. In a week, I had an entire first act written; in two weeks a complete 90-page first draft.

I began a fact-finding mission, speaking to friends and friends of friends and gathering advice. Each gave me plenty to think about: places to trim or expand, ways to build layer upon layer to create resonance and deeper meaning. One composer suggested I write lyrics. “Oh, no! I am not a lyricist,” I protested.

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But he was insistent. “You have a clear vision of who the characters are, so just let them speak in song.”

So, I did. I wrote the first of what would become 18 songs: some ballads, some bangers, some modern storytelling. A few I could actually hear the tune of in my head, while others simply had a rhythmic flow. I wasn’t sure it was the “right” way to go about it, but it felt natural.

Over blueberry pancakes at Friedman’s in the theater district, I met with my best friend’s sister-in-law, an actor and theater manager with over 40 years experience. She had read my script and told me she liked it and saw its potential. Best of all, she knew a wonderful young composer for the project.

“I think he will get it. I think he’s the perfect collaborator for this,” she said.

She introduced us and we instantly clicked. He was excited, I was excited. We spent hours brainstorming and bouncing ideas off each other. Yes, he is half my age, but he doesn’t see me as past my prime. We compare notes on our favorite shows and he appreciates that I have a deep frame of reference.

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Since we signed a collaboration agreement two years ago, we have done table reads, brainstorming sessions, recording sessions, benefit concerts, and endless rewrites. We have a Broadway development team in place, a director, arrangers, as well as a talented stable of performers. Each one holds my “baby” in his/her hand, nurturing it and helping it grow.

I often worry that we still have such a long way to go. But then comes the new song, the new scene, the “A-ha!” moment when I see how far we’ve come. The puzzle pieces are fitting into place, and my place in this mix feels more cemented, more certain. What started as self-doubt is slowly turning into something else, something that feels a lot like purpose.

Now, somehow, the project has taken on a life of its own. We have secured investors, a producer, even Broadway stars to record a concept album. I wake up every morning in pinch-me mode, so grateful, but also a little stunned that I am actually pulling this off.

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My husband still teasingly calls it my “passion project,” but it’s so much more than that. For me, it’s a chance to share my heart through art, to open eyes and minds, and create something with real social impact. I am telling a story born out of my own experience, rooted in the most universal of truths.

I don’t expect everyone to understand it. There are always naysayers, the ones who call it “a hobby,” or worse, “a waste of time.” A friend recently questioned if I should be starting something new “at this age,” as if a few years short of sixty is a moment to wind down. I see it differently.

This time in a woman’s life, when you find yourself an empty nester with more space to think, is Life 2.0. It’s when you finally return to the dreams you once put on hold. Back then, I didn’t have the luxury of stepping away from a steady career or raising a family. I didn’t yet understand that simply living your life is preparation for telling a meaningful story. There is love and loss, failure and forgiveness. There are dots that only connect when you step back and see the full picture. Not coincidentally, these are the very themes of my show.

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I have an autograph from Stephen Sondheim framed over my desk. I touch it every day like a talisman, a quiet reminder of the power of music to lift us up and light the way. It still shakes me to my core that this work is mine. It has found me as much as I have found it.

I am surrounded by creatives who eat, sleep, and breathe theater, and their energy is electric. It reminds me I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. For the first time in a long time, I don’t feel like an outsider looking in. I feel like I belong.

What began as a leap of faith has led me here to a place of power I didn’t know I was still allowed to claim. So yes, Mommy is writing a musical. And somewhere along the way, she stopped asking who she thought she was — and started becoming her.

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This essay is part of the Between Chapters project. What chapters are you between? How did you get from one chapter to another? Share your story here.

Motherhood was my drug of choice. For more than two decades, raising my children was the most intoxicating high I have ever known. We built a beautiful, unconventional life together. There were ferry crossings and boat rides, winters spent carving down snowy mountainsides, and summers swollen with salt air and sunburns. The house brimmed with life—dogs, parakeets, turtles, chickens. We traveled to Guatemala so often it became stitched into the fabric of our family story.

Life was noisy and full and gloriously demanding. I lived for it. I mothered with my whole being. I shaped my days around my children and gave them the very best of myself. It wasn't simply what I did. It was who I was.

Then one day, the chapter changed. My son left home first to go to college. Three years later, it was my daughter's turn. I remember standing in her dorm room doorway after the last box had been unpacked. I hugged her goodbye. Then I walked down the hallway trying not to fall apart.

Everyone talks about preparing children to leave home. No one talks much about what happens to the person left standing in the parking lot afterward. The truth is, I wasn't ready. I didn't want to retire from full-time mothering. I had been given notice anyway.

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My sister, sensing the depth of my grief, whisked me to Disneyland with my two beloved nephews. We rode roller coasters and ate churros and laughed beneath artificial castles and fireworks. Then the rides stopped. The lights dimmed. And the ache returned.

From Los Angeles, I flew to Bozeman, where my son was living. A friend mentioned that a restaurant needed a dishwasher for two shifts. I was thrilled.
After decades of washing dishes for free, I was finally going to get paid for one of the core competencies of motherhood. I borrowed a bicycle, pedaled to work, tied on a rubber apron, and stepped into the steamy chaos of the kitchen. Within minutes I was drenched. I loved it.

Then someone whispered that Glenn Close was dining in the restaurant. Suddenly sixteen-year-old me reappeared. The girl still traumatized by Fatal Attraction. There she was—cropped silver hair, unmistakable profile. I stood ankle-deep in soapy water preparing to wash Glenn goddamn Close's dishes.

After years of caring for everyone else, I was beginning again from the bottom.
That dish pit became an unlikely threshold. Because what I didn't understand at the time was that motherhood wasn't the only thing ending. A version of myself was ending too.

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The years that followed were harder than I like to admit. The dream I had carried for more than a decade—to move to Guatemala once my children were grown—suddenly became impossible. The future I had imagined dissolved. Without ferry schedules to keep, school calendars to manage, or children returning home each afternoon, I found myself face-to-face with a stranger. Who was I without motherhood at the center? The question terrified me.

Depression arrived quietly and then all at once. Some mornings I could barely lift my head. I ignored phone calls. Skipped invitations. Numbed myself with tequila and ice cream and endless distraction. I missed the sound of my children's footsteps. I missed hearing their voices drift through the house. I missed being needed.

For twenty-two years, I knew exactly what my purpose was. Now I didn't. Looking back, I realize I was grieving more than my children leaving home. I was grieving an identity. And yet, beneath all that grief, something else was waiting. Art. It waited patiently while I mourned. Eventually, it became impossible to ignore. I started small. A hot bath. A bike ride. A plunge into the cold waters of Puget Sound.

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Then one gray morning I opened a manuscript I had been ignoring. It was a story about sailing across the Atlantic Ocean aboard a thirty-four-foot sailboat when I was twenty-eight years old. The crossing had begun in Portugal. Forty-eight days later, I arrived in Barbados. For years the manuscript sat unfinished in a folder on my computer. I opened my laptop and began writing. I wrote before dawn and after walks along the water. I wrote on days when the words came easily and on days when I doubted every sentence. Slowly, the story I had carried for nearly half my life took shape. Page by page, chapter by chapter, I finished the book.

This fall, at fifty-five years old, my memoir about that Atlantic crossing will be published. What astonishes me isn't that I wrote a book. It's that the chapter I feared most—the one that began when my children left home—created the space for me to finish it. The very loss I thought might undo me became the thing that returned me to myself.

That is the chapter I am living now. The reclamation chapter. The chapter where my children are thriving exactly as they should be—building lives of their own. The chapter where I finally have the time and courage to pursue the creative work that waited so patiently for me. Ironically, the chapter I feared most became the chapter that gave me back my art. And that may be the greatest surprise of my life.

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I miss full-time motherhood. I miss family dinners and road trips and bedtime stories. I miss the ordinary intimacy of daily life together. I miss being the first person they called. Those years were beautiful precisely because they were temporary. The chapter I am most excited about is the one unfolding before me: a first book, new stories, and a future I cannot fully see. At twenty-eight, sailing west across the Atlantic, I couldn't see Barbados from Portugal. I trusted the horizon anyway.

That may be the greatest lesson I have learned about difficult chapters. You do not need to know what comes next. You do not need certainty. You simply need enough faith to keep moving forward. Sometimes the chapter that feels like loss is actually transformation. Sometimes what looks like an ending is an invitation. And sometimes the chapter you would have fought hardest to avoid becomes the one that finally brings you home to yourself.

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Karson Brown is the author of the upcoming memoir 48 Days to Barbados (10/20/26). Follow her on Substack, , and Instagram @ekarsonbrown.

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Speaking of Between Chapters, hope you saw there’s a new section of this Substack, one in which we can all share stories, essays, and thoughts to create a communal hub of inspiration, commiseration, and more. All stories welcome. Click here.

Retreats

Two retreats are now on sale!

Saturday, July 25th from 10:30 am - 2 pm: Chicago Retreat. Matchmaker Bookshop in Highland Park, IL; a moderated conversation with me, personalized book recommendations, book signing, and shopping, followed by a 3-course luncheon at DeNucci’s restaurant. Ticket info here.

Friday, October 2 - Sunday, October 4 (with day-pass): Santa Monica Retreat. Meet all the authors in the photo above who will be part of the event! Go to an exclusive movie screening. Eat at private clubs and fabulous restaurants and hotels. Attend panels at Zibby’s Bookshop. Connect! Tickets here.

Santa Monica Retreat

On Tuesday’s double episode, we’ll tackle 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.

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

On Thursday, 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.

Listen

Don’t miss these conversations! And watch the “Totally Booked” TV Show on JBS. New episodes every Thursday at 7:30 pm ET on the JBS network. Watch here.

Zibby’s Book Club

Tuesday, June 9th at 7 pm ET: Sarah Damoff, The Burning Side. Register here. (Listen to our podcast here.)

Wednesday, July 22nd at 7 pm ET: Jane Costello, Forty Love. Register here. (Listen to our podcast here.) Used code ZIBBY20 to take 20% off plus free shipping at Zibby’s Bookshop here.

Thursday, August 13th at 7 pm ET: Matthew Quick, Dad, Love, Me. Register here. Order at Zibby’s Bookshop here.

Item of the Week

My dress. On sale for $59.50 at Quince! Click here.

Essay

I was sitting on the floor of my walk-in closet on the pink and white wall-to-wall carpeting, shelves holding my school uniforms and matching sweaters above me, surrounded by reams of wrapping paper. As I folded the holiday paper, my mom’s frame filled the doorway. She was in her white Terry cloth bathroom, fluffy slippers, her long-blood-red nails clutching an ashtray in one hand and a cigarette in the other. It was the ‘80s, after all.

“Zib, are you still making gifts for your Secret Santa? It’s time for bed!”

“I’m almost done,” I replied. Then, like now, once I start a task, there’s almost nothing that can get me to stop it.

She sighed.

“I’m just worried. You’re putting in all this effort. What if the person who gets you doesn’t reciprocate? I don’t want you to be disappointed.”

I stopped and looked up at her.

“But Mom, that’s not why I’m doing this. I care about making my Secret Santa happy. I don’t care what I get.”

I’ve thought back on that fifth-grade moment often, especially now as I watch my fifth-grader make custom 3-D printed Stanley water bottles and search high and low for Needohs in just the right color for his friends.

Why was I like that? Why am I like that now? What is it about me that makes me want to give in many ways from gifts, to philanthropy, to creating a platform for shared stories, to helping people get through tough times?

Well, it could be because of my family. I’ll give them some credit. I’ve watched my parents and grandparents give back in whatever ways they could for my whole life. One grandfather donated a building back to his college where he’d worked his way through just to afford to attend. Another gave the limited income he got from running a neighborhood linens store to children in Israel. My mother spent her time serving on non-profit boards, always running to a committee meeting or coming up with clever events to raise money for causes she cared about. My father, as he built his business, also gave back, his most creative act recently establishing an international program in China for college graduates to build bridges. It could be because they encouraged me to donate my time and money, even $20 from my babysitting money, to organizations I cared about.

So that helped.

But I don’t think that’s exactly why I give back in such a hands-on way.

I’m embarrassed to admit that doing this makes me feel good. It gives me a deep sense of purpose. It gives me a reason why in a world that makes no sense, something I learned early on after losing friends and loved ones. This is why I’m here. That’s what I believe. I don’t sit around waiting for tragedy. But I know that when something happens that needs me to raise my voice or lend a hand, I’ll be ready.

But going back to gift-wrapping. I used to order a lot of gifts online, the blue light of the laptop illuminating my face as I huddled under the covers late at night clicking on Lego and Barbies, ticking off “yes, please, gift-wrap it.” But I realized over time that the kids never saw me shop, wrap, or do any of the personalization I used to take pride in. So I made a choice years ago. I would take them shopping, in person, going to local stores, even a mall in White Plains, where we could all go together, be thoughtful, cross people off our holiday lists, and then lay out all the gifts on the living room floor and wrap them. I firmly believe that that decision has changed how my kids approach gift-giving, especially the younger kids who benefited from my change-of-heart. They’ve caught the bug, the feeling of thinking of others and making them happy. There’s nothing like it.

I feel best when I’m connecting with others, introducing people, looping people in with each other, making people feel — even you— like you’re part of something bigger, which you are. We all are.

Giving money is one thing. But giving time, our most valued resource, is quite another. The gift of paying attention to someone else, that uninterrupted intensity, is spell-binding for both parties. We can all give that. It’s free. It’s readily available. Our attention is the biggest gift and where we direct it makes an incredible impact. So as you go about your day, don’t feel like you should give back or you have to give back. Just give your attention. Try to make someone happy. See what others need. That’s it. I guarantee that in really listening to others, you’ll figure out how to help. No equipment necessary.

My son just finished reading The Giver by Lois Lowry which, to be honest, is a little creepy. Not sure why this is required reading? But anyway. In The Giver, memories are the tool with which members of society are controlled. Without memories, what do we have? Where is meaning and connection? The good news is we can all make our own memories and easily call up the joy and soul-stirring of the perfect gift, whether it’s a beautifully-wrapped candle or an entirely new book. Thinking about what others want and meeting those needs will lead to amazing memories of your own.

So let’s all give a little bit more. A little bit of ourselves. Our hearts. In the end, that’s what matters. Thank you for the gift of your time and attention. I don’t take it for granted. Hope you have a great week, everyone!

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Hi everyone! Ten years ago, I was a stay-at-home mom and frustrated aspiring author on the Upper East Side. My entire life changed because of one suggestion from a friend that I decided to take and not ignore: “you should start a podcast.” (Thanks, Sarah Mlynowski.) I didn’t know what I was doing but I decided to try. Why not? That one choice led me to a completely different chapter from the one I anticipated.

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Now, I want to take my story — which I share intimately in my upcoming book — and turn it into something for all of us.

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In the new Between Chapters section of Zibby’s Highlights and on Instagram, I’ll be helping create a community resource — with you. Because we’re all in between chapters.

“Chapters” can be big or small:

• divorce

• career change

• empty nest

• illness

• loss

• recovery

• creativity

• writing a book

• graduation

• moving

• redecorating or building

• dating again

• becoming an “influencer”

• becoming a parent

• starting a business

• starting a podcast

• starting to read a new book

• making new friends

• activism

• retiring

• burnout

• new medication

• season

• new parenting milestone

• widowhood

• loss of a parent

• launching something exciting

  …. and so many others.

Next steps:

Consider contributing a short answer, voice note, or essay — or just take a short anonymous quiz so we can all see how many people are in the same boat!

Some of these stories will be excerpted across my platforms (with your permission, of course).

• What chapter are you leaving? What chapter are you entering?

• How do you feel about the chapter you’re in or where you’re going?

• What decision(s) did you make that took you into an unexpected chapter?

• What advice can you share about how you got out of an unwanted chapter?

Click here to share your story, essay, or one-sentence answer!

Share here - even one sentence!

Take this one-question poll! I’ll share the results next time.

The goal of all this? To inspire. Connect. Learn. Laugh. Grow. Act. Because we’re all between chapters.

Please share this initiative with someone you know who is between chapters, got through a tough chapter, or who inspires you in some way.

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All stories welcome.

Warmly,

Zibby

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Hi all! Wanted to extend a special opportunity for my Z.I.P.s!

We’ve been asked to reach out to our most special friends to offer an invite-only event in Los Angeles. Meet New York Times bestselling …

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My twins just graduated from high school. I’m feeling both elated and grief-stricken. It’s the oddest combination. I posted about this on Instagram and don’t want to be repetitive, but I just wasn’t prepared for how emotional it would be. Which sounds silly.

I mean, I assumed I’d cry at the ceremony and move on, but what really happened is, after cheering at the top of my lungs, I started crying after my beaming daughter was back in her seat. And then the wheels came off. It was particularly meaningful because as the wave of emotions hit, I was sitting in between my parents, who understood without my having to explain.

When I really felt it was when we were back home, unpacking. All the worry, stress, planning, organizing, FaceTiming, coaching, scheduling, loving of the past almost nineteen years bubbled up. Somehow, we had all made it. My gosh. My shoulders dropped for the first time in years as I exhaled but then crumpled. It felt like grief. Someone suggested a support group. I don’t think that’s a bad idea!

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But back to books. Tonight, I’ll be doing an event at the 92nd Street Y with Allison Gilbert, Mark Feuerstein and Rabbi Steve Leder, inspired by On Being Jewish Now. I better pull myself together by then. Oh, and I changed the title and cover of my book to Between Chapters instead of Between Books. Thanks to those of you who weighed in on that. If you want to know my thoughts about marketing in the book world, here’s my recent interview in Publishers Weekly. And you can listen to my interview on The Golda Girls podcast for some summer book recs. But read on…

In other news…

Paperback Release

“Mom, have you read I See You’ve Called in Dead by John Kenney?”

“You know, I never ended up getting around to that one.”

“Mom! It’s so good. And it’s coming out in paperback.”

“Okay, fine. Let me borrow yours. Zib, did you read Bruce something-or-other’s book? Culpability?”

“Not yet. I just never —.”

“Oh, Zib, you must! It’s so good. It’s hard to start anything else after finishing it.”

“Well, you try this one and I’ll try that one.”

Report: I am now loving Culpability. Why did it take me so long?! Waiting for my mom’s assessment of I See You’ve Called in Dead.

FYI, for those of you in L.A., John Kenney will be doing a sure-to-be-hilarious event at Zibby’s Bookshop with Shalom Auslander, Feh, on June 14th at 5 pm PT. Details here.

Totally Booked This Week

Listen

Don’t miss these conversations! And watch the “Totally Booked” TV Show on JBS. New episodes every Thursday at 7:30 pm ET on the JBS network. Watch here.

Susan Patterson and James Patterson, The Mother-Daughter Book Club

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.

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Kerry Docherty, Selfish

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.

Caitlin Shetterly, The Gulf of Lions

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 Schott, Very Slowly All at Once

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.

Jess H. Gutierrez, Adulting for Amateurs

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.

Zibby’s Book Club

Tuesday, June 9th at 7 pm ET: Sarah Damoff, The Burning Side. Register here. (Listen to our podcast here.)

Wednesday, July 22nd at 7 pm ET: Jane Costello, Forty Love. Register here. (Listen to our podcast here.) Used code ZIBBY20 to take 20% off plus free shipping.

Thursday, August 13th at 7 pm ET: Matthew Quick, Dad, Love, Me. Register here. Order at Zibby’s Bookshop here.

Upcoming Events

NEW YORK, NY. Monday, June 1st at 8 pm: 92nd Street Y event with actor Mark Feuerstein, Rabbi Steve Leder, Allison Gilbert and me to discuss On Being Jewish Now. Tickets here.

NEW YORK, NY. Wednesday, June 3rd at 3:45 pm. U.S. Book Show panelist, “The New Book Tour: How Podcasts are Revitalizing Your Entire List” with Lauren Cobello and others, plus a live podcast. Info here.

NEW HAVEN, CT. Thursday, June 4th at 5:30 pm. Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven Women’s Engagement and Philanthropy event speaker. Info here.

POTOMAC, MD. Friday, June 5th at 9:30 am. Teach Give Inspire Fridays speaker with Pam Sherman and Hilary Fordwich. Tickets here.

Chicago-Area Retreat

Join us on Saturday, July 25th from 10:30 am - 2 pm for a private event at Matchmaker Bookshop in Highland Park, IL with a (very) early signed copy of my upcoming essay collection, Between Chapters, a moderated conversation with me, personalized book recommendations, book signing, and shopping, followed by a 3-course luncheon at DeNucci’s restaurant and gift bag. It’ll be so fun! Ticket info here.

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Item of the Week

Actually, wait. You should be recommending items yourself through ShopMy. If you’re someone who loves spreading the word about books, clothes, accessories, and more, you can prove to yourself that people take your recs to heart — and even earn from them. Use my referral code to become a creator today: https://shopmy.us/join/zibbyowens

Hope you have a great week, everyone!

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Hi everyone! I’ve decided to change the title and cover of my upcoming book to Between Chapters instead of Between Books. It’s much more reflective about what the book is about: a period of reinvention, change, and what happens when you decide to rewrite the script of your life.

Also, the timing worked out because today is #BuzzBooksOfficial Day from Publishers Marketplace. Between Chapters is an official Fall Winter 2026 selection! I’ll be heading down to do an in-person Substack Live with COO Mary Ann Naples today at 2 pm. (You might be notified when I go live.) Hope you’ll tune in to hear more about the book — which is to say, a bit more about me. Unless you’re already sick of me in which case, well, I can’t help you.

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Thanks to all of you who weighed in on this decision on Instagram. Thanks to BuzzBooks for selecting my book. And thanks to my team at Zibby Publishing because we’re all now scrambling to implement this late change. But it’ll be worth it.

It’s never too late to make the right decision.

In fact, that’s one of the main messages of the book, so it’s perfect that this change shows my philosophy in action. (See how I spun that?!) Thanks, everyone!

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Maria Shriver’s latest essay, “Take the Reins,” in her Sunday Paper newsletter really hits home. She starts with profound gratitude this Memorial Day for all the families who have suffered so we can be free and then confesses that in searching for her own purpose, she is hitting some roadblocks.

We recently lost my stepfather, Howard, and my mother is coping with the quiet. And I am alongside her, listening, loving, but unable to truly “fix” the problem.

This resonates. Is my mom okay? Should I be there and not here? It is all heartbreaking, no matter how strong someone you love is.

One of Maria’s conclusions is to double down on actual human, in-person connection. We all know this and yet why is it so hard to leave the house sometimes?! Why have we ended up living in a world that separates us down driveways, behind fences and gates, sometimes not even knowing our neighbors? Why has canceling plans become the norm when it might be the other person’s only plan all day?

Two books really nail the elusiveness of even mundane moments of connection: Kerry Clare’s Definitely Thriving (on the podcast this week) and Mikki Brammer’s Good Joy, Bad Joy.

In both books, a single woman looks for meaning in the day-to-day shopping moments when she ventures out and is ultimately disappointed. Imagine depending on Starbucks employees for all your social needs.

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Organizations like Dorot in New York try to tackle this by pairing teens and tweens with the elderly, not necessarily homebound but just conversation-starved due to life circumstances.

How can we all help before we end up in the same situation? And seriously, why do I need to scan my own bar code at checkout? Who thought that was a good idea?! Plus it’s one more time not to make conversation.

My work centers around meaningful conversations. It’s what I love most aside from reading all the books. It’s the connection I get from listening and chatting with authors on my podcast, learning about who they are, spending up to thirty minutes solely focused on someone else. It’s intoxicating.

Perhaps that’s why podcasts are having such a moment. We want to be part of the conversation so badly that it almost doesn’t matter that we aren’t actually a part of what we’re listening to. It scratches the itch. The voices in our ears. Feeling like we’re getting to know someone even if they aren't getting to know us. As someone who others feel they know, I actually love it, because when I meet them, I don’t have to share anything! I can move on right to them. (Speaking of the podcast, listen to Dan Senor’s episode to hear the difference between Memorial Day in Israel vs. the U.S.)

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How can more people join the conversation, not just listen? How can we tap into the treasure trove of wisdom collected by those who are just a bit older than us? Bruce Feiler speaks about the need to connect on the podcast this week as he discusses his book A Time to Gather.

I’ve found myself drawn to stories lately that take place a bit later in life. I can still read fabulous books about younger people, like the upcoming Jenny Jackson novel The Shampoo Effect which I just finished, and appreciate it for its wit, character-driven narrative, excellent writing, and best ending of perhaps any book ever. But spending hours in the minds of those just starting out with families, still partying, and in that late-20s/early-30s moment of life which I’ve sailed past as my fiftieth birthday looms large, is not exactly where I am emotionally.

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I’ve always read to prepare myself for what’s coming next or to cope with what I’m going through now, not as much where I was. I find myself particularly connected to stories with intergenerational relationships like The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff (my June book club pick and on the podcast this week) or books tackling what’s next like Forty Love by Jane Costello (my July book club pick: use code ZIBBY20 for 20% off and free shipping, fyi). Aging parents. The messy middle. Cliche, but here I am. My own upcoming book, Between Books (which perhaps I should’ve called Between Chapters?) is my own attempt to poke fun at and understand the past ten years up until now.

With the retreats and events I host, online book club, author celebrations like my recent Summer Reads gathering, and the constant events at my bookstore, I’m trying to provide a forum for regular interaction and connection for all ages. It isn’t enough.

What else can I do to help solve this problem? Seriously. What can we all do? Perhaps that’s what I’ll work on next because that human connection, like what Kalina Silverman calls Big Talk, is what it’s all about. Big and small talk. Is the answer our connection to dogs like in Camille Pagan’s Dog Person, also on the podcast this week!? How can we all have conversations that matter as we age and make sure our loved ones do, too?

If you’re looking for something to talk about, by the way, go see the movie “Tuner” which my brother and his company Black Bear produced and released. It stars Dustin Hoffman, Tovah Feldshuh and Leo Woodhall and is about a piano tuner who realizes, just as he starts to fall in love, that he can use his super-powered hearing to break into safes — which leads to all kinds of trouble. Kyle and I went to the screening with the cast this week. I absolutely loved the movie. My attention didn’t wander for a second!

Anyway.

Thank you, , for the Sunday wake-up call. Loved every minute. You have more friends than you can possibly know.

Come sit by me.

Opportunities to Connect:

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In Person + Online

VIRTUAL. Wednesday, May 27th at 1 pm. National Library of Israel online panel, “The Strength of Jewish Women,” with Lihi Lapid, Annabelle Gurwitch, Lisa Barr, Judy Batalion, and me. Link here.

NEW YORK, NY. Monday, June 1st at 8 pm: 92nd Street Y event with actor Mark Feuerstein, Rabbi Steve Leder, Allison Gilbert and me to discuss On Being Jewish Now. Tickets here.

NEW YORK, NY. Wednesday, June 3rd at 3:45 pm. U.S. Book Show panelist, “The New Book Tour: How Podcasts are Revitalizing Your Entire List” with Lauren Cobello and others, plus a live podcast. Info here.

NEW HAVEN, CT. Thursday, June 4th at 5:30 pm. Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven Women’s Engagement and Philanthropy event speaker. Info here.

POTOMAC, MD. Friday, June 5th at 9:30 am. Teach Give Inspire Fridays speaker with Pam Sherman and Hilary Fordwich. Tickets here.

NEW! BEVERLY HILLS, CA. Monday, June 22nd from 12 pm - 2 pm. On Being Jewish Now with Samantha Ettus and me at Veronica Beard. Shopping and conversation with 15% of the proceeds going to 501(c)(3) the Artists Against Antisemitism.

CHICAGO-AREA. Saturday, July 25th: 10:30 am - 2 pm.Ticket info here.

Save-the-dates for retreats and petite retreats: October 2-4 in Santa Monica, October 25 in NYC and January 22-24 in Naples, FL.

Zibby’s Book Club: Let’s Talk

Join me on Zoom to ask authors questions and connect.

Tuesday, June 9th at 7 pm ET: Sarah Damoff, The Burning Side. Register here.

Wednesday, July 22nd at 7 pm ET: Jane Costello, Forty Love. Register here.

Thursday, August 13th at 7 pm ET: Matthew Quick, Dad, Love, Me. Register here.

Totally Booked: Author Conversations

Listen in. Podcast: 3x/week. Listen here.

Watch. TV Show on JBS: 1x/week on Thursday at 7:30 pm. Watch here.

Zibby’s Bookshop

We host events multiple times a week in person in Santa Monica including a monthly in-store book club (different from my virtual one). Our events are livestreamed on YouTube. Events here. Come into the store soon to check out our new shelves sorted by topic. 1113 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica, CA (at 11th Street).

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All books mentioned and outfits worn(!) are linked here for your shopping pleasure.

Note: A few of the links generate some affiliate revenue.

Have a great week, everyone! Honored to be connected.

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Hi Z.I.P.s!

On Monday, I hosted my annual Summer Reads party in New York. Thirty authors from the list came over, shared, and socialized. I could see the sparks flying as authors befriended each other…

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Hi everyone. Please be aware that like many other people, I am part of a phishing scam. Someone is creating new gmail addresses similar to my name and company name, even a fake assistant(!!), and inviting authors onto my podcast — for a fee. (Only Chelsea or Graca will email on my behalf for the podcast.) They’re going so far as to create visuals for upcoming episodes. (We also do this for real as part of doing business, of course!)

Please know: we do not ask guests to pay to be on the podcast. Check the email address carefully on any communication from my team or me. It should be from @zibbyowens.com or @zibbymedia.com, NOT a gmail address, and no other extensions. I’m so sorry that a few authors have fallen for this scam!

After meeting with two cybersecurity experts on Friday, I’ve learned there’s really nothing to be done about it, unfortunately. (Turns out the FBI will only get involved if you’re scammed out of $10 million or more and the NYPD $300K or more. WTF?) In fact, the experts predict more powerful “deep fake” impersonizations in the future, with face, voice, and mannerisms copied so well as to be indistinguishable to even close friends and loved ones. Dear lord. In the meantime, double check everyone’s email addresses. It’s a wild world out there. So let’s get together in person!

Next Retreat - Now on Sale!

Exciting news: Our Chicago-area Petite Retreat is now on sale! Join us on Saturday, July 25th from 10:30 am - 2 pm for a private event at Matchmaker Bookshop in Highland Park, IL with a (very) early signed copy of my upcoming essay collection, Between Books, a moderated conversation with me, personalized book recommendations, book signing, and shopping, followed by a 3-course luncheon at DeNucci’s restaurant and gift bag. It’ll be so fun!

Ticket info here.

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Totally Booked This Week

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Don’t miss these conversations!

Jane Costello’s Forty Love: My July Book Club Pick

I’m obsessed with this novel. Perhaps because I also wrote a book called Forty Love but even though my agent sent it out as the start of the pandemic, it didn’t sell. Which is probably for the best. Jane Costello’s novel is so much better! It’s smart, funny, inspiring, a bit steamy at parts, and page-turning. It centers around a 40-something British woman, a widow, whose only child has just “flown the nest.” She decides to join the local tennis league where she promptly runs into an old flame. The book is about what happens to her, yes, but it’s really a battle cry on behalf of women, moms in particular, which gives us permission to find joy, find love, and find ourselves again. We also published it!

Rosie Walsh, The One Day You Were My Husband

Loss, love, expectations and mystery abound in Rosie Walsh’s latest novel about a woman whose husband vanishes on their wedding night. We spoke about how past traumas inform narratives, the importance of a good first chapter, and more!

Aging Reversal?! Kelly Yang on The Take (and Front Desk!!)

My son and I read Front Desk together two summers ago. When I found out blockbuster author Kelly Yang had written a novel for adults, I couldn’t wait to read it! It’s an immersive story about aging, ambition, loyalty, family, and friendship with a unique angle: what if there was a way to reverse aging but in so doing, you sped up someone else’s?! Hear how Kelly ended up graduating college at an absurdly young age, her own family’s origin story, and why writing matters.

Emma Brodie’s Into the Blue: A Reese’s Book Club Pick!

Emma Brodie said she cried every day writing this book which became a Reese’s Book Club pick. (Maybe that’s the secret?!) We connected at Totally Booked: Live about the film/TV world, young love, the what ifs of life, the process of writing, and more!

NBC’s Morgan Radford, Now Then

NBC News Daily co-anchor Morgan Radford is one of the most articulate guests I’ve had on my show with that type of infectious energy and soulful spirit that draws people to her. We discussed her fabulous debut novel about family, relationships, Cuba, and Harvard, at Totally Booked: Live. She’s so impressive!

Zibby’s Book Club

My summer book club is set! Check out my May, June, July, and August picks! Forty Love, my July pick, comes out tomorrow!! Order at Zibby’s Bookshop for 20% off and free shipping with code ZIBBY20 here. We’re also having a small launch party for the book at Love All Tennis! If you’d like to join, email publicity@zibbymedia.com.

Tuesday, June 9th at 7 pm ET: Sarah Damoff, The Burning Side. Register here.

Wednesday, July 22nd at 7 pm ET: Jane Costello, Forty Love. Register here.

Thursday, August 13th at 7 pm ET: Matthew Quick, Dad, Love, Me. Register here. Order at Zibby’s Bookshop here.

Upcoming Events

VIRTUAL. Wednesday, May 27th at 1 pm. National Library of Israel online panel, “The Strength of Jewish Women,” with Lihi Lapid, Annabelle Gurwitch, Lisa Barr, Judy Batalion, and me. Link here.

NEW YORK, NY. Monday, June 1st at 8 pm: 92nd Street Y event with actor Mark Feuerstein, Rabbi Steve Leder, Allison Gilbert and me to discuss On Being Jewish Now. Tickets here.

NEW YORK, NY. Wednesday, June 3rd at 3:45 pm. U.S. Book Show panelist, “The New Book Tour: How Podcasts are Revitalizing Your Entire List” with Lauren Cobello and others, plus a live podcast. Info here.

NEW HAVEN, CT. Thursday, June 4th at 5:30 pm. Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven Women’s Engagement and Philanthropy event speaker. Info here.

POTOMAC, MD. Friday, June 5th at 9:30 am. Teach Give Inspire Fridays speaker with Pam Sherman and Hilary Fordwich. Tickets here.

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Totally Booked TV

Watch the “Totally Booked” TV Show on JBS. New episodes every Thursday at 7:30 pm ET on the JBS network. Watch here.

Last week’s episode featured Susan Orlean, Joyride, discussing her husband’s affair.

On Being Jewish Now

29 weeks on the USA Today bestseller list — thanks to you!!

Item of the Week

I packed for a night away for a kids’ event and shared my secrets. Shop what I packed here.

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Hope you have a great week, everyone!

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