I hope you’ll read the book and listen to our watch my conversation with Rachel Honor of a lifetime. Truly.

Totally Booked with Zibby

Maria Renee Lee, Long Covid, and Hope

Marisa Renee Lee shares her battle with long Covid on top of her other excruciating losses in Waiting for Dawn: Living with Uncertainty. We spoke at Totally Booked: Live at the Whitby where she delighted the crowd with her big laughs, delightful personality, and optimism in the face of devastating circumstances.

Friendship for the Win: Jessica George, Geneen Roth

Jessica George takes on female friendship in her sophomore novel Love by the Book which follows her hit Maame which we also talked about on the podcast, as does Geneen Roth in her latest book Love, Finally: Untangling the Knot Between Mothers, Daughters, and Food. One woman made a huge difference in Geneen’s healing. (This book is for anyone who has ever been on a diet.)

Dr. Tara Narula and Jenny Bartoy Tackle Pain from All Sides

Dr. Tara Narula gives us a specific recipe in The Healing Power of Resilience: A New Prescription for Health and Well-Being while editor Jenny Bartoy collects stories of others, like her, who have cut off contact with toxic people, sometimes even parents, in No Contact: Writing on Estrangement. Taken together, these two conversations arm us with the tools to get through challenges that might just be out of our control. How we respond to them isn’t.

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Upcoming Events

GREENWICH, CT. Thursday, May 7th at 10 am: UJA JCC of Greenwich Women’s Philanthropy speaker. Tickets here.

STAMFORD, CT. Thursday, May 7th at 6 pm: UJF of Stamford, New Canaan, and Darien Women’s Philanthropy Spring Dinner speaker. Tickets here.

NEW YORK, NY. Monday, May 11th at 11:30 am - 1:45 pm. Co-chairing the Child Mind Institute Spring Luncheon with bestselling author Dr. Lisa Damour, Dr. Dave Anderson, and bestselling author Ali Wentworth about empowering parenting in the digital age. Join me. Tickets and tables here.

VIRTUAL. Tuesday, May 12th at 7 pm: Zibby’s Book Club virtual meeting with Emma Grey, Start at the End. Register here for Zoom link.

OYSTER BAY, NY. Sunday, May 17th at 2 pm. Gold Coast Book Festival panelist with Jane L. Rosen, David P. Kaufman, Brenda Janowitz and me. Info here.

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 to follow.

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. 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.

VIRTUAL. Tuesday, June 9th at 7 pm. Zibby’s Book Club with Sarah Damoff, The Burning Side. Register here for Zoom link.

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Between Books

I’m finalizing my tour for my upcoming book Between Books: How I Started Over, Took Some Chances, and Found the Plot. (Available for pre-order!) Have ideas? Interested in my coming to speak to a group near you? Let me know! Reach out with any details to violet.guinness@zibbymedia.com.

Every Week

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

Read On Being Jewish Now, the Substack: . Writers from all over the world have been reflecting on what it means and how it feels to be Jewish now.

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Hope you saw my list of 15 items under $100!

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Hope you have a great week, everyone!

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Gifts Under $100

Bauble Bar custom phone case. $75. Add her name, the word “mom,” or both your initials with a love sign!

Scalloped lacquer mini tray from Mark & Graham. $39. Small, sweet, and available in a zillion colors and patterns.

Adorable “mom” sweater from Anthropologie. Cozy, adorable, and quite on trend. $88.

Urbanstems “the Matriarch” flowers. Elegant. Tasteful. Thoughtful. $68.

Gorjana “Amour” bracelet. These tiny hearts will remind your mom how much you love her. $65

The perfect gift box from Shop Gift Mix. Mom journal, gold pen, shortbread cookies, and travel candle. $59.50

Jellycat hydrangeas. Flowers that last forever! $75

“10 ways to say I love you” Bonne Maman jam gift box. $29.90

Heart socks. (I wear these most days!) $6

Magnetic bookmark set from Rifle Paper. $10

4 pints of custom Mother’s Day themed ice cream from eCreamery. (So good!) $79.99

Petite plume jammies, long sleeve women’s twill blue and white. $84.

Quince Ruched faux fur throw blanket. Cuddle underneath and watch your favorite shows. $89.90

Mongolian cashmere sweater from Quince. Comes in many colors! $50

Mother’s Day M&Ms. Who doesn’t love M&Ms?!

Hope this helps. Let me know what you got!

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(Note: Some of these items have associated affiliate fees I receive for recommending them.)

Just have to rave a minute about one of the books on my list:

The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff

I sobbed on an airplane finishing it. It’s so, so good. It’s about a couple on the brink of divorce when a house fire destroys their home. They move back in with the wife’s parents and find out her dad is succumbing to early onset Alzheimer’s. But really it’s about love, loyalty, memory, compassion, marriage, motherhood, overcoming the past, what we teach and learn, and how to live. Oh my gosh, I loved it. It goes on my top 10 books ever list. Which I have to make.

Retreats

The New York Post ran a feature by about reading retreats and quoted me about ours! We’ve hosted 12 retreats since 2023. Graca Tito and I are an event-planning machine at this point. We have four more retreats in the planning stages that will go on sale shortly. Save the dates:

Highland Park, IL with Matchmaker Bookshop
July 25, 9 am - 2 pm: Petite Retreat, Totally Booked: Live & Lunch

Santa Monica, CA with Zibby’s Bookshop
October 2-4: Weekend Retreat
October 3, 9 am - 2 pm: Day Pass, Totally Booked: Live & Lunch

New York, NY with the Whitby Hotel
October 25, 9 am - 2 pm: Petite Retreat, Totally Booked: Live & Lunch

Naples, FL with Books on Third
January 22-24: Weekend Retreat
January 23, 9 am - 2 pm: Day Pass, Totally Booked: Live & Lunch

Totally Booked with Zibby

We’ve moved to three times a week, Tuesday - Thursday. Delighted to still be in the top 200 podcasts in the Apple Arts charts. (Phew.)

Tuesday: Getting Through Grief — with Humor and Heart

Hear from two amazing women authors who have survived loss and learned to live with it by finding humor in the darkest times. Screenwriter Angela Nissel writes about the loss of her mother — who had been caught up in a deceptive relationship — in Good Grief, Pass the Bread, Mom is Dead. Content creator Leslie Harter-Berg shares how she survived the sudden loss of her 30-year-old husband while on vacation post-Disneyland with their family and small children in You’re So Strong. The two of them are funny, sensitive souls who should really be friends. Taken together, these two conversations highlight how writing is healing, how humor is necessary, and how we can get through the hardest things life throws our way.

Wednesday: Annabelle Gurwitch on Lung Cancer, Humor, and Adventure

I’ve been a fan of actress and bestselling author Annabelle Gurwitch since I first read You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up. I’ve interviewed her on my podcast about her last book You’re Leaving When? and then got lucky enough to publish her new book, The End of My Life is Killing through Zibby Publishing — which has now been on the USA Today bestseller list for two weeks! You might have seen Annabelle lately because she has been all over the media with shout-outs from and interviews with Bill Maher, Drew Barrymore, Terry Gross at NPR, and Jenna Fischer. The book is hilarious and heartbreaking, fast-paced, thought-provoking, and a must-read.

Thursday: Book of the Month Club pick Sally Hepworth’s Mad Mabel

Yes, Sally Hepworth and I spoke about her new novel, Mad Mabel, which features an older, quirky protagonist whose neighbor dies in the opening, and the young friend who comes along. But we also spoke about Sally’s recent divorce and how she has been getting through that. Sally is such a good storyteller that anything out of her mouth is captivating. No wonder her latest book is a Book of the Month Club pick.

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Events This Week

New York, NY. Tuesday, April 21st from 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm with discussion at 6:15 pm. Old Mates Pub. 170 John Street, New York, NY 10038.

Join the Zibby Publishing team and me for food, drinks, conversation and giveaways. I’ll be in conversation with international bestselling author Emma Grey at 6:15 pm. Tickets include a copy of her new book Start at the End. Apparently Old Mates Pub is super fun! Bring a friend. Tickets here. Remember: the ticket includes drinks, food, AND a book. A steal!

White Plains, NY. Thursday, April 23rd at 7 pm: I’ll be interviewing Rachel Goldberg-Polin about her book When We See You Again. Honored. Gutted. Hosted by the UJA Federation of New York. Details here.

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Save the date: Monday, June 1st at 8 pm: I’ll be at the 92nd Street Y in New York (and streaming) with actor Mark Feuerstein, Rabbi Steve Leder and Allison Gilbert to discuss On Being Jewish Now. Mark is our latest addition! Tickets here.

Weekly Additions

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

Read On Being Jewish Now, the Substack: . Writers from all over the world have been reflecting on what it means and how it feels to be Jewish now.

Product of the Week

My phone is always dying while I’m on the go. Obsessed with my new light blue portable battery pack. Now I’m almost as cool as my daughter. This one’s from Velvet Caviar. Link here.

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Hope you have a great week, everyone!

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Every season, I go through all the upcoming books and select the ones I’m most excited about. Here are the books, by month and topic (with links below), that you should have on your radar! We’ll be selling all of them at Zibby’s Bookshop in Santa Monica, CA. Let me know what you think!

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Links to all books on the list:

Alison Leiby, I’m A Lot: Surviving Myself

Alyssa Rosenheck, White. Blonde. Jew.

Amanda Eyre Ward, Arrivals and Departures

Amy Bloom, Blunt Instrument

Amy Chozick, With Friends Like You

Amy Ephron, Unseasonably Cold

Angela Brown, Ways to Find Yourself

Ann Patchett, Whistler

Anna Johnston, When Lemons Give You Life

Annabel Monaghan, Dolly All the Time

Ashley Poston, The Someday Garden

Ashley Winstead, Hot Girl Murder Club

Beatriz Williams, When You Loved Me

Ben Mezrich, Checkmate

Ben Reeves, Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt

Brenda Janowitz, The Introvert’s Guide to Kissing in Europe

Caitlin Mullen, Heather

Caitlin Shetterly, The Gulf of Lions

Carley Fortune, Our Perfect Storm

Caroline Hallemann, The Kennedys and the Windsors

Chris Young, The Wound is Where the Light Enters

Cinelle Barnes, A Way Home

Dara Levan, Shaken to the Core

Dave Eggers, Contrapposto

David K. Israel, The Lost Mozart

David Sedaris, The Land and Its People

Diane Debrovner and Stacy Cervenkas, Roxie in Color

Douglas Brunt, The Lost Empire of Emanuel Nobel

Dr. Lucy Hone, How Will I Ever Get Through This?

Elisa Port, The Breast Advice

Eliza Reid, The First Lady Next Door

Elizabeth Jannuzzi, Sober Mom

Emily Giffin, Love You More

Eva zu Beck, The Wilder Way

Evann Normandin, The Good Parts

Gabrielle Korn, Long Island Girls

Jacqueline Friedland, Breathing Under Water

Jamie Brenner, Blue Angel

Jamie Lynn Sigler, And So It Is...: A Memoir of Acceptance and Hope

Jane Costello, Forty Love

Jason Arday, Great and Unfortunate Things

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Jean Kwok, Dominion

Jenny Hagel, Advice No One Asked For: Essays

Jenny Jackson, The Shampoo Effect

Jessica Knoll, Helpless

Jo Piazza, The Parisian Heist

John Searles, Single Girls

Joyce Maynard, In Wonderland

Justin Halpern, Get Lost

Kate Christensen, Good Company

Katherine Center, The Shippers

Kathryn Stockett, The Calamity Club

Kimberly McCreight, Someone Else’s Husband

Kristy Woodson Harvey, Summer State of Mind

Kyleigh Leddy, Worse Than Strangers

Laura Marie Meyers, The Mash Up

Laura Moriarty, Sunlight Finds You

Laurie Frankel, Enormous Wings

Leslie Bazzett, Mia

Lindsay Bartels, Imogen in Waiting

Lisa Jewell, It Could Have Been Her

Lisa Owens, Natural Disaster

Lisa Roe, Big & Lily

Lisa Scottoline, This Changes Everything

Lisa See, Daughters of the Sun and Moon

Lois Cahall, Maybe Marilyn

Lu Chekowsky, Don’t Buy What I’m Selling

Margie Lachman, Primetime

Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, A Pair of Aces

Matthew Quick, Dad, Love, Me

Michael Cunningham, Unsayable: A Life in Writing

Mikki Brammer, Good Joy, Bad Joy

Morgan Radford, Now Then

Naima Coster, Take What You Can

Natalie Messier, Every Version of You

Natalie Sue, You’ll Love it Here

Rachel Beanland, The Half Life

Rene Denfeld, The Talking Bone

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Richard Russo, Under The Falls

Robinne Lee, Crash Into Me

Rosie Walsh, The One Day You Were My Husband

Rowan Beaird, Tenderness

Ruth Ozeki, The Typing Lady

Ryan Effgen, Make Nice

Sara Bliss and Kate Doerge, Reimagining Grief

Sarah Damoff, The Burning Side

Sarah Pekkanen, The Women in White

Sarah Vaughan, Based on a True Story

Sarah Winman, A Year of Marvelous Ways

Soon Wiley, Cece Downing’s Start Over Summer

Teddy Wayne, The Au Pair

Tia Williams, The Missed Connection

Whitney Hanson, The Love of My Life

Enjoy!

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Tickets

Totally Booked with Zibby

We’ve moved to three times a week, Tuesday - Thursday. Here are a few upcoming episodes.

That’s What Friends Are For

Bestselling memoirist Wade Rouse shares about his first novel That’s What Friends Are For inspired by “The Golden Girls.” In crafting humorous story lines about four gay friends in later life, Wade explores complex issues ranging from prejudice and discrimination to loyalty and love. We spoke about the book live at Zibby’s Bookshop.

Little Free Library

I touched base with Little Free Library CEO Daniel Gumnit about how to promote literacy, why stories are best when shared, and exactly how to bring a Little Free Library to your “neck of the woods.” Learn more here.

Celebrity Spotlight: Gina Gershon

Actress Gina Gershon takes us through the unexpected, entertaining steps to becoming a star and the attitude it takes to do so in her memoir Alphapussy: How I Survived the Valley and Learned to Love My Boobs.

Next week! Bestselling Author Annabelle Gurwitch on Lung Cancer, Humor, and Adventure

I’ve been a fan of actress and bestselling author Annabelle Gurwitch since I first read You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up. I’ve interviewed her on my podcast about her last book You’re Leaving When? and then got lucky enough to publish her new book, The End of My Life is Killing through Zibby Publishing — which has now been on the USA Today bestseller list for two weeks! You might have seen Annabelle lately because she has been all over the media with shout-outs from and interviews with Bill Maher, Drew Barrymore, Terry Gross at NPR, and Jenna Fischer. The book is hilarious and heartbreaking, fast-paced, thought-provoking, and a must-read. Hear from Annabelle and me at Totally Booked: Live in New York.

Plus Angela Nissel, Leslie Harter-Berg, and Sally Hepworth!

If you wouldn’t mind voting for Totally Booked in the Webby Awards, that would be amazing. We’re nominated for best individual podcast episode in the Arts.

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Events This Week

Wednesday, April 15th at 7 pm: Zibby’s Book Club with Emma Tourtelot, No One You Know. Sign up here for this free, virtual Q&A event.

Wednesday, April 15th at 7:30 pm. The Braid performance of On Being Jewish Now at Temple Isaiah in Beverly Hills, CA. Tickets here.

Thursday, April 16th, 9:30 am - 2:30 pm (half-day passes available): Totally Booked: Live. Humor, Self-Discovery and Love. Tickets here. New York.

Thursday, April 16th at 7 pm ET: Zoom performance of The Braid’s On Being Jewish Now. Tickets here.

Sunday, April 19th at 2 pm ET: Zoom performance of The Braid’s On Being Jewish Now. Tickets here.

Watch: The “Totally Booked” TV Show on JBS

New episodes every Thursday at 7:30 pm ET on the JBS network. Watch here.

Read On Being Jewish Now, the Substack

Have you read the essays we release every week on our Substack, ? Writers from all over the world have been reflecting on what it means and how it feels to be Jewish now.

Speaking of which, the anthology hit the USA Today bestseller list again this week for week #28. Thank you all for the support.

Did You See The News?

People magazine revealed my cover! Between Books: How I Started Over, Took Some Chances, and Found the Plot comes out September 22nd. More info here.

Product of the Week

If you’re in the mood for some high-end, glam sunglasses, use code ZIBBY15 to take 15% off your next pair at Tiwi.

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Or 15% off dog products at Dogistry.com with ZIBBY15.

I’m obsessed with this J.McLaughlin purse. I was on the fence about it but it goes with everything, you can dress it up or dress it down, and it’s super light. That’s me on Friday outside Daunt Books in London!

Hope you have a great week, everyone!

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It’s here. People magazine revealed the cover of my upcoming book Between Books: How I Started Over, Took Some Chances, and Found the Plot at 11 am. Here it is!

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Yo…

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You guys. Exactly eight year ago today, on April 6, 2018, I released my very first podcast interview. It was with author — and HBS classmate and friend — Lea Carpenter. (You can listen to that early episode here.)

I remember it like it was yesterday. I’d just gotten the hang of my microphone and GarageBand on Apple. I’d Googled “easiest podcast platform ever” and found Podbean which I stayed on until my CAA agent Josh Lindgren got me a deal, years later, with Acast.

From the moment Lea and I started chatting based on the typed questions I’d sent her ahead of time (I did that for guests for the first four years), I was hooked. I got to know her in a whole new way. Time stopped. Nothing distracted me.

As she walked out of my apartment, she said, “Soon, you’ll have a stack of books waiting outside your door. Wait until the book publicists find out.”

“Don’t be silly,” I responded.

Did I know what I was doing? Not really. All I’d done to prepare was listen to many other podcasts to find out what worked and what didn’t. What were the best podcasts doing right? How could I make my show uniquely mine? I picked the books I wanted to learn more about and authors I wanted to get to know better. Now, exactly eight years later, I’ve done 2,300+ episodes (several guest-hosted along the way). I’ve loved every minute. And it has changed my life in every way.

What if I hadn’t tried it?

There were so many podcasts back then, I didn’t know how to or if I would break in. Now, I feel like it’s even harder. Every celebrity has a podcast. Back then, hardly any did. It’s hard to compete with, say, Amy Poehler. And yet, there’s an audience out there for everything. Luckily, there’s still an audience for mine. You! (Keep listening, please!)

I started with one episode per week and couldn’t imagine going to two. Then, during Covid, I moved to daily and released seven episodes a week until last year. Now, on the advice of basically everyone, I’m going down to three per week. (Here’s my very short explanation episode!) But to get around this constraint, I’m doing some episodes with multiple authors linked by theme. I’m so grateful to every single author who has come on my show, some many times. I’m so grateful to everyone who has listened.

Where do I want the show to be in another eight years? I want to keep meeting and learning from extremely talented authors. I want to discover new books and put them on the map. I want to move the needle for authors who come on. I want my audience to grow.

But even if everything stays exactly the same, I’ll be immensely grateful. I’ve interviewed every author on my original wishlist, a goal that felt completely unattainable, a list I made just for fun. Anna Quindlen? Ann Patchett? Michael Lewis? Yes! I’ve spoken to most celebrities and authors I idolized as a kid. (Justine Bateman from Family Ties? Yes.) I’ve accomplished what I set out to do. But I love it. Every minute. It brings me so much joy, every conversation. I have an insatiable curiosity when it comes to learning about other people and inhaling stories.

Will you come with me on the next iteration? I sure hope so. Thanks again!

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Totally Booked with Zibby

We’ve moved to three times a week!

Tuesday: Zibby Publishing’s Start at the End by International Bestseller Emma Grey

Australian author Emma Grey’s The Last Love Note kicked off Emma’s journey with our publishing house. I read the PDF on a flight when her agent pitched it for my podcast — and fell in love. We acquired the U.S. rights and published it to much acclaim including as picks of Book of the Month Club and Target Book Club. Then came Pictures of You, an intense story about coercive control, which was also a breakout hit. Emma’s third U.S. novel Start at the End comes out today! It’s about love, loyalty, second chances, artistic ambition, family and what ifs. Join Emma on tour and learn more here!

Wednesday: The Perfect Graduation Gift — with Great Life Advice

Christina Geist, bestselling children’s book author and brand guru, wrote Before You Fly Away: Life Lessons from Home, a beautifully illustrated gift book. It’s chockfull of short thoughts and sayings that Christina put together to help her kids out in the world. But really, it’s going to help all our kids. And, perhaps, us, too. Stay tuned on my Instagram for a giveaway this week!

Thursday: Bookstore Owner + NYT Bestselling Author Jenny Lawson on How to Be Okay When Nothing is Okay

Founder of Nowhere Bookshop is anywhere but nowhere. She’s a guru. Jenny Lawson has written book after book about her mental health, obstacles, tips and tricks, using her sense of humor and relatable voice. How to Be Okay When Nothing is Okay is my favorite of all her books to date. I dog-earred so many pages with actual, actionable advice. Plus I love following her on social (thebloggess). Let me know if this book makes you feel better. I know I did.

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Events This Week

Something special is happening on April 8th. Stay tuned for some news!

Wednesday, April 8th: Totally Booked: Live at the Whitby. So sorry — this is sold out!

Coming Soon

April 16th, 9:30 am - 2:30 pm (half-day passes available): Totally Booked: Live. Humor, Self-Discovery and Love. Tickets here. New York.

The Braid’s performance of On Being Jewish Now will be in Northern California!

April 11 @ 7:30pm
in Palo Alto, CA
BUY TICKETS

April 12 @ 2:00pm
in Los Gatos, CA
BUY TICKETS

Watch: The “Totally Booked” TV Show on JBS

New episodes every Thursday at 7:30 pm ET on the JBS network. Watch here.

What I Binge-Watched with My Kids:

Pop Star Academy: Katseye. Guilty as charged.

Hope you have a great week, everyone!

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Kyle and I hosted Passover for the first time ever in our home in the Palisades. We’ve been back in the house for three months now and truly appreciate every single moment. It’s bittersweet, of course, to be “home” when so many of our friends and neighbors — thousands and thousands of neighbors — don’t have the option. But all around us, there has been growth, so much growth, not just in the surrounding area, but in us.

It wasn’t perfect. Kyle woke up early and started making the feast before 7 am. After spending most the day in the kitchen perfecting his first ever matzah ball soup, and roasting the shank bone, brisket, chicken, and potatoes (“If you want the house to smell like shabbat, you have to make the potatoes,” right, Rebecca Raphael?), he came outside with us for a quick dip in the pool.

The kids and I were reading, getting a bit of sunshine after a day mostly spent in my bookstore. Truth be told, I didn’t hear anything, but all of a sudden, he shot up and said, “The alarm!”

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Totally Booked with Zibby

This week spotlights history! FYI, we’re moving to three times a week!

Monday: Zibby’s Book Club Pick Allegra Goodman’s This is Not About Us

I loved interviewing Allegra Goodman several times on my show for her novels Sam and Isola. Her latest book This is Not About Us was a Zibby’s Book Club pick in March. Instead of a new interview between us, I’m releasing a fabulous conversation about this book that we hosted at Zibby’s Bookshop between her and bestselling author Nikki Ehrlich, The Measure. Enjoy!

Tuesday: Israel and Iran: History and Today, featuring Yardena Schwartz and Jonathan Harouroff

First, get the context for today’s political climate with Yardena Schwartz, Ghosts of a Holy War: The 1929 Massacre in Palestine That Ignited the Arab-Israeli Conflict. Then hear from Jonathan Harouroff in Unveiled: Inside Iran’s #WomenLifeFreedom Revolt. I guarantee you’ll feel more educated on current events after doing so.

Wednesday: The Harvard You Didn’t Know

Literary ingenue J.R. Thornton takes us into the posh world of Harvard College from dorm rooms and classrooms to parties and more when an outsider gets pulled into the ultra-elite establishment by his roommate Lucien and has to decide whether to live by his moral code or go along with the plot.

Thursday: Finding Yourself

Join Blair Glaser as she journeys into herself and goes from NYC and LA to a special yoga retreat in This Incredible Longing: How I Found My Self in a Near-Cult Experience. (Shout out to Isabelle Fisher Krishana, her cousin.) If you’ve ever felt lost, start here.

Friday: Are Personal Essays Performative?

How to Survive in the Woods by Kat Rosenfield is truly hard to put down. Three friends go in the woods where two of them plot against the third in a love triangle that shape shifts. Kat and I spoke about the book and the moved on to how she finds personal essays performative. (I mentioned that I write them!) Thoughts on our discussion? If you like the idea of hiking (even without moving from the couch), this is for you.

Listen here.

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Events This Week

Thursday, April 2nd at 6 pm: I’ll be interviewing Wade Rouse at Zibby’s Bookshop about That’s What Friends Are For.

Otherwise I’m taking vacation with my kids!

Speaking of Zibby’s Bookshop, we’re famous! Check us out in the article by Ian Mohr in the Hollywood Post’s Page Six here!

Coming Soon

Don’t miss our two amazing Totally Booked: Live events at The Whitby Hotel in New York with fabulous authors!!

April 8th, 10 am - 2:30 pm (half-day passes available): Totally Booked: Live. Friendships, Setbacks and Secrets. Tickets here. New York.

April 16th, 9:30 am - 2:30 pm (half-day passes available): Totally Booked: Live. Humor, Self-Discovery and Love. Tickets here. New York.

Watch: The “Totally Booked” TV Show on JBS

New episodes every Thursday at 7:30 pm ET on the JBS network. Don’t miss the most recent episode with many contributors to anthology Midlife Private Parts, edited by Dina Aronson and Dina Alvarez! Watch here.

Item(s) of the Week

I’ve worn this belt with basically everything all week long. Love.

Have a great week, everyone. Happy Passover and Easter!

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This week I’m in L.A. and going to many performances of On Being Jewish Now, the stage performance. Watching it last night in Torrance, CA just reminded me how insanely talented the authors are who wrote essays in the book. What a thrill to see it come to life!

Also, thanks to La Regle du Jeu and Bernard-Henri Levy for writing a feature about me — in French! Merci, merci.

Did anyone read Annabelle Gurwitch’s The End of My Life is Killing Me? Obsessed! This week I’m ready Kathryn Stockett’s follow-up to The Help called The Calamity Club. It’s more than 600 pages but I’m determined to get through it. Would you read a book that long!?

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By the way, I often include links to books in the newsletter and see how many of you click! Wondering where you prefer to buy books online? Can you take the poll? I want to make it easy for you!

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Totally Booked with Zibby

This week spotlights history!

Monday: Best Writing Advice I’ve Ever Received from The Book Thief’s Markus Zusak

Do you remember The Book Thief? It came out twenty years ago and was a massive bestseller. It was just re-released as a 20th anniversary edition and oh my gosh, it’s gorgeous. I re-read the book to prepare for my interview with Markus and highly encourage you to do so, too — or read it for the first time if you missed it. Spectacular.

It’s a story about a young, book-loving, non-Jewish girl in Nazi Germany, her family’s relationship with the man they hid, her own family’s struggle, and a town reeling from the war. I’m not doing it justice. It’s so good, a coming-of-age in wartime. Also? Incredibly creative. Hear from Markus Zusak about how he wrote the book only he could write.

Tuesday: Bestselling Author Marie Benedict Knows History

I like to think of Marie Benedict as my midlife history professor; every novel she writes teaches me more about periods of time I thought I understood. In Daughter of Egypt, Marie transports us to post-WWI England and Egypt through the eyes of a young woman who is more interested in archeology than cotillion. I interviewed Marie as part of Totally Booked: Live in Palm Beach. Prepare to be transported.

Wednesday: Do Your Kids Like Slime?

We’ve gone through a multi-year slime phase in our house, much to the dismay of our kitchen table. When we discovered there was basically an amusement park for slime called Sloomoo Institute, the kids were hooked! It’s an immersive experience, birthday party venue, and sensory sensation with make-your-own-slime, get slimed walls, walk barefoot in smooth sand, and other tactile experiences.

Now bestselling author Melissa De La Cruz and Mike Johnston have turned founders Karen Robinovitz and Sara Schiller’s destination into a graphic novel Sloomoo: Making Friends. (Karen and Sara united after both of them had been felled by unspeakable losses and found joy through playing with slime.) They’ll be at Zibby’s Bookshop this Sunday (me too!) from 10 am - 11 am and will be hosting a kids’ experience. Listen to the episode and come by!

Thursday: Matti Friedman Introduces Us to Heroes

I spoke to Matti Friedman right before the war with Iran began. He remarked that he and his family couldn’t make any plans as they waited to see what would happen. I’ve been thinking of him as Israelis rush to shelters as Iran retaliates. In his book, Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe, we go back to an earlier war.

Matti, through extensive research, recreates the mission of select airmen and women who fight for freedom, explaining how and why certain streets in Israel are named after these heroes. In writing about them, he has become a hero in his own right.

Friday: TOVAH!!!!!

Who doesn’t know legendary actress Tovah Feldshuh?! (If you don’t, now you will!) Tovah, the subject of an upcoming documentary which just premiered at the Temple Emanuel Streicker Center, is an all-time Broadway and screen great. She’s currently starring at Adam Brody’s mother Bina in Nobody Wants This. I interviewed Tovah for the second time as part of Totally Booked: Live in New York where she received a standing ovation.

Last night in Los Angeles, Tovah joined my mother, Kyle, and me for dinner and opening night of the stage performance of my book On Being Jewish Now and she will star in my brother Teddy’s upcoming film Tuner. She calls herself our family’s babysitter. We just adore her. Hear our conversation and learn more about her memoir Lilyville: Mother, Daughter, and Other Roles I’ve Played.

Listen here.

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Events This Week

On Being Jewish Now: The Stage Performance

On Being Jewish Now premiered last night in Torrance, CA! I’ll be participating in all performances this week where I’ll be joined by other contributors to the book. Thanks to the Times of Israel and Jewish Journal for more press about the show!

Tickets here.

These are the in-person performances at which I’ll be doing Q&As this week:

TUE, MAR 24, 7:30 PM PT The Braid Space - SOLD OUT. Address: 3435 Ocean Park Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405.

WED, MAR 25, 7:30 PM PT Valley Beth Shalom. Address: 15739 Ventura Blvd, Encino, CA 91436.

THUR, MAR 26, 7:30 PM PT Congregation Or Ami. Address: 26115 Mureau Rd # B, Calabasas, CA 91302.

SUN, MAR 29, 2:00 PM PT IN PERSON, Wilshire Blvd Temple (Irmas Campus). 11661 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064.

There are also virtual Zoom performances April 16th and 19th and Northern California performances plus another Santa Monica performance on April 23rd. And it may be coming to New York, Houston and Palm Beach. Fingers crossed!

Tickets here

Also, see above! This Sunday at 10 am, I’ll be at the Sloomoo event at Zibby’s Bookshop!

Watch: The “Totally Booked” TV Show on JBS

New episodes every Thursday at 7:30 pm ET on the JBS network. Don’t miss the most recent episode with , author of My What If Year and Someone’s Gotta Give which we published at Zibby Publishing! Watch here.

Item(s) of the Week

Obsessed with my new spring dress. I will be wearing this often! J.McLaughlin sponsored my book tour for Blank so I’m forever indebted! Paired it with a belt and suede boots! My mom helped me pick it out. ;-)

DRESS

Have a great week, everyone.

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Ticket info

Four actors will be performing fourteen of the essays written by contributors to the On Being Jewish Now anthology: , actor Mark Feuerstein, Rebecca Raphael, , Rabbi Sharon Brous, Courtney Sheinmel, , , Keren Blankfeld (), , film producer Jeremy Garelick, Shirin Yadegar, Elizabeth Silver, and me!

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The play will be performed in person at different locations across the greater L.A. and San Francisco areas for the next six weeks, plus on Zoom (so no excuse to miss it!). Contributors will do talkbacks after many of them. I’ll be at all events between March 22nd - 29th in person.

We’ve gotten really wonderful press already! The Hollywood Reporter broke the news and since then the Times of Israel, the Jewish Journal (even the print edition), Broadway World, and the Santa Monica Daily Press have written about with more coverage to come.

It’s so crazy to me how everything has happened with this book project. What started as an idea I had while perched on the edge of the couch, scrolling my phone in the dark after the kids had fallen asleep one late June evening, frustrated and devastated after hearing about another attack on Israel, has turned into a community. A movement.

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The book was on the USA Today bestseller list for 27 weeks. It has led to hundreds of events. I’ve personally traveled all over North America meeting groups of amazing people, often with other contributors. Think: Houston, Dallas, New Orleans, Louisville, Toronto, Palm Beach, Miami, Boca Raton, Naples, Milwaukee, Scottsdale, L.A., New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, D.C., Connecticut, Long Island, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Marin, and so many other stops.

The Substack, which launched on pub day for the book, is still going strong. We publish 1-2 essays a week from around the globe.

Who knows what’s after this? After California, we have tentative stops planned in Houston and New York. If your organization would like to host us and bring the performance to you, please get in touch with Ronda.

And boy, don’t we all need a little joy and connection in this dark time? Jewish or not, these stories and performances are about connection. Community. Culture. Resilience. Grief. Love.

Ticket info

I hope you’ll all come out, spread the word, and support the new iteration of the book. Ticket info is here. Here’s to bringing light to each other this Passover. And peace.

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This is a really exciting week because we’re publishing Annabelle Gurwitch’s memoir, The End of My Life is Killing Me: The Unexpected Joys of a Cancer Slacker which comes out tomorrow. Annabelle is an actress and New York Times bestselling author plus two-time nominee for the Thurber Prize for Humor.

Annabelle has been doing so many events including one with me in Palm Beach Gardens at the JCC last week! (Watch here.) The book is an unforgettable comedy about living with stage 4 lung cancer. And it’s really good. Annabelle also contributed to On Being Jewish Now. Learn more here. (p.s. Graca on our team designed the cover!)

Totally Booked with Zibby

Monday: Anna Quindlen’s Book Club

Ever wondered what a fictitious book club would look like in Anna Quindlen’s mind? Enter More Than Enough, her latest powerhouse of a novel which centers on what happens to the members of a book club including DNA-based identity disruptions, illness, infertility, and more — with a dose of alpaca. Read to find out. We recorded our episode live at The Whitby Hotel. Watch it on my TV show “Totally Booked” on the JBS network when it comes out.

Tuesday: Ruthie Rogers Sits Down with Celebs

In Table 4 at The River Cafe, restaurant owner Ruthie Rogers shares conversations with her high-profile podcast guests including Paul McCartney, David Beckham, and Martha Stewart. Learn more about them through their relationships to food.

Wednesday: Debut Fiction Based in New Mexico

Want to travel to the Southwest? I Am Agatha by debut author Nancy Foley takes us there. Inspired by her grandmother’s past, Nancy wrote a story about two elderly ladies and their antics. It’s as much about the land as the people. Here’s to pursuing writing dreams until they come true.

Thursday: A Love Letter to a Former Teacher

Brian Platzer’s novel The Optimists was just reviewed in the New York Times Book Review. I interviewed him live at the Whitby about his beloved teacher who fell victim to a stroke and who he visited for years afterwards, how Sarah Jessica Parker interviewed him at a recent event, and the power of loyalty. His novel also features a love story gone wrong about teens and a star student’s descent. Watch it on my TV show “Totally Booked” on the JBS network when it comes out.

Friday: An “It Girl” Worth Knowing

Bestselling author Allison Pataki introduces us to yet another powerful woman forgotten in history in her latest historical novel It Girl. Evelyn Talbot shot onto the scene in the early 20th century and rose to prominence (think: Kardashians). But her relationships with men destroyed her career and her life. Read Allison’s reimagined ending for this star. Watch it on my TV show “Totally Booked” on the JBS network when it comes out.

Listen here.

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Events This Week

NEW YORK. Tuesday, March 17th: ADL Never is Now Conference. (Online pass available too here.)

9:00 am - 11 am: Main Stage with other “Heroes Against Hate” in opening session.

2:45 pm - 4:00 pm: Discussion with Bianna Goldryga, “Parenting Through Antisemitism: Helping Children Face Hate with Strength and Empathy.” Info here. Register here.

NEW YORK. Wednesday, March 18th: Israel Matters event with UJA New York. Rabbi Raphael Shore (Zooming in from Israel), producer of the documentary, Tragic Awakening: A New Look at the Oldest Hatred, and Jonathan Tobin, Editor-in-Chief of the Jewish New Syndicate (JNS). 6:00 pm: Panel conversation. 7:00 pm: Film screening. Tickets here.

On Being Jewish Now

Last week was brutal for the Jewish people. I posted about the many attacks on institutions and individuals in real time. These despicable acts should be ringing alarm bells for everyone.

In Israel, contributed to our Substack about what it feels like living in today’s uncertainty as a type A mom with “War is the Thief of Time.” (Speaking of type A moms, check out my friend’s Substack: .)

If you’ve been affected, my heart goes out to you. We all feel it. For everyone else, a reminder that not doing or saying something is also a decision.

Now back to my happy, informative weekly newsletter for book lovers. Because this is how we roll. Living life in the face of antisemitism.

The Performance

On Being Jewish Now has been adapted and produced by The Braid! The show is opening this month in L.A. and next month in Northern California, plus on Zoom. Check out the coverage in the Hollywood Reporter and Broadway World!

Tickets here.

These are the in-person performances at which I’ll be doing talkbacks:

SUN, MAR 22, 7:00 PM PT Private Art Gallery, Torrance, CA - SOLD OUT.

MON, MAR 23, 7:00 PM PT Congregation Tikvat Jacob. Address: 1829 N Sepulveda Blvd, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266.

TUE, MAR 24, 7:30 PM PT The Braid Space - SOLD OUT. Address: 3435 Ocean Park Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405.

WED, MAR 25, 7:30 PM PT Valley Beth Shalom. Address: 15739 Ventura Blvd, Encino, CA 91436.

THUR, MAR 26, 7:30 PM PT Congregation Or Ami. Address: 26115 Mureau Rd # B, Calabasas, CA 91302.

SUN, MAR 29, 2:00 PM PT IN PERSON, Wilshire Blvd Temple (Irmas Campus). 11661 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064. S

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Watch: The “Totally Booked” TV Show on JBS

Did you miss all these episodes of my TV show? You can catch up! Click below. New episodes every Thursday at 7:30 pm ET on the JBS network. The most recent episodes are up of Katie Sturino, Sunny Side Up, and Lili Anolik, Didion & Babitz.

Item(s) of the Week

Dogistry has given us all a special 15% off discount on all adorable dog harnesses and leashes. Code: ZIBBY15. Click here.

Have a great week, everyone.

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Zibby’s Book Club

450 of you signed up for last week’s book club with Belle Burden! Loved seeing so many of you on the Zoom! My March Zibby’s Book Club pick is Allegra Goodman’s This is Not About Us. March 11th at 7 pm ET. Sign up here. (Note: Graca Tito will be manning the Q&A!)

Other Events This Week!

PALM BEACH, FL. Tuesday, March 10th from 10:30 am - 12 pm ET. Distinguished Author Series: “Resilience, Reinvented” with Annabelle Gurwitch, The End of My Life is Killing Me. The Mandel JCC in Palm Beach. Info here.

LOUISVILLE, KY. Wednesday, March 11th. 6 pm - 8 pm. Jewish Joy Annual Women’s Philanthropy Event at the Jewish Federation of Louisville, KY. Speaker at the cocktail reception. The Ice House, 226 E. Washington Street. Register here.

NEW ORLEANS, LA. Thursday, March 12th, 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm. New Orleans JCC - Uptown event with Meryl Poster. Register here.

NEW ORLEANS, LA. Friday, March 13th, 10 am - 10:45 am. The New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University. “Don’t Miss the Plot: Finding Meaning and Purpose in Life Through Fiction” with John Kenney and Wally Lamb, moderated by me. Info here.

And Next Week…

NEW YORK. Monday, March 16th at 2:45 pm. ADL Heroes Against Hate Conference. “Parenting Through Antisemitism: Helping Children Face Hate with Strength and Empathy.” Moderating a conversation with Yonit Levi and Bianna Goldryga, Don’t Feed the Lion. Info here. Register here.

NEW YORK. Tuesday, March 17th at 9:00 am. ADL Heroes Against Hate Conference. Main Stage with other “Heroes” plus breakfast. Info here. Register here.

VIRTUAL. Tuesday, March 17th at 8 pm ET. The Braid Kick-off for members of the play “On Being Jewish Now.” More info here.

NEW YORK. Wednesday, March 18th: Israel Matters event with UJA New York. I’ll be moderating a conversation with Rabbi Raphael Shore, Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Jew, and producer of the documentary, Tragic Awakening: A New Look at the Oldest Hatred, and Jonathan Tobin, Editor-in-Chief of the Jewish New Syndicate (JNS). 5:30 pm: Cocktails. 6:00 pm: Panel conversation. 7:00 pm: Film screening. Tickets here.

Totally Booked with Zibby

Monday: Former Actress now Author Deborah Goodrich Royce on That Best Boy

You might know Deborah Goodrich Royce for the amazing summer author series she hosts at the hotel she co-owns with her husband the Ocean House in Watch Hill, R.I. (If you haven’t been, you must.) Or maybe it’s for her previous novels, Finding Mrs. Ford, Ruby Falls, or Reef Road. Perhaps it’s for her soap opera days, or from co-chairing the New York Public Library’s annual spring luncheon, or maybe just from listening to her on my podcast the last few years. We discussed her new book Best Boy, the authors-supporting-authors life and more.

Tuesday: My Kids’ Teacher Writes Another Novel

Aren’t teachers the best? When I found out that Ani Katz (“Miss Katz”), my kids’ former teacher, wrote another novel, Haven, I had to invite her on the podcast and to our Totally Booked: Live show. Hear from her about the teaching life, the pitfalls of writing fiction, and so much more.

Wednesday: Shocking News about Judy Blume

In Mark Oppenheimer’s new biography about Judy Blume, he reveals a number of surprising things, so much that I kept leaning over to my kids as I read going, “Did you know…” What the former “Unorthodox” podcast host really did was paint a portrait of one of the consummate literary leading ladies of our time. A must devour.

Thursday: Midlife Reinvention Mixed with ‘90s Princeton University - and Running

If you’re in the mood to commiserate with a couple of close friends about the indignities of aging, love in midlife, life at Princeton in the 90s, how to get in shape for running, and more, this is the book for you. Hear from the leading Black and Jewish co-author team Alli Frank and Asha Youmans who call themselves “the Will and Grace of race” in Run for Your Life, Callie Kingman.

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Friday: A European Road Trip with Two Bad Ass Women

We published this “Thelma and Louise” meets “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” tale about a midlife recently catfished and humiliated woman and the young journalist determined to get revenge on her behalf. Travel all over Europe with them as they track down the con man who did this. Alexandra Potter is a massive bestselling author in the U.K. whose last novel was adapted into the TV show, “Not Dead Yet” on ABC. Check out So, I Met This Guy.

Listen here.

On Being Jewish Now

Our play, “On Being Jewish Now,” adapted and produced by The Braid, is opening this month in L.A. and next month in Northern California, plus on ZOOM! Come see it! Tickets here.

Item(s) of the Week

My kids are obsessed with Jellycats. Here are their recent favorites, also great for Easter! The carrot and oat fluffet bunny are adorable!

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Watch: The “Totally Booked” TV Show on JBS

Did you miss all these episodes of my TV show? You can catch up! Click below. New episodes every Thursday at 7:30 pm ET on the JBS network.

Have a great week, everyone.

About Our Membership

You’re all part of my community! But if you want to go deeper, please do! Z.I.P. stands for Zibby’s Important People. It’s the membership community for readers who want exclusive podcasts and events, private content, book discounts, member pricing, and more. It’s also for anyone who wants to support what I’m doing — uplifting authors, connecting readers, and speaking up. This weekly newsletter will always be free for all subscribers. (I do include some affiliate links.)

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Subscribe now

How can we not be feeling the effects of all of this uncertainty and devastation?! No one is immune. I’m praying for the safety of all our friends around the world.

In the face of all this, I’m going to keep posting and sending newsletters about books and authors — because connecting through stories is how I process life. Maybe you need the distraction as much as I do? So here’s my normal newsletter in anything but normal times.

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Zibby’s Book Club

TONIGHT at 7 pm ET, join me for a Q&A with #1 New York Times bestseller author Belle Burden about Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage, my February Zibby’s Book Club pick! I just added even more free spots. It has sold out twice and I keep increasing capacity. Make sure to mute yourself and add questions to the chat. Sign up here.

My March Zibby’s Book Club pick is Allegra Goodman’s This is Not About Us. Join me for that Zoom, too! March 11th at 7 pm ET. Sign up here.

Events

TONIGHT! NAPLES, FL. Monday, March 2nd at 5:30 pm: Event at Books on Third in Naples. Tickets here.

(NAPLES, FL. Tuesday, March 3rd: Private Jewish Federation event.)

NEW YORK. Thursday, March 5th at 6:30 pm ET: “The Truth About Being Jewish: Educating Children to Be Proud American Jews” hosted by EMET Classical Academy. I’ll be doing a talk with Rebecca Sugar — exclusively for parents of fourth to ninth graders in NYC schools. Learn more here.

For all my upcoming events, click here!

Totally Booked with Zibby

Monday: An Earlier Hostage Speaks Out

Mimi Nichter was an American teenager returning from a summer in Israel on September 6th, 1970 when the plane she was on was hijacked. She was then taken hostage. Until recently, she had never shared what happened. With the release of her memoir, Hostage: A Memoir of Terrorism, Trauma, and Resilience, Mimi sets the stage for how what happened to her has echoes in the news — literally today. I’m embarrassed to say I’d never heard about this flight hijacking. Now I can’t forget it.

Tuesday: Poetry That Makes Motherhood Beautiful with Jessica Urlichs

I loved these poems by Jessica Urlichs so much that I ended up reading some to my son. Somehow, they take the unwieldy, much-discussed experience of motherhood and reframe it, distill it, and make it relatable in a new way. Isn’t it wild how effective great poetry can be? We discussed all of it and made each other cry. Check out her collection We Bloom Because of You.

Wednesday: “Midwinter Break” Director Polly Findlay Discusses Adaptation

Focus Features was kind enough to offer me the chance to host a screening of the new film “Midwinter Break,” which many of you in my community attended! Based on the novel Midwinter Break by Bernard MacLaverty, which was edited by podcast guest and author Jill Bialosky, the film “Midwinter Break” paints an intimate portrait of a marriage in its later years. Director Polly Findlay and I discussed the adaptation, how to depict intimate relationships, and the power of stories in all mediums. Watch the movie trailer here.

Thursday: From Infertility to Empty Nesting in Fiction

Trying something new here! I interviewed three women authors on the same day whose novels took me through the full spectrum of motherhood — so I wanted you all to have the same experience. We start with Angela Brown’s Ways to Find Yourself in which Grace Whittaker meets younger versions of herself as she mourns her mother’s loss while attempting to get pregnant. We then move on to British “it girl” Saba Sams’s Gunk which really throws you into the birth and baby experience. And then we fast forward to empty nesting in Lindsey Goldstein’s Gap Year in which a middle-aged mom takes off on an adventure after being left by her husband. Would love your input on this new episode format. I had fun doing it!

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Friday: Joan Lunden Shares What’s Beyond the Script

I interviewed the one and only Joan Lunden live in front of an audience for this very special discussion about her career as a longtime GMA anchor, her women’s health advocacy, the loss of her father at a young age, her marriage and second marriage, and so much more. What a thrill! Check out her latest memoir Joan: Life Beyond the Script.

Listen here.

On Being Jewish Now

Our play, “On Being Jewish Now,” adapted and produced by The Braid, is opening this month in L.A. and next month in Northern California, plus on ZOOM! Come see it! Tickets here.

Have you been keeping up with the original essays we publish on our Substack ?! Recent essays include “On Becoming a Jewish Mother at 19” by and “The Joy of Jewish Book Clubs” by .

Item of the Week

We have a new collab with Unsweetened New York! Treat yourself or a book loving friend to our “Next Chapter Please” t-shirt! Order here. We also sell these in-store at Zibby’s Bookshop!

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Watch: The “Totally Booked” TV Show on JBS

Did you miss all these episodes of my TV show? You can catch up! Click below.

Mitch Albom, Lili Anolik, Rabbi Angela Buchdal, Susan Choi, Kate Baer, Michael Eisner, Corinne Low, Kelly Corrigan, Suzy Welch, Leslie Gray Streeter, Amy Bloom, Jill Bialosky, Michele Filgate/Kelly McMasters/Joanna Rakoff, Rebecca Minkoff, Jeanine Cummins… and new episodes every Thursday at 7:30 pm ET on the JBS network.

Have a great week, everyone. Stay safe.

About Our Membership

You’re all part of my community! But if you want to go deeper, please do! Z.I.P. stands for Zibby’s Important People. It’s the membership community for readers who want exclusive podcasts and events, private content, book discounts, member pricing, and more. It’s also for anyone who wants to support what I’m doing — uplifting authors, connecting readers, and speaking up. This weekly newsletter will always be free for all subscribers. (I do include some affiliate links.)

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FEBRUARY

SANTA MONICA. Friday, February 27th. 7:00 pm. WIN Awards Honoree for the Community Activist Honoree for my work after the Palisades Fire. Info here. (Note: Can give away 10 tickets to this! Email info@zibbyowens.com if you’d like to attend!)

MARCH

NEW YORK. Sunday, March 1st: Sunday Brunch and Book Talk celebrating International Women’s Day with amazing authors including Anna Quindlen, Allison Pataki, Tovah Feldshuh, Alli Frank & Asha Youmans, Brian Platzer, and Alexandra Potter. Tickets on sale here.

NAPLES, FL. Monday, March 2nd at 5:30 pm: Event at Books on Third in Naples. Tickets here.

VIRTUAL. Monday, March 2nd at 7 pm ET: Zoom Q&A session with Belle Burden’s #1 New York Times bestselling author of Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage. Register for free here. Added more tickets - not sold out!

NAPLES, FL. Tuesday, March 3rd: Private Jewish Federation Snowbirds event.

NEW YORK. Thursday, March 5th at 6:30 pm ET: “The Truth About Being Jewish: Educating Children to Be Proud American Jews” hosted by EMET Classical Academy. I’ll be doing a talk with Rebecca Sugar — exclusively for parents of fourth to ninth graders in NYC schools. Learn more here.

VIRTUAL. Monday, March 9th at 7:00 pm ET: Jewish Women’s Foundation of the Berkshires interview with author Tova Mirvis, Would Never. Join here.

PALM BEACH, FL. Tuesday, March 10th from 10:30 am - 12 pm ET. Distinguished Author Series: “Resilience, Reinvented” with Annabelle Gurwitch, The End of My Life is Killing Me. The Mandel JCC in Palm Beach. Info here.

VIRTUAL. Wednesday, March 11th at 7:00 pm ET. Allegra Goodman, This is Not About Us Q&A event at Zibby’s Book Club. Register here. (Might have double-booked. Will have someone help moderate if time change doesn’t work out.)

LOUISVILLE, KY. Wednesday, March 11th. 6 pm - 8 pm. Jewish Joy Annual Women’s Philanthropy Event at the Jewish Federation of Louisville, KY. Speaker at the cocktail reception. The Ice House, 226 E. Washington Street. Register here.

NEW ORLEANS, LA. Thursday, March 12th, 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm. New Orleans JCC - Uptown event with Meryl Poster. Register here.

NEW ORLEANS, LA. Friday, March 13th, 10 am - 10:45 am. The New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University. “Don’t Miss the Plot: Finding Meaning and Purpose in Life Through Fiction” with John Kenney and Wally Lamb, moderated by me. Info here.

NEW YORK. Monday, March 16th at 2:45 pm. ADL Heroes Against Hate Conference. “Parenting Through Antisemitism: Helping Children Face Hate with Strength and Empathy.” Moderating a conversation with Yonit Levi and Bianna Goldryga, Don’t Feed the Lion. Info here. Register here.

NEW YORK. Tuesday, March 17th at 9:00 am. ADL Heroes Against Hate Conference. Main Stage with other “Heroes” plus breakfast. Info here. Register here.

VIRTUAL. Tuesday, March 17th at 8 pm ET. The Braid Kick-off for members of the play “On Being Jewish Now.” More info here.

NEW YORK. Wednesday, March 18th: Israel Matters event with UJA New York. I’ll be moderating a conversation with Rabbi Raphael Shore, Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Jew, and producer of the documentary, Tragic Awakening: A New Look at the Oldest Hatred, and Jonathan Tobin, Editor-in-Chief of the Jewish New Syndicate (JNS). 5:30 pm: Cocktails. 6:00 pm: Panel conversation. 7:00 pm: Film screening. Tickets here.

L.A. Sunday, March 22nd at 7:00 pm PT: Opening night of “On Being Jewish Now” the play. SOLD OUT. Info here.

SANTA MONICA. Tuesday, March 24th at 7:30 pm PT: Performance of “On Being Jewish Now” the play. Info here.

ENCINO. Wednesday, March 25th at 7:30 pm PT: Performance of “On Being Jewish Now” the play. Info here.

SANTA MONICA. Thursday, March 26th from 10 am - 12:30 pm. Jewish Federation of Los Angeles Pritzker Society private event. Organization details here.

CALABASAS. Thursday, March 26th at 7:30 pm PT. Performance of “On Being Jewish Now” the play. Info here.

WEST L.A. Sunday, March 29th at 2:00 pm PT. Performance of “On Being Jewish Now” the play. Info here.

(Note: additional performances I can’t attend include in Palo Alto on Saturday, April 11th at 7:30 pm; Los Gatos on Sunday, April 12th at 2:00 pm; Beverly Hills on Wednesday, April 15th at 7:30 pm; Zoom on April 19th at 2:00 pm PT; April 23rd at 7:30 pm PT. “On Being Jewish Now” the play. Info here.)

APRIL

SANTA MONICA, CA. Thursday, April 2nd at 6 pm PT. Interviewing Wade Rouse, That’s What Friends Are For, at Zibby’s Bookshop for a Totally Booked: Live episode. Register here.

NEW YORK. Wednesday, April 8th from 10 am - 2:30 pm. Friendship, Setbacks, and Secrets, a Totally Booked: Live event with Jessica Knoll, Emma Brodie, Judy Batalion, Marisa Renee Lee, Kelly Yang, and Annabelle Gurwitch. Tickets on sale here.

PHOENIX, AZ. Tuesday, April 14th. Cocktails and dinner. Honored as one of “100 Women to Know in America” at KNOW Media’s Summit. The Kimpton, Phoenix. Register here.

VIRTUAL. Wednesday, April 15th at 7:00 pm ET. Q&A with Emma Tourtelot, No One You Know, for Zibby’s Book Club. Register here.

NEW YORK. Thursday, April 16th from 9:30 am - 2:30 pm. Self-Discovery, Humor, and Love, a Totally Booked: Live event, with Morgan Radford, Kerry Clare, Sonya Walger, Jess H. Gutierrez, Kerry Docherty, Amy Landino, and Camille Pagan. Register here.

VIRTUAL. Thursday, April 16th at 7:00 pm ET. Zoom performance of “On Being Jewish Now” the play. Info here.

MAY

NEW YORK. May 6th. Private book club for UJA. Upper West Side.

GREENWICH, CT. Thursday, May 7th at 10:00 am. UJA-JCC event at the Greenwich Reform Synagogue. Register here.

STAMFORD, CT. Thursday, May 7th from 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm. United Jewish Federation of Stamford, New Canaan, and Darien UJF Women’s Philanthropy Spring Dinner speaker. Register here.

VIRTUAL. Thursday, May 14th at 7:00 pm ET. Virtual Zibby’s Book Club with Emma Grey, Start at the End. Register here.

OYSTER BAY. May 16th or 17th. Panelist for Gold Coast Book Fair about On Being Jewish Now with Brenda Janowitz, David Kaufman, and Jane Rosen. Info here.

SUMMER

SALT LAKE CITY, UT. July 20th at 12:00 pm. United Jewish Federation of Utah. Luncheon speaker.

HIGHLAND PARK, IL. July 25th at 4:00 pm. Matchmaker Bookshop event with Renee Rosen.

CHICAGO, IL. July 26th at 12:00 pm. ORT’s “Lunch with a View” speaker at Riverwoods.

WASHINGTON, DC. August 2nd. Israel On Campus Coalition National Leadership Summit speaker with Samantha Ettus.

FALL

PHILADELPHIA, PA. September 23rd at 12:00 PM. Jewish Federation of Philadelphia. Luncheon speaker.

PRINCETON, NJ. September 27th at 10:00 am. Princeton Library event.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN. October 21st. Carmel Clay Public Library Gilded Leaf speaker.

VIRTUAL. November 19th. 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm. All Before Dinner women’s event.

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Totally Booked with Zibby

I really loved this week’s podcasts! Five powerful, sensitive, brilliant women with a strong sense of voice, place, and story. Can’t wait to introduce you to them.

Monday: Confronting High-Functioning Depression with Rachel Tzvia Back

Sometimes you just click with someone. By the end of my in-person interview with Israeli poet Rachel Tzvia Back, we were hugging — having laughed, cried, and truly connected in just 30 minutes. Why? Because she’s awesome, yes, but also because her memoir, The Dark-Robed Mother, is so intimate, vulnerable, and beautiful that it would endear her to anyone. It’s funny and hopeful, dark and poignant. It also portrays what happens to those who love you when you go through something no one can fix. This is why I do my podcast. For moments like this. I hope you’ll listen.

Tuesday: Art, Family, Escape and Reinvention in Saoirse

Author Charleen Hurtubise paints a picture of a woman reinvented. We meet Saoirse on an airplane faking her identity with a friend’s passport on her way to start over entirely overseas. Why? You’ll find out. Art plays a central role in Saoirse’s new life — and in her unraveling. Does her husband know? You’ll find out. (Note: We had some technical issues during this episode but we’ve edited so you’ll never know. It is a bit shorter than usual as a result.)

Wednesday: Norah O’Donnell Writes The Ultimate Guide to American Women in U.S. History

Who knew?!! Well, apparently senior correspondent for CBS News Norah O’Donnell did. In her book, We the Women: The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America, the stories of many unknown — and some well-known — are brought to the surface. The story of the U.S. is reshaped through what she uncovered. Written with Kate Anderson Brower who joined us for the episode, Norah and We the Women will change the way you think about the past — and the future.

p.s. Norah is good friends with my college fave Sarah (Ogilvie) Saint-Amand. Hi Sarah!

Thursday: Elizabeth Day is Super Smart

I’m hooked. Somehow I’d never read Elizabeth Day’s books until her latest, One of Us, a smart look at relationships, cancel culture, and more. I enjoyed her writing so much that I ordered her backlist. Elizabeth hosts the popular podcast “How to Fail.” In this book, she absolutely hasn’t (failed). We connected as writers named Elizabeth who started podcasts on a whim post-divorce and grew a following. It was a really fun conversation.

Friday: Zeeva Bukkai Wins a National Jewish Book Award

Congratulations to author Zeeva Bukkai for winning a National Jewish Book Award from the Jewish Book Council for her novel The Anatomy of Exile! On our episode, we spoke about her new book, The World Between, which is a slim, powerful narrative about a woman who travels to Tel Aviv to the home where she first started her marriage and revisits later in her life. It’s about mental health, the after-effects of World War II, recovery, mistakes, lost love, shame, survival, and healing. It’s really short and definitely worth reading: immersive, thought-provoking, soulful. I can’t stop thinking about it — and was thrilled to hear she won the award!

Listen here.

Watch: The “Totally Booked” TV Show on JBS

Did you miss all these episodes of my TV show? You can catch up! Click below.

Mitch Albom, Lili Anolik, Rabbi Angela Buchdal, Susan Choi, Kate Baer, Michael Eisner, Corinne Low, Kelly Corrigan, Suzy Welch, Leslie Gray Streeter, Amy Bloom, Jill Bialosky, Michele Filgate/Kelly McMasters/Joanna Rakoff, Rebecca Minkoff, Jeanine Cummins…

… and new episodes every Thursday at 7:30 pm ET on the JBS network.

Events

BROOKLYN. Monday, February 23rd at 8:00 pm ET. Apparently the Ambies Awards are still on for tonight! I’m nominated for Best Indie Podcast Host. (Fingers crossed emoji.)

RESCHEDULED. Tuesday, February 24th with Anna Quindlen at the Streicker Center will be rescheduled due to the blizzard. New date to come. You can still see Anna and me in conversation at Totally Booked: Live’s Sunday Brunch and Book Talk on March 1st! Tickets here.

SANTA MONICA. Friday, February 27th at 8:00 pm PT. I’m the Community Activist Honoree at the Women’s Image Network event in Los Angeles for my work in the community after the Palisades Fire. So nice of them!

NEW YORK. Sunday, March 1st: Sunday Brunch and Book Talk celebrating International Women’s Day with amazing authors including Anna Quindlen, Allison Pataki, Tovah Feldshuh, Alli Frank & Asha Youmans, Brian Platzer, and Alexandra Potter. Tickets on sale here.

NEXT WEEK

NAPLES, FL. Monday, March 2nd at 5:30 pm: Event at Books on Third in Naples. Tickets here.

VIRTUAL. Monday, March 2nd at 7 pm ET: Zoom Q&A session with Belle Burden’s #1 New York Times bestselling author of Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage. Register for free here. Added more tickets - not sold out!

(NAPLES, FL. Tuesday, March 3rd: Private Jewish Federation event.)

NEW YORK. Thursday, March 5th at 6:30 pm ET: “The Truth About Being Jewish: Educating Children to Be Proud American Jews” hosted by EMET Classical Academy. I’ll be doing a talk with Rebecca Sugar — exclusively for parents of fourth to ninth graders in NYC schools. Learn more here.

Item of the Week

Loved wearing my new Shoshanna dress at the Broward Public Library Foundation LitLunch event this week in Fort Lauderdale. Love Shoshanna!

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Have a great week!

About Our Membership

You’re all part of my community! But if you want to go deeper, please do! Z.I.P. stands for Zibby’s Important People. It’s the membership community for readers who want exclusive podcasts and events, private content, book discounts, member pricing, and more. It’s also for anyone who wants to support what I’m doing — uplifting authors, connecting readers, and speaking up. This weekly newsletter will always be free for all subscribers. (I do include some affiliate links.)

Subscribe now

Did you see my round-up on Katie Couric Media of 11 books I recommend?! How about my “Where are they now?” piece about authors from our retreats? Go ahead. You can catch up. As my kids’ teachers say, “I’ll wait.” (Kidding. Keep reading this!)

By the way, one of my latest podcast sponsors is Quince. Click here to explore what Quince has to offer. (Love my parka!)

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Totally Booked with Zibby

Starting in April, I’ll change from releasing five episodes a week to (only!) three per week. For now, here are the five episodes this week!

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Monday: Navigating Uncertainty and Medical Mystery with Gillian Deacon

I interviewed Gillian Deacon in person at Totally Booked: Live about her book A Love Affair with the Unknown. Both the guests and I were riveted by her story. Gill’s medical mystery unfolds slowly in her book. Instead of coping in solitude, Gill turns to research and learns everything about uncertainty. Now we can, too, thanks to her.

Tuesday: Family Secrets Unearthed in The Family Snitch

Wall Street Journal journalist Francesca Fontana shares her surprising journey of researching her own father’s jail time, crimes, and friendships in this fast-paced story. Ultimately, she not only finds the truth, but herself. Dive into The Family Snitch.

Wednesday: Want to Lose the Guilt?

Jennifer Reid, MD, author of Guilt Free, has the answers. For those of us who feel guilty about almost everything having to do with parenting, psychiatrist Dr. Reid hears us — and has solutions. I recorded this live at my children’s school where I peppered her with questions that were, perhaps, too personal?!

Thursday: Libby Page and Overcoming Grief with Books

This Book Made Me Think of You, an instant USA Today Bestseller by top UK author Libby Page, is an ode to bookstores, an ode to love, and an ode to the power of books to get us through anything. Libby came to my home and stayed for lunch when she was in town from the U.K. We could’ve talked about books forever. I don’t know what was cuter — the book or the purse she brought with her shaped like the front of an old-fashioned bookstore.

Friday: Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline, Creators of “The Middle”

I am obsessed with the TV show “The Middle” starring Patricia Heaton, Eden Sher, and an all-star cast. It ran for nine years starting in 2009, but I only discovered it recently thanks to the clips my kids saw on TikTok. I wrote a Substack for my Z.I.P. members called “Here in the Middle” about how much I love this smart show about a family in Indiana who mirrors my own in ways that make me laugh out loud. Jordan Roter, an author friend, sent it to the creators of “The Middle” and connected me with them! Turns out, they lived near me in the Palisades and shopped at my bookstore. They’d even read my essays about the fire. Last week, we did a podcast about their show and I gushed. Gushed. Hear the three of us talk about the show, family, kids growing up, humor, and life. One of my favorite episodes — although I ran five minutes over. Sorry!

Listen here.

Watch: The “Totally Booked” TV Show on JBS

All past JBS episodes here.

Events

DATE CHANGE: Join Zibby’s Book Club: Monday, March 2nd at 7 pm ET for a Zoom Q&A session with Belle Burden’s #1 New York Times bestselling author of Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage. Register for free here.

Three Florida events coming up!

• FORT LAUDERDALE. Friday, February 20th: Join me at the Broward County Literary Foundation Lit Lunch from 11 am - 2 pm!

• NAPLES. Monday, March 2nd at 5:30 pm: Event at Books on Third Naples. (Tuesday, March 3rd: Private Federation event.)

• PALM BEACH. Tuesday, March 10th, 10:30 am - 12 pm: JCC Palm Beach Gardens Distinguished Author Series with Annabelle Gurwitch and me. Register here.

Don’t miss our next 3 Totally Booked: Live + Lunch events in New York from 10 am - 2:30 pm!

• March 1st: Sunday Brunch and Book Talk celebrating International Women’s Day with amazing authors including Anna Quindlen, Allison Pataki, Tovah Feldshuh, Alli Frank & Asha Youmans, Brian Platzer, and Alexandra Potter. Tickets on sale here.

• April 8th: Friendship, Setbacks, and Secrets with Jessica Knoll, Emma Brodie, Judy Batalion, Marisa Renee Lee, Kelly Yang, and Annabelle Gurwitch. Tickets on sale here.

• April 16th: Self-Discovery, Humor, and Love with Morgan Radford, Kerry Clare, Sonya Walger, Jess H. Gutierrez, Kerry Docherty, Amy Landino, and Camille Pagan.

Items of the Week

Love these personalized jammies from Mark & Graham. Perfect gift for tweens to grown-ups! They come in blue and pink. But you know, blue is my favorite color so…

You should sign up for free as a shopper on ShopMy! Use my referral link so I feel good about myself! Then follow my recommendations. Fun!

Leave a comment

Have a great week!

About Our Membership

You’re all part of my community! But if you want to go deeper, please do! Z.I.P. stands for Zibby’s Important People. It’s the membership community for readers who want exclusive podcasts and events, private content, book discounts, member pricing, and more. It’s also for anyone who wants to support what I’m doing — uplifting authors, connecting readers, and speaking up. This weekly newsletter will always be free for all subscribers. (I do include some affiliate links.)

Subscribe now