Ben Mezrich, the bestselling author of Bringing Down the House and The Accidental Billionaires (which was adapted into The Social Network), joins Zibby to discuss his latest thriller, The Antisocial Network. The book chronicles the GameStop stock scandal that took place earlier this year. Ben discusses why his stories often read very cinematically, his unusual path to becoming a writer, and the ways in which his young kids' internet habits reveal our society's economic future.
Zibby is joined by the iconic star of the original The Parent Trap, Hayley Mills, to discuss her time acting with Disney and the stories that are recounted in her new memoir, Forever Young. Hayley tells Zibby about how her screenwriter son showed her how to shape the narrative arc of her formative years, her experience exploring Walt Disney's archives and private possessions (which included her own hand-written letters), and the lessons she learned about her own family through reflecting on the past.
Zibby is joined by mother-son duo Cindy C. Muchnick and Justin Muchnick to talk about their respective books, The Parent Compass: Navigating Your Teen's Wellness and Academic Journey in Today's Competitive World and The Boarding School Survival Guide. Zibby sought Justin's book when her own son went off to boarding school, as it features personal accounts from twenty-six students about what they wished they had known before enrolling. Cindy's book serves as a nice companion for parents learning how to be supportive without overmanaging their children.
Jason Mott's latest novel, Hell of a Book —which is already a New York Times bestseller and a Read With Jenna Book Club pick— is meant to make readers laugh out loud on one page while offering a critical look at serious topics like race and policing in America on the next. Jason joins Zibby to discuss the technical structure of the book, as well as how his introverted tendencies both inspired the story's undertones and prompted Zibby to reflect on her own shyness. The two also talk about ways they like to recharge after spending time around other people and why Jason doesn't like to take himself too seriously. Check out Zibby and Kyle’s appearance on Good Day LA where they recommended this book here: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CSXW1bUJhVp/
Although many people haven't started flying at the same rate they were pre-pandemic, Clare Mackintosh's latest thriller, Hostage, might make it hard for anyone to ever get back there. Clare joined Zibby to talk about her love for writing on planes (which partially inspired the story's setting on a 20-hour flight), how her writing habits have changed over the last year, and what she plans to work on now that she has rediscovered her creativity.
Although both of Alex Michaelides's two novels have been instant bestsellers, he still often doubts his writing ability as well as any potential success for his work. Alex shares how he relies on meditation to separate himself from negative thoughts before writing, and an intricate planning method known as mind mapping that he uses to physically lay out his novels. He also tells Zibby about how he made the switch from working as a screenwriter to a novelist and what he plans to work on next.
With the publication of her tenth novel, Count the Ways, Joyce Maynard feels she has said everything she wanted to about falling in love and the dream of making a family. The journalist, author, and teacher joined Zibby to discuss why she's drawn to stories that aren't being told, the ways in which fiction writing has allowed her to explore her real-life relationships, and what she tells the women who attend her memoir workshops to help them feel empowered in telling their stories.
Poet, artist, and entrepreneur Jasmine Mans joins Zibby to discuss her debut book of poetry, Black Girl, Call Home. She shares the journey she took through her writing history to compile this collection, the power a simple but strong message can hold, and how she realized the only thing holding her back from being a writer was herself. Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books has teamed up with Katie Couric Media and Random House to give away 100 copies of Sarah Sentilles’ book, Stranger Care! Enter the giveaway by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3jdKctA
Zibby is joined by bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe who has not one but three books coming out this year. Mary Alice shares how her own quarantine experience influenced the way the COVID-19 pandemic was explored in her book The Summer of Lost and Found, why her middle-grade novel, The Islanders, was written to help kids unplug, and the significance of writing a story for Reunion Beach to honor Dorothea Benton Frank.
Journalist and author Denene Millner is living every writer's dream: her imprint, Denene Millner Books, has just released their first season of books with Simon & Schuster. Focusing on stories for children that celebrate Black families and firsts, Denene has begun to cultivate a community and a platform just as she did when she started her column, My Brown Baby. She talks with Zibby about finding time for her own writing while serving as a doula for others' projects, and the role her own family plays in the stories she wants to tell.
When author Hannah Mary McKinnon experienced a professional failure, she realized she had an opportunity to pursue what she had always wanted to do: write a book. With her fifth book now out, it's clear that everything works out for a reason. Hannah's latest novel, You Will Remember Me, was inspired by a news story about a man who suffered retrograde amnesia and what happens to the people in his life that he forgot.
Zibby is joined by three very special guest hosts to interview Meredith Badger and Hilary Rogers, the duo behind Maddy Mara. Zibby and her kids ask about how the pair began their partnership, what it's like writing together while in different parts of the world, and how many Dragon Girls books they plan to write.
Christine Mangan walks Zibby through her worldly life story and how her experiences have directly led to a number of plot points in her writing. The two discuss the inspiration for Christine's latest novel, Palace of the Drowned, and why she wanted to write empowered female characters in a story set during the 1960s.
"I have a voice at this moment in time. I have a voice that I can use for good. I intend to keep using it as long as I can." Cindy McCain joins Zibby to discuss some of the things she reveals in her new memoir, such as why she tried to keep her opioid addiction hidden from everyone, what it was like to adopt her daughter Bridget and watch their relationship become politicized, and how her home life with her late husband, Senator John McCain, and their children was no different from that of anyone else.
"Food is so emotional. That's why you can't just talk about food. You have to delve into the emotions and the reason we're eating and choosing foods." Nutritionist Lara Metz joins Zibby to discuss how to change your relationship with food through mindfulness, the role family food culture plays in all of our lives, and why you should stop attaching labels to your food and your body.
"I'm so grateful to anyone who's read the book or passed the book onto someone or posted about it because it wouldn't exist without all of that." Meg Mason talks with Zibby about how she wrote an entire draft for the wrong book before she found her way into writing her latest novel, Sorrow and Bliss. The two also talk about why doctors often approach mental illness with women, what it's like to come of age in your forties, and how Meg relied on her characters' dark British humor to write about heavy topics with levity.
