Totally Booked with Zibby

Double episode from interviews recorded live at The Whitby Hotel!

Bestselling author Camille Pagán joins Zibby to discuss her moving new novel, Dog Person, a witty story narrated by an aging rescue dog determined to help his grieving owner find love again, inspired by Camille Pagán’s own experience with loss, grief, and the extraordinary emotional intelligence of her beloved dog. Camille opens up about the personal tragedy that shaped the book, the research behind how dogs perceive human emotions, and the healing power of writing through grief. She and Zibby also dive into publishing culture, pseudonyms, romance novels, difficult characters, and the vulnerability of being a writer. Plus, Camille shares the surprising story of how she became a “dog person” herself — thanks to one unforgettable rescue dog.

Novelist Kerry Clare discusses her witty and deeply thoughtful new novel, Definitely Thriving. Inspired in part by the work of Barbara Pym, the novel follows Clemence, a woman rebuilding her life after blowing up her marriage and deciding — finally! — to prioritize her own desires over everyone else’s expectations. Kerry and Zibby talk about writing funny, complicated women, the joy of eccentric side characters, and the role bookstores, friendships, and neighborhoods play in shaping identity and community. They also dive into the pressures women face around “having it all,” the idea of thriving versus optimizing, and why following your appetite — emotional, creative, intellectual — can be its own act of rebellion.
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Zibby’s Book Club Pick! I ugly-cried on the plane reading Sarah Damoff’s THE BURNING SIDE. It was like listening to a symphony — beautiful throughout but with piercing violin moments that made me clutch my chest. I love these characters so much. The writing is pure, not overdone or self-important, but elegant and poignant. Multiple perspectives. Emotions. Love. Loss. Home. Family. Memory. Time. Motherhood. All of it. One of my all-time favorites. Sobbed. In the best way. Thank you, Sarah Damoff. THE BURNING SIDE is just perfection. I feel more connected to all of humanity after connecting so deeply to this family — and feel honored to have spent time with these fictional souls.

Join my book club Q&A with Sarah on June 9th at 7 pm ET!
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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!
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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.
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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! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.