“Mommies don’t have time to read,” Jibby Owens jokingly said when she suggested her partner turn part of her essay into a book. However, the phrase soon took on the following names: her lively podcast from, publishing empire. Mother of 4 recently opened book store in Los Angeles.
“The night before I visited the empty storefront, two of my team members and I were having drinks and discussing what books we would carry,” Zibi said. “I had a big sheet of paper on which to draw a general map of the various categories. “Let’s build a booklek shelf for the anxious!” We were nervous, but the shelf we dreamed of is actually in store today. ”
Zibby is a voracious reader and generous advocate, so I asked for some suggestions. (And I’d love to hear from others in the future!) Here, Zibby shares her favorite memoirs and things to try when you’re in a reading slump.
What was the last book you read that kept you up late?
how to stay married By Harrison Scott Key: “I spent the whole weekend holding this book close to my heart. I even read it in the car. Harrison is really hilarious, but he recounts introspective, penitent, clear-eyed remarks about why his wife ended up cheating on him and how he tried to make it up.
What books have helped you through tough times?
black widow By Leslie Gray Streeter: “When my mother-in-law was hospitalized for six weeks with COVID-19 and eventually passed away, I was trying very hard to be there for my husband. I was dealing with the pandemic and fear and of course my husband’s reaction to this horrible situation. black widow Because all this was happening. I’m not a widow, but I could relate to how she found her absurdist humor in her darkest moments of grief. It has saved me from feeling alone during this uniquely terrible time. ”
What is a truly epic novel?
half gone By Britt Bennett: “This novel follows fair-skinned black twin sisters who grow up to live in two very different worlds: a white world, a black world. I could no Get off the couch reading this book and read until after sunset. Her husband had to turn on the lights. ”
What’s a good book to pick up if you’re in a reading funk?
summer girls By Katie Bishop: “This escapist thrill is a coming-of-age story set in Greece and met with midlife malaise. Who knew it was the perfect combination?! My favorite part, aside from the plot unfolding in a delicious and heart-pounding way, is the quiet dialogue about a life not lived.The whole story has soul.”
Who are the authors who really make you laugh?
hope By Andrew Ricker: “This dark comedy made me laugh out loud when I recognized some of its characters. It follows the Greenspan family in Brookline, Massachusetts, and what happens when their father, a cardiologist, loses his job for falsifying blood samples. It’s the perfect read.”
How about a book that stays in your mind long after you finish reading it?
our place By Brandon J. Wolfe: “Brandon shooting incident I lost two close friends at Orlando’s gay nightclub Pulse. The book also follows his search for identity after losing his black mother at an early age and being left a queer mixed-race boy with a white stepfather and half-brother. It was sensational. I have great respect for Brandon and I can’t help but think about this book. Please take my words to heart. Brandon J. Wolfe will one day rule this country! ”
Do you have a memoir that you enjoyed recently?
all at once By Steph Kachudal: “The way Steph writes, even the mundane, is breathtaking. But her life story—my brother’s childhood cancer, my father’s premature death from lung cancer, and my beloved endurance athlete husband’s from cancer—is incredibly powerful.
Is there anything you read recently that surprised you?
Eve’s house By Sadequa Johnson: “Set in the 1950s, this novel blew my mind with its depiction of the relationship between a black teenage girl and her teenage Jewish neighbor and the repercussions of their affair. This is a dynamic I hadn’t read much of, and I loved the book.”
Finally, authors I follow on social media often say: Pre-orders are the best way to support new books. Other times, you pre-ordered something you were looking forward to, then completely forgot about it, and a few weeks later, a book pops up like a surprise from your former self who knew you wanted it. Can you recommend an upcoming book that I can pre-order?
Hell if you don’t change your ways By Brittany Means: “We Meaning of Brittany, couldn’t be more proud. Brittany went through a lot and wrote one of the best memoirs I’ve ever read. Keith Raymon, Janet Wallsand Ashley C. Ford have already raved and raved about it. Brittany is a writer who is going to have a big break this October. ”
Thank you Jibby! What books would you recommend to your friends? Please listen…
P.S. Please do more book posts like perfect evening activities. What will be the title of your memoir?
(Top photo by Katie + Joe/Stocksy. Book cover by respective publisher. Photo of Zibby by Zibby Owens.)
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