Zibby Owens Shares 5 Books She’s Reading and Loving Right Now (Exclusive)
The author and bookstore owner has a recommendation for every kind of reader!
Key Takeaways
- Zibby Owens recommends books ranging from contemporary fiction to childhood classics.
- Meg Mason’s 'Sophie, Standing There' was also selected for Reese’s Book Club.
- Owens credits Lily King’s 'Writers and Lovers' as one of her all-time favorites.
Since Zibby Owens owns a bookstore and a publishing company and is a bestselling author herself, it should not come as a surprise that she has some amazing book recommendations. From classic children’s books to underrated new releases, she truly is reading it all, and we have to say she has good taste. To learn what books Zibby is reading and loving, keep scrolling.
‘Luna Phoenix, Queen’ by Julie Orringer
This Kirkus Prize Finalist follows Dana and Barr Pennington, a married couple who work as professors at a Midwestern university. To some, they seem like the perfect couple, but others know they have their issues. Dana is secretly in love with her colleague Svetlana White and is working on a novel about two women who run a domestic violence shelter. But after early-onset Alzheimer’s forces Dana to move into a memory-care facility, Barr finds her manuscript and discovers all of Dana’s secrets. Two years later, Barr has rewritten his wife’s manuscript and published it under his own name. He receives tons of praise for it, but as time goes on, he also begins to wonder if he made the right decision all those years ago. A heart-wrenching family saga that spans decades.
What Zibby says: “My top recommendation right now is Luna Phoenix Queen by Julie Orringer. It is so good.”
What other readers are saying: “This book was absolutely stunning, and I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s the story of an affair that happened before Dana began suffering issues with her memory and health. Resentment, anger, envy and passion are packed into the pages and this book paints a vivid picture of a betrayal and the emotions that come with it.”
‘Sophie, Standing There’ by Meg Mason
Selected as a Reese’s Book Club pick earlier this year and personally recommended to us by Ann Patchett, this novel is sure to stun. Sophie Pattison works at a local book festival, has a husband she adores, a best friend named Emma and a brother she’s always been close to. So why has she been living alone since Christmas, about to lose her job and avoiding Emma and her brother? The only thing she has left is her books—specifically, one written by an author she loved in her 20’s. As the days pass, Sophie begins to imagine what it would be like to meet this author, whom she’s come to consider a friend, and soon her obsession begins to overtake her thoughts. Can Sophie figure out a way through this funk she’s in, or will she succumb to the madness within?
What Zibby says: “It’s an inside look at the publishing industry and what happens when you go through a big setback and have to get back on your feet, and how books can help you through.”
What other readers are saying: “I couldn’t put this book down. Sophie is a fascinating character and her building obsession with a famous author, set against trauma from her past, is brilliantly portrayed, as are her relationships with other people in her life. It surprised and moved me right to the end.”
‘Tell Me About Joy’ by Kara Kavensky
Fans of lost loves and second chances will adore podcaster and journalist Kara Kavensky’s memoir. When Kara is tasked with interviewing a WWII veteran named Bob, she is fascinated by his story about missing out on the chance to marry the love of his life, Joy. In fact, he was so devastated that he hasn’t spoken her name in 60 years. Determined to right that wrong, Kara sets out on a journey to reunite the two long-lost lovers and heal Bob’s broken heart. Along the way, Kara realizes that her own heart might need to be healed as well.
What Zibby says: “An undiscovered gem by Kara Kavensky’s Tell Me About Joy, which is one woman’s struggle to find her happiness in life, and the couple that she helped along the way.”
What other readers are saying: “This book immediately went on the top shelf of my bookshelf where I keep all my favorite books. I loved how the book made me think about how one single choice when we are young can linger for years to come and that we all have things that we regret. It made me believe even more in second changes.”
‘Writers & Lovers’ by Lily King
Lily King’s 2020 novel begins after Casey Peabody’s mother dies in 1997. At the time, Casey is waitressing in Harvard Square and trying her best to pay off all her debts. She’s also working on her manuscript, which she’s been laboring to finish for six years. Her peers have abandoned their own artistic pursuits, but not Casey—she is determined to get it published. Along the way, Casey finds herself falling for two very different men and begins to wonder if the path she’s on is really the right one for her.
What Zibby says: “When I think about authors who inspired me I think about Lily King and Writers and Lovers, which is one of my all-time favorites. During Covid, I released a bunch of essays written by authors, including one by Lily King, who literally sent me a Word document with an original essay, which we published, and I was like, ‘This is amazing! Lily King’s document is on my computer,” and that really led me to think, like, ‘What if I could do essays? Could I do books?’”
What other readers are saying: “This book had me from the beginning, but I loved it even more by the end. The writing felt like a gentle current, carrying me down the stream of the protagonist’s consciousness. This book also gave me some late ’90’s nostalgia, which I enjoyed.”
‘Little House on the Prairie’ by Laura Ingalls Wilder
This classic novel inspired by the author’s own life was originally published in 1932 and has since been turned into a number of movies and TV shows. Set in the Midwest in the 1870s, the first book in the series, Little House in the Big Woods, follows 4-year-old Laura Ingalls, her parents, her sisters Mary and Carrie, and their lovable dog, Jack. Life isn’t easy for the family, especially since they live in a log cabin in the Big Woods of Wisconsin, but they make it work. As time goes on, challenges arise that the family never saw coming, forcing them to examine everything they thought they knew about life and each other.
What Zibby says: “I loved reading Little House on the Prairie. That was my favorite series.”
What other readers are saying: “Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder is a beautiful story of one family in days gone by. I read this several times over my lifetime and I’m sure I’ll read it again. There’s always something honest and pure in the writing that I love and I laugh at some of Laura’s antics while I read!”
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