Zibby Owens - Moms Dont Have Time To

Copyright 2021 by Cottage 8 Communications LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

Skyhorse Publishing books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or .

Skyhorse and Skyhorse Publishing are registered trademarks of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

Visit our website at www.skyhorsepublishing.com.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Jovelyn Valle

Cover photo and art direction by McCain Merren and Nina Vargas

Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-6596-2

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-6597-9

Printed in the United States of America

Advance Praise

Zibby Owens is a genius at throwing a partythe kind where all the guests will like each other, the chatter wont stop, and everybody leaves feeling like theyre part of a chic bookish girls club. But with the pandemic throwing a wrench in IRL parties, Zibby found that she was just as at home throwing a party via essay collection and thats what this is: a vertical Rolodex of friends who will remind you that women can, do, and always have had the power to balance entire impossible livesand still read books. Welcome this explosion of joy onto your bookshelf that is so relevant, so now, and so purely Zibby.

LENA DUNHAM , #1 New York Times bestselling author of Not That Kind of Girl

Zibby Owens is a maven and a connector, a book lover whose passion for people and genuine interest in their stories has transformed a global community of readers into an intimate and supportive society of friends. This collection is the product of Zibbys talent, passion, and constant quest to find the stories both big and small that make our lives meaningful. As a mother, as a wife, as a reader, as an authorsimply as a human beingI cherished this collection of honest, thought-provoking, and funny essays.

ALLISON PATAKI , New York Times bestselling author of The Queens Fortune

Zibbys essay collection is just like her: warm, inclusive, literary, at times funny, and always refreshingly real. Every piece in here will make you think, shift your perspective, and touch your soul.

LORI GOTTLIEB , New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk To Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed

Even before COVID-19 changed the way we live and work and communicate with each other, Zibby Owens was already a force for good: promoting books through her Moms Dont Have Time to Read Books podcast and events and bringing people together who shared her passion for reading. Throughout the pandemic, she continued to be The Great Connector, making us all feel less alone during a time of unprecedented anxiety, isolation, and uncertainty. Moms Dont Have Time To is the product of the many writers and readers she connectedvirtuallyin lockdown: a network of women encouraging each other, showing up for each other, and supporting each other through both our best and our toughest moments. Funny, moving, and hopeful, these pieces will forever remind us how we all got through this singular moment in history: together, and with a lot of great books!

LAURA ZIGMAN , bestselling author of Animal Husbandry and Separation Anxiety

The perfect reminder for every mom that none of us have it all together, all of us are doing our best and, most important, even your worst days make a great story.

NORA McINERNY, author of No Happy Endings and host of popular podcast Terrible, Thanks for Asking

Each of these brilliant essays shines as bright as Zibby Owens herself, who is a Fourth-of-July firework in human form. Actually, Ive always wished that everyone could have the opportunity to experience Zibbys pure energy in person. Shes a connector of people, a bolt of energy, a burst of unconditional love. But then, after reading this book, I realized you dont actually have to meet Zibby in person to experience her pure Zibbyness. You can read these essays, which she has lovingly nurtured and curated in the midst of both a global pandemic and her own personal losses therein, and feel that Zibby godlight shining through all of our clouded souls.

DEBORAH COPAKEN , New York Times bestselling author of Shutterbabe , The Red Book , and her new upcoming memoir, Ladyparts

This moving collection, curated by Zibby Owens, runs the gamut of human relationships. These essays examine our connection with our bodies, our lovers, our kids, our friends, and our minds. Each one is poignant and sharp, slipping between the mundane and the spiritual, and is utterly refreshing during a time of universal longing and loneliness. Moms Dont Have Time To is an absolute gift.

STEPHANIE DANLER , New York Times bestselling author of Sweetbitter and Stray

Zibby Owens is a force for good in more ways than I can count. In this anthology borne of a longing to connect and heal, she has gathered a group of wise and generous writersherself included!who are quite simply the best company. Curl up with this book, and I promise youll be surrounded by kindred spirits.

DANI SHAPIRO, New York Times bestselling author of Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love

In a time when we need to feel connected more than ever, Zibby Owens has done what she does bestbring together extraordinary voices in the literary world to give us words that make us feel less alone. This anthology will be one to keep handy for years to come, something to turn to when you just need to be reminded of how perfectly imperfect we all really are.

CLAIRE BIDWELL SMITH , bestselling author of The Rules of Inheritance and author of Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief

Zibby isnt just a tireless champion for books, shes a community builder who was able to make readers and authors feel less alone during a year of terrible isolation and uncertainty. This collection of warm, relatable, funny, unfailingly honest essays feels like hanging out at a book club full of smart, funny women once the Chardonnay hits. Its the Algonquin Roundtable in yoga pants. As an author and a mom, Im so glad I found time for Moms Dont Have Time To . The dishes, on the other hand...

BESS KALB , bestselling author of Nobody Will Tell You This But Me

From Awake, 3:01 a.m. to Sheltering with Ghosts to How to Have Sex with a Germaphobe, this collection of essays, written in real time during the spring and summer of 2020, is a boon pandemic companion. Writer Zibby Owens has created an anthology full of emotion, humor, and good advice for these troubled times and beyond.

LILY KING , New York Times bestselling author of Writers & Lovers

Zibby Owens has assembled some of the best writers around and the result is a hilarious, inspiring collection of essays about all the things we dont have time for, and yet must do to keep ourselves joyful and engagedor, at the very least, sane. A delightful read from start to finish.