Totally Booked with Zibby
Episode: "Why We’re Just Watching Lior Torenberg"
Host: Zibby Owens
Guest: Liora Torenberg, author of Just Watch Me
Date: February 4, 2026
Episode Overview
In this episode, Zibby Owens sits down with debut author Liora Torenberg to discuss her novel Just Watch Me, a creative and timely exploration of internet culture, livestreaming, and the costs of sharing your personal life online. The conversation spans the origins of the book, its innovative structure, the complexities of family and digital identity, and the surprising role of hot peppers. Through wit and candor, they highlight the joys and anxieties of both writing and living in a hyper-public, always-on world.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Book Introduction and Structure
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Zibby is captivated by the book’s unique storytelling:
- Each chapter begins with the protagonist’s follower count on a fictional streaming platform, paralleling her tumultuous real life.
- The format is described as “intoxicating and refreshingly creative.”
"I found it refreshingly creative and the writing of course was great, but the format was so intoxicating I just loved it."
— Zibby Owens (04:07) -
Liora describes Just Watch Me:
- Follows Del Danvers, a struggling misfit whose sister is in a coma.
- Del begins livestreaming her life to raise money for her sister’s care, adding hot pepper-eating stunts to grow her audience.
- The online attention brings both opportunity (mentorship by a streamer called “Hotpot”) and danger (entanglement with a manipulative top donor).
- The novel explores the tension between online persona and real-life responsibility.
"She is ignoring her mom like the plague, lying to her mom... and that arc develops and changes and does become a bit of a subplot throughout the book."
— Liora Torenberg (08:23)
2. The Anxiety of Watching and Wanting to Help
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Zibby commiserates with Del’s self-sabotage and the reader’s desire to help:
"You’re left being like, oh, my gosh, like stop… do you feel like that? Like just wanting to help her out?"
— Zibby Owens (07:06) -
Liora responds:
- Del is written to be difficult and combative when cornered.
- The author admits to intentionally heightening Del’s issues for dramatic effect, with the ethos of eventually helping her “dig herself out.”
"She does not make it easier on herself, for sure."
— Liora Torenberg (07:38)
3. Family Dynamics and Escapism
- The complex triangle between Del, her mother, and her sister Daisy (who’s in the hospital).
- Del uses livestreaming as both a coping mechanism and an avoidance tool, creating a world where she’s in control versus the painful reality of her family’s situation.
"By live streaming 24/7, she never has to leave that bubble."
— Liora Torenberg (08:23) - Multimedia narrative uses instant messages, unanswered texts, and voicemails to mimic the noise of modern life.
4. Authenticity, Parasocial Relationships, and Online Boundaries
- Discussion of how constant sharing—especially during the pandemic—has blurred lines between public and private life.
- Liora reflects on how livestreaming culture and the “content economy” exploit vulnerability and crises:
"The better you are as a content creator, the more demand you create, the consumer on the other end becomes insatiable... that balance of sharing everything and what you get to withhold... is central to the plot."
— Liora Torenberg (10:03) - Zibby and Liora swap stories about feeling self-conscious and awkward when sharing online, drawing humor from their own discomfort with digital performance.
"My kids made me delete everything I put on TikTok because it was so cringe inducing."
— Zibby Owens (12:36)
5. Hot Peppers: A Real-Life Obsession
- Liora’s personal history with spicy food forms the book’s quirky through-line.
- Entered childhood pepper-eating contests; attends the world record hot pepper competition annually.
- Writes about what she knows, adding humor and specificity.
"For the last eight years I've been going to the world record competition every year, which is in New York. And the climax of the book takes place there."
— Liora Torenberg (17:31)
6. Creative Process and Writing Journey
- The novel was inspired by a desire to return to the “play” of writing after a difficult, overworked previous project.
- Drafting Just Watch Me felt smooth and playful; Del’s distinctive voice guided the narrative.
"I wrote to entertain myself. And I think around even early, like draft two or three, her voice was just so strong that it became very much a matter of just watching her interact with the world."
— Liora Torenberg (18:45) - Liora’s background:
- Immigrated to the U.S. from Israel as a child, found solace and confidence in reading/writing English.
- MFA from NYU, with several shelved novels before her debut.
7. Current Events and Personal Challenges
- Liora shares candidly about releasing a book during global conflict, with her family still in Israel:
"It's a nightmare. There's not a lot to say... All of my family's in Israel... constant worry."
— Liora Torenberg (22:19) - Notes the separation between her personal reality and the escapism in Just Watch Me; her current work-in-progress addresses heavier topics.
8. Reading Tastes and Influence
- Liora reads widely—fantasy, Gothic, contemporary, and ARCs (advance reader copies).
"I really just have a very varied taste with books, with TV, with movies. I just consume everything. I love it. I love to be entertained."
— Liora Torenberg (23:51)
9. Writing Advice
- The importance of keeping joy at the center of writing:
"If it's not fun, then what's the point? ... Keeping those things in balance. For me it's keeping the joy in the center."
— Liora Torenberg (26:08) - Balancing playfulness with the discipline to finish projects.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On Del’s character and anxiety:
"She, like, means well, but getting in her own way, and you’re left being like, oh, my gosh, like stop."
— Zibby Owens (07:06) -
On the perils of parasocial fandom:
"Her top donor... thinks he deserves a certain level of access to her. And Del is not one for de-escalation."
— Liora Torenberg (05:27) -
On the risks and rewards of sharing online:
"What do you keep for yourself? What do you give and what do you keep? And what do you lose in that process?"
— Liora Torenberg (10:03) -
On hot pepper competitions:
"I've been going to the world record competition every year, which is in New York. And the climax of the book takes place there."
— Liora Torenberg (17:31) -
On the creative process:
"Really this was getting back to play in writing for me and feeling joyful... There’s not a ton of myself in here. Del could not be more different from me."
— Liora Torenberg (18:45)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Book premise and structure: 05:27 – 07:05
- Del’s character, anxiety, and family dynamics: 07:06 – 09:39
- On research, streaming culture, and online performance: 10:03 – 13:45
- Hot pepper stories and using real-life interests in fiction: 14:03 – 18:13
- Writing process, background, and MFA journey: 18:45 – 22:12
- Coping with current events/Israel: 22:12 – 23:13
- Reading tastes and humor: 23:14 – 24:22
- Stomach issues, NYC apartments, and embedding real struggles into fiction: 24:23 – 25:51
- Writing advice and creative joy: 26:04 – 27:26
Conclusion
Zibby concludes by expressing her admiration for Liora’s unique voice and Just Watch Me’s inventiveness. Liora’s blend of humor, candor, and creative risk-taking runs throughout both the conversation and the novel, making this a must-listen for anyone interested in how our digital lives shape fiction—and vice versa.
For more on the episode and to connect with Zibby, visit zibbymedia.com or @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram.