The Sober Diaries by Clare Pooley
Clare Pooley was a Managing Partner at one of the world’s biggest advertising agencies when she became an overweight, depressed, middle-aged mother of three who was drinking more than a bottle of wine a day, and spending her evenings Googling ‘Am I an alcoholic?’ In a desperate bid to turn her life around, she quit drinking and started a blog. She called it Mummy Was a Secret Drinker.
Sober Diaries is an upbeat, funny and positive look at how to live life to the full. Interwoven within Clare’s personal and frank story is research, advice, and answers to questions like: How do I know if I’m drinking too much? How will I cope at parties? What do I say to friends and family? How do I cope with cravings? What if my partner still drinks? And many more.
Women Going Sober by Boadi Moore
Boadi Moore takes us on a raw and unflinching journey through her own battle with addiction, and the many emotional and psychological challenges that came with her decision to get sober. With searing honesty and poignant prose, she explores the pain points that so many women face on their own paths to recovery – the feelings of shame, isolation, and self-doubt that can make it difficult to stay the course.
Quit Like A Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol by Holly Whitaker
We live in a world obsessed with drinking. We drink at baby showers and work events, brunch and book club, graduations and funerals. Yet no one ever questions alcohol’s ubiquity—in fact, the only thing ever questioned is why someone doesn’t drink. It is a qualifier for belonging and if you don’t imbibe, you are considered an anomaly. As a society, we are obsessed with health and wellness, yet we uphold alcohol as some kind of magic elixir, though it is anything but.
When Holly Whitaker decided to seek help after one too many benders, she embarked on a journey that led not only to her own sobriety, but revealed the insidious role alcohol plays in our society and in the lives of women in particular. What’s more, she could not ignore the ways that alcohol companies were targeting women and the fact that the predominant systems of recovery are archaic, patriarchal, and ineffective for the unique needs of women. Her feminine-centric recovery program focuses on getting at the root causes that lead people to overindulge and provides the tools necessary to break the cycle of addiction.
Written in a relatable voice that is honest and witty, Quit Like a Woman is at once a groundbreaking look at drinking culture and a road map to cutting out alcohol in order to live our best lives without the crutch of intoxication.
The Unexpected Joy of Being sober by Catherine Gray
Catherine Gray was stuck in a hellish whirligig of Drink, Make horrible decisions, Hangover, Repeat. She had her fair share of ‘drunk tank’ jail cells and topless-in-a-hot-tub misadventures. But this book goes beyond the binges and blackouts to deep-dive into uncharted territory: What happens after you quit drinking? This gripping, heart-breaking and witty book takes us down the rabbit-hole of an alternative reality. A life with zero hangovers, through sober weddings, sex, Christmases and breakups.
In The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober, Catherine Gray shines a light on society’s drink-pushing and talks to top neuroscientists and psychologists about why we drink, delving into the science behind what it does to our brains and bodies. Much more than a tale from the netherworld of addicted drinking, this book is about the escape, and why a sober life can be more intoxicating than you ever imagined. Whether you’re a hopelessly devoted drinker, merely sober-curious, or you’ve already ditched the drink, you will love this book.
Not Drinking Tonight: A Guide to Creating A Sober Life You Love by Amanda White
When “retired party girl” and popular therapist Amanda White admitted she was an alcoholic, it wasn’t because she’d done something outrageous while under the influence, like land herself in jail or get married in Vegas. It was because she realized three things: 1. Alcohol was making her life worse. 2. Moderation wasn’t helping. 3. She could not be a therapist if she continued to use alcohol to numb her life. Something needed to change—not just her relationship with alcohol, but her relationship with herself.
Choosing not to drink can be daunting. It’s everywhere in our culture, our socializing, and our de-stressing. And it can seem black or white: you drink, or you don’t (and if you don’t, people ask why). That’s where Not Drinking Tonight comes in. Judgment-free and relatable, Amanda helps you unpack your relationship with alcohol by showing you how to:
1. Find out why you drink.
2. Heal your relationship with alcohol.
3. Build the sober life you love.
This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol, Find Freedom, Discover Happiness & Change Your Life by Annie Grace
Many people question whether drinking has become too big a part of their lives, and worry that it may even be affecting their health. But, they resist change because they fear losing the pleasure and stress-relief associated with alcohol, and assume giving it up will involve deprivation and misery.
This Naked Mind offers a new, positive solution. Here, Annie Grace clearly presents the psychological and neurological components of alcohol use based on the latest science, and reveals the cultural, social, and industry factors that support alcohol dependence in all of us. Packed with surprising insight into the reasons we drink, this book will open your eyes to the startling role of alcohol in our culture, and how the stigma of alcoholism and recovery keeps people from getting the help they need. With Annie’s own extraordinary and candid personal story at its heart, this book is a must-read for anyone who drinks.
Why Don’t You Drink Alcohol? 101 Ways To Say I Quit Drinking Without It Being Awkward (Sort Of) by Sienna Green
Have you ever been asked, “Why Don’t You Drink Alcohol?” and felt obliged to give an honest answer but weren’t quite at the stage of sharing every reason you don’t want to add liquid chaos back into your life? So you said you’re on antibiotics (again)!?
What if there was an empowering little book that contained 101 ways to say I quit drinking alcohol that could diffuse any awkward responses? If you are newly sober, an old timer or sober curious, Why Don’t You Drink Alcohol? will provide an unexpected, but highly amusing twist on traditional sobriety books. Some hilarious, some serious and some designed to kill a conversation in a heartbeat.
Soberful: Uncover A Sustainable, Fulfilling Life Free of Alcohol by Veronica Valli
“No thanks―I’m not drinking tonight.” In a culture that equates alcohol with enjoyment and social acceptance, making this simple statement can make us feel like we’re depriving or even punishing ourselves. “When we realize we don’t want to drink anymore or can no longer drink safely, it can feel like the only choices are to spiral out of control or embrace a joyless life,” says psychotherapist and sobriety expert Veronica Valli. “But it’s not true! Sobriety can be a path filled with fun, excitement, belonging, relaxation, and romance.”
Soberful offers a practical and straightforward program on how to get sober and stay sober by increasing your self-worth, energy, and participation in life. Valli begins by debunking widespread beliefs about alcohol and sobriety, including the illusion that alcohol itself is the problem. “When we change how we experience the world, we can stop trying to escape our feelings with alcohol,” Valli says. As a leader and pioneer in the field with 21 years of sobriety, Valli now shares the same steps that worked for her and her clients. Written with gentle humor and compassion, Soberful provides a road map to a life beyond drinking―one that is expansive, fulfilling, and joyously free.
My Unfurling: Emerging From The Grip of Anxiety, Self-Doubt, and Drinking by Lisa May Bennett
Wicked hangovers. Scary blackouts. Ugly fights with friends. The results of binge drinking weigh heavily on Lisa May Bennett. She tries repeatedly to savor “just a few” glasses of wine—only to find herself passed out on the couch again.
This touching and funny memoir explores the childhood experiences that paved the way for Lisa’s drinking habit. She examines her complicated relationship with her mother, her experiences as a late bloomer, and her ongoing search for validation. In an engaging and relatable voice, the author shares how she began to “unfurl” without alcohol holding her back. But will she stay sober and discover how to truly thrive? Anyone wondering if they’ll ever burst out and follow their dreams will find My Unfurling compelling and hopeful.
Intoxicating Lies: One Woman’s Journey to Freedom From Gray Area Drinking by Meg Geisewite
Most people think that in order to acknowledge and address a drinking problem, you must first hit rock bottom, but this heartfelt story reveals the truth that gray area drinking comes in many shades. Alcohol consumption exists on a spectrum with a vast range of dependency in the middle. Gray area drinking unconsciously haunts most people until it becomes a problem. Our society is inundated with messages that support unhealthy drinking habits, just one of the many insidious lies of alcohol.
In Intoxicating Lies, you will find the relatable story of one mom’s journey to freedom―not only from gray area drinking but also from the shame and guilt that crushed her sense of worth and inner knowing. This book uncovers surprising insights into the alcohol industry and our society’s obsession with the mommy wine culture.
Bonus Book:
Sober on a Drunk: Giving Up Alcohol Planet by Sean Alexander
Sean Alexander cuts through the drunken haze in the international bestseller, Sober On A Drunk Planet – Giving Up Alcohol, to provide a refreshing slap of sobriety versus drink culture. This highly motivating and thought-provoking guide will empower you to start living an extraordinary life, booze-free.
Whether you’re a binge drinker, a daily drinker, an end-of-day wine drinker, a social drinker, sober curious, looking to stay sober or would like to stop altogether, this guide explores eight critical areas of life that can drastically improve when you give up alcohol. You will be shocked at discovering how drunk society really is, why alcohol has been holding you back, and the life-changing transformations that occur when you go alcohol-free. It isn’t just people who know they have a problem who stand to benefit from giving up alcohol – it’s everyone.
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