Sobriety Books = Staying Sober Curious
Are you thinking about becoming sober curious? First of all, what does it mean to be sober curious? According to Ruby Warrington, the author of Sober Curious, it means asking yourself “Would my life be better without alcohol?”
That one question can lead you to evaluate how much you drink, with whom, where and when? It can lead you to ask yourself how you feel after you’ve had that maximum recommended 1 (women) or 2 (men) drinks. And most importantly, it can lead you to wonder why alcohol is in your life at all?
At one point in my life, I drank to the point of blackout on a regular basis. I wanted to change my ways, and I did, slowly. But I was still a habitual drinker before I became sober curious. I took a solid break from drinking (a little more than a month) and began to devour books on sobriety stories and sober curious support. These books served as fuel to my fire.
There are so many sobriety/sober-curious books out there that are eloquently written, logical, informative, raw and passionate. I want to share the books that I’ve read in the past year that have made me feel all of the feelings involved in my sober curious journey. They have changed the way I think and the things that I know.
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My Sober Curious Book List
How to Be a Mindful Drinker, By Laura Willoughby, Jussi Tulvi, Et. Al.
This was the first book I read when I began to want to change my habitual drinking. I was very pleased with how logical and reasonable all the advice was in the book. The authors provided an unbiased view of alcohol consumption and provided very matter of fact information. Lastly, all advice was to be totally accepting of your journey. The book supports taking a step back, evaluating, learning, and moving forward with an informed and rational decision step-by-step. Another bonus that the book provides is that there are very short stories from people that have become either sober- curious or completely sober.
Quit like a woman, By Holly Whitaker
This book is a combination memoir and expose on the history of how addictive substances came to be prized in our society. Holly is a sassy and sometimes crass writer but, because of that, she had me laughing throughout the book. She shares her story which sometimes shocks and saddens the reader, but her bravery shines throughout the entire book. I highly recommend this book because it serves several purposes at once and will serve as motivation to learn more about what purpose alcohol serves in your life and why it came to be in your life to begin with.
Drinking: A Love Story, By Caroline Knapp
This is a raw memoir that digs deep into the author’s relationship with alcohol. She recounts her story with as much precision as one can that suffered through countless blackouts. The author tells the story of her damaged relationship with herself, the self-destructive decisions she made as a young adult and how she finally came to be sober. It’s a riveting story that makes the reader feel like they’re in the front row of an intense movie. Again, the author’s honesty and bravery are inspiring even it you can’t totally relate to the authors severity of addiction you can still learn from her story.
Drunk Mom: A Memoir, By Jowita Bydlowska, Meredith Mitchell, Et.Al.
Another memoir of an author that openly shares every thought that passed through her mind while she was addicted to alcohol, after three years of sobriety, during her baby’s infancy. In this book, she does not hold back! The reader could feel aghast at her confessions, but I only felt respect towards her bravery in the face of sharing her thoughts and actions with the world through her book. As a mom myself, I felt empathy for her as she navigated through the beginning of motherhood feeling lost and confused and angry among many other emotions. It’s a page turner!
The unexpected joy of being sober, By Catherine Gray
This Brit is hilarious! She’s honest and unabashedly shares many stories of how her consumption of alcohol got her into more than just trouble on countless occasions. Again, this book and the stories shared may make you gasp but it’ll also elicit warm and fuzzy feelings. She shares her journey on how she found her rock bottom and then got sober. She offers tips to the readers regarding her getting-sober-toolkit. I found this very helpful and love to hear of how other people began to become stronger than their desire for alcohol.
...and 3 more from my Wishlist...
This Naked Life…48 true stories, By Annie Grace
The reason I want to read this book is because I love stories. I love connecting with other people through hearing and sharing stories. There are some sobriety stories that I related and some that I don’t, but ALL sobriety stories have touched my heart and mind in some way and I find that valuable.
Sober Curious, By Ruby Warrington
I want to read this because this book started the sober curious movement! How can I not read this gem?
Alcohol lied to me, By Craig Beck
This has been mentioned in several of the sobriety books that I’ve read and it comes up on my sobriety books searches often. It also has 5 stars from 2,370 readers on audible! Pretty impeccable ratings.
I hope this list inspires you delve into the world of authors that have shared their stories and knowledge after grappling with their own alcohol consumption or addiction. We can learn from their bravery!
Have you read any of these books? If so, please feel free to leave comments!
Feel free to leave comments regardless! I love to hear from my readers:)
Until Next time!
Kristi
Written by Kristi, July 26th, 2023
You got my curiosity piqued! I really appreciate the previews of these books! Having a sober curious way of looking at society, I will delve into these stories. I will add these to my reading list. Thanks, Kristi!