Whether you’ve been ‘Sober Curious’ for a while, or completing Dry January has sparked your interest, there’s a literal library of books out there on quitting alcohol and sobriety. I thought I’d offer some suggestions of those I personally recommend to clients, or anyone else who asks!
I’ll update this sporadically, and I don’t get any money from Amazon if you click on the links.
Best for information
If you want to be educated on alcohol, I’d recommend two books. The first, Drink? The New Science of Alcohol and Health by Professor David Nutt is packs in a lot of scientific fact, in an informative and non-judgmental way. Great to dip in and out of, it’s one of my regular ‘go-to’ books.
Alcohol Explained is another good read; and is the first in William Porter’s ‘Explained’ series which also includes books on ‘nicotine’ and ‘diet and fitness’.
Best for inspirational personal stories
This is a hard one, because everyone’s life is different. However, in AA they have a brilliant adage – look for the similarities not the differences. If you’re at the stage where you’re looking for inspiration to quit alcohol, chances are you will resonate with the personal stories of most people in the same boat.
Quit Like A Woman by Holly Whitaker is a very engaging book; incredibly well written and by the end of it, you’ll likely feel empowered to overhaul your relationship with alcohol, with a side of smashing the patriarchy.
You won’t read a more honest account of drinking than The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober. This is a staple for any ‘quit lit’ bookshelf and is worth a read to see how Catherine Gray turned her life around.
Best workbook
If you are looking for guidance in book form through your sobriety journey, Love Your Sober Year by Kate Baily and Mandy Manners is worth a look. It's a beautiful book and will take you through the first year (but not do the work for you!). One word of warning, looking at the reviews it looks like there could be formatting issues with the Kindle version, so be wary of that when making your purchasing decisions.
And the last word has to go to the book that made me believe I could quit alcohol – How To Be A Mindful Drinker by the guys at Club Soda. A book with inspirational stories and exercises; it was definitely the book I needed at the time.
Let me know if you think I’ve missed an essential book – and if you read any off the back of this list, please let me know what you thought!
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