Best Sobriety Books

Being sober in today’s world can feel almost impossible – many social functions are designed around bars or grabbing a leisurely drink with friends. Those who struggle with alcoholism can find sobriety understandably challenging, but being sober is worth the work. Here are several books on sobriety to help you along your journey.

Non-Fiction Books on Sobriety

The best weapon in your sobriety journey is information. These non-fiction books about sobriety are designed to prepare you for the challenges your newly-sober self may face, as well as how to overcome them.

1. The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober

While getting sober in a world where alcohol is symbolic of celebration can feel like missing out on life’s joys, the reality couldn’t be further from the truth. In her book, Catherine Gray challenges the idea that a sober life is a boring one. She dives into why people drink, the science behind it, and how to create a fulfilling, joyful life without the buzz.

2. Living Sober

No sobriety journey is complete without at least mentioning Alcoholics Anonymous. This short, anonymous book leans on the teachings behind arguably the most famous sober-living group. While the conversation and options available around the topic of sobriety have significantly expanded, it may be worthwhile to explore this simple book’s basic advice for staying sober.

3. Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol

Holly Whitaker set out to explore why alcohol is so prevalent in our lives, especially for women. Not only does she explore why alcohol marketing is so targeted to women, but she also provides a framework for others who are questioning their relationship with alcohol. If you’re looking for a sober guide focusing on the female perspective, this book is for you.

Memoirs & Biographies Related to Sobriety

You may feel alone in your sobriety journey, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. One of the most important parts of succeeding in any journey is finding others with similar experiences. These memoirs and biographies on sobriety speak to the drunken experience and the freedom found in sobriety.

4. Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget

Powerful and haunting at times, Sarah Hepola’s memoir details in painful honesty the mess she found her life in when she finally confronted her drinking. Though she initially found pride in her “freedom,” her journey was not a simple upward trajectory. In her book, she discusses grappling with who she was when not drinking, eventually leading to a better understanding of herself.

If you fear the loss of adventure and excitement with sober living while simultaneously holding the shame of overindulgence, Hepola’s memoir offers insight into her own grappling with that same question.

5. Nothing Good Can Come from This

Many memoirs detail, often excruciatingly, just how much alcoholism ruined their lives and what impactful moment was the deciding factor in sobriety. But what about after? Here, author Kristi Coulter shares what she learned when she stopped drinking and started looking around.

She quickly noticed how many of her friends were often drunk or drinking, filling voids that kept their lives chugging along on the outside. But the more she looked, the more she realized how hollow their methods seemed. Her essays explore what fills the void once you stop drinking, with both hilarious and poignant results.

6. The Recovering: Intoxication and Its Aftermath

This book uses ongoing metaphorical references to The Wizard of OZ, providing readers with memorable tools they can use to identify a narcissist and heal from the effects of their specific destructive behaviors. Just like the Wizard, many narcissists are people in power, including elected officials, but sometimes they’re much closer to home.

Regardless of the nature of your relationship with a narcissist—spouse, co-worker, friend, or parent —you need to protect yourself from manipulation, exploitation, and deceit. Author Eleanor Payson writes without judgement on a difficult topic, serving up self-help without resentment.

Specific How-To Guides for Becoming Sober

“I’ll just stop drinking so much” sounds easy on paper, but anyone can tell you that the reality is far more difficult. This is especially true if you don’t realize how much you drink or have tried to stop in the past. These how-to guides give you a plan to follow on your sobriety journey, including how to problem-solve common pitfalls and help you understand your actions.

7. Why You Drink and How to Stop: A Journey to Freedom

Not everyone knows so profoundly the reasons they drink. But if you’re looking for answers, as well as how to change, this is a good start. Veronica Valli’s book offers comprehensive research on alcohol addiction that gives readers the answers they need to understand why they act the way they do.

8. This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol, Find Freedom, Discover Happiness & Change Your Life

As it’s title implies, this book looks at the unique relationship between daughters and their narcissistic mothers. Historically, some women have struggled to validate their needs before the needs of others, and this tendency is often made worse if they were brought up by a narcissist.

Author Karyl McBride, a licensed marriage and family therapist, assists readers in their battle to reclaim their lives. Readers may be suffering from feelings of inadequacy, loneliness, and fear that leave them unable to form healthy relationships, but McBride’s work shows them how to recognize their trauma, construct a plan to break old patterns, and take back control.

9. Alcohol Recovery For Women: 7 Essential Steps To Quit Drinking, Find The Road To Recovery, And Take Control of Your New Sober Life

This hands-on, deeply informative guide gives readers the framework for sober living, from addressing urges, preparing for detox, and how to plan for social events. It also includes a number of exercises and positive affirmations to get you on the right path and keep you on it.

Best Sobriety Journals

Using journaling or workbooks to document and make sense of difficult emotions is a powerful tool in sobriety journeys. They can provide you with a framework to help you accomplish your goals and make the most of healing. These sobriety journals are just a few that you can use.

10. Not Drinking Tonight: The Workbook

If you need a guiding hand through those tough first few sober months, this journal is a great place to start. It lets you work through all the complicated emotions that come from drinking – as well as unpacking the emotions that arise when you decide to quit.

Daily prompts, regular check-ins, and compatibility with other programs are all available in this licensed psychologist-written journal.

11. The First 90 Days of Sobriety: Recovering from Alcoholism: A Guided Journal

If you need a guiding hand through those tough first few sober months, this journal is a great place to start. It lets you work through all the complicated emotions that come from drinking – as well as unpacking the emotions that arise when you decide to quit.

Daily prompts, regular check-ins, and compatibility with other programs are all available in this licensed psychologist-written journal.

12. The Addiction Recovery Workbook: Essential Skills to Overcome Any Addiction and Prevent Relapse

Alcoholism is an addiction, for all its apparent normalcy in society. This workbook can help you tackle your alcoholism addiction by diving into the science behind addiction and giving you the tools you need to overcome it.

It offers cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) rooted, practical advice and exercises to give you effective tools for avoiding triggers and understanding your addiction. It also guides you with acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) based techniques that offer compassion while pushing you to maintain a healthy life.