safeandsound

Hi, everyone. I'm back after a long absence. Key to my early sobriety this time is reading memoirs obsessively. I'm afraid I already read all the good ones! Here is a list: "Blackout," "Unwasted," "Nothing Good Can Come from This," Drinking: A Love Story," "The Sober Diaries," "Girl Walks Out of a Bar."

Any other you recommend? I'm not looking for how-to books, just stories written by women with a sense of humor, self-awareness, and the ability to write well.

Thanks in advance!

Tinkerbeau

The unexpected joy of being sober. Was one i enjoyed and found helpful.

Anna

These are from our Book List and they are all Memoirs written by women. This is my favourite genre so I have read most of them. I hope you find some that inspire you:

Ann-Margaret My Story

Barry, Nicola Mother's Ruin

Baxter, Meredith Untied

Berelman, Sara My Last Rock Bottom

Bertinelli, Valerie Losing It

Bydlowska.Jowita Drunk Mom

Carlisle, Belinda Lips Unsealed

Carter, Lynda Second Act

Doyle, Glennon Melton The Love Warrior

Fisher, Carrie Wishful Drinking

Fonda, Jane My Life So Far

Ford, Betty A Glad Awakening

Glyde, Tanya Cleaning Up

Goik, Tiffany Yellow Tale

Gold, Tracy Room To Grow

Hepola, Sarah Blackout

Hersh, Sharon Freedom

Jamison, Leslie The Recovering

Johnston, Kristen Guts

Kelly, Jill Sober Truths

King, Heather Parched

Knapp, Caroline Drinking: A Love Story and
Appetites: Why Women Want

Kopp, Heather Sober Mercies: How Love Caught up with a Christian Drunk

Kucera, Dina Everything I never Wanted to be

Leary, Ann The Good House

Levy, Ariel The Rules Don't Apply

McGraw, Ali Moving Pictures

Miller, Kimberley Mae Coming Clean

Mitchell, Jane Velez I Want

Phillips, MacKenzie High on Arrival


Shapiro, Susan Lighting Up

Strayed, Cheryl Wild

Tirabassi, Becky Life of the Party

Tyler Moore, Mary After All

Vargas, Elizabeth Between Breaths

W. Lois Lois Remembers:

Walls, Jeannette The Glass Castle

Wilhelmson, Brenda Diary of an Alcoholic Housewife

Wilson, Carnie Gut Feeling

Wurtzel, Elizabeth More, Now, Again and Prozac Nation

Lipstuck

PalmerSage

The Liar's Club and Lit by Mary Karr, two of the best memoirs I've ever read. Amazing storytelling, well written, hilarious, astute.

Marissa41

I just ordered Drunk Mom...

Delilah1

This is an awesome list!!!

safeandsound

OMG!!!! What a list! Thank you!!

Anna

You're welcome (from the Crazy Book Lady).

I read Drunk Mom twice. The first time I read it, I felt so upset with the fact that she involved her baby in her adventures. I also thought that she should have shared less detail about her negligence with her child, because at some point, he will read the book. That's not to say, she should lie to the child, but I thought it was too much. I'd love to hear other people's opinions.

Caralara144

Anna I'm going to down load it an let you know
I've read some amazing ones also
I read one at least once a month it keeps me grounded
Very very good reads I must say
cara x

Fearlessat50

This is a great list! I’m going to look into so,emof these myself. I also read: Living the high life without the champagne, Bottled, Mrs D is going without, these others are memoirs by women,but still really helped me: Drink- the intimate relationship between women and alcohol, Moments of Clarity, Recovery - Freedom from our addictions.

Anna, I think you were the only who recommended a Debbie Ford book to me (The dark side of light chasers). I started reading it and it is very good. Thank you.

safeandsound

Thanks so much to everyone who gave recommendations! I feel comforted knowing I'll have plenty of stories to keep me busy when I can't sleep at night! Day 10.

Fearlessat50

Congrats on day 10!

Juno11

Thanks so much for this list!! I, too, am a big fan of memoirs by women and it's my favorite type of recovery book.

My two favorites from the list are: Blackout and Drunk Mom. I also really liked Drinking: A Love Story. I was underwhelmed by Elizabeth Vargus' book. RE: Drunk Mom, Anna, I can see why you didn't like the parts about her baby and the negligence. I still really liked the book because it was so honest and brutal and showed how horrible addiction can get.

I just ordered two for my kindle - Wild (I have seen the movie, but the book looks awesome) and Everything I Never Wanted to Be, which also got rave reviews.

Thanks so much for this topic and list!!

Anna

Yes! And I totally got that on my second reading. I understood that she wanted/needed to tell her story, with hope that she would reach someone. I think she felt compelled to tell her story. After all, isn't that how we help each other? So, although her son may be upset by the story, I think he will know how hard his mother struggled to be a good parent to him.

Juno11

Anna, I hadn't thought about the impact to her son when he gets older. At least she stopped drinking when he was young (I hope) and has the chance to be a great Mom! Yes, the book is worth a second read

Last night I started Wild and think it's going to be good for me right now. I'm in a bit of an existential crisis and a hike like that would be good for me! As I can't do what she did, maybe I can take some of her energy and motivation and do some shorter hikes in nature

August252015

Adding to the above, Between Breaths by Elizabeth Vargas. Particularly helpful if you also struggle with anxiety as I do.

Lipstuck

I read the detail as her punishing herself for her actions. Like she wanted us to know every awful thing because she deep down wants us to hate her as much as she hates herself.
The truth seems like a self-inflicted wound.

Anna

Lipstuck, that makes sense to me.