Reading or listening to “Quit Lit” books has been one of my absolute favorite tools on my trek into alcohol free living this past year.
If you are not familiar with the term Quit Lit, I will explain. Quit Lit is a relatively new genre of literature covering the topic of drinking, getting sober and life without alcohol.
It includes self-help, psychological and scientific studies and memoirs related to the use of alcohol, what it does to our bodies and how to be free of this highly addictive substance
One of my favorite books on the list was the OG of Quit Lit books. Caroline Knapp’s memoir, Drinking – A Love Story, came out in 1996 and was one of the first of its kind. It was a New York Times bestseller for weeks.
This Quit Lit Author Had Me at Her First Line
“It happened this way: I fell in love and then, because the love was ruining everything I cared about, I had to fall out.”
I have been an avid reader my whole life. For me, reading has always been my entertainment, my refuge, my travel mode and my way of learning about the world.
As a little girl, I was never more content than when I was snuggled under the covers of my bed reading a good Nancy Drew mystery.
Many of the people I love cannot relate to this. I understand that reading a book is a chore for some.
So hooray for Quit Lit audio books!
Hearing the stories of other people’s alcohol free journeys has been an inspiration and a lifeline for me. When you hear someone with a similar story to your own, it makes you feel less alone. And removing alcohol from your life can be intimidating and lonely at first.
I listened to Quit Lit books non stop after I quit drinking last September 7, 2021.
There have been a multitude of excellent ones published since Caroline Knapp’s mesmerizing tale. While running, walking, cooking, cleaning, driving and doing laundry, I have been listening and learning.
Quit Lit Audio Books + AirPods = Inspiration on the Go
It’s a miracle I still have both my AirPods and that they actually work! They’ve fallen down the side of my car seat, been put through the wash, dropped in the kitchen sink and forgotten outside more times than I care to remember.
Buying Quit Lit books 3 credits at a time with Audible on Amazon has been a good way for me to keep my cost per book down.
Although, if a book becomes one of my favorites, I usually end up ordering the hard copy too. For easy reference or for loaning to a friend. (Oh well at least I’m saving lots on my booze bill – so still a win.)
Many of the books I’ve listed as my favorites below are read by the actual authors. This gives you a much more intimate impression of the writer, which I think makes the book so much more powerful.
If You Are Considering An Alcohol Free Life, Start With These Three Books
The first five books on my Quit Lit list include some of the most current scientific and psychological research about alcohol and its effects on humans as well as the author’s personal accounts.
The remainder of the books are mainly memoirs. The stories on this list are the ones that really resonated with me so I feel great about recommending ALL of them.
I began my alcohol free journey with the first three books, This Naked Mind, Quit Like A Woman and Alcohol Explained, and I would highly recommend starting with these.
My Top 25 Quit Lit Books
- This Naked Mind – Annie Grace
- Quit Like A Woman – Holly Whitaker
- Alcohol Explained – William Porter
- Alcohol Is Shit – Paul Churchill
- Drink – Ann Dowsett Johnson
- Drinking, A Love Story – Caroline Knapp
- The Sober Diaries – Clare Pooley
- The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober – Catherine Gray
- Girl Walks Out Of A Bar – Lisa F. Smith
- Blackout, Remembering The Things I Drank To Forget – Sarah Hepola
- Mrs. D is Going Without: I Used to Be a Boozy Housewife. Now I’m not. This is my book. – Lotta Dann
- The Sober Lush – Amanda Eyre Ward, Jardine Libaire
- Nothing Good Can Come From This – Kristi Coulter
- Glorious Rock Bottom – Bryony Gordon
- Guts – Kristen Johnston
- Between Breaths – Elizabeth Vargas
- Unwasted – Sacha Z. Scoblic
- Smashed _ Koren Zailckas
- Happy Accidents – Jane Lynch
- High On Arrival – Mackenzie Phillips
- Sunshine Warm Sober – Catherine Gray
- The Sober Revolution, Calling Time on Wine O’Clock – Sarah Turner, Lucy Rocca
- We Are The Luckiest – Laura McKowen
- The Wine O’Clock Myth – Lotta Dann
- Sober On A Drunk Planet – Sean Alexander
After I made my way through several of these Quit Lit books, I began to feel better and better with each alcohol free day under my belt.
I started adding some more general self-help reading that I would love to pass along as well. Although these books are not considered Quit Lit, I felt they were great tools to add to my arsenal as I navigated an alcohol free life.
As I advance to the end of my 50’s, I have gravitated to these topics – some for more obvious reasons than others!
Tam’s Top 12 Non-Fiction Reading List
- Untamed – Glennon Doyle
- Quiet, The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking – Susan Cain
- Daring Greatly or anything by Brene Brown
- The Wisdom of Menopause – Dr. Christiane Northrup
- Goddesses Never Age – Dr. Christiane Northrup
- The Power of Fun – Catherine Price
- Your Second Act – Patricia Heaton
- Tiny, Beautiful Things – Cheryl Strayed
- Awakening Joy – James Baraz
- Dying to Be Me – Anita Moorjani
- Becoming the One – Sheleana Aiyana
- Know My Name – Chanel Miller
Happy Reading
I am sharing about my alcohol free journey here in the hopes that it can help anyone else that may be struggling in their relationship with alcohol. It doesn’t matter how much you are drinking.
Only you know if it’s too much for you.
You don’t have to wait until your drinking habit gets worse or you hit a rock bottom to decide to change. Alcohol worked for me for years until one day it didn’t.
Writing about my story is also part of my own healing and growth. Having someone actually read it is a bonus.
I hope these Quit Lit and Non Fiction book lists help you on your path to healing, wellness and a more joyful life than you could ever imagine!
If you are interested in reading more about what it’s like to remove alcohol from your life, please check out my previous posts: Sober Hair Is Actually A Thing, No More Hangovers, My “Secret” To Getting A Better Night’s Sleep, How Can You Go To Italy And Not Drink Wine?, How Do You Know If You Have Alcohol Use Disorder and Removing Alcohol Makes Your Braver and More Confident.
LIFE IS SO MUCH BRIGHTER WHEN YOU REMOVE THE BOOZE.
I wish for you all good things!
xoxo,
Tammy