There’s something special about reading a book. Sure, watching movies and binge-watching television shows on Netflix are nice, but nothing beats the experience of reading a good old-fashioned page-turning book. Furthermore, if you are a recovering alcoholic or addict, nothing can replace the experience of reading someone else’s story about their descent into the madness of addiction. It will help you get a better perspective on your own.
Here are 10 amazing books on recovery and addiction:
1. Recovery 2.0 by Tommy Rosen – In this highly acclaimed recovery story, Rosen shares what he has learned with 20 years clean and helps others to get the most out of 12-Step teachings and spiritual practices like yoga.
2. Drinking, A Love Story by Caroline Knapp – This candid best-selling personal memoir of Caroline Knapp’s 20-year love affair with alcohol (and subsequent recovery from alcoholism) is both entertaining and heart-warming.
3. Sober Stick Figure by Amber Tozen – Stand-up comedian Amber Tozer delivers a unique approach to explaining her story as an alcoholic (which began at the age of seven) with the help of childlike stick figure illustrations.
4. Dry: A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs – In this New York Times bestseller, Burroughs shares his funny (yet moving) tale of woe as he learns to live a sober life in Manhattan after getting out of rehab for alcoholism. Starbucks is his Higher Power.
5. Portrait of An Addict As A Young Man by Bill Clegg – When accomplished literary agent Bill Clegg leaves his prestigious life behind to go on a crack binge after a stint in rehab, it costs all his money, his home, his career, and almost his life.
6. Drunk Mom: A Memoir by Jowita Bydlowska – This is a deeply personal story about a young mother gripped by alcoholism and her delivery from rock bottom.
7. Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton – One of Oprah’s Bookclub Selections and a #1 New York Time’s bestseller, Glennon writes a beautiful and inspiring memoir on the power of healing from pain and addiction.
8. Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood by Koren Zailckas – In her New York Time’s bestseller, which led to a media frenzy, Zailckas shares her experience as a young woman addicted to alcohol and highlights the low places her alcoholism took her.
9. Recovery: Freedom From Our Addictions by Russell Brand – True to form, comedian Russell Brand delivers a funny adaptation in his personal understanding of the 12 Steps, complete with the prolific use of the “f” word.
10. Symptoms of Withdrawal by Christopher Kennedy Lawford – This New York Times bestselling memoir gives readers a shocking look into this famous Kennedy’s addiction to drugs and alcohol.
People in recovery often complain of feeling bored when they get sober. Need something to do? We recommend that you take up all ten of the books we have provided on our list of amazing books on recovery and addiction. Reading them will forever change how you feel about your own addiction and help you forge a new relationship with your recovery.