If you’re in that boat, or you’re barely hanging on to a life preserver floating next to that boat, check out this list of books, conveniently broken down based on motivation for this challenge.
Dry January for Health Reasons
It seems like every week there’s a new study showing that alcohol is/is not good for your health, or that drinking a glass of wine a night does/does not help achieve longevity. The truth is that for most people, small amounts of alcohol are likely fine, but if you’re drinking nightly or are regularly partying alone with a six-pack, it might be negatively affecting your health. If, for some reasonable reason, my personal, non-doctor opinion isn’t quite enough for you, you might take a look at these books.
Dry January Because You’re Bored With Drinking
Alcohol Change UK found that nearly 30% of adults surveyed admitted that they drank more in 2020 than in previous years. Many of these people said they were drinking to cope with the difficulties of the year, and others found that they were drinking because there was nothing better to do. This topic—and a heckuva lot more—is covered in Porter’s work, which delves into the chemical, physiological, and psychological impact of alcohol, starting with first drinks and through to chronic alcoholism. A close look at how society views women drinkers, and how drinking affects women’s lives and health, it’s a unique angle that is much appreciated. Guess what, though: there are better things to do! We’ve got a whole article of book-adjacent hobbies you can check out, or you can pick up one of these books that cover new hobbies and fun times ahead.
Dry January Because You Think You Might Have a Serious Problem
If you’ve decided to take a month off of drinking because it has had significant long-term consequences well before the pandemic began, then you might want to dig a little deeper into the possibility that you are addicted to alcohol. Luckily, there are a lot of books that can help you do that. If you want to craft but pompoms and/or tiny things aren’t your style, you can check out a bunch more easy craft books compiled by Isabelle Popp. If you want to add another dozen/hundred books to your TBR about alcoholism/sobriety/addiction list, check out 11 Gripping Books about Alcoholism and Recovery, 100 Must-Read Books About Addiction, or my very own list of Fiction About Addiction. I think there are many different ways for people to get sober. This is the way that worked for me. Read the book. Check out an online A.A. meeting. Or, you know, don’t! The story is that of a Black woman and it goes deep into the specific issues she faced as a Black woman getting sober. That said, there are plenty of universal truths in this honest and straightforward account of one woman’s path to recovery.
