The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober: Discovering a Happy, Healthy, Wealthy Alcohol-Free Life
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- Create Date：2022-08-03 00:53:49
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Catherine Gray
- ISBN：1912023385
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Summary
Ever sworn off alcohol for a month and found yourself drinking by the 7th？ Think there's 'no point' in just one drink？ Welcome！ There are millions of us。 64% of Brits want to drink less。
Catherine Gray was stuck in a hellish whirligig of Drink， Make horrible decisions， Hangover， Repeat。 She had her fair share of 'drunk tank' jail cells and topless-in-a-hot-tub misadventures。 But this book goes beyond the binges and blackouts to deep-dive into uncharted territory: What happens after you quit drinking？ This gripping， heart-breaking and witty book takes us down the rabbit-hole of an alternative reality。 A life with zero hangovers， through sober weddings， sex， Christmases and breakups。
In The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober， Catherine Gray shines a light on society's drink-pushing and talks to top neuroscientists and psychologists about why we drink， delving into the science behind what it does to our brains and bodies。 Much more than a tale from the netherworld of addicted drinking， this book is about the escape， and why a sober life can be more intoxicating than you ever imagined。 Whether you're a hopelessly devoted drinker， merely sober-curious， or you've already ditched the drink， you will love this book。
Catherine Gray was stuck in a hellish whirligig of Drink， Make horrible decisions， Hangover， Repeat。 She had her fair share of 'drunk tank' jail cells and topless-in-a-hot-tub misadventures。 But this book goes beyond the binges and blackouts to deep-dive into uncharted territory: What happens after you quit drinking？ This gripping， heart-breaking and witty book takes us down the rabbit-hole of an alternative reality。 A life with zero hangovers， through sober weddings， sex， Christmases and breakups。
In The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober， Catherine Gray shines a light on society's drink-pushing and talks to top neuroscientists and psychologists about why we drink， delving into the science behind what it does to our brains and bodies。 Much more than a tale from the netherworld of addicted drinking， this book is about the escape， and why a sober life can be more intoxicating than you ever imagined。 Whether you're a hopelessly devoted drinker， merely sober-curious， or you've already ditched the drink， you will love this book。
Reviews
Ash
，
Read this entire book this weekend。 Wow。 It was beautiful and such a good and fun read。 This book felt like a letter from a friend。 It was perfectly personal and heartfelt and never felt preachy or bossy。 I’m not （yet） an alcoholic but I am going sober。 I have a lot of experience with alcoholics and a lot of experience to know。 I gave up drinking only 33 days ago because I promised myself a “sober summer” but I really feel confident I can do this。 Forever。 Most of that confidence is from this bo Read this entire book this weekend。 Wow。 It was beautiful and such a good and fun read。 This book felt like a letter from a friend。 It was perfectly personal and heartfelt and never felt preachy or bossy。 I’m not （yet） an alcoholic but I am going sober。 I have a lot of experience with alcoholics and a lot of experience to know。 I gave up drinking only 33 days ago because I promised myself a “sober summer” but I really feel confident I can do this。 Forever。 Most of that confidence is from this book。 The way she express herself and experiences and what she learned along the way - it feels so attainable。 So yeah thank you。 。。。more
Koren Pappot
，
3，5 stars。 Vond het best een prima boek om te lezen， zelf heb ik totaal geen moeite om te matigen met alcohol of om niet te drinken maar toch heb ik erg veel interesse in het onderwerp。 Het boek was wel erg langdradig op sommige momenten。 Ook wordt niet-drinken als enige oplossing gezien door de auteur， dat begrijp ik omdat ik alle alcohol gerelateerde verhalen heb gelezen waarin duidelijk werd dat ze een probleem had maar er zijn ook mensen die echt kunnen matigen en niet elke keer als ze drink 3，5 stars。 Vond het best een prima boek om te lezen， zelf heb ik totaal geen moeite om te matigen met alcohol of om niet te drinken maar toch heb ik erg veel interesse in het onderwerp。 Het boek was wel erg langdradig op sommige momenten。 Ook wordt niet-drinken als enige oplossing gezien door de auteur， dat begrijp ik omdat ik alle alcohol gerelateerde verhalen heb gelezen waarin duidelijk werd dat ze een probleem had maar er zijn ook mensen die echt kunnen matigen en niet elke keer als ze drinken te ver gaan en daardoor een kut avond hebben。 。。。more
Dana
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The easiest light hearted sobriety book yet。 Catherine is highly relatable
Andrea
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Eye opening
Stacy Cesario
，
This was a great read （listen）。 It was very interesting to hear the experience and thought process of an alcoholic。 As someone in a similar stage of life as the author， I was able to compare my life and choices to hers and gain some insight into why she thought and acted in the way she did。 She had some good insights and definitely has helped me process why I want to reduce my drinking and how to do that。 I like the positives and joys she focuses on as they are very simple to look for and achiev This was a great read （listen）。 It was very interesting to hear the experience and thought process of an alcoholic。 As someone in a similar stage of life as the author， I was able to compare my life and choices to hers and gain some insight into why she thought and acted in the way she did。 She had some good insights and definitely has helped me process why I want to reduce my drinking and how to do that。 I like the positives and joys she focuses on as they are very simple to look for and achieve。 On the other hand， I do think she’s a little preachy and unrealistic at parts。 If someone was actually an alcoholic and following her story to help them get sober， they’ll be in for a shock when they realize that not drinking doesn’t automatically make you want to wake up at dawn and run， and doesn’t make the sun shine out of your butt every single day。 Overall I would highly recommend this book for anyone who just wants to learn more about how alcohol can impact them or those they care about。 。。。more
Tracy Griffin
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Life affirMing。 For anyone who is even remotely contemplating becoming sober。 This is the book
Nikki Plummer
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This was a really moving memoir of Gray's struggle to get sober that I'd recommend to anyone looking to re-examine their relationship with alcohol， whether they are a problem drinker or not。 This was a really moving memoir of Gray's struggle to get sober that I'd recommend to anyone looking to re-examine their relationship with alcohol， whether they are a problem drinker or not。 。。。more
Connor
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Not exactly the most well written book， in fact it kind of feels like an extended version of someone's blog， but it's useful when you need it。 It's raw and does what it needs to do in an easy to read format。 Not exactly the most well written book， in fact it kind of feels like an extended version of someone's blog， but it's useful when you need it。 It's raw and does what it needs to do in an easy to read format。 。。。more
Bronwyn Tasker
，
Continuing on with #bronsbooksoftwentytwentytwo is “The Unexpected Joy Of Being Sober” by Catherine Gray （@unexpectedjoyof）。 This took me a few months to get through only because I got sick / busy and wasn’t prioritizing my self care sessions， but it is a thoroughly enjoyable read - and at times hit really close to the bone。 Catherine sharing her story made me realise we all can tell ourselves those phrases that we want to hear when we want to hear it， but ultimately it’s up to the individual to Continuing on with #bronsbooksoftwentytwentytwo is “The Unexpected Joy Of Being Sober” by Catherine Gray （@unexpectedjoyof）。 This took me a few months to get through only because I got sick / busy and wasn’t prioritizing my self care sessions， but it is a thoroughly enjoyable read - and at times hit really close to the bone。 Catherine sharing her story made me realise we all can tell ourselves those phrases that we want to hear when we want to hear it， but ultimately it’s up to the individual to make the decision to stop。 For me， my relationship with alcohol wasn’t working anymore as I wasn’t sleeping。 But it was so much bigger than that - I just couldn’t see it at the time。 Today I’m 544 days sober and grateful for every day。 When I have moments when I think I can have just one drink， I reach out to my friend and she reminds me that the answer is no （thanks @electriclovers） as it’s not worth the hiccup now。 As Catherine says so eloquently on Pg 261: “I know drinking would not be self-soothing; it would be self-sabotage。” And I couldn’t agree more。 I like me sober and know others do too。 If you’re curious about your drinking and wanting a break， give this English gals book a read。 You won’t be disappointed！ #realstories #paperbackbooks #soberliving #readmorebooks 。。。more
Sarah
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This book is an AMAZING account of the author’s journey to sobriety。 She writes so beautifully and i love how honest she is about her journey。 The ending is beautiful about how her life has become since she’s ditched the booze。 I would recommend this book even if you don’t drink or have no intention of ditching it。 It is quite a mindful book and the author says so many things and strategies which would help anyone in life regardless of their troubles。 Loved it and I wish her every success in the This book is an AMAZING account of the author’s journey to sobriety。 She writes so beautifully and i love how honest she is about her journey。 The ending is beautiful about how her life has become since she’s ditched the booze。 I would recommend this book even if you don’t drink or have no intention of ditching it。 It is quite a mindful book and the author says so many things and strategies which would help anyone in life regardless of their troubles。 Loved it and I wish her every success in the future。 。。。more
Sirihund
，
This book was very inspiring and interesting。 I learned a lot about addiction， examined my own prejudices about people with addiction and got valuable insight into alcohol culture。 Her story was upsetting and probably more common than we think。 I loved hearing about her personal development and what made her stick to being sober。 This book was very useful for me both personally and professionally as I am a healthcare student。 Addiction can show up in so many ways and hearing individual stories w This book was very inspiring and interesting。 I learned a lot about addiction， examined my own prejudices about people with addiction and got valuable insight into alcohol culture。 Her story was upsetting and probably more common than we think。 I loved hearing about her personal development and what made her stick to being sober。 This book was very useful for me both personally and professionally as I am a healthcare student。 Addiction can show up in so many ways and hearing individual stories will help us meet people with more compassion and understanding。 A negative thing was that she used very many lists in the book and I got a bit tired of those （listened to the audiobook）。 Also， there was one chapter where she talked about previously dressing slutty， without using that word but clearly insinuating so。 It was condescending - women can be our own worst enemies sometimes and I believe it was absolutely unneccesary to be so negative about her previous style。 It added nothing to her point。 Overall， I am inspired to drink less and have learned a lot。 I would definitely recommend this book， with a little side note to not take in her attitude about clothing。 。。。more
Martin Schjærven Aagaard
，
Some solid advice mixed up with emotional， personal tellings of the author's struggle with alcoholism。 It gave me the push I never knew I needed to start my journey towards quitting drinking。 There are some misinterpretations in the book mainly concerning physiology， and at times leaning a bit heavy on single studies as proof， but it is not so blatantly wrong as to be a big issue。My biggest problems with the book are:1） its overuse of long （unnecessary long） lists to drive home a point。 Honestly Some solid advice mixed up with emotional， personal tellings of the author's struggle with alcoholism。 It gave me the push I never knew I needed to start my journey towards quitting drinking。 There are some misinterpretations in the book mainly concerning physiology， and at times leaning a bit heavy on single studies as proof， but it is not so blatantly wrong as to be a big issue。My biggest problems with the book are:1） its overuse of long （unnecessary long） lists to drive home a point。 Honestly， I stopped caring about what celebrity #23 had to say about being sober， and yet there was no end in sight。2） around the 2/3-mark， the book starts to seem like it directs its attention away from anyone with an interest in quitting drinking， to women specifically。 As a man， it feels like the author overlooks men's problems with alcohol。 Alcoholism is not a gendered problem， and it would be better if the author abstained from specifically pointing out that so-and-so many *women* died every day of alcohol， and so on。3） when the author describes sobriety's effect on their behaviours， the way they dress and how they feel validated， the author cannot seem to avoid slut-shaming women。 Women who wear high heels， push-up bras， short skirts and so on， might choose to do so for other reasons than the author did in their problematic period with alcohol。 Once again I am reminded the theory that the people who are meanest towards women are other women。 This book is not helpful in liberating women for what they dress and how they act。For these three reasons I cannot give it a five-star rating。 But the tips， reflections and stories are helpful， thought provoking and hilarious！ I got what I wanted out of this book， and if you are mildly curious about stopping drinking， you will probably leave satisfied when you are finished。 。。。more
George Russell-Stracey
，
This booked existed on our bookshelf。 My partner had bought to help curb her drinking。 I’d never given it a second thought。 I had a big-feeling couple of days and have always thought that I might have a problem with drinking。 Catherine reassured me that a spectrum exists。 I might not need to swear off booze for any reason but the fact that 84% of men wanted to drink less seems too staggeringly high to ignore。I devoured this。 Finding each section， chapter， nuance and conversational quirk utterly This booked existed on our bookshelf。 My partner had bought to help curb her drinking。 I’d never given it a second thought。 I had a big-feeling couple of days and have always thought that I might have a problem with drinking。 Catherine reassured me that a spectrum exists。 I might not need to swear off booze for any reason but the fact that 84% of men wanted to drink less seems too staggeringly high to ignore。I devoured this。 Finding each section， chapter， nuance and conversational quirk utterly charming， non-preachy and massively insightful。 It might not last long but as a long time sober-curious person， even talking about it amongst contemporaries and friends has sparked the ‘What？ Why？’ Truly fascinating。 Im no case study。 It’s been 4 days。 But I feel good about the possibility of the next 96。 。。。more
Connor Girvan
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4 / 5 stars
Angelica
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This is a great kick start for those who need or want to change their drinking habits。 For me it’s a need。 I look back years ago on my good reads list and see how much I used to read。 I genuinely used reading as an awesome magical escape…somewhere that stopped and I picked up the bottle more than I was picking up my books。 It’s been very dark and bleak， but I’m ready to find my passions once again！ Just bought loads of self help journaling books， and books that relate with addiction。 I’m ready l This is a great kick start for those who need or want to change their drinking habits。 For me it’s a need。 I look back years ago on my good reads list and see how much I used to read。 I genuinely used reading as an awesome magical escape…somewhere that stopped and I picked up the bottle more than I was picking up my books。 It’s been very dark and bleak， but I’m ready to find my passions once again！ Just bought loads of self help journaling books， and books that relate with addiction。 I’m ready let’s goooo！ 。。。more
Rumi
，
Not as good as some of the other 'quit lit' I've read but still powerful and interesting Not as good as some of the other 'quit lit' I've read but still powerful and interesting 。。。more
Kate
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This book is like a great friend， honest， funny relatable， and with your best interest at heart。 Highly recommend。
Josiah Hughes
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3。5 rounded downi had to check the publish date multiple times bc there were so many references to harry potter and zombies and sentences that ended with “…not！” that i just assumed it must be at least 10 years old， and if it were it would still seem brutally dated。but even tho the prose is pretty epic bacon and annoying， the stories are powerful。 by being so vulnerable， catherine has hammered home once again that sobriety is a wonderful and highly achievable life， and that addiction is the faul 3。5 rounded downi had to check the publish date multiple times bc there were so many references to harry potter and zombies and sentences that ended with “…not！” that i just assumed it must be at least 10 years old， and if it were it would still seem brutally dated。but even tho the prose is pretty epic bacon and annoying， the stories are powerful。 by being so vulnerable， catherine has hammered home once again that sobriety is a wonderful and highly achievable life， and that addiction is the fault of the addictive substance not the person。 that’s a message that everyone needs to here， even harry potter ass normies。 。。。more
Eilish Jones
，
There were parts of this book that were really good， and others that fell very flat on me。 The first third of the book gives a great insight into what it's like being addicted to alcohol， the sheer dependency and reliance that is often associated with much 'harder' drugs like meth or heroin are also experienced by those who are extremely addicted to alcohol。 There are sections of the book that are useful， including the unplugging from the alcohol matrix and boozehounds debunked to name just a co There were parts of this book that were really good， and others that fell very flat on me。 The first third of the book gives a great insight into what it's like being addicted to alcohol， the sheer dependency and reliance that is often associated with much 'harder' drugs like meth or heroin are also experienced by those who are extremely addicted to alcohol。 There are sections of the book that are useful， including the unplugging from the alcohol matrix and boozehounds debunked to name just a couple。 I found other sections， however， too judgemental on female drinkers in particular （referring to all forms of 'club clothes' as being for the male gaze for example）。 I wish the book delved in more on the culture of binge drinking and simplified the effects but I doubt it was it's purpose。 It is definitely more of a memoir coupled with a push for readers to be sober than a critical analysis of drinking culture。 From things I had heard about the book I was expecting the latter - nonetheless， a good read。 Interesting for anyone seeking to cut down on alcohol too。 。。。more
Kaz
，
Very honest， thoughtful and generous account of a life lived through alcohol and then not。 This book makes you examine your relationship with alcohol and the role it plays in your life。 The author does this without being smug or superior - part of the beauty of this book is that she shares her many embarrassments and the impact on her friendships and close relationships。 Highly recommend。
Krista McGuire
，
Great book if you’re on a sober curious journey
Alicia
，
4。5 stars Unlike some "self-help" books this one was easy to read and enjoyable。 I felt that I could relate to the author for the most part， but not to some of her more extreme drinking stories。 At the end she ties it all together for any type of drinker and makes a strong case for sobriety。 I'm not completely convinced but this book has definitely shed a new light on alcohol and the role it plays in our current world。 4。5 stars Unlike some "self-help" books this one was easy to read and enjoyable。 I felt that I could relate to the author for the most part， but not to some of her more extreme drinking stories。 At the end she ties it all together for any type of drinker and makes a strong case for sobriety。 I'm not completely convinced but this book has definitely shed a new light on alcohol and the role it plays in our current world。 。。。more
Cat
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Felt so understood and like the author was talking to me personally that sometimes I didn't want the book to end。 I got lucky with this being my first book as I delve into sober literature and my attempt at sobriety itself。 Felt so understood and like the author was talking to me personally that sometimes I didn't want the book to end。 I got lucky with this being my first book as I delve into sober literature and my attempt at sobriety itself。 。。。more
Breanne Bachovchin
，
My biggest gripes starting the book: she’s British and I’ll never get used to the lingo and writing style AND holy crap she was down bad and I’ll never gain anything from this book。Okay， the first one was a little rough and I had to do a bit of googling to keep up with the lingo。 But I loved this book。 I loved her raw， unfiltered honesty when it came to both her past， her （many） breaking points， the stumbling blocks in her sobriety， and all the positives that came out of it for her （positives th My biggest gripes starting the book: she’s British and I’ll never get used to the lingo and writing style AND holy crap she was down bad and I’ll never gain anything from this book。Okay， the first one was a little rough and I had to do a bit of googling to keep up with the lingo。 But I loved this book。 I loved her raw， unfiltered honesty when it came to both her past， her （many） breaking points， the stumbling blocks in her sobriety， and all the positives that came out of it for her （positives that really showed how negative alcohol really is）。 。。。more
Irrelephant
，
I think this book was okay。 It was a bit all over the place at times and didn't feel especially coherent or even very useful other than someone sharing some of their personal experiences。 It's not really a how-to guide or anything if that's what you're looking for。 But I also think the author is a little too adamant about never wanting to drink again。 Even if they invented a pill that could guarantee you stop at 2 drinks or whatever， she says she wouldn't do it。 Maybe it's true she really feels I think this book was okay。 It was a bit all over the place at times and didn't feel especially coherent or even very useful other than someone sharing some of their personal experiences。 It's not really a how-to guide or anything if that's what you're looking for。 But I also think the author is a little too adamant about never wanting to drink again。 Even if they invented a pill that could guarantee you stop at 2 drinks or whatever， she says she wouldn't do it。 Maybe it's true she really feels that way about never having the slightest urge to drink again， but I find it hard to believe。 Honestly， she mentions the pink cloud effect and that it doesn't last forever， but then the way the book is written it almost makes it seem like she's saying it does last forever and your life will definitely be so much better without alcohol etc。 Quitting alcohol is great and really good for you， but it doesn't solve all your problems or make your life so much better automatically。 That's still up to you， and your life may still suck without alcohol。 It's just that alcohol makes everything that much worse。 So I just hope it won't give anyone thinking about quitting the wrong idea or unrealistic expectations。 I think it's nice to read success stories from people who struggled and got sober， but I also think it's nice to hear that even within sobriety there is still temptation or struggle and that's ok。 I don't think it's realistic to assume you'll never struggle with alcohol again。 But again， that's just me。 。。。more
Rosie
，
Very honest insight into their former relationship with alcohol， their experience going sober and how their life has transformed。 Scientific insights into the effects of alcohol on our bodies and on society。 Not at all preachy and a nice read as we head into the likely kamikaze onslaught of summertime alcohol advertising。 Will use this book as my shield to dodge the ‘Soup of the day: Beer’ pub sign。
Amy Taylor Wright
，
V interesting and useful。 Contains many techniques for brain wrangling that can be applied to things other than addiction。 Has helped me be mindful of my drinking， and also encouraged me to feel confident setting boundaries and protecting myself。 Recommended！🌻🌻🌻🌻
Julia
，
Felt like talking to a friend
Ryan Laurant
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Eye-opening and inspiring 😌
Alyssa Berger
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