She knew the change wouldn't be easy but she never expected to find herself an overweight, depressed, middle-aged mother of three who was drinking more than a bottle of wine a day, and spending her evenings Googling 'Am I an alcoholic?' This book is the bravely honest story of a year in Clare's life. A year that started with her quitting booze and then being given the devastating diagnosis of breast cancer. By the end of the year she is booze-free and cancer-free, she no longer has a wine belly, is two stone lighter and with a life that is so much richer, healthier and more rewarding than ever before. She has a happier family and a more positive outlook. Sober Diaries is an upbeat, funny and positive look at how to live life to the full. Interwoven within Clare's own very personal and brilliantly comic story is research and advice as she discovers the answers to questions like: How do I know if I'm drinking too much? How will I cope at parties? What do I say to friends and family? How do I cope with cravings? If I stop drinking will I lose weight? What if my partner still drinks? And many more.

    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.

    Ross Does the thought of having to buy wine for a dinner party stress you out? Is your go-to strategy to pick the bottle with the coolest label? Are you tired of choosing pairings based on your wallet, rather than your palate? Fear not! Bon Appetit contributor and Wine. All The Time. blogger Marissa A. Ross is here to help. In this utterly unpretentious yet comprehensive guide to wine, Ross will help readers to understand the ins and outs of wine culture, from how to describe what they're drinking, to finding the best bottle for their budget, to picking the perfect red for a boyfriend's discerning parents. Told in her signature comedic voice, with personal anecdotes woven in among its lessons, Wine. All the Time. will teach readers to sip confidently, and make them laugh as they're doing it."

    He’s been sober for three years when he wakes up hungover and in a bed, that isn’t his. To make matter’s worse there’s someone in bed with him, and he’s got a ring on that he doesn’t recognize. He knows quickly he’s messed up. Thinking he can just get it annulled he sneaks out of the hotel to be grabbed by his detail and shoved into his car to be taken to the airport they have a gig in Sydney, and will be gone for three months, hoping Lawyers can handle it he’s at a loss as he doesn’t even know her last name. When he finds her, he finds he’s stuck, as she burrows under his skin. But can this mouthy, Texas girl handle the life of a Rocker? One on the brink of his addictions? Can they move past lust and find love at last?

    In addition, he reveals what we really fear and how to face it. In the spirit of Stephen Grosz and Irving Yalom, Frederickson shows how to recognize the lies we tell ourselves and face the truths we have avoided--and stop saying yes when we really mean no.Although we may use falsehoods to escape pain, clinging to our fantasies actually becomes the source of greater suffering. This book shows how to create a better life by letting go of our lies and facing reality. It also demonstrates that therapy is not merely a chat; it is a relationship between two people devoted to facing the deepest truths of our lives so we can be he

    It doesn’t hold the ‘secret short cut’ to sobriety, because there are none, but it does sign-post you through the “getting sober” and guide you towards “living sober” (two very different things). This book is full of practical guidance for all the phases of the sober journey – what to do when your first pink cloud dissipates, how do you prepare for your first sober outing, why aren’t your friends cheering you on? What’s up with that? And when do you actually get to BE sober? And is there life beyond this journey – in the scary new non-drinking world? This book acknowledges that this journey is dual purpose – to ditch the booze and find oneself – and the power and success of recovery comes when you can use sobriety as a tool in your life, rather than a destination. Everybody has a unique sober journey – but everyone’s path goes in the same direction. This book will help you get there, hopefully without too many detours.

    But in every age and in every place drunkenness is a little bit different. It can be religious, it can be sexual, it can be the duty of kings or the relief of peasants. It can be an offering to the ancestors, or a way of marking the end of a day's work. It can send you to sleep, or send you into battle.A Short History of Drunkenness traces humankind's love affair with booze from our primate ancestors through to Prohibition, answering every possible question along the way: What did people drink? How much? Who did the drinking? Of the many possible reasons, why? On the way, learn about the Neolithic Shamans, who drank to communicate with the spirit world (no pun intended), marvel at how Greeks got giddy and Romans got rat-arsed, and find out how bars in the Wild West were never quite like in the movies.This is a history of the world at its inebriated best.

    Mental illness, post-traumatic stress syndrome, overdoses and addiction are some of the demons this paramedic turned author deals with--stemming from a horrific double-murder call. This incredible story makes public the very private battles many face. This book is raw, honest and a window into the mind of someone facing mental illness. Although a serious topic, this biography is at times laugh-out-loud funny, poignant and simply a good, entertaining read. This is a must-have for anyone who wants a cover-to-cover read, keeping you on the edge of your seat.

    See what sets this cousin of tequila apart from the rest of the pack. Produced in Mexico for centuries but little known elsewhere until recent years, mezcal has captured the imagination of spirits enthusiasts with its astonishing complexities. And while big liquor is beginning to jump aboard the bandwagon, most mezcal is still artisanal in nature, produced using small-batch techniques handed down for generations, often with agave plants harvested in the wild. ​Join author Emma Janzen through Mezcal as she presents an engaging primer on all things related to the spirit; its long history, the craft of distilling it, and a thorough guide to many of the most common agaves used in production and how they shape the resulting spirit. In addition, top mezcal bars across the United States and Mexico contribute a selection of nearly fifty cocktails that accentuate its distinguishing qualities.Beautifully produced and authoritatively written, Mezcal is the definitive guide to exploring and unraveling the mysteries of this extraordinary handcrafted spirit. An Editors’ Pick for Amazon Best Books of the month of July 2017.

    Escaped from Hell. They are UnHallowed. Gideon has one shot at redemption. Close the portal to Hell forever and return to Heaven, leaving behind millennia of darkness. Nothing means more than restoring his grace, until the one person he vowed never to see again places herself in his direct path. He has to resist her, but she is his Heaven—and his Hell. Risking her life to shut Hell’s gateway, the last person Dina ever expected to encounter was the one she had lost forever. Duty, not desire, is what he instilled in her and what she will follow, regardless of how he makes her ache...Until the unthinkable happens and she must choose between honor and the only love she will ever have. Torn between what they want and cannot have, Gideon and Dina must decide whether to make the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of humanity or let passion take them to where angels fear to tread.

    Thanks to several brooding texts received by her grandmother, twenty-one-year old Katie Deeds' death is ruled a suicide. Jonah Carr, a local feature reporter on his third year of the job, is assigned the story by his editor. Initially, nothing looks to be atypical or particularly noteworthy about the girl's demise. She was known as being wildly erratic and impulsive, and although her suicide came as a surprise to those who knew her, no one considers the possibility of foul play. However, through a series of interviews with those closest to Katie, Jonah uncovers an intricate plot shrouding the girl's passing, adding another layer to the mystery. Only two people recall seeing Katie on the night of her death and one is unwilling to talk. Simultaneously, Jonah makes a loose connection to a thirty-two-year-old cold case. Kylie Desmond was last seen walking alone in the early morning hours of August 12th, 1984. Then, in 1994, her skull was found in an abandoned car. She was one of five teenage girls who were murdered over an eleven-year period; each walking alone or in pairs on the same highway. The killer was never caught. Now, with the assistance of Private Investigator Maryanne Wiggins, Jonah must probe every link to the cases that the Newport Police Department has neglected, desperate to find any loose-ends to tie to the girls before another body is unearthed. Through his exploits, he starts to answer the question that has haunted the small coastal town for decades: Is there a serial killer living in their midst?

    Although religious and legal mandates discourage the sale and consumption of alcohol, the region has a robust drinking culture. As the home of NASCAR, a sport that arose from the high-speed antics of bootleggers, and Tennessee Williams, a man notorious for both his literary genius and his propensity to imbibe, the Bible Belt has a booze-soaked background. In the recipes and essays in The Southern Foodways Alliance Guide to Cocktails, Jerry Slater and Sara Camp Milam and their cocktail cabinet of contributors bridge the gaps between the culture, history, and practice of drinking in the South.Nearly one hundred easy-to-follow recipes instruct the home bartender how to create memorable drinks from everyday ingredients, whether they be light tipples or potent bell ringers. Milam and Slater organize their historical how-to by drink family, starting with day-drinking classics suitable for brunches and tailgating, such as the Michelada and the Ruby Slipper. Variations on the French 75, lovingly lauded by food writer Kat Kinsman, and various juleps, cobblers, and shandies are also covered, as are strong finishes such as the Sazerac and the Vieux Carre. A final set of recipes focuses on the punch bowl, with instructions on how to mix such shareable libations as Chatham Artillery Punch and Watermelon Sangria. Milam and Slater also share information on essential tools and glassware to stock the home bar with, as well as mixing and garnishing techniques.In addition, the book contains fifteen fun and informative essays on drink culture, including a profile of white whiskey whisperer Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton by popular historian Mark Essig, a piece on the kitschy pleasure of collecting figurative decanters by syndicated Ask a Mexican! columnist Gustavo Arellano, and an essay by the dean of cocktail history, David Wondrich, on "The Future of Southern Drinking."Lest we drink on an empty stomach, recipes for cocktail bites are provided by multiple James Beard Award nominee Vishwesh Bhatt. The Oxford, Mississippi-based Snackbar chef shares recipes for Benedictine Spread, Catfish Rillettes, Deviled Pickled Eggs, Deviled Ham, Okra Chaat, Pickled Shrimp, Shrimp Toast, Snackbar Pimento Cheese, Sweet Potato Biscuits with Pear Jam, and Spicy, Crunchy Black-Eyed Peas.

    By the time you read this, there will be even more ways to engage with others on social media. Its fun to be connected, but its also a lot of pressure isnt it? Social media constantly reminds you what others are doing, how they look, and who they are with. As you check your accounts (all the time!) it can be easy to think you arent measuring up to those you are following and to wonder who you really are and if you are measuring up to those around you.

    The authors guide readers through the process of creating or purchasing their own still and provide detailed instructions on mash creation, fermentation, distillation, and infusion using a variety of ingredients.

    With the whisky market booming all over the world, now is a perfect time for a comprehensive guide to this popular brown spirit. What are the basic ingredients in all whiskies? How does it get its flavor? Which big-name brands truly deserve their reputation? What are the current whisky trends around the world? And who was Jack Daniel, anyway? This abundance of information is distilled(!) into 324 short entries covering basic whisky literacy, production methods, consumption tips, trends, trivia, geographical maps and lists of distilleries, whisky trails, bars, hotels, and festivals by an industry insider. Boasting 230 color photographs and a beautiful package to boot, A Field Guide to Whisky will make a whisky expert out of anyone.

    Join three American beer writers as they travel the globe, and come to appreciate each abbey with a reverence informed by the brewery directors and monks themselves. Read about the origins of the Trappist religious order and the monks long enduring relationship with the art of brewing. Then, journey to the 11 abbey breweries themselves, including the expansive production facilities at Chimay, the coveted gates of Westvleteren, the ancient sun-baked walls of Tre Fontane, even America s first Trappist brewery in Spencer, Massachusetts. Learn about their histories and beers along the way, gain helpful travel tips, and enjoy both new and historical photography and original artwork capturing the spirit of each destination."