The Accidental Soberista: Discover the unexpected bliss of an alcohol-free life

by Kate Gunn, Caroline Lennon (Reading)

Kate Gunn was a social drinker, usually having a few drinks about three nights a week. But she had an inkling that alcohol was holding her back from getting on top of her life, and the hangovers were getting worse.

So, when Kate’s partner had to take a break from alcohol for a month, in solidarity with him, she decided to dip her toes in the water and try being a non-drinker too. Not long into her transformational journey, Kate discovered that breaking free from alcohol improved every single aspect of her life: from relationships to health to work to happiness. By giving up one thing, she gained so much more.

In The Accidental Soberista, Kate chronicles the challenges and obstacles on the path to giving herself the greatest gift she has ever received - freedom from alcohol. Whether you’re sober-curious or want to remove the final obstacle in the way of your own health and life goals, this could be just the journey for you too.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook

Audio CD

Published May 26, 2021

Reviews

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book definitely carries a lot of truths about the damaging effects of alcohol both physically and mentally.
However I found it a little too black and white. Kate started to sound quite smug half way through about being a non drinker (she even mentioned non drinkers are awakened), and made it sound that all life’s problems disappear when giving up the booze. Everything was just suddenly great and she ran marathons and triathlons, achieved everything she ever wanted and has energy all the time, goes to all the cool gigs and obviously also goes for sunrise swims.
Kate kept emphasizing she wasn’t an alcoholic but then she could have done all the above , many people do these things and still enjoy a glass of wine as well.
She found it hard to even enjoy a meal out with friends without having a drink. So then another non drinker suggested she should try going for brunch instead (mindblown!). Kate had a good old laugh and snigger ,sitting over her poached eggs and café latte, watching all the other haggard hungover clientele. Nice.
Kate I see your point but this way, being all judgy is not going to convert the drinkers out there to follow your path.

[Clodagh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the first half, but turns very preachy to the end and cherry picks facts and extrapolates implications which really annoys me.
Think it would have been more interesting to be more introspective about the authors own experience.

[Nigeyb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read on a whim whilst I enjoy a few weeks away from the booze. Something that might become more permanent. With that in mind I whisked through this somewhat repetitive and self congratulatory memoir.

I am most interested in the cultural stuff and any practical tips, rather than the author's life story about which we get a lot of detail.

Any book which explores destructive personal choices and unchallenged cultural habits is going to have value. This one was not really what I wanted but clearly many have been inspired by its chatty confessional style and biography, and that's a good thing so I don't want to be overly harsh.

[Kelly Hillman]

I enjoyed this, can’t really think of much to say about it. I liked the chatty style of writing and enjoyed the personal anecdotes more than the research stuff

[Briana Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite book I’ve read so far about going alcohol-free. Very enjoyable, very interesting and very relatable. Inspiring!

[Rita Egan · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
The Accidental Soberista
by Kate Gunn

I have been toying with the idea of giving up the booze for some time now. Not in that Sunday-morning-never-again kind of way, more that at my age I am questioning everything about my life that could be done smarter. Going out, out is such a rarity now, and I have identified (after years of ignoring it) that beer and my gut don't get on well together, so it's the at- home Friday night bottle of wine that gets polished off on Saturday that I feel like I should address. I went completely alcohol free for about 9 months following lockdown in an effort to tackle the covid stone ( or stone and a half 🙈) but can't remember why I drifted back to the Friday night habit.

In this witty and delightfully voicey audiobook, @borrowbox Kate Gunn talks about her own journey with going alcohol free, beginning with her partner's One Year No Beer aspiration, but breaking it into 30 day challenges which they discovered were infinitely doable. Lo and behold, they soon realised that all the things they were anxious that they would miss about their drinking lives (pub nights, concerts, Christmas, family events) were manageable with a bit of reframing. What they did not expect were the amazing gains they made in terms of energy, time, health, career, parenting, relationships.

This is definitely worth a listen, don't heed the GR reviews that are whinging about her smugness, they are just jealous, and probably terrified to consider giving it a go. Will I jump on the wagon? Mmmmm, what I'll say is, I'm seriously considering it. I let you know on Saturday.

#bookreview #irishbookstagram #theaccidentalsoberista #kategunn @katetakes5 #irishauthor #selfhelpbooks #alcoholfree #oynb #oneyearnobeer #borrowbox

[Maura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered this book because of the warm and wonderful Jenny Kelly through her Instagram and her dedicated Podcast episode on her sobriety.

For some time now I have reluctantly acknowledged that alcohol hugely impacts my already poor sleep patterns. The link is clear as per Matthew Walker and other sleep experts and in my case lasts for a number of days and nights after I've drunk alcohol. I'm also aware of the link between alcohol and particular health conditions. I have continued to drink alcohol in spite of these factors, hence my interest in this book.

I really liked how Kate approached it by sharing her own experience and not sugar coating her use of alcohol in the past. She introduced me to terms such as 'sober curious', which was new to me and probably reflects my current thinking. This book features lots of public health information about alcohol and also prompts us to consider whether marketing and societal expectations may be key drivers of our consumption. I also liked that Kate espouses the benefits her sobriety has brought her but isn't judgemental of others drinking.

I think alcohol is a very personal thing and the impact it has on us is likely to change during our lifetime. Many people gain fun and a sense of relaxation from alcohol in moderation, while others may feel the ill effects more severely or more frequently or at certain times during their lives. This book reinforced that view and highlighted the many benefits that Kate experienced from drinking non-alcoholic beverages and changing her attitude to, and relationship with, alcohol.

Overall, it's written very accessibly, but it's a challenging and thought provoking read in other ways.

[Alina · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the book did not offer any groundbreaking insights or original ideas, the author did present the message of quitting drinking in a clear and concise manner. The suggestions for finding alternative activities such as hobbies, spending time with loved ones, exercising, and entering competitions were practical and achievable. Despite the lack of extraordinary experiences shared, the book was well-written and easy to read, making it a quick and informative read that can easily be incorporated into a busy schedule.


Takeaways:
- fear of socialising without booze
- develop tactics on how to dealing with alcohol craving and set alcohol rituals ie going to a pub doesn’t mean drinking, Friday night at home can be a glass of tonic
- what happens when you stop drinking (mental, body, social)
- alcoholic vs normal
- what is your relationship with alcohol? Do you think you not dependent? Think twice … have you ever said are sure one more glass, sure one more glass won’t hurt you, might as well finish the bottle, nothing can happen from one glass? —— slow poisoning when in small dosage, leading to various cancers, mental and physical health

[Caroline Croezen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this book after a particularly heavy night on the sauce with the neighbours and it really spoke to me. I think the fact that she's Irish I could really relate to her and her drinking habits. It's really eye opening how engrained drinking is in our culture and how society is so intolerant of people who give up drinking and badger them with "just have the one". I remember when I was much younger my husband (boyfriend at the time) said he was doing dry January and wasn't going to drink for my January birthday. I took it as such a personal insult which is ridiculous it was nothing to do with me. The fact that alcohol is a carcinogen and there are no safe amounts of alcohol is something thats only starting to come to light now and it's definitely not being promoted by our government. I found Kate to be relatable and I didn't find her at all smug, I absolutely flew through the book and it has definitely given me food for thought.

[Emma Salmon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the style of this book and I enjoyed the exploration of how alcohol is treated in modern day life. It’s a bit repetitive though and at times the author strays into sounding smug; I know it’s amazing to exercise, walk by the sea, meditate, write books and go to festivals but not everyone can access all or some of this. Also the fact her partner goes sober at the same time is an immense bonus and she only briefly touches on how you’d manage a relationship where your partner is still keen to keep drinking. But it’s a good easy quit lit read, not in the same class as Clare Pooley or Catherine Gray for me but perked my motivation again to stay off the wine!

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 62% — I’ve had a good run of QuitLit books recently, but I had to toss in the towel on this one. Choosing to live alcohol-free is something to be proud of, but I found the author to be increasingly pretentious and self-righteous with every chapter. I don’t think that’s helpful when promoting an AF lifestyle. She also had the added benefit of quitting in tandem with a partner and other family members, which is a luxury most people don’t have. I don’t want to diminish her sobriety. It’s hard—her approach just didn’t land for me.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye-opening read for the sober curious among us. I've read a lot of Quit Lit but this one (maybe because Kate is Irish and lives in Ireland, like myself, plus she's around the same age, with 3 kids, like myself) really got in my head. Highly recommended.

[Montana Greene · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story of her experiences. I don't relate, and she didn't really give any huge answers to hanging out with people when You are Sober. She suggests alcohol free beer. Not a good replacement. I found flavoured seltzer are better. It's less calories and hydrating.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love it, but found it quite bland, repetitive and unstructured. Perhaps because there was no gripping drama behind it, no sense of struggle, it was mundane. Sends a good message nonetheless, that life improves when you are not drinking poison.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very nice book about stopping drinking. For some reason, it just did not resonate for me. There were some great passages and information, though. I guess there are no magic words, even though I wait for them.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an honest book about the authors experience of giving up alcohol, and the really positive effect it had on her life.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book very repetitive and a little meandering. It's nice to read Irish quit lit but overall it left me feeling underwhelmed

[Lynseygibs · Rating 3 out of 5]

A review of 3.5

[Julie]

Repetitive and preachy

[Svenja Bunte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really easy listen and funny. A little repetitive at times but maybe I’ve read too much quit lit!

[Rachel Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Salli Maddalo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devoured the book in a couple of days! Super relatable as a fellow social binge drinker. It really helped me get through my first social occasions since giving up drinking. Super easy to read!

[Clau K. Lee]

DNF

[Audrey Lynch · Rating 2 out of 5]

I live in Ireland count yourself lucky you live by the sea.