17 Books About Drinking That Will Make You Rethink Your Relationship to Alcohol

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It’s no secret that consuming alcohol isn’t good for you. For one thing, it’s addictive: As of 2024, some 28.9 million U.S. adults had an alcohol use disorder, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The CDC estimates that one in six U.S. adults binge drinks regularly, and notes that excessive drinking is associated with a host of long- and short-term health concerns, including brain damage, sleep impairment, and an increased risk of developing cancer. In fact, in 2025, the Surgeon General published an advisory that highlighted alcohol as the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the US, and that women are at higher risk.

That’s because, although men are more likely to drink excessively, women tend to metabolize alcohol more slowly. This makes them more vulnerable to the long-term health effects of heavy drinking. And yes — we hate to be the bearers of bad news, but even moderate drinking carries some risks.

But it’s one thing to know all this, and it’s another thing to cut back or actually stop drinking altogether. From open-bar weddings to after-work happy hours, booze is woven into the fabric of our social lives. Drinking is so normalized that we forget alcohol is an addictive substance. These cultural norms make quitting or even lessening your consumption much easier said than done, especially for people who are curious about sobriety but aren’t necessarily struggling with an alcohol use disorder.

The good news? There’s plenty of insightful literature on this complex topic to help you parse out your feelings and guide your decisions on alcohol. Below, we’ve compiled a list of 12 books about alcohol and sobriety — including feminist cultural commentary, fact-filled guidebooks, and stirring memoirs — that will challenge the way you think about drinking. Whether you’re sober curious yourself or simply want to learn more about how alcohol affects your mind and body, you’ll find something of value on this list.