
The Sober Diaries
How One Woman Stopped Drinking and Started Living
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed

Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $15.98
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Karen Cass
-
By:
-
Clare Pooley
About this listen
Like many women, Clare Pooley found the juggle of a stressful career and family life a struggle, so she left her successful role as a managing partner in one of the world's biggest advertising agencies to look after her family.
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, no longer has a wine belly and 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.
©2017 Clare Pooley (P)2017 Hodder & Stoughton LimitedListeners also enjoyed...
-
The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober
- Discovering a Happy, Healthy, Wealthy Alcohol-Free Life
- By: Catherine Gray
- Narrated by: Catherine Gray
- Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ever sworn off alcohol for January and found yourself drinking by the 7th? Think there's 'no point' in just one drink? Welcome! There are millions of us. This inspirational, aspirational and highly relatable narrative champions the benefits of sobriety with a three-pronged approach combining the author's personal experience, factual reportage and contributions from expert sources and self-help advice for anyone who wants to reduce their alcohol intake or eliminate it completely.
-
-
Best Book on This Subject!
- By Polly on 05-14-20
By: Catherine Gray
-
Quit Like a Woman
- The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol
- By: Holly Whitaker
- Narrated by: Holly Whitaker
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We live in a world obsessed with drinking. We drink at baby showers and work events, brunch and book club, graduations and funerals. Yet no one ever questions alcohol’s ubiquity—in fact, the only thing ever questioned is why someone doesn’t drink. It is a qualifier for belonging and if you don’t imbibe, you are considered an anomaly. As a society, we are obsessed with health and wellness, yet we uphold alcohol as some kind of magic elixir, though it is anything but.
-
-
you had me until the last chapter
- By Katie on 01-15-20
By: Holly Whitaker
-
We Are the Luckiest
- The Surprising Magic of a Sober Life
- By: Laura McKowen
- Narrated by: Laura McKowen
- Length: 7 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What could possibly be “lucky” about addiction? Absolutely nothing, thought Laura McKowen when drinking brought her to her knees. As she puts it, she “kicked and screamed . . . wishing for something - anything - else” to be her issue. The people who got to drink normally, she thought, were so damn lucky. But in the midst of early sobriety, when no longer able to anesthetize her pain and anxiety, she realized that she was actually the lucky one. Lucky to feel her feelings, live honestly, really be with her daughter, change her legacy.
-
-
Influencer Recovery, Part One
- By Keith Keller on 01-31-20
By: Laura McKowen
-
Alcohol Explained
- By: William Porter
- Narrated by: Nick Jermyn
- Length: 6 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alcohol Explained is the definitive, ground-breaking guide to alcohol and alcoholism. It explains how alcohol affects human beings on a chemical, physiological, and psychological level, from those first drinks right up to chronic alcoholism. This audiobook provides a logical, easy-to-follow explanation of the phenomenon and detailed instructions on how to beat it.
-
-
Life Changing
- By GlassHalfFull on 04-12-19
By: William Porter
-
Sober on a Drunk Planet
- Quit Lit 2-in-1 Sobriety Series. An Uncommon Alcohol Self-Help Guide for Sober Curious Through to Alcohol Addiction Recovery
- By: Sean Alexander, Sober On A Drunk Planet
- Narrated by: Piers Sherwood-Roberts
- Length: 7 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whether you're sober curious, looking to stay sober, or want to stop drinking alcohol for good, this uncommon guide explores eight critical areas of life that will drastically improve when you give up alcohol.
-
-
Must read for anyone with alcohol addiction or loved one with alcohol addiction
- By Tanya Masterson on 07-06-23
By: Sean Alexander, and others
-
Dry
- A Memoir
- By: Augusten Burroughs
- Narrated by: Augusten Burroughs
- Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the request (well, it wasn't really a request) of his employers, Augusten lands in rehab, where his dreams of group therapy with Robert Downey Jr. are immediately dashed by grim reality of fluorescent lighting and paper hospital slippers. When Augusten is forced to examine himself, he finds himself in the worst trouble of all. Because when his thirty days are up, he has to return to his same drunken Manhattan life - and live it sober. Dry is the story of love, loss, and Starbucks as a Higher Power
-
-
Sobriety with a sense of style....
- By heidi on 09-28-03
-
The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober
- Discovering a Happy, Healthy, Wealthy Alcohol-Free Life
- By: Catherine Gray
- Narrated by: Catherine Gray
- Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ever sworn off alcohol for January and found yourself drinking by the 7th? Think there's 'no point' in just one drink? Welcome! There are millions of us. This inspirational, aspirational and highly relatable narrative champions the benefits of sobriety with a three-pronged approach combining the author's personal experience, factual reportage and contributions from expert sources and self-help advice for anyone who wants to reduce their alcohol intake or eliminate it completely.
-
-
Best Book on This Subject!
- By Polly on 05-14-20
By: Catherine Gray
-
Quit Like a Woman
- The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol
- By: Holly Whitaker
- Narrated by: Holly Whitaker
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We live in a world obsessed with drinking. We drink at baby showers and work events, brunch and book club, graduations and funerals. Yet no one ever questions alcohol’s ubiquity—in fact, the only thing ever questioned is why someone doesn’t drink. It is a qualifier for belonging and if you don’t imbibe, you are considered an anomaly. As a society, we are obsessed with health and wellness, yet we uphold alcohol as some kind of magic elixir, though it is anything but.
-
-
you had me until the last chapter
- By Katie on 01-15-20
By: Holly Whitaker
-
We Are the Luckiest
- The Surprising Magic of a Sober Life
- By: Laura McKowen
- Narrated by: Laura McKowen
- Length: 7 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What could possibly be “lucky” about addiction? Absolutely nothing, thought Laura McKowen when drinking brought her to her knees. As she puts it, she “kicked and screamed . . . wishing for something - anything - else” to be her issue. The people who got to drink normally, she thought, were so damn lucky. But in the midst of early sobriety, when no longer able to anesthetize her pain and anxiety, she realized that she was actually the lucky one. Lucky to feel her feelings, live honestly, really be with her daughter, change her legacy.
-
-
Influencer Recovery, Part One
- By Keith Keller on 01-31-20
By: Laura McKowen
-
Alcohol Explained
- By: William Porter
- Narrated by: Nick Jermyn
- Length: 6 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alcohol Explained is the definitive, ground-breaking guide to alcohol and alcoholism. It explains how alcohol affects human beings on a chemical, physiological, and psychological level, from those first drinks right up to chronic alcoholism. This audiobook provides a logical, easy-to-follow explanation of the phenomenon and detailed instructions on how to beat it.
-
-
Life Changing
- By GlassHalfFull on 04-12-19
By: William Porter
-
Sober on a Drunk Planet
- Quit Lit 2-in-1 Sobriety Series. An Uncommon Alcohol Self-Help Guide for Sober Curious Through to Alcohol Addiction Recovery
- By: Sean Alexander, Sober On A Drunk Planet
- Narrated by: Piers Sherwood-Roberts
- Length: 7 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whether you're sober curious, looking to stay sober, or want to stop drinking alcohol for good, this uncommon guide explores eight critical areas of life that will drastically improve when you give up alcohol.
-
-
Must read for anyone with alcohol addiction or loved one with alcohol addiction
- By Tanya Masterson on 07-06-23
By: Sean Alexander, and others
-
Dry
- A Memoir
- By: Augusten Burroughs
- Narrated by: Augusten Burroughs
- Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the request (well, it wasn't really a request) of his employers, Augusten lands in rehab, where his dreams of group therapy with Robert Downey Jr. are immediately dashed by grim reality of fluorescent lighting and paper hospital slippers. When Augusten is forced to examine himself, he finds himself in the worst trouble of all. Because when his thirty days are up, he has to return to his same drunken Manhattan life - and live it sober. Dry is the story of love, loss, and Starbucks as a Higher Power
-
-
Sobriety with a sense of style....
- By heidi on 09-28-03
-
This Naked Mind
- Control Alcohol, Find Freedom, Discover Happiness, and Change Your Life
- By: Annie Grace
- Narrated by: Annie Grace
- Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This Naked Mind offers a new, positive solution. Here, Annie Grace clearly presents the psychological and neurological components of alcohol use based on the latest science and reveals the cultural, social, and industry factors that support alcohol dependence in all of us. Packed with surprising insight into the reasons we drink, this book will open your eyes to the startling role of alcohol in our culture and how the stigma of alcoholism and recovery keeps people from getting the help they need.
-
-
Not as Described
- By Sean on 07-01-18
By: Annie Grace
-
Drinking
- A Love Story
- By: Caroline Knapp
- Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
- Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fifteen million Americans a year are plagued with alcoholism. Five million of them are women. Many of them, like Caroline Knapp, started in their early teens and began to use alcohol as "liquid armor", a way to protect themselves against the difficult realities of life. In this extraordinarily candid and revealing memoir, Knapp offers important insights not only about alcoholism, but about life itself and how we learn to cope with it.
-
-
The Big Picture of Alcohol Dependence
- By Karen K on 07-26-16
By: Caroline Knapp
-
The Sober Lush
- A Hedonist's Guide to Living a Decadent, Adventurous, Soulful Life - Alcohol Free
- By: Amanda Eyre Ward, Jardine Libaire
- Narrated by: Eileen Stevens
- Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a culture where sipping "rosé all day" is seen as the epitome of relaxation, "grabbing a drink" the only way to network; and meeting at a bar the quintessential "first date", many of us are left wondering if drinking alcohol really is the only way to cultivate joy and connection in life. Jardine Libaire and Amanda Eyre Ward wanted to live spontaneous and luxurious lives, to escape the ordinary and enjoy the intoxicating. Their drinking, however, had started to numb them to the present moment instead of unlocking it.
-
-
This could have simply been called Lush Living
- By MPerry on 07-18-20
By: Amanda Eyre Ward, and others
-
Push Off from Here
- Nine Essential Truths to Get You Through Sobriety (and Everything Else)
- By: Laura McKowen
- Narrated by: Laura McKowen
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Push Off from Here, McKowen delves deeply into each of her nine points: what they mean, how they work, and how every person can live them. She addresses topics such as the correlation between trauma and addiction, the importance of radical honesty, letting go of the illusion of control, the value of community, a reminder that healing is a continual process, and that the process is a gift. Whether you’re just starting out or have been sober for decades, McKowen instructs us to be kind to ourselves: Change is messy and progress is rarely linear, but we can always push off from here.
-
-
As a "Quit Lit" connoisseur, this is a new fave!
- By Cheri Howard on 06-24-23
By: Laura McKowen
-
Between Breaths
- A Memoir of Panic and Addiction
- By: Elizabeth Vargas
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Vargas
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beloved former ABC 20/20 anchor Elizabeth Vargas reveals her alcohol addiction and anxiety disorder in a shockingly honest and emotional memoir. From the moment she uttered the brave and honest words, "I am an alcoholic," to interviewer George Stephanopoulos, Elizabeth Vargas began writing her story, as her experiences were still raw. Now, in Between Breaths, Vargas discusses her accounts of growing up with anxiety—which began suddenly at the age of six when her father served in Vietnam.
-
-
Brave and Beautiful
- By LAFalls on 09-14-16
By: Elizabeth Vargas
-
The Authenticity Project
- A Novel
- By: Clare Pooley
- Narrated by: Anna Cordell
- Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Julian Jessop, an eccentric, lonely artist and septuagenarian believes that most people aren’t really honest with each other. But what if they were? And so he writes—in a plain, green journal—the truth about his own life and leaves it in his local café. It’s run by the incredibly tidy and efficient Monica, who furtively adds her own entry and leaves the book in the wine bar across the street. Before long, the others who find the green notebook add the truths about their own deepest selves - and soon find each other In Real Life at Monica’s Café.
-
-
Sweet, easy listen
- By Benhandel on 04-23-20
By: Clare Pooley
-
Quitter
- A Memoir of Drinking, Relapse, and Recovery
- By: Erica C. Barnett
- Narrated by: Jean Ann Douglass
- Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A startlingly frank memoir, Quitter documents one woman's struggles with alcoholism and recovery, with essential new insights into addiction and treatment.
-
-
Long Drunkaloug But Well Defined
- By Danielle T on 11-16-20
By: Erica C. Barnett
-
Drunk Mom
- A Memoir
- By: Jowita Bydlowska
- Narrated by: Meredith Mitchell
- Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A best seller in its native Canada, Drunk Mom is a gripping, brutally honest memoir of motherhood in the shadow of alcoholism. Three years after giving up drinking, Jowita Bydlowska found herself throwing back a glass of champagne like it was ginger ale. It was a special occasion: a party celebrating the birth of her first child. It also marked Bydlowska's immediate, full-blown return to crippling alcoholism.
-
-
A not very lovely story that I love anyway.
- By Alixandra Hice on 01-12-15
By: Jowita Bydlowska
-
Sober Curious
- The Blissful Sleep, Greater Focus, Limitless Presence, and Deep Connection Awaiting Us All on the Other Side of Alcohol
- By: Ruby Warrington
- Narrated by: Ruby Warrington
- Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s the nagging question more and more of us are finding harder to ignore, whether we have a “problem” with alcohol or not. In the face of how we care for ourselves otherwise, it’s hard to avoid how alcohol really makes us feel: terrible. How different would our lives be if we stopped drinking on autopilot? If we stopped drinking altogether? Frank, funny, and always judgment-free, Sober Curious is a bold guide to choosing to live hangover-free, from Ruby Warrington, one of the leading voices of the new sobriety movement.
-
-
Kinda confusing
- By Andrei on 01-06-20
By: Ruby Warrington
-
This Side of Alcohol
- Random Thoughts and Candid Words of Pain, Hope, Humor, Love—and All That Is Possible in Sobriety
- By: Peggi Cooney
- Narrated by: Peggi Cooney
- Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This Side of Alcohol is borne out of the cathartic journaling I did during the first two years following my break-up with alcohol. It tells the story of what I did to get and stay sober, allowing me to transform my shame, guilt, and anger into self-compassion, self-discovery, and forgiveness—of myself and others. From self-loathing isolation to a joyous community of support and rediscovered intimacy with my family.
-
-
The pure emotion and story telling
- By Samantha hansen on 09-26-24
By: Peggi Cooney
-
Glorious Rock Bottom
- By: Bryony Gordon
- Narrated by: Bryony Gordon
- Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bryony Gordon is a respected journalist, a number one best-selling author and an award-winning mental health campaigner. She is also an alcoholic. In Glorious Rock Bottom Bryony opens up about a toxic 20-year relationship with alcohol and drugs and explains exactly why hitting rock bottom - for her, a traumatic event and the abrupt realisation that she was putting herself in danger, time and again - saved her life.
-
-
absolutely fabulous ⭐
- By pixie on 03-05-23
By: Bryony Gordon
-
Not Drinking Tonight
- A Guide to Creating a Sober Life You Love
- By: Amanda E. White LPC
- Narrated by: Amanda E. White LPC, Suehyla El-Attar
- Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this honest discussion of mental health, the founder of Therapy for Women explores our reasons for drinking alcohol - and the benefits of taking a break.
-
-
Disappointing
- By Anne on 12-13-22
An amazing book
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Must read!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
inspiring.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This book is life-changing.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I am her!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Thank you again.
Warm regards,
Amanda
The Sober Diaries is a terrific read! Cheers Clare!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Perfect Book
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Amazing book!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Oh boy! This really hits home.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Really great audiobook
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.