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Blackout
Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget | Sarah Hepola
69 posts | 83 read | 67 to read
*A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER* For Sarah Hepola, alcohol was "the gasoline of all adventure." She spent her evenings at cocktail parties and dark bars where she proudly stayed till last call. Drinking felt like freedom, part of her birthright as a strong, enlightened twenty-first-century woman. But there was a price. She often blacked out, waking up with a blank space where four hours should be. Mornings became detective work on her own life. What did I say last night? How did I meet that guy? She apologized for things she couldn't remember doing, as though she were cleaning up after an evil twin. Publicly, she covered her shame with self-deprecating jokes, and her career flourished, but as the blackouts accumulated, she could no longer avoid a sinking truth. The fuel she thought she needed was draining her spirit instead. A memoir of unblinking honesty and poignant, laugh-out-loud humor, BLACKOUT is the story of a woman stumbling into a new kind of adventure--the sober life she never wanted. Shining a light into her blackouts, she discovers the person she buried, as well as the confidence, intimacy, and creativity she once believed came only from a bottle. Her tale will resonate with anyone who has been forced to reinvent or struggled in the face of necessary change. It's about giving up the thing you cherish most--but getting yourself back in return.
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blurb
TheQuietQuill
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Photo Challenge for #scarathlon2022: “Black”

I‘ve yet to read this one, and actually picked it up at a little free library in Virginia last year

#teamslaughter

Clwojick Oooo I‘m intrigued 🖤 1y
33 likes1 comment
review
Nikki_E
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Pickpick

Blackout by Sarah Hepola. Number 6 of 2021. I always find myself draw to addiction memoirs and this one was no different. Sarah gives the reader a perspective of alcoholism that doesn‘t always get mentioned…the phenomenon of drinking until short term memories are no longer formed. I have been under anastesia for surgery and not having recollections of things before going under is freaky enough.

48 likes1 stack add
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squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

This wasn‘t an easy read, due to the subject matter; the author talks about her alcoholism, the reasons behind it and her attempts to stop drinking.

However, I really liked the author‘s voice, her honesty and writing style so it‘s a definite pick for me.

Thanks for sending this to me (a long time ago!) @TrishB 😘

TrishB Glad you enjoyed it 👍🏻 and books should be read at the right time! 😁 4y
Erinreadsthebooks I really liked this one, too 4y
JenReadsAlot I thought this was a great book. 4y
youneverarrived I loved this 👍 4y
79 likes1 stack add4 comments
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SassyPants617
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Yes. This was taken at the bar I work at. On the eve of taking a month, at least, off from alcohol. Looking forward to starting this and maybe reading other memoirs like this throughout the month. #Igotthis

11 likes3 comments
review
gradcat
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Mehso-so

#Booked2019 #Autumn #BookAboutAddiction

Meh. I like memoirs—a LOT—let me say that up front. Addiction memoirs, maybe not so much. So now you know my bias. There are exceptions to this, but this book is not one of them. The positive aspects were very personal to me: Hepola grew up about a three-hour car ride due west from where I grew up, so some of the challenges she faced in the conservative South were familiar to me. She also followed a ⬇️

gradcat ⬆️ (cont) similar life path, i.e., moving to New York, traveling & writing. I felt a deep kinship with Hepola. I recognized some of her antics and foibles. But because something is familiar to me doesn‘t necessarily make it a great read. The thing about these addiction stories is that they are very routine: drunkalogue; recognition of things coming undone; sobriety. The author herself bemoans the fact that a lot of these books become less ⬇️ (edited) 4y
gradcat ⬆️ (cont.) interesting as we reach the sobriety part. And it‘s a shame that redemption seems boring, because it shouldn‘t be that way. In more interesting books than this one, it‘s not. And that‘s why I‘m only giving Hepola‘s memoir a so-so rating. By the way, I know that this is going against the grain . . . lots of Littens loved this book—so sorry! ♥️ (edited) 4y
Cinfhen Great review!! Thorough and thoughtful. I read this one for the same prompt and I walked away not really learning much. It was good but not memorable (edited) 4y
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Amiable You don‘t need to apologize for how you feel about a book. Very eloquent review! 4y
TrishB I agree with @Amiable it would be very boring if every review was the same! Great review 👍🏻 4y
squirrelbrain Great review! @TrishB sent me this one and I‘m hoping to read it soon... your review hasn‘t put me off! 4y
Bklover Wonderful review! 4y
TrishB @squirrelbrain definitely one you need to read and decide how you feel! 4y
BarbaraTheBibliophage Thanks for the review—this one‘s on my Kindle shelf. Now I know what mindset I need to be in in order to give it a try. 😎 4y
gradcat @Cinfhen @Amiable @TrishB @squirrelbrain @Bklover & @BarbaraTheBibliophage Thank you, all of you, for such nice responses! And absolutely, as Trish says, for both Barbara & Helen: Don‘t let me put you off. It‘s a quick read, so you won‘t have wasted too much time if you don‘t like it. ♥️ 4y
Crazeedi @gradcat well thought out review, you always do such a great synopsis! 4y
gradcat @Crazeedi Why thank you, Diane! One more to go to complete Booked2019! ♥️ 4y
62 likes1 stack add12 comments
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Cinfhen
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#AyUpAugust Did someone say #HappyHour ?!!??! Sara Hepola lived for those words, going through life fueled by her “gasoline of adventure” - alcohol. She would drink to excess, and then TRY to piece it all together the following day. After too many years of empty memories and nearly killing her self in the process, Sara finally decides to put down the glass and live a life of sobriety. An honest memoir of addiction & the price of family history.

squirrelbrain Sounds good - would you recommend? 5y
Cinfhen I would @squirrelbrain ☺️ 5y
MicheleinPhilly I‘ll second that recommendation @squirrelbrain! 5y
See All 13 Comments
TrishB @squirrelbrain I‘ll pass on Cindy‘s copy she passed on to me @Cinfhen may be a couple of days before I get to the PO! I have a couple of parcels waiting for other peeps, so may be the end of the week. 5y
squirrelbrain Are you two still friends @MicheleinPhilly @Cinfhen after you *forced* her to go book shopping?! 5y
squirrelbrain Thanks @TrishB - you‘re like my personal book enabler! 😁❤️ 5y
TrishB @squirrelbrain lol 😁 spreading the love. I currently am double stacking my books and no space for more shelves until one of the kids permanently moves out! 5y
Cinfhen No rush at all @TrishB I‘m not even back in the country until the 29th of August 5y
Cinfhen And of course @MicheleinPhilly and I are still 👯 @squirrelbrain she bought 5 books & I only bought 1! I was the enabler 5y
squirrelbrain That was very restrained of you @Cinfhen ! 🤣 5y
squirrelbrain @TrishB - triple stacking next then?! 5y
MicheleinPhilly I would have bought more but I don‘t want to be divorced! @squirrelbrain 5y
91 likes1 stack add13 comments
review
TrishB
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Pickpick

A very good read. She doesn‘t romanticise any of it or pretend she‘s a hero for getting sober.
I can be judgemental about addicts having lived with two, a parent and a long ago ex husband. I don‘t think this is a nice thing, it just is, I do my best. It‘s hard for anything to put a chip in that judgement but this may of. Just a chip though. I probably need some way out fiction now.
#bookaboutaddiction #booked2019

alisiakae My adoption allowed me to grow up away from the shadow of addiction, only learning of my birth mother‘s struggles in adulthood, and I am grateful for that. I wish I would have been able to meet her, but I am thankful she did not raise me. It‘s hard to be unbiased when it touches close to home. 5y
Kalalalatja My little brother struggled with addiction, and in some ways still do, and I was so angry with him for so long. And now I‘m working in a place where I have to counsel and do therapy with teenagers with addiction, and they all remind me so much of my brother, which is something I struggle with, but try to work through. So I feel you 5y
TrishB @4thhouseontheleft @Kalalalatja thanks friends. We do our best. 5y
See All 16 Comments
Cinfhen Beautiful review, Trish. I‘m glad this book found it‘s way to you and was a bit of comfort instead of pain ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️ 5y
batsy My dad was an alcoholic and it was only after he passed that my siblings and I could even say the word "addiction". Lots of stigma on even naming it as such in Malaysian society... Anyway, I hear you and lots of complex feelings indeed ❤️❤️ 5y
Cathythoughts My family too was affected by alcohol.. it leaves deep marks. I don‘t know if I want to / or don‘t want to read this one. Sometimes I feel I‘m only really healing from it now, it‘s a long journey. It‘s good this book seemed to help you in some small way Trish. That‘s really good ♥️X X 5y
TrishB @Cinfhen it‘s important to read the other perspective I think. ❤️ 5y
TrishB @batsy @Cathythoughts we lock all those memories and feelings away most of the time ❤️ totally understand. Different coping mechanisms. 5y
JennyM Thanks for sharing, Trish. Beautiful review. 5y
Caroline2 I know what you mean, I‘m judgmental when it comes to addiction too. Like you say, it‘s a different perspective viewing it from the outside. Not sure I‘m ready to stack this book yet tho.... 5y
TrishB @JennyM 😘 5y
TrishB @Reggie 😘 5y
TrishB @Caroline2 I understand! 5y
JanuarieTimewalker13 I tend to be judgmental also. It‘s bc I have a genetic blood disorder and have seen many friends die of it. So I get massively pissed off when people take a healthy body and trash it. I have zero tolerance for it, and also I had an ex husband too who had addiction problems...I was too naive to see the red flags...never again. 5y
TrishB @JanuarieTimewalker13 I hear you ❤️ and understand! 5y
111 likes2 stack adds16 comments
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TrishB
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Quick lunch time read. This book has sucked me in completely and it‘s so not my usual type of read.
Thanks Cindy!

Cathythoughts Sounds interesting ♥️👍🏻 5y
MicheleinPhilly I loved loved LOVED this book! 5y
Cinfhen So glad!! It‘s a gripping story and she‘s a good writer 5y
See All 6 Comments
charl08 Sold! 5y
JenReadsAlot It was really well written! 5y
youneverarrived I loved this! It was perfect on audio. 5y
117 likes3 stack adds6 comments
review
Sarz
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Panpan

2 ⭐
I didn't really enjoy this one at all. It wasn't for me. Some parts were good, but mostly I felt like I was listening to a whiney white girl. I also didn't find it funny at all. Luckily I got through it in less than 24 hours. It's my pick for #storyaboutaddiction for #booked2019 @Cinfhen @BarbaraTheBibliophage @4thhouseontheleft

Cinfhen I read this one for the same prompt. I “enjoyed” it but I found myself judging her (which I usually don‘t in memoirs) 5y
BarbaraTheBibliophage Every time this one comes up for a Kindle deal, I think ... “maybe.” Then I pass. You both have just validated my choice. Thanks. @Cinfhen 5y
Cinfhen You might want to try it as a #KindleDeal @BarbaraTheBibliophage because looking back on my review posts I was pretty generous and effusive with my compliments 😜 5y
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BarbaraTheBibliophage @Cinfhen 🤷🏼‍♀️ okay ... 5y
Cinfhen I‘ve sent my copy to @TrishB let‘s see what she thinks @BarbaraTheBibliophage 5y
Sarz @Cinfhen There seems to be a lot of Litsy love for it, so you might enjoy it @BarbaraTheBibliophage 5y
TrishB I‘ll definitely be reading this year for the challenge! @Cinfhen @BarbaraTheBibliophage (edited) 5y
16 likes1 stack add7 comments
review
Cinfhen
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Pickpick

This is a brutal honest account of one woman‘s love affair with alcohol. Like most great love stories, there‘s going to be heartbreak. “Sobriety wasn‘t the boring part. Sobriety was the plot twist.” Sarah Hepola beautifully shares her battle with addiction and NEVER romanticizes or glamorizes her behaviors and actions. Eye opening and compelling a short but fulfilling read. #Booked2019 #StoryAboutAddiction

Sarz This is my pick for that prompt too! Glad to hear you enjoyed it. 5y
MicheleinPhilly I absolutely LOVED this one. 5y
Reagan I loved this book! I really identified with it. 5y
Centique Ranunculus! Love em! 😍 5y
118 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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Cinfhen
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#MarchIntoThe70s Thanks to my Ozzie sista for this bitchin‘ playlist🤟🏽LOVED IT!!! Don‘t forget tomorrow the Royal Family Of Litsy will be cohosting #AnglophileApril 👑👛⛑🇬🇧 ( they think they‘re British😉) My #CurrentRead has a WHOLE LOT of #SexAndDrugsAndRockAndRoll and alcohol, loads of alcohol 🍷🍺🍹🍾🍸🥃 Writer Sarah Hepola confronts her addiction with brutal honesty and insightful humor. So far, this book is excellent.

CarolynM This looks interesting. It might be what you're looking for @hermyknee 5y
TrishB Great pick 👍🏻 5y
Lizpixie @Cinfhen Thank you my #sisterfromanothermister for your kind words & allowing me to cohost my birthday month. I‘ve shared my favourite Aussie rock & this month it was my fave 70s music. A hint for next March; you may need to crimp your hair, pull on some lace gloves & a CHOOSE LIFE day-glo top & Get Into The Groove!👩🏼‍🦱🧡💚🎧 5y
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Cinfhen Have you read this one @TrishB ??? I was going to include it with Christodora. I know you‘re not a fan of NF but this is a really great memoir. 5y
Cinfhen Ha!!! There‘s nothing better than #LycraNeonandSpandex 💚💛🧡💜❤️ @Lizpixie 5y
TrishB No 👍🏻 you‘re broadening my horizons with NF. 5y
TrishB I think I messed up with Christodora!! Just been brought it for Mother‘s Day. 5y
Cinfhen Ha; no worries @TrishB glad I hadn‘t sent it yet. I‘ll find something else to send along with Blackout. 💋and it works for #BookAboutAddiction #Booked2019 5y
TrishB Cool 👍🏻 was still pondering that one! 5y
Leftcoastzen I remember that I liked this book.I remember cringing over some of it. 5y
Mdargusch 😂😂😂 5y
104 likes11 comments
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Cinfhen
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#MyCurrentRead #BookKarma #channelyourflannel #Flannels4Life “I started wearing my dad‘s clothes in the fall of my sophomore year. I had raided his closet over the summer, plucking a gray flannel shirt and a pair of Levi‘s jeans, flecked with paint...but in the fall of 1993, the accidental lumberjack look was uniform. I liked the drape of the flannel and how those jeans slid down my hips.” @Billypar @batsy #90sSpringFling

hermyknee This is a good one! 5y
Cinfhen Her writing is so vivid and honest. I‘m loving her humor and openness @hermyknee 5y
cobwebmoth I took some of my grandpa's old shirts.☺ 5y
See All 7 Comments
Billypar "in the fall of 1993, the accidental lumberjack look was a uniform" ? 5y
Centique I was totally wearing my dad‘s old flannel shirts in 1993 with ripped jeans and big chunky brown suede shoes(I miss those shoes!) Thank god for grunge because I was a poor uni student 😁🤣 5y
batsy Haha, love it 😁 5y
103 likes3 stack adds7 comments
review
Erinreadsthebooks
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Pickpick

I'm really glad I read this memoir. Hepola is a great storyteller and shares the good, the bad, and the ugly with such candor. She points out how heavily our genetics, culture, and society can influence our reliance on alcohol, whether it's celebrating important moments or simply having a conversation at dinner. Definitely an uplifting story and interesting look into her life. Highly recommend 🌟🌟🌟🌟

RadicalReader @Erinreadsthebooks how many tattoos do you have? Do you plan on getting more? 5y
Erinreadsthebooks @RadicalReader Two, but I'd get more. No plans for new ones currently, but definitely not opposed to adding. 5y
31 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Sweettartlaura
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#yearinreview #2018wrapup
I read 40 Nonfiction books - you should read these 5!
- The tale of the only active volcano in the Continental US
- A white man goes undercover in the Deep South as a black man in 1960 & writes up his experiences
- What seems like a jaunt across America becomes an examination of what haunts us as a nation
- A woman‘s memoir of her alcoholism
- A prison chaplain shares her stories of inspiration from a hopeless place

Magpiegem Ooh thank you for these recommendations I‘m always looking for new non fiction. Happy new year xxx 5y
Sweettartlaura You‘re welcome, @Magpiegem 🙂. Happy to do it - these are all great! PS - the last book isn‘t it Litsy (yet) - it‘s Finding Grace Within by Shannon O‘Donnell. 5y
Magpiegem Thank you @Sweettartlaura I‘m really interested in reading that one. I‘m a counsellor and always drawn to looking for hope in dark places xxx 5y
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Sweettartlaura @magpiegem oh, then you‘ll LOVE it! The author has a lifetime of service to the community in different roles. And the message I got over & over is that people do in fact remember how you treat them ❤️. You‘ll find some real inspiration in that one - get yourself a copy - it is on Amazon, but if you prefer, I‘m sure your local bookstore could order it as well. And let me know what you think when you review it! Enjoy 😊 5y
RainyDayReading I‘ve got Ghostland on my TBR! Hoping this will be the year I get to it! 5y
Sweettartlaura Oh, do it, @RainyDayReading ! If I was truly forced to pick a top 10, it would be on that list - I LOVED it 💕 5y
RainyDayReading @Sweettartlaura Good to know! I‘ll definitely be sliding it up on my TBR this year then! 5y
Kaye Great to see an all nonfiction list ! 5y
Sweettartlaura Thanks, @kaye - it‘s become an important part of my reading each month. 5y
41 likes9 comments
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arlenefinnigan
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Cathythoughts Very strong cover & title 👍🏻♥️ 5y
Cinfhen I plan to read this for #StoryAboutAddiction #Booked2019 5y
TrishB @Cinfhen may consider this one too. That will be a difficult one to pick and read! 5y
See All 12 Comments
Cinfhen I‘ve heard it‘s very empowering @trishb but yes, tough at times 5y
Cinfhen Another #BuddyRead @TrishB 😘😘 5y
TrishB @Cinfhen think I need a calendar so I don‘t forget! 5y
Cinfhen Me too!! @TrishB 5y
MicheleinPhilly @Cinfhen @TrishB This is one of my all time favorite memoirs. I absolutely LOVED it. 5y
Cinfhen Good to know @MicheleinPhilly ❣️❣️❣️Hope all is well with you 5y
MicheleinPhilly @Cinfhen I am working for a few hours today and then I am DONE for 2018. 🎉🎉🎉🎉 5y
Cinfhen Woohoo 🥳 that‘s awesome @MicheleinPhilly 5y
TrishB @MicheleinPhilly enjoy when you get there! I‘m done until 3rdJan! As this book gets your endorsement it‘s a definite pick! @Cinfhen 5y
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youneverarrived
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Pickpick

Once I started listening to this I didn‘t want to stop. I‘ve been in her shoes - nights lost from too much booze, the trying to piece things together the morning after - and she writes about it honestly and poignantly. The chapters on her getting and being sober were brilliant. It‘s a memoir about addiction and recovery but it‘s relatable in the way she writes about insecurities, doubt and the struggle of finding your own identity. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

jmofo 👏 excellent review. I enjoyed this book too. I, too, related to parts and what she said about relationships after was important and moving and empowering. 🖤 5y
youneverarrived @jmofo it really was ♥️ I genuinely feel better for having read it. 5y
Cathythoughts Excellent review ♥️ 5y
78 likes1 stack add4 comments
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AndiL74

P. 23, "I remember so much about those blackouts. The blackouts leveled me and they haunt me still. The blackouts showed me how powerless I had become. The nights I can't remember are the nights I can never forget.

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Sweettartlaura
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Pickpick

5⭐️ - best memoir I‘ve ever read. Definitely in my top 10 reads for the year.
Full review below.

One note:
You should read this book. And you should read it with a book club or as a Buddy Read - you ARE going to want to talk about it. But you might skip the wine that night, and that might be best.

Read this book! ❤️📚

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23341862

38 likes2 stack adds
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Sweettartlaura
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This book! I‘ve highlighted more quotes than I can share, more than I have in any other book in recent memory... and I‘m still in the Prologue!
And I‘m not a blackout drunk. But the emotions she taps into, the life experiences she‘s had, are just so relatable. The drive to be just like the boys, when you‘re not a boy and denying that leaves you empty ... the feeling that your life is off its track ... can‘t wait to see what‘s next...

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ElectricKatyLand
Pickpick

Powerful memoir about drinking and sobriety and emotional honesty. Written with openness and pain, this one resonated. Recommend.

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Amiable
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Roxanagomez
Pickpick

Hepola describes the journey in her relationship with alcohol and alcoholism, what it took for her to quit, and the transformational road of recovery. For anyone who has ever suffered from an addiction, this is a MUST read.

“Alcohol is one hell of a pitchman, and perhaps his greatest lie is convincing us we need him, even as he tears us apart.”

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MsLeah8417
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My latest pairing !!!

RaimeyGallant Nice! 6y
18 likes1 stack add1 comment
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BkClubCare
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Starting this for #TOBnonfictionMay18

Ruthiella Extra credit! 6y
18 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Serenity_Within86
Pickpick

💯💯💯🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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BilboBookends
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“Sometimes people drift in and out of your life, and the real agony is fighting it. You can gulp down an awful lot of seawater, trying to change the tides.”

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Soubhiville
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Sarah talks about drinking just about everything in this memoir about alcohol. Including The bubbly.

#emojinov #🍾 day 6

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Soubhiville
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Igor and I are turning in (with a book, of course!). Happy National Cat Day Litsyverse!
#Igor #NationalCatDay

AmyG He is gorgeous. 6y
ValerieAndBooks Those eyes 😍!! 6y
Redwritinghood 😻😻 6y
See All 18 Comments
DarcysMom Love him! 😻 6y
cariashley 😻 6y
RedbagReadbooks @Soubhiville Nakedness 😁😺 6y
LibrarianRyan Every time josh sees your cat over my shoulder he starts begging for a sphinx. I'm to tell you he's adorable. 6y
the-flashley I absolutely adore Sphinxes! They‘re so cute! 😻😻😻 6y
KBrooks He is beautiful! 6y
emilyhaldi Such a cutie!!! 🐱 6y
Bookzombie 💕🐱 6y
CouronneDhiver His eyes are so pretty! 6y
TaylorMay Aww how adorable 6y
Soubhiville @LibrarianRyan if you‘re interested I can keep an eye out for a Rescue for you... they are wonderful cats, very snuggly and also playful. 6y
LibrarianRyan @Soubhiville my guy would love you. I might have to kill you. 😁😉. Thanks for the offer though. I will eventually let him get a cat. I'm just putting it off for as long as possible. We have two old dogs, one of which is not a fan of cats. 🤓👍🏻. But yours is pretty. 6y
TricksyTails So beautiful!! I need a little Sphinx ♥️😻 6y
Soubhiville @TricksyTails you do! They are sometimes available for rescue, if you don‘t want to pay breeder kitten prices. I can hook you up with info either way if you are serious! 6y
88 likes18 comments
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Soubhiville
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This book is like driving by a bad accident. You don‘t want to see the carnage, but it‘s so hard to look away. You want to help, but know there‘s really nothing you can do.

This is well written and relatable, which is scary since it‘s about alcoholism. I go between understanding her “girls just want to have fun” attitude and total disbelief at the situations she has found herself in after blacking out. Scary. Especially with family history... ⬇️

Soubhiville Of alcoholism. Now I feel slightly inappropriate for smiling in this pic. But I am cozy on a rainy morning with #Froedrick and #Igor (under the blanket) in my little library. 6y
BekahB I thought this was really well written. I don‘t know if saying I “enjoyed” reading this is the way I want to describe it, but it was hard to put down. 6y
LauraBeth Well now I‘m stacking this! 📚 6y
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Soubhiville @BekahB @LauraBeth I‘m about halfway through and I agree that I‘m not sure I can say it‘s enjoyable, but I feel like it‘s important. It‘s unputdownable... 6y
Alicia I felt they same way about this book. But it was such a good read. Also cute kitty! 6y
night_shift Your kitty! 😻 6y
sprainedbrain This post made me laugh, and I totally understand the feeling. Lovely kitty. ❤️ 6y
62 likes2 stack adds8 comments
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Soubhiville
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Author @ChrisBohjalian recommended this book at Texas Book Fest last Nov. I‘m finally getting around to starting it today.

#Sietje and I are enjoying a beautiful fall afternoon in the sun on our new back deck. After 4 years of almost-Season-free-Texas, it‘s so nice to experience some actual fall like weather in TN!

MicheleinPhilly I absolutely ADORE Sarah Hepola. This book is great! 6y
Foragingfantasy I'm so glad you are enjoying the new place! Texas has been crazy lately. Shorts today, coats tomorrow. 6y
65 likes1 stack add2 comments
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mrozzz
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#blackbooks #riotgram 🖤♠️⚫️⬛️🖤🤓

A much easier task than I thought! Only read 2 of these- many to look forward to.

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Let me know your thoughts on 📚 6y
TrishB Nice pic 👍 6y
mrozzz @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I feel like I'm going to agree with the negative reviews... but will still give it a try and let you know 6y
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mrozzz @TrishB thanks!! 😁 6y
DivaDiane I had the same experience. I was surprised by how many black books I had. 6y
mrozzz @DivaDiane ha!! 🖤 6y
81 likes7 comments
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kendrastephaniekaryn
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#anditsaugust #addiction @RealLifeReading
#complicated #augustgrrrl @Cinfhen

Books and memoirs about drug and alcohol addiction are some of my most sought-out reads. Before becoming a teacher, I planned to become an addictions counsellor, and last year I worked with teens with addictions. Here are some of my favourite addiction-related fiction and nonfiction books.

Cinfhen #worthyreads 🙌🏻 7y
BookMusings The Gabor Mate was phenomenal. 👍 7y
29 likes2 comments
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Cinfhen
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Day 13 #AugustGrrrl This memoir is on my TBR along with Drinking by Caroline Knapp. Both are meant to be powerful reads reminding readers what happens when you #RaiseYourGlass too often, And the power alcohol plays in our society. I really want my kids ( the 24 & 22 year old) to read these two memoirs....

TrishB Sound like powerful books. 7y
LauraBeth I loved Knapp's book ❤️ 7y
MicheleinPhilly I adored Blackout. 7y
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JacintaMCarter
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CrowCAH Well if one forgot from drinking too much rum, would the rum finally be gone?! Lol 7y
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JennaAZ
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Pickpick

I loved this book. I imagine it would be moving and powerful even if you've never known an alcoholic (or been one). It's even more so if you have, but the lessons that Hepola learns can apply to all of us.

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JennaAZ
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Up next...
I really like this dedication.

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Alicia
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#GIVEAWAYTHETRUTH I loved Sarah Hepola's memoir. It was very real and relatable. Also I got to meet her in person and she is a delight!!

BekahB I thought this was a great memoir too. I like reading memoirs of people reflecting on their addiction and how they were able to pull themselves out of a dark place. 7y
MicheleinPhilly I loved loved LOVED this book. 7y
Alicia @BekahB I agree! I feel like you really get to learn so much about people in that way. And to see how everyone is so different. 7y
saguarosally TFOB 2016? I loved this book but missed her session. It was at the same time as a session on Route 66 history if memory serves me. 7y
Alicia @saguarosally yes TFOB! I actually went to two with her but got to meet her at one with an outdoor tent of some kind 😬🤗 7y
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Rachael_reads
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#TBR
Thoughts?

MicheleinPhilly I absolutely LOVED Blackout. It's phenomenal. 7y
kyraleseberg Both sound excellent. I've read many of Rosenthal's so I guarantee that will be a great read 😊 7y
BethFishReads Fab memoir 7y
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kendrastephaniekaryn
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#litsychallenge #litsyreadingchallenge2017 #readingchallenge2017
An update on my bingo board! I'm getting close to having a bingo along the middle row! Does anyone have any recommendations for authors who are 23 this year, or were 23 when their books were published?

Mindyrecycles I Googled "authors born in 1962" and several came up. I'm a little older than you so insert your birth year. LOL Good luck! 7y
kendrastephaniekaryn @Mindyrecycles Thanks! I've tracked down one YA author born in 1994, but her books just aren't jumping out at me. 7y
Mindyrecycles Did you see this? https://www.fantasticfiction.com/years/ After you click the year, scroll down a good way to the list of authors born that year. 7y
kendrastephaniekaryn @Mindyrecycles Thank you SO MUCH. I found an author, who I never would have found otherwise! 7y
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guinsgirlreads
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Goodreads has awesome NY Times Bestsellers deals today !! 💸💸

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PacingTheCage
Pickpick

Mind blowing account of the drinking life. It has made me think about my own drinking habits.

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PacingTheCage
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Good stuff!

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shutupsmalls

When you quit drinking, you are sandbagged by the way alcohol is threaded into our social structure. Drinking is the center of weddings, holidays, birthdays, office parties, funerals, lavish trips to exotic locales. But drinking is also the center of everyday life. "Let's get a drink," we say to each other, when what we mean is "Let's spend time together." It's almost as if, in absence of alcohol, we have no idea what to do.

Notafraidofwords This is very true. This is why alcoholism is so difficult. 7y
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shutupsmalls

There is ecstasy in the room you are not supposed to enter, the room no one knows about. Ecstasy is when everyone is gone and still you are held.

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kendrastephaniekaryn

"An evolved life requires balance. Sometimes you have to cut out one thing to find balance everywhere else."

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kendrastephaniekaryn
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Is there a better way to spend a Sunday? 🐶 #24in48 #kobo #readathon

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jspencer
Pickpick

I thought this memoir was very interesting. Sarah Hepola shares her story of how and why she started drinking and her struggle to stop. I am fortunate that I never developed a drinking problem, but I have friends who have. This book helped me understand their struggles better. Would recommend this for anyone who is trying to stop drinking or has a friend with an alcohol problem.

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jspencer
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