Reading can be a lifeline in early sobriety. The books below have guided countless people through healing, creativity, and growth. These are personal recommendations — not ads — chosen for honesty, hope, and clarity.

Recovery Classics

Alcoholics Anonymous (The Big Book) – Alcoholics Anonymous World Services. The cornerstone of the twelve-step movement, combining personal stories with the program’s guiding philosophy for living sober.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions (The 12 & 12) – Alcoholics Anonymous World Services. An in-depth look at the spiritual and practical application of each step and tradition, written by A.A.’s co-founder Bill W.

Living Sober – Alcoholics Anonymous World Services. A simple, practical handbook filled with tools and suggestions for staying sober one day at a time.

Narcotics Anonymous (The Basic Text) – Narcotics Anonymous World Services. The central text for N.A., sharing experience, strength, and hope from people recovering from drug addiction.

Just for Today: Daily Meditations for Recovering Addicts – Narcotics Anonymous World Services. A daily reader that helps ground recovery in mindfulness, honesty, and spiritual growth.

Drop the Rock: Removing Character Defects – Steps Six and Seven – Bill P., Todd W., and Sara S. A modern companion to the 12 Steps that focuses on emotional maturity, humility, and letting go of what no longer serves.

Came to Believe – Alcoholics Anonymous World Services. A collection of short reflections on spiritual awakenings in recovery — a reminder that faith and understanding come in many forms.

As Bill Sees It – Alcoholics Anonymous World Services. A compilation of Bill W.’s writings offering timeless insights into the emotional and spiritual aspects of long-term sobriety.

Clean: Overcoming Addiction and Ending America’s Greatest Tragedy – David Sheff. A contemporary classic exploring the science and humanity of addiction and recovery in modern America.

Memoirs

Memoirs are powerful because they invite us into someone else’s truth—and often, our own. These personal stories of addiction, relapse, recovery, and rebirth illuminate what it really means to rebuild a life. Whether the author fought alcoholism, drug addiction, or a combination of dependencies, each voice underlines one thing: we’re not alone, our stories matter, and healing is possible. These memoirs aren’t just about hitting rock bottom—they’re about rising, reflecting, and creating something new in sobriety.

Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget — Sarah Hepola. A sharp, candid memoir about alcohol, memory loss, and the journey back to clarity.

The Recovering: Intoxication and Its Aftermath — Leslie Jamison. A literary and reflective take on alcoholism, weaving personal history with cultural and literary perspective.

Drinking: A Love Story — Caroline Knapp. An intimate exploration of alcoholism as a relationship—with alcohol itself—and the turn toward recovery.

The Outrun — Amy Liptrot. Part nature memoir, part recovery story: a woman returns home to rural Orkney to rebuild after a decade of addiction.

Dry: A Memoir — Augusten Burroughs. A bold, humorous, and raw account of addiction and sobriety that doesn’t shy away from truth.

The Sober Diaries: How One Woman Stopped Drinking and Started Living — Clare Pooley. A year-in-recovery tale of clarity, reflection, and finding new meaning beyond the bottle.

Progress Not Perfection: A Memoir of Addiction and Recovery — (Author unspecified). A modern memoir that follows the rough terrain of relapse, recovery, and the everyday work of staying sober.

Strung Out: One Last Hit and Other Lies That Nearly Killed Me — Erin Khar. Raw and Unflinching: a story of drug addiction, chaos, and the launch into recovery.

We Are the Luckiest — Laura McKowen (audiobook). A deeply personal sobriety memoir focused on identity, shame, loneliness, and rebuilding your life from the inside out.

Quit Like a Woman — Holly Whitaker. Rebuild your relationship with alcohol, patriarchy, wellness, and autonomy.

Healing, Trauma & Mind-Body Connection

Healing from addiction often means healing from what came before it — trauma, attachment wounds, and the nervous system patterns that shaped our survival. These books explore the connection between body, mind, and memory, helping readers learn how to feel safe in their own skin again.

Dopamine Nation — Anna Lembke, MD. A science-based explination of how modern life dysregulates the dopamine system.

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma – Bessel van der Kolk, M.D. A foundational work in trauma recovery, explaining how trauma lives in the body and how movement, therapy, and creative expression can help us heal.

Break the Cycle: A Guide to Healing Intergenerational Trauma – Dr. Mariel Buqué. Explores how trauma and pain are passed down through generations and offers tools to stop repeating the patterns through awareness, boundaries, and self-compassion.

Body-First Healing: Get Unstuck and Recover from Trauma – Brittany Piper. A modern, somatic approach to trauma recovery that focuses on body-based healing, emotional release, and reconnecting with your physical self.

Overcoming Trauma and PTSD: A Workbook Integrating Skills for Recovery – Sheela Raja, Ph.D. A practical workbook that combines evidence-based therapies like CBT, DBT, and mindfulness to help build resilience and reclaim safety.

The PTSD Workbook: Simple, Effective Techniques for Overcoming Trauma and PTSD – Mary Beth Williams, Ph.D., & Soili Poijula, Ph.D. Step-by-step guidance and exercises for processing trauma, reducing flashbacks, and managing emotional triggers.

Embodied Self-Awakening: Somatic Practices for Trauma Healing – Nityda Gessel. A compassionate, body-centered guide that integrates yoga, somatic therapy, and mindfulness to support trauma release and self-regulation.

Healing Trauma Through Self-Parenting: The Codependency Connection – Patricia O’Gorman & Philip Diaz. Examines how early trauma and codependency intertwine, offering strategies to re-parent yourself with gentleness and structure.

Healing the Soul After Religious Abuse: The Dark Heaven of Recovery – Mike Lew. Addresses spiritual and religious trauma, helping readers reclaim autonomy, faith, and a healthy relationship with spirituality.

Creativity & Emotional Expression

Creative work can become one of the most healing tools in recovery. Art, writing, and music give shape to emotions that words alone can’t hold. These books help spark creativity, self-reflection, and emotional release — offering a new way to understand yourself in early sobriety.

The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity – Julia Cameron. A twelve-week journey that combines creativity and recovery, guiding readers through “morning pages” and self-renewal exercises that reignite creative flow and personal healing.

The Mountain Is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage into Self-Mastery – Brianna Wiest. Explores how patterns of self-sabotage are rooted in fear and pain, and how transformation begins when you learn to channel emotion into purpose.

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear – Elizabeth Gilbert. A candid reflection on the creative process and the courage it takes to live an expressive, authentic life without perfectionism or fear.

Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within – Natalie Goldberg. Encourages writing as a mindfulness practice — a way to discover what’s true beneath the noise.

Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us – Susan Magsamen & Ivy Ross. A research-backed exploration of how creative engagement reshapes the brain, supports healing, and deepens emotional intelligence.

Daily Reading 

Daily meditation and journaling books can offer gentle structure and emotional grounding during early sobriety. Whether it’s a single paragraph each morning or a reflection before bed, these readings help build new rituals of calm, awareness, and gratitude.

Twenty-Four Hours a Day – Richmond Walker. A classic daily reader filled with reflections and meditations used by many in twelve-step recovery programs.

Each Day a New Beginning: Daily Meditations for Women – Hazelden Meditations Series / Karen Casey. Encouraging reflections written especially for women in recovery, focusing on growth, serenity, and spiritual renewal.

The Language of Letting Go: Daily Meditations on Codependency – Melody Beattie. One of the most beloved recovery companions; explores boundaries, self-acceptance, and emotional independence through daily readings.

More Language of Letting Go: 366 New Daily Meditations – Melody Beattie. A follow-up collection offering deeper insight into letting go, surrender, and self-trust throughout the healing journey.

Journey to the Heart: Daily Meditations on the Path to Freeing Your Soul – Melody Beattie. A spiritual and creative companion that blends self-discovery with mindfulness, ideal for journaling practice and reflection.

Refuge Recovery: A Buddhist Path to Recovering from Addiction – Noah Levine. Offers mindfulness-based reflections and meditations for people drawn to non-theistic approaches to healing.

Program Literature

Program literature includes the foundational texts used in twelve-step and peer-based recovery programs. These books provide structure, shared experience, and timeless guidance for living clean and sober. Even if you’re not affiliated with a specific fellowship, these writings can offer powerful insight into the process of spiritual and emotional recovery.

Alcoholics Anonymous (The Big Book) – Alcoholics Anonymous World Services. The original twelve-step text that shares personal stories and principles for building a new life free from alcohol.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions (The 12 & 12) – Alcoholics Anonymous World Services. An in-depth explanation of each step and tradition, emphasizing humility, integrity, and service.

Living Sober – Alcoholics Anonymous World Services. A practical handbook of everyday tools for staying sober and navigating life without alcohol.

Drop the Rock: Removing Character Defects – Steps Six and Seven – Bill P., Todd W., Sara S. A modern companion to twelve-step recovery, focused on personal growth and emotional healing.

Narcotics Anonymous (The Basic Text) – Narcotics Anonymous World Services. The foundational text for N.A., written by and for people recovering from drug addiction; shares stories, the Twelve Steps and Traditions, and a message of freedom from active addiction.

It Works: How and Why – The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Narcotics Anonymous – Narcotics Anonymous World Services. An exploration of how the steps and traditions function in everyday recovery, emphasizing honesty, openness, and willingness.

Just for Today: Daily Meditations for Recovering Addicts – Narcotics Anonymous World Services. A daily reader offering spiritual reflection, perspective, and encouragement for people in recovery from all substances.

Courage to Change: One Day at a Time in Al-Anon II – Al-Anon Family Groups. A daily reader written for those affected by someone else’s addiction, offering compassion, boundaries, and serenity.

One Day at a Time in Al-Anon – Al-Anon Family Groups. The classic Al-Anon meditation book that helps readers cultivate detachment, acceptance, and self-care.