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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
This was very well done. I really appreciate the author’s honesty, and writing style. Her issues with alcohol may not resonate with everyone, but I think there are a lot of lessons to be learned from her story, and the courage it took for her to end her relationship with alcohol. My only suggestions/criticisms/caveats: 1) too much about NYC for my tastes 2)There was a chapter that should have had a separate trigger warning, especially for those of us listening to the book 3) A tiny bit of repetition— but not enough to detract from the book.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book! “Drinking Games” will be released 1/3/23!
My first book of the year down, and I have to say, it was an incredible book to start 2023 with. “Drinking Games” is Levy’s memoir of her journey to sobriety, filled with her stories of relationships and identity. As someone who drinks socially, but doesn’t “party” (I’ll have a whopping total of two drinks at dinner in one month and then fall asleep by 10 pm lol), this book really delved deep into millennial drinking culture, and I found myself relating to a lot of the stories she shared, though I’m not an alcoholic.
Levy’s writing is stunning and heartbreaking - a really great mix of straight to the point, and loaded with relatable imagery. I felt my heart break as she recounted stories from the hospital, nights of blackout, or relationships lost (both through alcohol or disease), and even more so when she, as many millennials often do, felt that she needed to push through to be successful. I flew through this book in 1.5 days, and really loved Levy’s writing style. There was something incredibly profound in her voice throughout this book, and it left a mark on me the more I read.
Most of the story takes place in NYC - a place I lived for 6 years, and miss every day of my life. The heightened need to find success, beauty, and a social life in NYC is immeasurable (and often debilitating), but Levy was able to perfectly capture the feelings that a 20-something millennial has while trying to find themselves there. True that this book is Levy’s journey to sobriety, but even if you aren’t sober curious at all, this book is relatable all the same.
I’m so happy I was able to read this book! It’s only January 1st but I’m already going to mark it down as one of my favorite reads of 2023. I’m a really big fan of nonfiction, and if you are too, “Drinking Games” is a really great read for you.
My first book of the year down, and I have to say, it was an incredible book to start 2023 with. “Drinking Games” is Levy’s memoir of her journey to sobriety, filled with her stories of relationships and identity. As someone who drinks socially, but doesn’t “party” (I’ll have a whopping total of two drinks at dinner in one month and then fall asleep by 10 pm lol), this book really delved deep into millennial drinking culture, and I found myself relating to a lot of the stories she shared, though I’m not an alcoholic.
Levy’s writing is stunning and heartbreaking - a really great mix of straight to the point, and loaded with relatable imagery. I felt my heart break as she recounted stories from the hospital, nights of blackout, or relationships lost (both through alcohol or disease), and even more so when she, as many millennials often do, felt that she needed to push through to be successful. I flew through this book in 1.5 days, and really loved Levy’s writing style. There was something incredibly profound in her voice throughout this book, and it left a mark on me the more I read.
Most of the story takes place in NYC - a place I lived for 6 years, and miss every day of my life. The heightened need to find success, beauty, and a social life in NYC is immeasurable (and often debilitating), but Levy was able to perfectly capture the feelings that a 20-something millennial has while trying to find themselves there. True that this book is Levy’s journey to sobriety, but even if you aren’t sober curious at all, this book is relatable all the same.
I’m so happy I was able to read this book! It’s only January 1st but I’m already going to mark it down as one of my favorite reads of 2023. I’m a really big fan of nonfiction, and if you are too, “Drinking Games” is a really great read for you.
Soooo, I just blindly picked this book, thinking it was someone else. I did zero research.
Good book, cannot relate. But can see how its possible.
Good book, cannot relate. But can see how its possible.
Drinking Games by Sarah Levy is part memoir and part redemption story. This book covers Sarah’s relationship with alcohol; more specifically, alcohol abuse. Early parts of this story leave the reader with their mouth wide open wondering —- what will it take for Ms. Levy to wake-up? Eventually, she does; and the rest of the book addresses the every day struggle of alcoholism and how to overcome it.
While that might be enough of a story to tell, Ms. Levy also touches on other topics that come into play. The dynamic of friendships, both good and bad, how social media comes into play, and how various self-help options can either work or not work. Most importantly, she also discusses family — which has a huge overarching impact on this story.
This is not the type of book I normally read, but I’m glad I did. It was well written, emotional (both in a good and bad way), and was a very honest story. I know many young adults who could probably benefit from this one and relate to Sarah’s story. While it may not cure alcoholism for others, it can certainly provide hope.
While that might be enough of a story to tell, Ms. Levy also touches on other topics that come into play. The dynamic of friendships, both good and bad, how social media comes into play, and how various self-help options can either work or not work. Most importantly, she also discusses family — which has a huge overarching impact on this story.
This is not the type of book I normally read, but I’m glad I did. It was well written, emotional (both in a good and bad way), and was a very honest story. I know many young adults who could probably benefit from this one and relate to Sarah’s story. While it may not cure alcoholism for others, it can certainly provide hope.
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
I'm always appreciative of people sharing their stories, especially when it's such a hard subject. Addiction memoirs, especially those that focus on alcohol, are one of my favorite genres (I know...it's a little weird) so I've read a fair bit of them.
The positives: I think Levy is giving a voice to Millenials and their sobriety journey. It seems that there is a trend to sober living as that generation ages. I think Levy captures a lot of Millenial issues like navigating growing up with social media, college and employment, and marriage. Levy also has the courage to bare it all and I applaud her for that.
The negatives: again, I've read a number of addiction memoirs and it seems she ran out of content about 1/2 through. Maybe 3/4?? There were chapters devoted to dressing, social media binges, and other issues which were basically her projecting her addictive tendencies on to other objects since she no longer had alcohol. Again, I appreciate her baring it all but it seemed like she was saying the same thing over and over again only through new lenses. This repetition made it hard to finish and I skimmed the last two pages.
I did appreciate her final note about manifestations and how she started walking down the path she really wanted. She couldn't uncover that when she was clouded with alcohol, and I think that was very poignant.
The positives: I think Levy is giving a voice to Millenials and their sobriety journey. It seems that there is a trend to sober living as that generation ages. I think Levy captures a lot of Millenial issues like navigating growing up with social media, college and employment, and marriage. Levy also has the courage to bare it all and I applaud her for that.
The negatives: again, I've read a number of addiction memoirs and it seems she ran out of content about 1/2 through. Maybe 3/4?? There were chapters devoted to dressing, social media binges, and other issues which were basically her projecting her addictive tendencies on to other objects since she no longer had alcohol. Again, I appreciate her baring it all but it seemed like she was saying the same thing over and over again only through new lenses. This repetition made it hard to finish and I skimmed the last two pages.
I did appreciate her final note about manifestations and how she started walking down the path she really wanted. She couldn't uncover that when she was clouded with alcohol, and I think that was very poignant.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
The writer was so vulnerable with us. She shared her experiences. Inner turmoil and shared how a community backed her when she knew it was time to change her life. This is a great one for all women and college students to read.
dark
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
challenging
emotional
inspiring
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced