ADDICTION FICTION

Addiction Fiction Book Review: “Martyr!” by Kaveh Akbar 

Kaveh Akbar’s “Martyr!” is a bold, emotional novel that wrestles with loss, purpose, addiction, identity and the hard work of becoming a writer. It doesn’t follow a simple plot. Instead, it moves in pieces and layers, showing how a man haunted by grief and addiction tries to build meaning from the wreckage of his life. 

SOBER TRAVEL

✈️ Top Sober Retreats to Reset, Reconnect, and Recharge in 2026

If there’s one thing we’ve learned since swapping cocktails for mocktails and hangovers for early-morning clarity, it’s this: traveling sober is the ultimate luxury. No fuzzy memories, no bar tabs, no FOMO. Just full presence, connection, and experiences that actually stick.

Whether you’re in year one of recovery or year twenty, these curated sober retreats and trips are proof that the world is wide open for those ready to explore it — zero-proof style.

HAPPY EVERY HOUR

Ostrichized Brewing Puts Minnesota on the Map for Tropical Nonalcoholic Craft Beer

Minnesota's craft beverage scene continues to grow its nonalcoholic offerings with Ostrichized Brewing's tropical, hop-forward, nonalcoholic malt beverage. Based in Minnesota, the brewery proves that fruit-forward complexity and craft sensibility can coexist beautifully — no alcohol required, adding another locally made option to the state's expanding NA lineup. 

SOBER CURATOR PODCAST

Wendy Correa’s Long Game: Music, Sobriety, and My Pretty Baby 

“Hello, I’m Richard.”  

That’s how the door opened for Wendy Correa — Ringo at the threshold, sobriety on the other side. The handshake at her very first AA meeting didn’t fix anything overnight; it simply gave her proof that recovery is human, possible and sometimes standing there with a Beatles grin.   

Wendy’s story arcs like a mixtape: LA label years that were glittering and gritty; a DUI that snapped the soundtrack; a late-night audition in a tiny booth where knobs and sliders looked like a spaceship; and a mountain town where the request line rang at 4 a.m. with a familiar gravelly voice asking for Warren Zevon.   

#WEDORECOVER

Sober Celeb of the Week: Jessica Simpson

Today we celebrate Jessica Simpson, who marks 8 years of sobriety—a powerful milestone in her journey of faith, clarity, and self-discovery. Eight years ago, Jessica made the courageous decision to confront her struggles, let go of self-sabotage, and choose a life aligned with God’s purpose. In her own words, “Alcohol silenced my intuition, blocked my dreams, and chased my circulating fears of complacency. Today I am clear. Today I am driven by faith.” Her story reminds us that true strength isn’t found in the fight—it’s found in the surrender. By choosing faith over fear, Jessica continues to inspire countless others to walk their own path toward healing and purpose. 💫

For anyone struggling, know that help is available: 📞 1-800-662-HELP (SAMHSA Helpline).

SOBER IN SEATTLE

Steaming Toward Serenity: My Afternoon at Good Day Sauna

I didn’t go to Good Day Sauna planning to cold plunge. In fact, I declared to anyone who would listen (the ferry, the clouds, my poor Adidas wedge flip-flops) that I absolutely would not be plunging.

Cut to me borrowing Libby’s Crocs, squealing my way into Puget Sound, and popping back out with a whoop that startled a seagull. Spoiler: I survived—and I slept like a dream afterwards.

SPIRITUAL SUBSTANCE

What “The Flight Attendant” Teaches Us About DNA, Sobriety and the Science of Thankfulness

“Gratitude isn’t a journal entry — it’s a biological intervention.”

When “The Flight Attendant” first aired, I was transfixed. Watching Kaley Cuoco’s Cassie Bowden spiral through blackout-fueled chaos hit way too close to home. Here was a woman trying to outdrink her own nervous system — a brain that couldn’t regulate, couldn’t rest, couldn’t find calm without chemical help. 

I recognized that story. I lived that story. That was me!

RELATIONSHIPS

Happy Anniversary to a Lover Lost

“One of the most intimate things you can do is to never speak to someone again that you love. If you really love someone, and it didn’t work out. The most intimate thing ever is to never speak to them again.” - Said some bullshit gym bro influencer on my IG feed 

It’s 4 a.m. Today would’ve been the 11-year anniversary with my ex. We broke up six months ago on Easter Monday. It’s a day that is seared into my memory. And yet, since my memory is utter shit, it’s in fractured, hollow pieces now. 

ADDICTION FICTION

Addiction Fiction Book Review: “Requiem for a Dream” by Hubert Selby Jr. 

Hubert Selby Jr.’s “Requiem for a Dream” is one of those novels that stays with you long after you close the book. It’s not an easy read; it’s raw, painful and brutally honest — but that’s what makes it powerful. Selby doesn’t just tell a story about addiction. He pulls you into the minds of people who are slowly being consumed by it. 

SOBER SPEAKER SERIES

Sobriety Is the New Epic – Why Sobriety Is the Greatest Adventure of My Life

There’s something I wish someone had told me early in my sobriety journey:
Letting go of alcohol is only step one.
Learning how to live again is the real transformation.

It wasn’t the alcohol I missed — it was feeling alive. The spontaneous fun. The deep belly laughs. The sense of connection and adventure. For a while, I wondered if that part of life was gone for good. I didn’t want to just exist in sobriety; I wanted to come alive in it.

But here’s the thing no one really teaches you — how to build a life that feels exciting, purposeful, and full without alcohol. That’s where Sobriety Is the New Epic comes in.

SPEAK OUT! SPEAK LOUD!

On Waterboarding: A Raw Reflection on Addiction, Withdrawal, and Becoming Free

Apparently it's getting on for eight years since I had my last alcoholic drink. Wow. Pause for thought. Opening the lid to look back: On waterboarding. 

Phones are annoying, aren't they? Always beeping and reminding us about things that can wait. 

Well, one day last week, out of the blue, I received a notification that it had been six years, five months, seven days and eleven hours since my last alcoholic drink!