October 2018 Book Club

This month’s book selection is “Blackout” by Sarah Hepola. Discussion October 31st. Will you participate?

5 Likes

I’m going to read the free sample on my Kindle and see if I’ll be joining

3 Likes

I’m going to read it. Sounds interesting!

1 Like

Could be interesting. Not sure if I’ll read. I’m curious to see if she just gives a drunk-o-log or if she focuses on the solution

2 Likes

Yea I’m not sure I want to be regaled with drunk stories. Will check out tho

1 Like

Exactly. I know what a blackout is. I have hundreds of them if not more. I know how to drink. I know how to get out of control. I need to hear the solution. I read her bio. I don’t doubt her drinking to excess, I just want there to be a message of recovery.

2 Likes

Right, lol. If i wanted to hear blackout stories I’d start telling my own. :grin::grin:

2 Likes

I liked Blackout, though I didn’t finish the last third of it because I had it from the library. It is well written.

It isn’t one of those glorifying-list-of-drunk-times like another couple books I’ve read. I’ll finish it and chat at the end of the month.

3 Likes

Just bought it in paperback, sounds like a good read…

1 Like
1 Like

@Englishd @L3AH The books selected are intended to support recovery. Please know I wouldn’t try to round up people to merely read a book about blackouts.
To clarify, the full title of the book is “Blackout: Remembering The Things I Drank To Forget”. As far as I gather, it’s ultimately about discovering the good in living a sober lifestyle…discovering the good, which was blacked out by addiction.

6 Likes

I was just reading some of her other stuff and didn’t read much about the recovery part. I didn’t dig deep though

Yea, I get that. I guess I just don’t feel interested in that type of book. I like recovery books, maybe that one is just not for me. Thanks for putting together this book club, I do want to join and read a book with you guys sometime.

So I started Blackout, what a struck me was that she was sneaking sips of alcohol at age 7! The memories came flooding back of me having sips of alcoholic drinks that my parents friends had left at a similar age…and the adults all thinking this was hilarious… I had completely forgotten this and I can’t remember if I liked the sensation but I must have done as I kept doing it :confused:

3 Likes

I’m on page 65. So far, the part about blackouts often starting at blood-alcohol level of .30, scared me so bad. The part about them friggin shutting down the hippocampus terrified me. Can’t believe I did that to myself so many times. I had zero specific knowledge of what I was doing to my brain. I’m grateful to be alive.

2 Likes

Terrifying as hell, isn’t it?

1 Like

Alive + sober + reasonably healthy = :+1::+1:

1 Like

I’m on page 119. Just read how she’d been sober 18 months, and cranked it back up again. Scared me. I dont want to do that.

Dude, totally!!! No going back!!

I’ve finished the book and it made me look in the mirror about how bad my drinking had gotten. Also drove home the fact it’ll eventually kill me, if I ever go back. Also drove home the fact, sobriety will ultimately lead me to my true passions and fulfillment of helping others.