I set down the bottle and picked up a book

2015 wasn't my year. I lost scores of friends, lovers, and most importantly, myself. Everynight I found myself staring numbly at the bottle of a liquor bottle. "This has to stop" I told myself one morning. I had made the decision to replace alcohol with books.
I just finished my 3rd book in a week. 1984, Me Talk Pretty One.Day, and Norwegian Wood. I've only been sober 8 days, but I'm so in love with reading now that going back to that previous way of life seems dreadful and unthinkable.
This is my journey. A journey of finding out who I really am.
The library opens at 1pm. It's strange to feel this much excitement over my next possible book selection. It reminds me of picking out a fine, new whisky I'd never tried, minus the hangover.
If you're reading this, I'd love to hear your suggestions. In trade, I'll keep you updated with my mundane existence. Fair enough?

Good for you, my friend. You've chosen to improve your mind with books instead of destroying it (and your body) with alcohol. You are most definitely on the right path. Stay strong and good luck.

Suggestions? Try Stephen King's On Writing, if you haven't already. Part memoir, part "how-to", it deals in part with King's recovery from the hell of alcoholism and drug addiction. I have a feeling that there is a great deal in there that you would find helpful and of interest.

Hey, awesome! I love to read fantasy, myself, when I want to be really distracted from the world. Reading is so absorbing, it's one of the great joys of my life. It's exciting to know you have so much reading ahead!

Cool. Hope you keep it up.

Not too much to go on for recommendations, but if you like classics, give Catch 22 a go.
I also tend to recommend David Mitchell to people who enjoy Murakami. Quite different, but they share a certain weirdness, an occasional melancholy tone and Japan.

To make it easier to make recommendations:
Have you read a lot in the past?
What sort of things did you enjoy?

You can always look at this page, too:

https://www.librarything.com/profile/Stoneyranger/recommendations

Appreciate the sentiment. I will definitely add that one to my list. I am sure my mother has a copy. She's a huge fan.

I only read when instructed to do so in my educational endeavors. I love realistic fiction novels. Stuff I can relate to. I love books that can make me express the full range of human emotion.

I just finished "White Teeth" by Zadie Smith. I loved it! It had me laughing, fuming, annoyed, elated, etc. The character development was superb in my opinion. I'm now 19 days sober from drinking. I'm trying to decide what to read next. I also had a date the other night. First one in a long time. It went surprisingly well. Was so scared I'd bore her to tears, but she assured me that she had a wonderful time (what a relief!). Thanks everyone again for your kind words.

7 books in 19 days aint too shabby....

I've been reading all my life and can't get through more than a couple of titles in a month, so, not shabby at all.

I've started Catcher in the Rye today. About halfway through. I like it, thus far.

>11 Stoneyranger: I read The Catcher in the Rye as a teenager and I loved it. I haven't read it as an adult because I want to keep the teenage memory of it. Glad you like it!

I'm 33 now. Most people read it in their teens but my schools had a very crummy English department. The only book I recall from highschool was Farenheit 451. It felt awkward selecting a book from the "Young Adult" section at the library. I just felt it was important to read it, for my sanitys sake.

I read YA books all the time - den children ones that I had missed - I grew up in a non English country so even though I had read a lot, I had missed a lot of classics. And even if I had not? YA books can be read by anyone. :)

Keep up the reading and do not think about what people would think. :)

>13 Stoneyranger: I read YA all the time as well. Don't worry about which section something sits in, just enjoy it!

Man I despise Catcher. I read it at 18 on my own because none of my classes ever read it, and it was the first book I seriously just wanted to chuck at the wall and jump up & down repeatedly on. Haaaaaaaaaaate! Lmao. Few books have ever induced me to such rage. XD I know when it's been brought up on here, the majority of people actually tend to agree that they really dislike it. I always find it odd when such big-deal classics wind up on everyone's bad side, hahaha.

Anywho, kudos to you! :D

Did you enjoy 1984 (and Fahrenheit 451)? If so, you may like Brave New World. I second the rec of Catch-22, if I had to pick a single fav book (which would be an evil thing to do! xD) it would probably be that.

What sort of stuff do you like? Mystery, history, thriller, horror, classics, contemporary...? Well, I'll just list off some favorites and you can take em or leave em. :P
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
The Eight
Jane Eyre
Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas (and everything else he's written)
Crime and Punishment
Lolita
The Count of Monte Cristo
anything by Stephen King, and also Alistair MacLean (think Hunt for Red October, but short quick action thrillers with lots of snarky British humor, they're the best!)
If there's particular sorts/authors you lean towards, it may be a little easier to think up titles along those lines. :)

Catcher is killing meeeee. I cant wait until its over with. Painful to read. It started off okay but it just continues to be so negative and repetitive. I want to bang my head against a wall reading this. I read Brave New World. It was better than 1984. 451 was excellent. I love fiction I can relate to. Stuff that can make me laugh and feel the spectrum of human emotions. My mom owns every Steven King novel, so I always have those at my dispense.

1984 made me mad. Raving mad. I threw that book across the room when I finished it.

LOL! Yeah, head smashing is def a feeling I can relate to with Catcher! XD

Tom Robbins (Frog Pajamas above) I would say is the epitome of laughing + all the emotions. His works are deep and make you think, while also being absurd hahaha. What kind of humor do you like? Evelyn Waugh's stuff always cracks me up, but I have no idea if he's for everyone, heh.

One thing you can also do (in addition to the link early in the thread) is visit the work pages for titles you've enjoyed and see what both LT and members recommend in relation to them. :)

>17 Stoneyranger: It's why I haven't returned to it. I have a feeling that 13-15 yr olds full of teenage angst and anger are the best target audience ;-)

Only 50 pages of Catcher to go. Thank the lord. When it comes to humor, I'm really not bias. I died laughing reading "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell" even though Tucker Maxx is a major douche. I like witty, dark, or crude humor. Tom Robbins will definitely be added to my list.

I totally get that. I almost feel dumber now after reading Catcher thus far. :) "It killed me" "Goddamn Phonies"

Ugh

Oh if you like witty & crude, you should love Robbins! Hahaha! Jitterbug Perfume and Villa Incognito are probably my other top two picks of his. Of Waugh's, Decline and Fall would probably be the main one I'd suggest out of what I've read as yet. Have you read any Terry Pratchett? The Discworld series might be something to look into. Ummm, oh there's the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, not my absolute favorite but enjoyable. I think I'd have liked them more if I didn't read them all back to back in a complete volume, by the end of the 3rd one I'd had enough lol. OH you might like The Evolution Man, or, How I ate my father, that was pretty funny, and an amusing thought-provoking satire.

You're something else. I appreciate the hell out of these suggestions. No. I haven't read anything you've mentioned, but now I am excited to. Hitchhikers guide doesn't seem to lure me in. I don't know why. 10 pages of Catcher left...it's 2am. Why do I do this to myself? I swear its almost as bad as drinking....either way I stay up late and I'm tired as hell the next day lol Maybe someday I'll actually develop a "normal" sleep schedule - whatever the heck that is. Thank you for the conversation. I don't get much of any these days. All my so-called friends lost interest in me when I gave up the party lifestyle. If it weren't for reading, I'd surely have gone mad from loneliness by now. :)

Good for you, Stoneyranger. You might want to get your hands on The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz. I found it hard to put down.

Just finished Catcher in the Rye. Book #8 is complete and that one was my least favorite. Glad it's over. Now I'm going to start "NW" by Zadie Smith. After that, I'll be reading "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer.

Come back and let us know how you like them! I heard that Foer struggled a lot when he was writing, but perhaps the results are worth it?

You're quite welcome, @Stoneyranger. :)

Another Saturday night at home alone. Guess I'll start reading NW now.

Definitely look at Terry Pratchett -- he will make you laugh and think at the same time. Much better than Catcher. :)

Laughing and thinking are my favorite combo. I'm definitely going to check him out. :)

PS...I weighed in today.
I've lost 60 pounds in 75 days.
I feel so good!

>13 Stoneyranger:
I'm 65 and I still read YA ... there is no shame in an adult browsing the YA section at all.
Kudos to you on your current journey. It was brave of you to share, and I (for one) am proud of you.

>26 Stoneyranger:
I was not a fan of Catcher in the Rye when I read it in high school. I thought Holden was a whiny brat. And I was not at all "impressed" with the language.

I'm nearly twice your age, stoneyranger, but I have learned this - life is too short to waste time reading books you hate. I follow the "Nancy Pearl rule" .... if you are under age 51, you need to give a book at least 50 pages - if it hasn't captured you by that point, put it down. It is not the right book for you (at least at this time - later, who knows...). If you are age 51 or older - subtract your age from 100, and that's how many pages you should give a book before giving up. Nancy jokes "If you are 100, you may judge a book by it's cover!). Nancy's only caveat is that if the book is a school assignment or a selection for your book club discussion, then you have to finish it. (But she doesn't say anything about skimming ... which I've been known to do for a book club selection.)

Thats excellent advice. I've only came across one book so far that I couldn't stomach. Catcher was decent the first 50 pages or so but it just got too repetitive and annoying.

I wouldn't let genre stop you from giving a book a chance. A well told story is a well told story whether it's YA or some other category. If I'd let that stop me I would never have read The Book Thief a couple months ago, which turned into one of my favorite reads this year so far. The discovery phase is the best. Don't limit yourself!

I also vote for Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. They are British satire and each book has it's own theme (for example, Soul Music is the Discworld take on rock and roll and the music industry). Each has something that is laugh out loud funny and things that make you think.

It is such a great thing you're doing. Keep it up!

I second (and third) Catch-22. Also, has anyone mentioned Kurt Vonnegut? I rate his works higher than the Hitchhiker books.

Have fun!

Right now I'm re-reading "The Passage" and then "The Twelve", in preparation for "City of Mirrors" -- a critically-acclaimed trilogy by Justin Cronin. They are big, complicated, thoughtful books -- I'd highlight recommend. :)

And congrats. Be strong! Read on!

>17 Stoneyranger: >18 Stoneyranger: agreed Brave New World is a better book than 1984, both are "important" but I hated the way 1984 made me feel. Brave New World had a frustrating ending but the whole premise felt more realistic and probable, even though it feels like aspects of 1984, sadly, are becoming part of our lives.

I think what you've done is inspiring. It's cool how you're not restricted by your own reading history, it's certainly a brave new world for you. I feel I should read more contemporary fiction and/or bestsellers but I read mostly for escapism so post-apocalyptic and sci-fi help launch me into other worlds.

>32 Stoneyranger: just from giving up alcohol? Amazing!

>38 macescamilla: Yes, I'd second the Passage, but it was too long and dragged in places, but well worth reading.

No. I goto the gym 6 days a week, eat healthy, and gave up pot smoking. Today is day 24 of sobriety from alcohol. My goal is to lose 100 pounds. Only 40 pounds to go. Today, a girl who rejected me asked me to look at her while in my car and she said "You look totally different now...." I could sense the regret in her tone. It was the most satisfying feeling I've ever felt in my life. I'd never date her now. She missed her chance. :)

My friend Tyler keeps telling me to read Slaughterhouse Five I think its called. Its raining books lol I got a huge list going.

If you have a substantial list now, maybe you should look into one of the challenge groups here on LT and start a topic with them. They've a better sense of community than what "Book Talk" generally provides (this topic being a particular exception to that, lucky you!). Lots of mutually supporting people encouraging each other's reading and swapping recommendations. At your speed you could probably manage the 75 Books Challenge, the most popular one:
https://www.librarything.com/groups/75booksin2016

The 75ers are waaaay too chatty for me lol, I like the laid back style of Club Read, personally. :P

I like this modest little thread I've started. I might hit 75 books by the end of the year but we shall see. :)

Almost gave up tonight. Sat in front of the liquor store for 20 minutes and didn't buy. I thought I'd be dealing with this loneliness better by now but apparently its just getting worse. I hate feeling weak.

Work out somewhere and build physical strength and an attitude towards health. There are books on the matter. Seek the company of other people who have quit drinking; it is a slim basis for friendship but has helped a lot of people.

Robert

I work out 6 days a week. I eat right. Ive lost 60 + pounds. I'm doing a lot. But unfortunately, you can't force friendships to happen.

Sir,
Re: #45
Almost isn't the same as having done it. I've been watching this thread since the second week of June; wasn't sure what to say to you. You have become a hero in my eyes.

I happen to be a non-drinker, but I've experienced first-hand the devastating effects of someone who literally chose to drink himself to death. It took him four trucks, three arrests, an ankle monitor, Star Flight, and a half dozen stays in rehab to get him through ten years, but he always found a way to get more. Two years ago this October, I dug his grave and lowered him into the ground. His wife (my wife's sister) hasn't yet gotten over it.

The thing is: That's not your story.
You're being proactive about it. And yeah, maybe doing all this reading alone isn't the way to go. It's a good start, though. Any chance you might be able to join a book club? I had a sister, now deceased (cancer), who was a charter member of one. In twenty-three years, she missed four (weekly) meetings. I didn't know about this until all the members (current and former) of her book club came to her memorial. They made a point of not having any alcohol at their meetings.

Are there other, more social things you might be interested in doing? I've recently gotten into geocaching. Mostly, I do it by myself, but I know others who try to find these things as a group effort. Just a thought.

If you think it would help, I'll send my phone number to you in a PM. You ought to send me yours as well, because I rarely answer my phone if I don't recognize the number.

Be strong,
Mike

Wow.
That really meant the world to me. I really needed to hear that today. Thank you.

I live in a relatively small town. There isn't much opportunity for social interaction of a positive nature. I've been considering going to AA meetings. I've been to NA meetings in support of friends before and found the people a little scary for my taste but that doesn't mean AA will be the same.

I'm trying to keep an open mind and an open heart. I, too, enjoy geocaching, and have found most of the caches in my area, although I am limited to where I go because I use my phone and some areas my phone does not get service. I'd like to get a reliable gps device once I can afford one.

I decided its best I move back in with my family for awhile. Living alone at this point just doesn't seem very wise anymore. My father was a raging alcoholic for 30 years but gave it up about 5 years ago. So its a safe environment.

My buddies invited me camping in Nevada next weekend but informed me there will be hundreds of drunk people. I really want to go camping but not with a shit ton of drunk people shooting off guns and fireworks. Thats been the hardest part...letting go of the old activities I thrived on, but also got smashed doing.

My biggest enemy is time and my greatest ally is patience.

Shane

The deciding thought I had that made me decide against drinking was this very site and thread alone. I thought of how humiliated I'd feel coming back on here seeing all my hard work go down the drain. I don't think I could live with that kind of failure and be okay with it. So thank you all whom have said kind words along the way. You all have helped me in some way and I am grateful.

>50 Stoneyranger:

I don't have any suggestions to add to the excellent ones you have received but please know we are with you all the way! I admire your strength and determination. You are a great person.

k4k

>50 Stoneyranger: You are doing so many things right. I hope you will continue on because I too know a family who just buried their son because he purposely drank himself to death. So sad and difficult for them all.

It might be a good idea for you to have at least one person to call or visit when you are feeling that strong temptation again. Some safe place for you. I think the temptation will recede over time. Both of my parents were alcoholics who quit drinking. It was wonderful to have them back for the last twenty years of their lives. Keep on, don't quit. I suspect you have it in you to do this thing.

Thank you, Mrs. Lee.
Loneliness is my biggest enemy at the moment. You're absolutely right. I need to have a bigger safety net. The fact that I actually made the right decision yesterday already demonstrates how much I've grown. Giving up is easy and I don't have any desire to take the easy road anymore. I'm very excited that Monday will be day 30 - the longest I've been sober in 4 years. I've decided that Monday I will seek out an AA meeting and expand my saftey net.

That sounds like a good plan, and you're doing great! :))

Rooting for you, Stoneyranger. Slaughterhouse-Five is definitely worth a look.

So impressed with you, Stoneyranger!

Loneliness can be difficult to deal with. (I have family members who struggle with this, as well.) It sounds like you have some good plans for more support, though. Yea!

I read this article a few weeks ago - maybe you can find a book group like this guy did:

https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/patriots/2016/05/23/mitchell/eIJI9bANsUwhjGiA...

Excellent article. I wish I lived in a bigger city with more opportunities.

>57 Stoneyranger:

I'm very excited that Monday will be day 30 - the longest I've been sober in 4 years. I've decided that Monday I will seek out an AA meeting and expand my saftey net.

Awesome and awesome. AA has helped a lot of my very favorite people, including my oldest sister, who passed away last year (not due to alcoholism-related issues - she had been sober for years at that point). She used to say that AA wasn't just helpful in getting her to stay sober - it made her a better person, too. I've read a lot of their literature and spent a lot of time talking to her and other recovering alcoholics and have come to the conclusion that AA and other twelve-step programs have a lot to teach all of us - alcoholics, addicts, and otherwise.

Stoneyranger, your story is an inspiration! Maybe you should start writing about your story as a way of coping with the loneliness, in addition to reading. I wish you the best in your journey.

When you can't find a social group to join, there's always the option of launching one. This has worked in the past for me. Outline the group you would like to start, post information on public bulletin board locations (our town has them at grocery stores, library, etc.). Wins you a position of responsibility, an activity to keep you busy, builds a sense of accomplishment, and you get to set the rules. Add to the list of local geocache locations, launch the book club, etc. You may be surprised by what latent demand you uncover. Even a small group to begin with can get a ball rolling.

There's also the option of volunteering in your community. Helping others by donating your time is the surest path to meeting new people and learning new skills.

Returning to book recommendations, it occurs to me stories about survival under tough circumstances, people who endured, could be a thing to explore.
A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich is a fiction example, and The Diary of Anne Frank for non-fiction among my own recent reading, but there's thousands of titles about people who beat the odds through sheer determination, whether it was in wartime, a nature setting, a social justice movement, etc.

You nailed it. I have began writing. I love to write. I feel I am a bit rusty but time should grease up my wheels again. There's always a lot on my mind, so putting it on paper is seeming to help.

Not a bad idea. I'll have to think about that some more. Maybe research some ideas...

Some communities or libraries also have (or you could start) a writers' group.

Writer's group:
I can help you with that; been a member of one for seven years (in July); been managing it for the past five.
I can tell you what works and what doesn't.
Let me know.

I'd like to know more in general. I don't know the first thing about a writers group.

Just a thought on the writing front - CampNaNoWriMo starts at the beginning of July (see here for more information - http://campnanowrimo.org/) Like Nanowrimo, it's about writing every day, but you don't have to aim for 50,000 (unless you want to!). Some areas have writing meetings/get togethers. If not there are 'cabins' - online groups to support each other in their writing goals - some cabins are more active than others.

The easiest way to find one is to google "writing groups" and the name of any town. My writing group is based in a site called Meetup.com, which, like LibraryThing, only requires that you create a username (which doesn't have to be unique), a password, and tie it to an email account (which doesn't get displayed anywhere.) No cost.

I just did a search in Meetup for writing groups in your area.

One (in Chico) is called Writers Lounge. It seems to be a critique group that meets monthly. It currently has 248 members, but probably has a dozen active members -- maybe. You could contact the Organizer, but the list of members and the meeting location is available to members only.

Another is Sierra Muse: Creative Writing Cooperative - WEST, out of Nevada City; 69 folks spanning five decades, pretty even mix of men and women. You can see when, but not where they meet, and it seems like there a half dozen or more at each meeting. They take all levels of writers.

Another is right where you live. Oops! No, It's Meetup's attempt to get unwary people to start a new group by creating a fake site name for you. It won't let me because I already run three Meetup groups -- the max they allow any one person to "own."

There are a couple of others in Chico, but one is for children's books; the other looks to be more of a group self-promotion scheme.

Some groups exist solely as a means to critique each other's writing (like the Writers Lounge.) There are several ways to do it, but some reasonable time and page limits have to be in place. Do you bring copies for everyone to read at the venue? Read it out loud? Submit it up to a few days in advance? We do the latter, and the target length is ten pages, but up to twelve if you can reach a scene break. Then, how do you, as an author, want to receive your feedback? Written out? Orally? A file posted online? And what limits do you put on content and on feedback? I'll talk about that some other time.

But, because of those limits, I've had to remove three (two male, one female) members from the group, and further had to implement measure to prevent them from re-joining as a sock puppet.

When I joined the group, an author would have to censor his/her work. Delete curse words; omit scenes with graphic sex or violence. Apparently, the then-organizer didn't want to offend anyone. And yeah, we had some members who were on in years, and one actually (and dramatically) left the group because the word damn wasn't censored out of a story. Go figure! We post our files on our Meetup site any time up to two days prior to a critique meeting. When I took over as the organizer, I made it a policy to require the author to include a warning about possible offensive material. If they don't, and someone get offended, that author leaves the group. (Hasn't happened yet.) If the reviewer fails to read the warning, and is offended, that's their problem. If they heeded the warning, and anyone who, for whatever reason, hadn't read the piece, they're required to address the author and say: "I laughed. I cried. It became a part of me."

My group meets every Saturday morning and every Monday night (unless, like next week, it's a holiday.) Here is part of the way-too-long message I send to everyone who requests to join the group:
====================
Our current meeting schedule and formats:
First Saturday – Speed Writing or Writing Prompts and Exercises: This meeting works the same way as the ones in Austin. Bring paper and a pen, or your computer.

Second Saturday – Shop Talk: Probably the most social meeting we have, Shop Talk is part meet-and-greet, part show-and-tell, part discussion (sometimes several at once!),and part idea brainstorming. We've never had a bad one.

Third Saturday – Work-in-Progress Workshop: Participation in the workshop requires you to join the Meetup group Work in Progress (RRWG).
http://www.meetup.com/WIP-RRWG/
This meeting is where we critique each other’s presubmitted works in a friendly, supportive way. One can be honest when giving feedback without being brutal in its delivery. There are file-format, size, and document-format restrictions, which I can provide to you if you're interested.

Fourth Saturday – Write-In: This one is all business – no talking allowed. We gather here to write – either with pen and paper or computer. Leave your tongue at the door. Discussions can be done at other tables at the host site.

Fifth Saturday (when there is one) – Read Out: Based loosely on the Shop Talk format, this is the only meeting where we don't focus on our own writing projects. Instead, we bring in excerpts of other authors' writings, and either pass out copies, or, if it's not too long, read them aloud. The idea is to share passages of great writing -- smartly phrased ideas, beautiful descriptive wording, tight dialog, character, voicing, or even narrative. If it struck you as particularly profound or inspirational, share it with us. Yes, you can bring something to share.

The Monday meetings are a combination of the WIP (3rd Saturday) and Write In (4th Saturday) meeting formats. It's possible to participate (and get credit for) attending both meetings.
===================
So, it's a bit of everything, and members come to whatever they're comfortable doing. Some of our members do just the first Saturday meeting only. Some can't handle the weekly critique schedule, so they do that Saturday WIP meeting, or come every other Monday night.

It's late. More at another time.

I watched a few documentaries on food and veganism. I've now decided to give it a try. Day 35 of sobriety and day 2 of being a Vegan. Its really not that bad. I even had Taco Bell for dinner. Just asked for beans instead of meat, no cheese, no sour cream, add potatoes and guac. I am curious to see what one month of not eating dairy or meat will do for my health. We shall see. I joined a Vegan community group. We meet up in a couple weeks.

Cheers

I've been a vegetarian for about 25 years. It's funny because when people find out they always ask "but what do you eat?" It's also funny because I eat a much more diverse diet now than I ever did when I ate meat. I like to cook so it's always fun, especially now with the internet where recipes are readily available, finding and experimenting with new recipes. Good luck meeting up with the new group. Once you start meeting more people who don't drink and party and are into what you're into your life will expand in a whole new way. Just keep the socializing in control so you have plenty of time to read :).

>69 morningwalker: Indeed. I've been veg for something like 11, 12 yrs, and before, I ate the same few things all the time, whereas now I eat all kinds of things. I enjoy cheese far too much to go vegan, though. ;)

>70 .Monkey.:

I enjoy cheese far too much to go vegan, though.

Hear, hear!

I'm not actually vegetarian, but since my wife is we almost always eat vegetarian at home, so I eat meat a few times a week at lunch or when we go out to a restaurant. I can easily see going vegetarian, although I don't really want to, but not vegan. Nope nope.

My motto is: If we're not supposed to eat animals, how come they're made of meat?

More power to you SR; but with my dietary restrictions (can't eat red fruits ir veggies, onions, garlic, pepper, lots of different herbs and spices, tannins, alcohol), meat's pretty much on every menu, except for when I have salad.

I hope it works for you, though. It means more meat for me. (tic)

My older son has been a vegetarian for over 10 years, and I know lots of vegans, so although I'm not one myself, I do cook a few veg and vegan meals. I find Indian cuisine has a lot of extremely tasty recipes based on lentils and chickpeas and the like, and even the meat-based recipes can be converted fairly easily. Butter chicken, for example. Use veg oil instead of butter, omit the cream (or I guess you could substitute almond or soy milk, although I never have), and tofu or tempeh instead of chicken. Yum.

I love Indian food. Yum is right. My sister and niece and I just went this week to eat it. We have to drive 40 miles, but it's worth it. I cook it sometimes but the restaurant is always better.

Stoneyranger, I hope you're having a good weekend and found a good book to read. I still recommend Discworld. :)

I highly recommend Wild by Cheryl Strayed. She got her life back, and her writing is exquisite.

I'm currently reading "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close." Very good thus far. Still very sober and very much Vegan. It has gotten a lot easier. Having to cook all my meals has kept me distracted. Still hitting the gym hard. Excited for the day I reach my 100 pound weight loss goal. I'm guessing I should hit that goal close to November. Moving back in with family has eased some of the loneliness but it still remains. I just gotta stay patient. It's hard.

Hang in there little soldier✌

Downloaded Pokemon Go. LoL
Gonna go out and adventure. Haha

My son was just showing me his Pokemon Go. I even watched him capture an evolved purplish thing with teeth* (of course I don't know the name) which suddenly appeared at our neighbors' house. I said it sounded a little bit like geo-caching and he said it was. Hope you have fun with it.

*ETA: My son just told me it's a Gengar.

My 26-year-old daughter just downloaded that as well. I don't think I'm going to get much work out of her this weekend! Have fun rounding up those critters!

I saw the Pokemon Go and thought I had better avoid it. Sounds like way too much fun!

I've caught 16 so far. Its pretty fun and you go exploring while doing it.

>83 Stoneyranger: Just wondering how it's going with your books and veganism. Hope all is well.

Book 10 complete. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close was extremely sad and incredibly depressing. I am Vegan for life. There is no going back now that I know what damage the agricultural industry is doing to the earth and to the health of humans. Now I gotta figure out the next book. Went to an AA meeting. My ex gf was there...go figure.

I've lost count of my sobriety days. I know the 28th will be 2 months. I guess thats a good thing. I got a new job. I will be working full time with full benefits at a local casino. 2am to 10am. Should be pretty cool. It'll be a nice change and a solid move to better financial stability.

This is a very timely thread. My alcohol use has been spiralling bit by bit and one particularly nasty thing I've noticed is that for me drinking and reading just don't coexist: at night I can only do one or the other, and more and more often it's the wrong one! I'm having a beer right now. *sigh* It's good to see someone who's winning the fight!

>85 Stoneyranger:

How did the AA meeting go?

>86 Stoneyranger:, good for you! That shift might make it hard to meet people and do activities outside of work, but at least you'll meet people on the job. And at least it doesn't change hours where you have to adjust every week or so, those are killer.

It was okay. My ex gf was there. Pretty awkward. Not sure AA is for me.

Well, I'll get off work, goto the gym, go have tea and read, then a few hours before bed around 6pm. It should be just fine.

I was real bad. Fifth of vodka nightly. Now, I no longer have heart burn, I have more energy, not depressed as much, and I'm inspiring others to make a change. My advice is if you can't or don't wanna stop, just try drinking less.

>90 Stoneyranger: Don't give up too soon. If you're working in a casino around alcohol you may need support.

I didn't want to be discouraging because there are people out there who benefit from it, however, a lot of people do not. The biggest reason probably being related to the fact that it is really into religion, so, if you're religious there's a shot it can work for you. E.g. one of the big things that helps with reducing cravings (and they did MRIs in a study and everything that shows it), is to pray. However, if you're not the sort to believe in that kind of thing, well...

Interesting. I began to write something similar earlier, but wasn't happy with how I presented the argument, so I didn't post it. I agree that AA or any religiously based group, be they non-profit or in it for the money, have a near-zero success rate with non-theists. Part of the reason is that they get tired of the rhetoric; the non-theists cannot relate to the others in that respect. Another is that, unless the non-theist has practiced meditation of some form or another, he hasn't been exercising that particular part of the brain, and is often unable to achieve that state of mind that prayer and/or meditation can bring you to.

I've been involved with three friends/relatives who have been through some form of the program. One was religious, and it mostly worked for him; found a way to limit himself to a single drink once a week, mostly through willpower. He died of a brain aneurysm at the age of thirty-four. Another was my brother-in-law; a genius, really; an atheist; just up and decided one day that he was going to drink himself to death; was in and out of AA and eight different rehab clinics those twelve years. It's coming up on two years since I dug his grave. Damn fool.

And, another atheist friend, I've forgotten which program he used. It's been over a decade since I hear from him, but it was a humanistic-based program. If you had a belief in a deity, it was irrelevant to your addiction and irrelevant to your beating your addiction. He was very successful with the program. It wasn't easy for him; he slipped a few times, but when I last saw him prior to taking a job out of state, he had been sober for fifteen years.

AA is non-denominational. It speaks of turning yourself over to a higher power, not God. If one chooses to call their higher power God they can, but they can also call their higher power Ed or Sally. You take what you like and leave the rest.

I accompanied my brother-in-law to two AA meetings. There was a heavy emphasis on the god thing.

>90 Stoneyranger:

Well, at least you gave it a go. I'm sure the ex being there didn't make things any easier.

>94 .Monkey.: ff.

Agreed that the whole "higher power" thing makes AA and other twelve-step programs (understandably) problematic for many people.

I have zero desire to drink, smoke pot, eat meat, or consume dairy products anymore. I work 3am-10am and don't hang out where I work. I hate gambling, too. I love my new job. I collect all the money from the casino floor and take it to the count room. We are busy the whole shift, so time flies. With the weird hours, I don't have time to feel lonely anymore. I'm just too busy. I goto bed at 6pm. My life is turning out perfect. I am now down 72 pounds! Only 28 pounds to go until 100 pounds lost.

Very good to hear, Shane. I'm very happy for you.

You're doing great!

Woohoo! Your positive attitude is amazing. You are doing great. Any time left to read?

>99 Stoneyranger: I worked for six years in a casino hotel. It was my intention to never give the casino a penny of my money in gambling, and I didn't. Not too hard for me though as gambling isn't my temptation. :) I just didn't want to give them back the paycheck I worked so hard for. So glad you are enjoying the job!

Still reading a little here and there.

Well...the girl I was "seeing" invited me to a picnic so our kids could hang out and play. Later she warned me her polyamorous couple that she's involved with will be there. I immediately declined the invitation. She got pissed and I explained to her that I had really liked her a lot and the last thing I expected was to hear she was hooking up with some couple and I was pretty upset. We parted ways. I'm still pretty upset about it and losing sleep over it. :(

>105 Stoneyranger:

That's too bad. It'll probably work out better for you in the long run, though.

Yeah, better to find out now that your views on things are not so compatible, than further down the line. :/

Yeah. Tried salvaging the friendship last night but as it turns out, she is a nut case. Another one bites the dust.

Still sober. Finished another book. On to the next one.

Yea - for both sobriety and continuing to read!

Glad to hear this update. Stay strong.

I am kind of worried that Stoneyranger hasn't shown up for more than a month now. Are you alright up there?

I am great. Sorry for the delay. Got kind of lost in life. Still sober. Still working out. Still reading. 86 pounds lost. Currently watching my friend die of liver and kidney failure from drinking. Never seen something so awful. I am on books 15 and 16. Still single. A little depressed but it could be worse.

I recently read "The Brief and Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao" and it was excellent.

Good to hear you're hanging in there. Sorry to hear about your friend.

Good to hear from you, Stoneyranger. Hang in there. You are an inspiration. I will keep you and your friend in my prayers.

>114 Stoneyranger:

Been following your story. Left a msg on your profile pg.

Congratulations on setting and meeting all your goals. WooT!

The Brief and Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao -- amazing book. Literally knocks the breath out of you.

Also thought Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was an emotional tour de force. A book that I resisted reading because I thought it would be maudlin. Well, perhaps it was, but I'm glad I read it anyway.

Trying to pick the best book I've read in 2016 (primaries, Olympics, and presidential race have cut into my reading time) as a possible recommendation for your next read. . .Can't be done, too many good ones!

Hello! I'm still alive! 6 months sober. Can you believe it? Still working out. Running now! Crazy, right?
Best news...I'm 33 days tobacco-free! !!!!!!
Still single lol go figure.
Happy Thanksgiving.

Just dropped in by chance. Happy to read you good news and Happy Thanksgiving to you.

>118 Stoneyranger:, glad you stopped in the middle of your run to let us know. :)

Happy Thanksgiving, Stoneyranger. You have much to be thankful for.

Still sober.
Just picked up Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas by Tom Robbins. Need to update what I've read. Much to add. I'm almost 2 months tobacco free! Crazy right?

Glad you're still reading. Have a nice Christmas and lots of great 2017 books.

Happy holidays to you, Stoneyranger.

Glad to hear things are still going well. May you find plenty of good books for the New Year.

In order to have a Merry Xmas, I heartily endorse an annual reading of the famous short story, Pigs Is Pigs by Ellis Parker Butler.

It may be 115 year old, but it's still the nonpareil!

WARNING: Put down the virgin eggnog first.

>122 Stoneyranger:, that's fantastic! Happy Holidays to you, sir.

Read half asleep in frog pajamas...It wasn't for me.

Still sober. Still tobacco free. Met a nice lady. Got a job promotion. Read a book I hated. Need a new book now.

>128 Stoneyranger:: Frog-"Pig" antipathy? :^)

>129 Stoneyranger:
Great news! Here's to continued success in 2017. Especially with finding a new book to enjoy!

>128 Stoneyranger: I have this one in my TBR, and am not sure about it. I have liked other Tom Robbins books, but recently had a disappointing experience with Even Cowgirls Get The Blues and didn't finish Skinny Legs and All so I'm reluctant to get let down again.

What did you dislike about it?

Stoneyranger, I sure hope you are okay right now with the Oroville Dam failing be safe.

One year sober as of May 28th. Haven't been reading at all. Just kinda lost in girlfriend land. It's pretty great. I need a book.

>134 Stoneyranger: Congratulations. That's an impressive achievement. Girlfriend land can be a good place to be. Wishing you continued success.

I chose "While Mortals Sleep" by Kurt Vonnegut

I just found it unengaging and dull. Definitely not my style of read.

I never evacuated. I stayed to witness the possible dam collapse on a hill and it never happened. It was like a scene from a zombie apocalypse movie.

So glad to hear from you!

Still sober. Not reading much. Having difficulty finding anything that really interests me lately. I need to find something soon. I got a flight to DC on the 18th.

Looking at your history, you might enjoy Vernon God Little, White Noise or The Raw Shark Texts. All rather different but fairly quick reads.

And, if you care to share, what do you intend to do in DC?

Flight cancelled.
My now girlfriend decided to drive back from DC early.
We fell in love. She went back to her husband to see if the marriage was over. It was. She's now driving 3000 miles to come to me. I'm so very in love and it's absolutely wonderful. It was a rough road getting here but we made it and I'm so very lucky to be loved by such an amazing woman. She gives me strength and courage I never thought I had. She brought happiness into my life I didn't think could exist. 34 years and I'm finally madly in love.

Looking to write a book about it now.

>143 Stoneyranger: Well that sounds like quite a happy ending. Congratulations.

>143 Stoneyranger:, not a shabby plan at all. It also suggests a whole field of reading to investigate for similar examples and inspiration.

Well...that was a shit storm. We didn't work out. But hey I'm still sober and living a very healthy and fulfilling life. I just read The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish. Funny stuff.

Sorry it didn’t work out bu I’m glad you’re still sober. I might have to give The Last Black Unicorn a try.

>146 Stoneyranger: Good to hear from you, keep on keeping on! And reading.