Here are 100 books that Sober from Sin fans have personally recommended if you like Sober from Sin. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Unbroken

Brian Lofton Author Of Broken Boots, Redeemed Soul

From my list on finding grace and redemption after hitting rock bottom.

Why am I passionate about this?

I care about stories of redemption after service because I have lived through the collapse that can follow it. After my time in the U.S. Army, I struggled with addiction, shame, and spiritual distance that almost defined my life. I have seen how uniforms can hide internal battles. I am drawn to books that help remind me that failure is not final and that grace reaches deeper than shame. Today, I serve fellow veterans through benefits advocacy. I am moved by stories that show no one is too far gone for God’s redeeming work.

Brian's book list on finding grace and redemption after hitting rock bottom

Brian Lofton Why Brian loves this book

What stays with me is not the survival story, but the change that followed.

Louie’s struggle with anger and pain after the war felt familiar. This story shows that endurance by itself is not enough. Freedom comes through forgiveness and faith.

The movement from anger to grace stood out to me. It made me consider that even when hard experiences influence us, they do not have to decide our future.

By Laura Hillenbrand ,

Why should I read it?

20 authors picked Unbroken as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the author of the bestselling and much-loved Seabiscuit, an unforgettable story of one man's journey into extremity. On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane's bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War. The lieutenant's name was Louis Zamperini. In boyhood,…


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Book cover of The Rosewood Penny

The Rosewood Penny by J.S. Fields,

2023 Queer Indie Award Nominee!

The dragons of Yuro have been hunted to extinction.

On a small, isolated island, in a reclusive forest, lives bandit leader Marani and her brother Jacks. With their outlaw band they rob from the rich to feed themselves, raiding carriages and dodging the occasional vindictive…

Book cover of The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?

Brian Lofton Author Of Broken Boots, Redeemed Soul

From my list on finding grace and redemption after hitting rock bottom.

Why am I passionate about this?

I care about stories of redemption after service because I have lived through the collapse that can follow it. After my time in the U.S. Army, I struggled with addiction, shame, and spiritual distance that almost defined my life. I have seen how uniforms can hide internal battles. I am drawn to books that help remind me that failure is not final and that grace reaches deeper than shame. Today, I serve fellow veterans through benefits advocacy. I am moved by stories that show no one is too far gone for God’s redeeming work.

Brian's book list on finding grace and redemption after hitting rock bottom

Brian Lofton Why Brian loves this book

This book supported me when I was questioning who I was without my past mistakes.

I remember feeling uncertain, and Warren’s focus on God’s purposes gave me guidance when I needed it most. I love how practical it is—it does not just motivate, it directs.

For me, it shifted the question from “How do I fix my failures?” to “How do I live faithfully today?” That reframing was liberating.

By Rick Warren ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Purpose Driven Life as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Discover and fulfill your God-given purpose by joining the more than thirty-five million others who have embarked on a spiritual journey that started with this #1 New York Times bestselling book by Pastor Rick Warren.

Before you were born, God knew what your life had in store for you. His hope for you is to discover the life he created just for you--both here on earth, and forever in eternity. Let Rick Warren guide you as you learn to live out your true purpose.

The Purpose Driven Life is more than a book; it's a road map for your spiritual…


Book cover of The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out

Brian Lofton Author Of Broken Boots, Redeemed Soul

From my list on finding grace and redemption after hitting rock bottom.

Why am I passionate about this?

I care about stories of redemption after service because I have lived through the collapse that can follow it. After my time in the U.S. Army, I struggled with addiction, shame, and spiritual distance that almost defined my life. I have seen how uniforms can hide internal battles. I am drawn to books that help remind me that failure is not final and that grace reaches deeper than shame. Today, I serve fellow veterans through benefits advocacy. I am moved by stories that show no one is too far gone for God’s redeeming work.

Brian's book list on finding grace and redemption after hitting rock bottom

Brian Lofton Why Brian loves this book

I first read this book when I felt spiritually empty and needed reassurance.

Manning writes to people who feel spiritually imperfect. He reminds readers that God’s love reaches us, even though our walk is not pretty. His honesty about weakness helped me stop pretending and trust God daily.

I pull out this book to remember that grace is for everyone.

By Brennan Manning ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Ragamuffin Gospel as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Are you bedraggled, beat-up, burnt-out?

Most of us believe in God’s grace—in theory. But somehow we can’t seem to apply it in our daily lives. We continue to see Him as a small-minded bookkeeper, tallying our failures and successes on a score sheet.

Yet God gives us His grace, willingly, no matter what we’ve done. We come to Him as ragamuffins—dirty, bedraggled, and beat-up. And when we sit at His feet, He smiles upon us, the chosen objects of His “furious love.”

Brennan Manning’s now-classic meditation on grace and what it takes to access it—simple honesty—has changed thousands of lives.…


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Book cover of The Aphorism Club

The Aphorism Club by Tracey Lee,

Set in Melbourne and Launceston, Tasmania, The Aphorism Club explores themes of resilience and female tenacity.

The story follows the life of Ruby Pearl Hart, a girl with a raspberry birthmark on her face. The story starts with Ruby’s childhood, which is marred by careless adults and tragedy. She finds…

Book cover of God Only Knows When the Devil Comes for You

Brian Lofton Author Of Broken Boots, Redeemed Soul

From my list on finding grace and redemption after hitting rock bottom.

Why am I passionate about this?

I care about stories of redemption after service because I have lived through the collapse that can follow it. After my time in the U.S. Army, I struggled with addiction, shame, and spiritual distance that almost defined my life. I have seen how uniforms can hide internal battles. I am drawn to books that help remind me that failure is not final and that grace reaches deeper than shame. Today, I serve fellow veterans through benefits advocacy. I am moved by stories that show no one is too far gone for God’s redeeming work.

Brian's book list on finding grace and redemption after hitting rock bottom

Brian Lofton Why Brian loves this book

I related to Ryan’s honesty about addiction after service.

I know what it is like when self-reliance fails, and shame feels heavy. I appreciate that he does not hide his failures or ignore the consequences. His faith is not simple optimism. It grows out of real loss.

His story reminded me that God is present for each of us in our lowest moments, not after everything has been fixed.

By Ryan T. Reichert ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked God Only Knows When the Devil Comes for You as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Our Protector Development, God Only Knows When the Devil Comes for You tells a story through the lends of a second chance at life with multitudes of failure but also some great miracels too. It is a faith journey which guides the reader through one's life and reflection, where some tools are developed so one can use them to protect themselves with God in their life and Jesus Christ by their side. It is a born-again Christian's work to help anyone else before they might have to go through the same trials or as they are going through the flames…


Book cover of Freefall

Jay Crownover Author Of Rule

From my list on read if you love the Warped Tour.

Why am I passionate about this?

My two passions in life have always been music and reading. I was a punk rock girl, with wildly colored hair and a plethora of tattoos, who has never missed a chance to lose herself in a romance novel. I love it when my two favorite things collide in wonderful ways. I still read whatever I can get my hands on, but now I write some of those beloved books as well. Several of them have been bestsellers and many are published in various languages. My mosh-pit days are long gone, but you can still find me at a Social Distortion concert whenever they come to town. If you’ve got a rebellious heart and an ear for music that isn’t as mainstream, I’m sure you will love these books I recommended as much as I do.

Jay's book list on read if you love the Warped Tour

Jay Crownover Why Jay loves this book

Freefall deals with some really heavy issues facing a lot of young adults, and because this is one of the few books I’ve ever picked up where the hero is into rockabilly and physcobilly. He even plays a standup bass in a garage band. This book is also very age-appropriate, so it can be enjoyed by a wider audience than my books and some of my more grown-up recommendations.

I loved it because I felt like it dealt with the subject of depression and self-harm in a really relatable and compassionate way. I could feel the struggle of these kids through the pages. I also liked how it relayed that music can be healing no matter what genre the music may be.

I read this book as an adult and remember thinking that I wish I had something similar to read when I was younger. And as an adult, I…

By Mindi Scott ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Freefall as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

How do you come back from the point of no return?

Seth McCoy was the last person to see his best friend, Isaac, alive, and the first to find him dead. It was just another night, just another party, just another time when Isaac drank too much and passed out on the lawn. Only this time, Isaac didn't wake up.

Convinced that his own actions led to his friend's death, Seth is torn between turning his life around . . . or losing himself completely.

Then he meets Rosetta: so beautiful and so different from everything and everyone he's ever…


Book cover of I Swear I'll Make It Up to You: A Life on the Low Road

Marilyn Davis Author Of Finding North: A Journey from Addict to Advocate

From my list on memoirs of drug and alcohol addiction.

Why am I passionate about this?

I used my first chemicals at age nine. Why? To change the way I felt about myself and my life. It was the beginning of using externals to fix an internal problem. A 74-year old Native American found me at ten months in recovery. He showed me a path to follow, including opening a house of healing for other women. His teachings, spiritual principles, and a lot of work helped me achieve 32 years in recovery.

Marilyn's book list on memoirs of drug and alcohol addiction

Marilyn Davis Why Marilyn loves this book

In 1992, Mishka Shubaly survived a mass shooting at his school, his parents divorced, his father abandoned him, and he swore he would right all the wrongs for his mother. Instead, he began a love affair with the bottle and barely crawled out, but he did, and we cheer him on at each twist and turn in his journey.

By Mishka Shubaly ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked I Swear I'll Make It Up to You as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An odyssey of family, heartbreak, violence, punk rock, brokenness, broke-ness, sex, love, loss, drinking, drinking, drinking, and an unlikely savior: distance running.A misfit kid at the best of times, Mishka Shubaly had his world shattered when, in a twenty-four-hour span in 1992, he survived a mass shooting on his school's campus, then learned that his parents were getting divorced. His father, a prominent rocket scientist, abandoned the family and their home was lost to foreclosure. Shubaly swore to avenge the wrongs against his mother, but instead plunged into a magnificently toxic love affair with alcohol.Almost two decades later, Shubaly's life…


If you love Sober from Sin...

Book cover of A Kiss for Maggie Moore

A Kiss for Maggie Moore by Micki R. Pettit,

A coming-of-age love story between three best friends growing up in a small-town Wyoming neighborhood during the late 1960s, early 1970s.

If you are familiar with “The Wonder Years,” this is the wonder years out west. Smart-mouthed Maggie Moore is instantly smitten with the laid back, sometimes infuriating Bucky. Too…

Book cover of Light & Shade: Conversations with Jimmy Page

Nathan Hesselink Author Of Finding the Beat: Entrainment, Rhythmic Play, and Social Meaning in Rock Music

From my list on biographies to get you inside of a musician’s head.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been playing and singing music since I was six, and my childhood dream was to become an orchestral cello player. Over the years, I learned a number of other instruments and studied music around the globe, yet I was always intrigued, even intimidated, by those who were able to compose. This list of books helps readers like me really get inside the heads of some of the greatest composers (and performers) of popular music in the 20th and 21st centuries. While many of my questions were answered, there remains a sense of mystery and wonder that even the artists themselves can’t always explain.

Nathan's book list on biographies to get you inside of a musician’s head

Nathan Hesselink Why Nathan loves this book

I always knew there was something special, even mystical, about Led Zeppelin’s lead guitarist Jimmy Page. As a high school student, there was something about the band that drew me in, as if I didn’t have a choice.

I now know that I love their music, and Page’s playing in particular, because of the vision Page had for the band’s music, lyrics, and iconography on their album covers and artwork. Light and shade, light and heavy, clear and murky, simple and epic—how better to sum up Led Zeppelin?

By Brad Tolinski ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Light & Shade as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This “oral autobiography” of Jimmy Page, the intensely private mastermind behind Led Zeppelin—one of the most enduring bands in rock history—is the most complete and revelatory portrait of the legendary guitarist ever published.

   More than 30 years after disbanding in 1980, Led Zeppelin continues to be celebrated for its artistic achievements, broad musical influence, and commercial success. The band's notorious exploits have been chronicled in bestselling books; yet none of the individual members of the band has penned a memoir nor cooperated to any degree with the press or a biographer.  In Light & Shade, Jimmy Page, the band’s most…


Book cover of The Beatles Complete Scores

Rich Maloof Author Of Jim Marshall - The Father of Loud: The Story of the Man Behind the World's Most Famous Guitar Amplifiers

From my list on books by musicians, for musicians.

Why am I passionate about this?

My tenure as editor-in-chief of Guitar magazine is well behind me now, but it always lights me up to create content for musicians, and to absorb it. These are my people, you see, a community of curious, empathic, chronically late daydreamers and night owls, good listeners all. I’m not qualified to comment on Adorno’s Aesthetic Theory or Stravinsky’s Poetics of Music, but neither do I want to talk about rock-star memoirs or fawning fictionalizations. No fanfare here, thank you. Instead, these are five books in which musicians may recognize some element of their creative self and come away with a little more fuel for the fire.

Rich's book list on books by musicians, for musicians

Rich Maloof Why Rich loves this book

That’s right; it’s an entire book of musical notation. Like I said, this list is for players, not civilians.

I love that every note on every original Beatles record is transcribed here, right down to Ringo’s drum fills on “You Won’t See Me” and the guy saying “number nine” a hundred times on “Revolution 9.”

I love sitting down with my kid, who plays guitar, and discovering exactly how to recreate the parts we can’t work out by ear. I love seeing how the Beatles fit the gears together to make the wheels turn on these songs and how they used chords and notes that I have on the piano at my house, too.

By The Beatles ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Beatles Complete Scores as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

(Transcribed Score). A fitting tribute to possibly the greatest pop band ever - The Beatles. This outstanding edition features full scores and lyrics to all 210 titles recorded by The Beatles. Guitar and bass parts are in both standard notation and tablature. Also includes a full discography. Songs include: All You Need Is Love * And I Love Her * Baby You're a Rich Man * Back in the U.S.S.R. * The Ballad of John and Yoko * Blackbird * Can't Buy Me Love * Come Together * Drive My Car * Eleanor Rigby * From Me to You *…


Book cover of Acid for the Children: A Memoir

Nathan Hesselink Author Of Finding the Beat: Entrainment, Rhythmic Play, and Social Meaning in Rock Music

From my list on biographies to get you inside of a musician’s head.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been playing and singing music since I was six, and my childhood dream was to become an orchestral cello player. Over the years, I learned a number of other instruments and studied music around the globe, yet I was always intrigued, even intimidated, by those who were able to compose. This list of books helps readers like me really get inside the heads of some of the greatest composers (and performers) of popular music in the 20th and 21st centuries. While many of my questions were answered, there remains a sense of mystery and wonder that even the artists themselves can’t always explain.

Nathan's book list on biographies to get you inside of a musician’s head

Nathan Hesselink Why Nathan loves this book

I’ve never read an autobiography by anyone as humble, funny, reflective, poetic, and oftentimes downright scary as the bass player Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers.

I’ve always been in love with his sound and sense of timing, a groove master who has few equals. With this book, I discovered the love, boredom, synchronicities, intelligence, and madness that made up his life, and because of it, I admire Flea and the band like almost no other.

By Flea ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Acid for the Children as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

With "virtuosic vulnerability" (The Atlantic), the iconic bassist and Red Hot Chili peppers co-founder pens a New York Times bestselling love letter to his wild Los Angeles youth in his raw and riveting coming-of-age memoir, now in paperback.

In Acid for the Children, Flea takes readers on a deeply personal and revealing tour of his formative years, spanning from Australia to the New York City suburbs to, finally, Los Angeles. Through hilarious anecdotes, poetical meditations, and occasional flights of fantasy, Flea deftly chronicles the experiences that forged him as an artist, a musician, and a young man. His dreamy, jazz-inflected…


If you love Jeff Fields...

Book cover of The Arasmith Certainty Principle

The Arasmith Certainty Principle by Russ Colson,

Jen Hewitt, a quiet geology graduate student, doesn't actually believe in time travel. Were it possible, rocks from the age of dinosaurs should already be cluttered with artifacts from future time-tourists. Nevertheless, she proves with fellow geologist Jonathan Renner that a human skeleton encased in Pleistocene rock came from their…

Book cover of Who Invented Heavy Metal?

Christopher Brett Bailey Author Of I Saw Satan at the 7-Eleven

From my list on for headbangers.

Why am I passionate about this?

My new book, I Saw Satan at the 7-Eleven, is among other things, a love letter to heavy metal. I am a lifelong music obsessive: a record collector, concertgoer, maker of mixtapes, sewer of patch jackets. When I’m not writing or reading I’m playing guitar with the amp turned all the way up. And I have the tinnitus to prove it. Some of the books on this list are about metal, others are simply imbued with its rebellious dionysian spirit. But every damn one of them goes to 11, I can assure you of that. Enjoy!

Christopher's book list on for headbangers

Christopher Brett Bailey Why Christopher loves this book

If you don’t know Poppoff, you should. He’s a genial Canuck Youtuber who also happens to be the world’s most prolific music reviewer.

An inveterate headbanger with an unquenchable thirst for loudness. In thisthe book for which he’ll surely be rememberedPoppoff turns his eye on the whole prehistory of heavy metal, breaking the music down into component parts, and tracing those components backwards through time.

From psychedelia to early rock n roll, blues, jazz, classical music, all the way back to the Vikings, the Ancient Greeks, and the Battle of Jericho in 1250 BC. If there’s a better researched, more thorough, or more sweeping book about loud music on the planet Earth, I ain’t aware of it.  

By Martin Popoff ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Who Invented Heavy Metal? as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

It's one of the great debates in musicology and the answer is as complicated as it is hotly contested. Popoff's Who Invented Heavy Metal? provides the most detailed, well argued, reasonable, ridiculously complete, and most lively and readable telling of the early history of heavy metal yet, arming the argumentative headbanger with all the facts and figures one needs on hand to win those bar room bets around this provocative question.
Ultimately, Who Invented Heavy Metal? aims to be a book that doesn't limit itself to heavy metal fans. The book provides wide instructional scope of teachable moments through unfolding,…


Book cover of Unbroken
Book cover of The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?
Book cover of The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out

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Interested in rock music, alcoholism, and Christianity?

Rock Music 267 books
Alcoholism 114 books
Christianity 731 books