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My BOTM Pick for December: Definitely Better Now by Ava Robinson; Retail $21.74
Back of Book Summary:
The very last person anyone should worry about is Emma. Yes, hi, she’s an alcoholic. But she’s officially been sober for one entire year. That’s twelve months of better health. Fifty-two whole weeks of focusing on nothing but her nine-to-five office job, group meetings, and avoiding the kind of bad decisions that previously left her awash in shame and regret. It’s also been 365 days of not dating. And with her new dating profile, Emma, 26, of New York is ready to put herself back out there.
Except—was dating always this complicated? And did Emma’s mother really have to choose now to move in with her new boyfriend? Being assigned to plan her office’s holiday party feels like icing on the suddenly very overwhelming cake until her estranged father reappears with devastating news. Icing, meet cherry on top. But then there’s Ben, the charming IT guy who, despite Emma’s awkwardness and shortcomings, seems to maybe actually get her? Sobriety is turning out to be far from the flawless future Emma had once envisioned for herself, but as she allows herself to open up to Ben and confront difficult past relationships, she’s beginning to realize that taking things one day at a time might just be the perfectly imperfect path she’s meant to be on.
My Summary
Exactly 364 days ago, Emma walked into her first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. It is the night of The Watch, an ominously named late night gathering of AA members that's quasi celebration of one year's worth of sobriety, quasi warning that falling off the wagon can happen any time. It can most definitely happen on the eve of 12 months sober.
Tomorrow, though, Emma will have reached one whole year of sobriety. The strict rules guiding the first year in AA — namely a ban on dating — are about to be lifted, and her life will begin anew. Right? Definitely? Maybe?
The 26-year-old New Yorker is soon to learn that Drunk Emma may be gone, but navigating life as One-Year-Sober Emma isn't exactly simple.
Now that Emma's made it 12 months without a drink, her single mom has decided it's time to disclose that she's been secretly dating for months and plans to move in with her new beau. Meanwhile, Emma's alcoholic semi-absent dad suddenly wants to spend time with her, her AA sponsor is pushing her to accept some of those happy hour invites from her co-workers, and she's just been informed she's been added to the planning committee for the office holiday party.
One-Year-Sober Emma has been moving forward in her carefully constructed post-drunk life. What will cute IT director Ben think when he finds out why she orders seltzer at the bar? Will it all fall apart when people learn about her past? Or will she learn to navigate her now sober life with grace?
The Verdict
Novels about the sobriety journey tend to fall into two camps. There's the "getting sober for the first time" story, and then there's the "getting back to sobriety after falling back into bad habits" story. Both have their merits, but neither is exactly ripe for a comedic take. And yet, this December Book of the Month pick manages to offer up laugh out loud moments alongside those that bring you to the brink of tears.
Treading an entirely new path, Ava Robinson's debut novel presents a story of sobriety that's imperfect and, yes, at times heartbreaking. But as her character encounters the various hurdles that come with year 2 of sobriety, she falters and flies in near equal amounts. The result is a novel that's as much about what it is to be human as it is about what it is to be sober.
Definitely Better Now may be a difficult read for some who struggle with addiction, as well as those who love someone doing battle with the disease. Likewise, it may be a particularly cathartic read for readers in both situations.
Value — Was This Box Worth It?
Let's talk about value here.
One of the advantages that comes with a BOTM Club membership is the early releases that often show up on the list of monthly selections. That means subscribers get the occasional chance to scoop up a hot new hardcover weeks before it becomes available in stores.
Definitely Better Now was one of those early releases, hitting mailboxes and front porches before the book was officially released in mid-December.
It's hard to put a number figure on that value, but we can give you the math on the hardcover itself.
The BOTM Club starts at $17.99, depending on your chosen subscription. If you're new to membership, the first month of a subscription is $5 with free shipping. Listed at $21+ over on Amazon, subscribers of BOTM Club saved at least $3 with the December pick, if not more!
The Cost: $5 + free shipping (This price is only for your first month).
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To Wrap Up:
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