Catherine Gray

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'Not remotely preachy' - The Times 'Jaunty, shrewd and convincing' - Sunday Telegraph 'Admirably honest, light, bubbly and remarkably rarely annoying.' - Alice O'Keeffe, Guardian 'Truthful, modern and real' - Stylist 'Brave, witty and brilliantly written' - Marie Claire Ever sworn off alcohol for a month and found yourself drinking by the 7th? Think there's 'no point' in just one drink? Welcome! There are millions of us. 64% of Brits want to drink less. Catherine Gray was stuck in a hellish whirligig of Drink, Make horrible decisions, Hangover, Repeat. She had her fair share of 'drunk tank' jail cells and topless-in-a-hot-tub misadventures. But this book goes beyond the binges and blackouts to deep-dive into uncharted territory: What happens after you quit drinking? This gripping, heart-breaking and witty book takes us down the rabbit-hole of an alternative reality. A life with zero hangovers, through sober weddings, sex, Christmases and breakups. In The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober, Catherine Gray shines a light on society's drink-pushing and talks to top neuroscientists and psychologists about why we drink, delving into the science behind what it does to our brains and bodies. Much more than a tale from the netherworld of addicted drinking, this book is about the escape, and why a sober life can be more intoxicating than you ever imagined. Whether you're a hopelessly devoted drinker, merely sober-curious, or you've already ditched the drink, you will love this book. 'Haunting, admirable and enlightening' - The Pool 'A riveting, raw, yet humorous memoir with actionable advice.' - Annie Grace, author of This Naked Mind 'Like listening to your best friend teach you to be sober. Lighthearted but serious, it's packed with ideas, tools, tips and, most importantly, reasons for living a sober life.'- Eric Zimmer, host of podcast The One You Feed 'Gray's fizzy writing succeeds in making this potentially boring-as-hell subject both engaging and highly seductive' - The Bookseller 'Her exquisitely crafted thoughts on the joys of being sober are not only deeply honest and pragmatic, but she manages to infuse tons of humor. This is a delightful, informative, and compelling read for all those who are sober or seeking sobriety.' - Sasha Tozzi, Huffington Post

Discovering a happy, healthy, wealthy alcohol-free life

The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober

Learning how to be exalted by the everyday is the most important lesson we can possibly learn. In Catherine Gray's hilarious, insightful, soulful (and very ordinary) next book, you may learn to do just that. We're told that happiness is in the extraordinary. It's on a Caribbean sun lounger, in the driving seat of a luxury car, inside an expensive golden locket, watching sunrise from Machu Picchu. We strive, reach, push, shoot for more. 'Enough' is a moving target we never quite reach. When we do brush our fingertips against the extraordinary a deeply inconvenient psychological phenomenon called the 'hedonic treadmill' means that, after a surge of joy, our happiness level returns to the baseline it was at before the 'extra' event. So, what's the answer? The Unexpected Joy of the Ordinary theorizes that the solution is rediscovering the joy in the ordinary that we so often now forget to feel. Because we now expect the pleasure of a croissant, a hot shower, a yoga class, someone delivering our shopping to our door, we no longer feel its buzz. The joy of it whips through us like a bullet train, without pause. Catherine Gray was a grandmaster in the art of eye-rolling the ordinary, and skilled in everlasting reaching. Until the black dog of depression forced her to re-think everything. Along the way, she discovered some surprising realities about the extraordinaries among us: that influencers risk higher rates of anxiety and depression and high-rollers are less happy.

The Unexpected Joy of the Ordinary

Untitled Catherine Gray - Book 5

Versions of A Girl

Deutschland ist ein Hochkonsumland: Laut BZgA trinken rund 9,5 Millionen Deutsche zwischen 18 und 64 Jahren so viel Alkohol, dass sie ihre Gesundheit damit gefährden. Catherine Gray trinkt zunächst hin und wieder, dann immer mehr, bis der Alkohol fester Bestandteil ihres Lebens ist. Doch sie schafft die Kehrtwende und war völlig überwältigt von den Möglichkeiten, die sich ihr dadurch eröffneten. Ihr Buch geht weit über lustige Suffgeschichten hinaus: Sie spricht mit Wissenschaftlern und Psychologen darüber, warum wir trinken, was wir uns damit antun, und wie der Ausstieg gelingen kann. Herzzerreißend und geistreich erzählt sie, wie sich der erste Tag "danach" anfühlt und warum ein nüchternes Leben viel berauschender sein kann, als Sie es sich jemals vorgestellt haben. "Tapfer, witzig und brillant geschrieben" - Marie Claire

Frei und glücklich - ein Leben ohne Alkohol

Vom unerwarteten Vergnügen, nüchtern zu sein

'Exquisite' - Fearne Cotton 'The kind of book that changes lives, and very possibly saves them' - The Lancet Psychiatry 'A reflective, raw and riveting read. A beautiful book on what it takes to root for yourself' - Emma Gannon, Ctrl Alt Delete 'Stone cold sober.' Sounds horrible, doesn't it? Hard, icy. Brrrrr. No bloody ta. However, as the millions who choose to stay sober now know, the propaganda around drinking and sobriety is wonky. Sober doesn't feel stony, or cold. Retired wreckhead Catherine Gray, author of surprise bestseller The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober, is now in her eighth sober year and has learnt a damn sight more. This hotly anticipated sequel enlists the help of experts and case studies, turning a curious, playful gaze onto provocative questions. Is alcohol a parenting aid? Why are booze and cocaine such a horse and carriage? Once an addict, always an addict? How do you feel safe - from alcohol, others and yourself - in sobriety? Whether you're a dedicated boozehound, flirting with teetotalling, or already sober, this witty, gritty read may just change how you think about alcohol forever. Praise for The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober: 'Fascinating' - Bryony Gordon 'Truthful, modern and real' - Stylist 'Brave, witty and brilliantly written' - Marie Claire 'Gray's tale of going sober is uplifting and inspiring' - Evening Standard 'Not remotely preachy' - Sunday Times 'Jaunty, shrewd and convincing' - Sunday Telegraph 'Admirably honest, light, bubbly and remarkably rarely annoying' - Guardian 'An empathetic, warm and hilarious tale from a hugely likeable human' - The Lancet Psychiatry

Unexpected sober joy that lasts

Sunshine Warm Sober

**From the Sunday Times Bestselling Author** Life-affirming - THE TELEGRAPH Wonderful - INDEPENDENT She made it her mission to learn how to be default happy rather than default disgruntled - RADIO 4 - WOMAN'S HOUR Take a leaf out of Gray's book and be kinder to yourself by appreciating life just as it is - IRISH TIMES This book came to me in an hour of need - during lockdown when I had to focus on the positive, appreciate simple things, not lose my shit, and value each day. It was a pure joy for me and held my hand - SADIE FROST Interesting and joyful. Lights a path that could help us to build resilience against society's urging to compare life milestones with peers - LANCET PSYCHIATRY Underwhelmed by your ordinary existence? Disillusioned with your middlin' wage, average body, 'bijou' living situation and imperfect loved ones? Welcome to the club. There are billions of us. The 'default disenchanted'. But, it's not us being brats. Two deeply inconvenient psychological phenomenons conspire against our satisfaction. We have negatively-biased brains, which zoom like doom-drones in on what's wrong with our day, rather than what's right. (Back in the mists of time, this negative bias saved our skins, but now it just makes us anxious). Also, something called the 'hedonic treadmill' means we eternally quest for better, faster, more, like someone stuck on a dystopian, never-ending treadmill. Thankfully, there are scientifically-proven ways in which we can train our brains to be more positive-seeking. And to take a rest from this tireless pursuit. Whew. Catherine Gray knits together illuminating science and hilarious storytelling, unveiling captivating research showing that big bucks don't mean big happiness, extraordinary experiences have a 'comedown' and budget weddings predict a lower chance of divorce. She reminds us what an average body actually is, reveals that exercising for weight loss means we do less exercise, and explores the modern tendency to not just try to keep up with the Murphys, but keep up with the Mega-Murphies (see: the social media elite). Come on in to this soulful and life-affirming read, to discover why an ordinary life may well be the most satisfying one of all. PRAISE FOR CATHERINE GRAY'S WRITING: "Uplifting and inspiring" - The Evening Standard "Not remotely preachy" - The Times "Jaunty, shrewd and convincing" - The Telegraph "Admirably honest, light, bubbly and remarkably rarely annoying" - The Guardian "An empathetic, warm and hilarious tale from a hugely likeable human" - The Lancet Psychiatry

Wer hat eigentlich festgelegt, dass zu einem glücklichen Leben ein Partner gehört? Dass wir ohne eine andere Hälfte unvollständig sind? Die britische Bestsellerautorin Catherine Gray hat es satt, ständig auf der Suche nach einem potentiellen Partner sein zu müssen, nur um auch als vollwertiger Teil der Gesellschaft anerkannt zu werden. Deshalb nimmt sie sich ein Jahr Auszeit vom Dating-Irrsinn, um ihre ganz eigene Single-Zufriedenheit zu erforschen. Dabei widerlegt sie den Mythos, dass Eheleute glücklicher als Singles sind, löst sich von der Panik "Alle Guten sind weg" und lernt, dass es gar keine andere Hälfte braucht, um vollständig zu sein. Humorvoll und pointiert zeigt Catherine Gray, dass wir alle einzigartig sind und uns niemals über einen Partner definieren sollten. "Nicht im Geringsten belehrend." The Times "Dieses erfrischende, ungewöhnliche Buch muss man einfach haben." i - The paper for today

Vom unerwarteten Vergnügen, Single zu sein

Denken auch Sie öfter über das nach, was Sie nicht haben, als über das, was Sie schon erreicht haben? Dass Sie mit einem besseren Gehalt oder einer größeren Wohnung zufriedener wären? Catherine Gray kennt dieses Gefühl sehr gut und weiß, wer an dieser verzwickten Situation Schuld trägt: unser Gehirn. Denn unsere Gedanken kreisen evolutionär bedingt am liebsten um das Negative, um das "Hätte" oder "Wäre", sodass wir uns ständig mit anderen vergleichen und immer noch weiter, noch höher, noch mehr möchten. Doch wer das Alltägliche und ganz Gewöhnliche zu schätzen lernt, erhält eine völlig neue Perspektive auf sein Dasein. Catherine Gray erzählt auf geistreiche und unterhaltsame Weise, wie sie in jedem Bereich ihres Lebens das Gewöhnliche hat einziehen lassen und dabei endlich einen neuen, willkommenen Mitbewohner bekommen hat: Zufriedenheit. "Lebensbejahend!" The Telegraph "Wundervoll!" The Independent

Vom unerwarteten Vergnügen, ein völlig normales Leben zu führen

Ever sworn off alcohol for a month and found yourself drinking by the 7th? Think there's 'no point' in just one drink? Welcome! Quitting drinking, whether for a month or for life, is enormously satisfying, but also fiendishly difficult. -There's the getting started ('But I have that party next week!') -There's the feeling clenched and socially anxious. -Throw in a sizeable amount of social pressure and suspicious questions ('So, do you have a drinking problem?' -Finally, chuck in the hundreds of pro-drinking messages we see every day; films where a round of shots always comes with a whoop; fridge magnets that say 'I don't trust people who don't drink'; pub clapboards announcing 'Strong people need strong drinks'; and memes declaring 'Beer: it's a holiday in a glass.' Whew. It's no wonder we find it tricky to stay teetotal. But don't worry. We're going to tackle all of the above. I'm going to give you tools that enable you to clear all of these stumbling blocks with the grace of a gazelle. So, let's get started, shall we? PRAISE FOR CATHERINE GRAY'S WRITING: "An icon of the Quit Lit movement." Condé Nast Traveller "Fascinating." Bryony Gordon. "Not remotely preachy." The Times "Jaunty, shrewd and convincing." The Telegraph "Admirably honest, light, bubbly and remarkably rarely annoying." The Guardian "Truthful, modern and real." Stylist "Brave, witty and brilliantly written." Marie Claire "Haunting, admirable and enlightening." The Pool

The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober Journal

A guided sobriety journal for motivation, with prompts and reminders for Dry January, Sober Spring and beyond. Whether you are going cold turkey or trying your sober-curious hand at Dry January this year, Catherine Gray provides an ideal practical solution with The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober Journal. Packed with motivational prompts and reminders, this guided sobriety journal encourages you to be present, slow down your thoughts, identify your patterns and, most importantly, be honest with yourself. There is a growing body of research that supports the positive benefits of journaling, be it helping you to stick to your goals or drastically improving your mood and emotional wellbeing. In fact, the healing power of journaling has been proven to be so beneficial that the co-founders of Alcoholics Anonymous have incorporated it into the famous 12 Step Program. Gray's refreshing and easy-to-follow strategies will inspire you to kick the drink and live a sunshine warm sober life.

Catherine Gray

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