25+ Fiction & Non-Fiction Books About Addiction To Read Now
Books about addiction can be a very difficult topic. I know that the topic of addiction can feel like a really heavy or overwhelming topic for some. In the middle of a pandemic, you might not be looking to be weighed down by a depressing read. We get that, but don’t rule out this topic because you are nervous. So many fantastic fiction and non-fiction books deal with addiction in a way that isn’t overwhelming.
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New Books About Addiction
Plot
Ryan and Lillian Bright met in a library and immediately had a connection. That meeting becomes hours of walking and talking, which turns into marriage. Her parents are dead and his mother left Ryan’s father because he was an abusive alcoholic. Ryan, in an effort not to become like his dad, never drinks. But Ryan and Lillian are both keeping secrets that threaten to shatter their marriage and everything they are trying to build together.
The story follows Ryan and Lillian, as well as their daughter Georgette, as they try to navigate a life filled with love and tragedy. It asks the question of how a family can move on after loss and examines the effects of alcoholism and grief.
Trigger Warnings
Death of a parent, abuse, alcoholism, miscarriage, adoption
Why Jackie loves it
This is a beautifully written book that shows the multigenerational trauma associated with alcoholism. The beginning of the book moves back and forth between the 80s and the 70s which I found a bit disorienting at first, but as the story progressed, I was drawn to the characters, hoping they would find peace and happiness. The story is filled with loss and felt real to me. It is emotionally moving, and you will need to sit with your emotions. But it is a powerful family saga that will stay with you. Gifted by Simon and Schuster Audio
Find this book in: Books About Addiction / Family Sagas
The Road to Tender Hearts
Author: Annie Harnett
Year: 2025
Genre: Fiction
More info: author of Rabbit Cake and Unlikely Animals
Age Range: 18+
Plot
PJ Halliday won a million dollars in the lottery and has done nothing since other than sit in the bar and mourn his bad luck- and he has had his fair share. He lost a daughter, had a terrible divorce, and his health is steadily declining (which is not helped by the fact that he is an alcoholic). To top it off, his ex-wife is marrying his best friend, and they are headed to Alaska for four months- alone.
When PJ sees an obituary of his old rival, he decides to head to the Tender Hearts Retirement Community across the country to win back his high school first crush. It just so happens that he is now the guardian of two young orphans and a cat who can predict death. Oh, and did I mention that he cannot drive because he had his license revoked after his last DUI? Enter his daughter as the driver!
Trigger Warnings
Death of a parent, murder, suicide, drug use
Why Jackie loves it
Although this book deals with a lot of serious topics, it does it in a way that is heartwarming and funny. I laughed my way through this book, which is a series of one disaster after another. On the surface, this book should not work; however, it is a literary wonder. I absolutely loved this poignant, wonderful book. It is one of my favorites of the year, and you will hear me talk about it!
Find this book in: Books About Addiction / Beach Reads 2025
Contemporary Fiction Books About Addiction
Long Bright River
Author: Liz Moore
Year: 2020
Genre: Fiction
More info: February 2020 GMA Book Club Pick
Age Range: 18+
Plot
The contemporary fiction story revolves around 2 sisters. One is a cop, one is an opioid addict – both are being impacted by a string of murders in the Kensington area of Philadelphia. This book dealt with many issues around drug addiction and it handles them without judging.
Trigger Warnings
Drug Addiction
Why Kirsten loves it
Long Bright River is phenomenal and I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. The story takes place in Philly’s Kensington neighborhood which is known for having a huge opioid problem. You can’t live in my area and not know about the epidemic spreading through our city. It’s devastating and scary and this book deals with it head-on.
Adaptation Information
This TV series starring Amanda Seyfried is coming to Peacock in 2025.
Find this book in: Books Becoming TV Series / Best Contemporary Fiction Novels / Books About Mental Illness / Books About Addiction / Best Books of 2020
Transcendent Kingdom
Author: Yaa Gyasi
Year: 2020
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
More info: September 2020 Read with Jenna Book Club Pick
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Gifty is a PhD candidate at Stanford who is studying depression and addiction through mice. Her brother died of a heroin overdose after becoming addicted to oxy after a sports injury and her suicidal mother lives her life in bed.
Covering drug addiction, immigration, racism, and more, this story is as entertaining as it is stimulating. Its discussion of drug addiction’s impact on the larger family unit was reminiscent of Long Bright River.
Trigger Warnings
Addiction, drug abuse, mental illness, racism.
Why Kirsten loves it
This is a beautifully written and powerful book. I also kept having to remind myself that it was a contemporary fiction story and not a memoir because the emotion and knowledge expressed in the book were so believable.
Find this book in: Non-Fiction & Fiction Books about Grief / Books by Female BIPOC Authors / Fiction & Non-Fiction Books About Addiction / 20 Best Books of 2020 / Best Read With Jenna Books
Plot
This is a beautifully written and poignant book about family, love, and how much we can forgive those that we love. This book is the story of two families who live next door to one another and find their lives intertwined.
Trigger Warnings
Alcoholism, Gun violence, Mental illness
Why Jackie loves it
This is such a realistic family drama book that deals with topics like mental illness and alcoholism. At times, I found it hard to read because I could feel the characters’ pain.
Find this book in: Coming-of-age Books for Adults / Family Dramas / Books About Addiction
Historical Fiction Books About Addiction
Daisy Jones & The Six
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Year: 2019
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: March 2019 Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
The book is laid out like a VH1 Behind the Music style interview. It’s laid out in chronological order about the making of the band Daisy Jones & the Six, but the story is told in interview style from a dozen sources.
It’s a story about the music scene of the 1970s in Hollywood when the band The Six meets Daisy Jones and together they rocket to superstardom! Among the drama of touring, there is also a forbidden love story or two, and plenty of crazy parties!
It’s truly the perfect mix of historical fiction, romance, and rock ‘n’ roll.
Why Kirsten loves it
This book needs to be listened to, not read. The audio version has a different narrator for each character and the performances are stupendous. I was overcome with emotion numerous times while I was listening.
Why Jackie loves it
This celebrity fiction story about the rise and fall of one of the hottest bands of the 70s was so utterly fabulous – it’s pure sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll in all the best ways.
Find this book in: Books Like Daisy Jones & The Six / Taylor Jenkins Reid Books Ranked / Books Set in the 70s / Full Cast Audiobooks / Ultimate Beach Reads 2020 / Books With Flowers in the Title / Best Reese Witherspoon Books
Plot
Most people know about Jackie’s life during her White House years, but hearing the tale of what caused her to marry Aristotle Onassis was fascinating. I loved the dual narrators of Jackie and Onassis’s long-time lover, opera singer Maria Callas. It’s a perfect political novel about music!
Why Kirsten loves it
Excuse me while I gush about Gill Paul‘s newest biographical fiction book, Jackie and Maria. Gill Paul is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me. I loved Another Woman’s Husband and The Lost Daughter, about the Windsors and Romanovs respectively. Paul’s take on a new dynasty, The Kennedys, is equally compelling.
Find this book in: Novels About Music / Biographical Fiction / Books About Women in Politics / Ultimate Beach Reads 2021 / Best Books of 2020 / Books Set in the 1960s
There, There by Tommy Orange
Oh boy, do you love full cast audiobooks? Well, this one is a tear-jerker. This one had me feeling all the feelings. I was angry, laughing, frustrated, crying, and happy at various points during this tremendous debut book.
I loved everything up until the point where it ended (it leaves you on a bit of an ambiguous ending.) No wonder it won so many awards!
Thriller Books About Addiction
The Woman in the Window: A Novel
Author: A.J. Finn
Year: 2018
Genre: Thriller
More info: New York Time Bestseller
Age Range:16+
Plot
If you love old movies, you will adore this book. It is a spin on Hitchcock’s Rear Window and features an agoraphobic narrator who is often unreliable.
Anna Fox lives alone in her house. She is agoraphobic and cannot leave, so she sits at her window and watches everyone in the neighborhood.
When she sees something across the street, she is sure there has been a crime but, what is real and what is imagined? Amy Adams stars in the Netflix adaptation of this book.
Why Kirsten loves it
I love the nod to Hitchcock. It puts a new spin on a classic!
Why Jackie loves it
I love the fact that I was never sure what was real and what was made up. This is a book with an unreliable narrator that I really liked/
Find this book in: Unreliable Narrator Books / Psychological Thriller Books / Books About Mental Illness / Popular Thriller Books / Amnesia Books
Girl on the Train
Author: Paula Hawkins
Year: 2015
Genre: Thriller
More info: #1 New York Times Bestseller
Movie Starring Emily Blunt
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Rachel takes the same train every day and peers out the window watching people. She watched two people in particular as they led what appeared to be a perfect life until one day she saw something terrible while watching them.
She reports it to the police but, can they trust a dysfunctional alcoholic? This is a domestic thriller story that will have you questioning who is telling the truth from the beginning until the end. Unreliable narrators like Rachel make the best page-turners! You’ll never know what to believe!
Trigger Warnings
Alcoholism
Why Kirsten loves it
This is a thriller that is unexpected and original. The unreliable narrator is one of my favorite thriller tropes and Hawkins did it to perfection in this book.
Why Jackie loves it
I loved to hate Rachel. She is the perfect unreliable narrator and I never guessed what would happen next.
Find this book in: Books with Stalkers / Domestic Thrillers / Unreliable Narrators / Psychological Thriller Books / British Books / Nonlinear Narrative Novels / Paula Hawkins Books Ranked / Amnesia Books
Young Adult Books About Addiction
Plot
Mickey is a star softball player, ready to head to college for her sport…until a car accident changes her life. She’s severely injured and in a ton of pain and she feels like only her painkillers can get her back to the catcher’s plate.
Trigger Warnings
Addiction
Why Kirsten loves it
This book was a study on how a person could go from an elite athlete to a heroin addict. It was a heartbreaking but thought-provoking read. It also induced so much anxiety in me as a parent thinking about the signs I need to be on alert for in my own children in the future. I’m glad I read this even though it was difficult at times.
Find this book in: Books About Addiction / Books About Female Athletes
More Addiction Book Recommendations
More Addiction Books We Recommend
The following books about addiction are ones that we’ve read over the years. If you need more options, you’ll find funny books like Fitness Junkie and Confessions of a Shopaholic, Celebrity Me) by Dick Van Dyke and others, and more fiction that deals with various forms of addiction.
Books About Addiction We Want to Read
We can’t read all the books out there, but we can keep track of them on our ever-growing to-read list! Below are the books we have on our radar that fit this month’s topic.
SUCH an amazing post! I am absolutely giddy with excitement. So many of these books are SO powerful. I hope we inspired others to pick them up!