Girl Walks Out of a Bar: A Memoir Paperback – June 7, 2016

I have now read many sober books. All are helpful in some way. Some have humor. Many are simply good reads. This one is an excellent read. Even though they all end with hard fought success I couldn’t put this one down. Great ending which is hard to find on many books. Teared up at the last line.

Even though it was clearly stated on the outside of the book that the author eventually becomes sober, I still stayed up until 2 AM reading it to find out what would happen next because the writing was so engaging. The stories about her childhood are sad but also somewhat funny at the same time because most of us can relate. Some of the dating stories are so cringe but they help paint a picture of the danger she was putting herself in and the way that drinking too much can make you look really foolish at times. I definitely enjoyed it.

This is compelling story for all women regardless of their "relationship" with drugs and\or alcohol. An illuminating and well written depiction of how subtlety the disease of addiction takes control over every aspect of the lives of millions of women every year and how alcoholism is non-discriminatory in terms of age, gender, race or socio\economic status. The author provides a well written personal experience that illustrates the mental\psychological regression in acceptable behavior through rationalization, how it slowly erodes a person's self-esteem, personal values and increasingly isolates the sufferer because of shame and guilt. This is a cautionary story for all women - whether you believe you don't have a problem with drugs or alcohol, think you might have a problem, or know you've" crossed that invisible line into full-blown abuse\dependence and do t k is where to turn. The author makes it clear that this is a disease of the mind and body and the only disease that lies to you - constantly trying to convince you that you don't have it! Most importantly, this story offers hope. You are not alone - you only think you are There is plenty of help available. All you have to do is ask!

I've read many memoirs, especially memoirs of addiction. "Girl Walks Out of a Bar" is one of my favorites. Lisa Smith is an intelligent, straightforward writer, and I can relate to her desire to escape her own self-hatred: "My slide into round-the-clock drinking was something I was entitled to. It made me ashamed and it made me despise myself, but it also made me feel better because it was a crucial weapon in the fight against being me. I felt entitled to do whatever it took to win the battle against the unfair circumstances of my life, this life in which I played by all the right rules and still ended up miserable and lonely and riddled with self-hatred." This type of brutal honesty, as well as intelligent writing, is what I crave in a book.It was hard to read about her shame, especially as a 'successful' professional attorney, when she went to rehab. I'm proud she is working to destigmatize addiction, especially amongst professional women. Her story speaks volumes about the pain, isolation, and insidiousness of addiction.

Loved reading Lisa's story. Very relatable. Would love to hear more about her post rehab life. Thank you for sharing, Lisa.

WOW. I don't usually write reviews, but felt compelled to for this book. This story is so honest, so real, so funny, and so heart wrenching that it demands a thank you. It's a hard book to read at some points, and a hard book to put down at all times. The writing is quick paced, vivid, and witty, sort of a "girlfriend's guide to addiction", a page turner that has you wondering whether you want to know what happens next at some points, as you root for the heroine.This book is really two books in one: A fabulous summer beach book offering an authentic, funny, and insightful look into the world of addiction for those lucky enough not to be touched by it, and it's also a compassionate and accountable companion for anyone's journey on the path to sobriety. Thank you Lisa Smith for sharing your story!

Painfully honest account of early sobriety...what we were like, whappened, and what we are like now. At 37 yrs sober, I rarely think of picking up; I'd sooner drink Chlrox, but like Lisa, it's been one day at a time - and for me - forevermore will be. Loved Lisa's "out there" style of writing. I'll highly recommend this book to old timers and newbies alike.

When I finished this book (as an ebook), I was a shocked by how many I-was-an-addict-who-got-sober stories that were recommended to me (“If you liked this book, here are fifty similar books you might like . . .) I like these stories of successful people who lost everything and then claw their way back up to success. In Lisa Smith’s story, she almost lost everything but caught herself before that happened, which is amazing considering that she says she didn’t go a day without drinking for ten years. The drinking eventually morphed into barely making it to eleven a.m. to an early lunch where she could order drinks, to starting to drink in the mornings and using coke to keep her going. How she kept her high-powered job while doing this and how she didn’t land in the hospital until the day she checked herself into detox is also stunning.My favorite of this genre of nonfiction will always be Augusten Burroughs’ Dry because I laughed out loud and cried my guts out all through that one. I didn’t laugh or cry once during A Girl Walks into A Bar, but there are words of wisdom on living life sober. This book also didn’t have the harrowing aspects of a book like The Night of the Gun by David Carr because she wasn’t wandering into crack dens in the middle of the night. Instead, as a New Yorker, she just had boxes of wine delivered and would call her coke dealer as if she were ordering a pizza.This is a well-written book for the genre, but it doesn’t break any new ground.

A self reflective and thought provoking story of someone who is working her sobriety. A recommended read for someone who is either going through a similar journey or knows someone who is

I've read a lot of addiction memoirs, and this is one of the best. I could not put it down! The writer is very honest, relatable, and gives hope to those who are struggling. Highly recommend!

I couldn’t put this book down!! An heroic journey!! Lisa Smith is one amazing gutsy woman. A great read. Bravo.

Good n easy reading..must read for people to know abt horrors of addiction..

Great story