Tales of misery and abuse abound in memoirs, and it's not over yet: the Independent says "hic lit"—true tales of reformed drinkers—is the latest craze. Publishers are counting on you philistine-types for sales:

"These are the sort of books that are popular with people who don't buy books very often. You can be snotty and think it's not great literature but it gets people reading. Plus real-life stories are more interesting than anything you can make up and these sorts of books are often written unpretentiously."

Alice King, a professional wine writer, will be the latest to join the throng when High Sobriety: Confessions of a Drinker, hits the shelves this week. Her book comes just days after Tania Glyde bid farewell to her inner white wine witch with Cleaning Up: How I Gave Up Drinking and Lived. Tom Sykes's What Did I Do Last Night? has just been released in paperback, and Nicola Barry's Mother's Ruin, which paints an ugly picture of how alcoholism can run in the family, is due out next month. [The Independent]

Hey, but what about heartland meth freaks? Do they ever write books? Yes they do, and next week Starbucks will start selling Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction as part of its book program.