Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas
Adam Kay
An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here. Twas The Nightshift Before Christmas is the hilarious, poignant and entertaining story of the life of a junior doctor at the most challenging time of the year. With twenty-five tales of intriguing, shocking and incredible Christmas incidents, the British public will finally appreciate the sacrifices made and the challenges faced by the unsung heroes of the NHS. more
144 pages, Hardcover
First published Picador
4.12
Rating
63621
Ratings
4076
Reviews
Adam Kay
56 books 2966 followers
Adam Kay is an award-winning comedian and writer. He previously worked for many years as a junior doctor. His first book "This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor" was a Sunday Times number one bestseller for over a year and has sold over two million copies. It has been translated into 37 languages and is winner of four National Book Awards, including Book of the Year, and will be a major new comedy drama for the BBC.His second book "Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas" was an instant Sunday Times number one bestseller and sold over 500,000 copies in its first few weeks.
"Dear NHS", edited by Adam Kay, was an instant Sunday Times number one with all profits donated to charity. His first children's book "Kay's Anatomy" will be released in October 2020.
Community reviews
Medical detachment is something some healthcare professionals acquire after many years of experience. To deal with difficult situations in a funny way is only a trait seen in those who are experts in what they do and have a great sense of humor. Adam Kay proved that he belongs to this category through his earlier book, This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor. My favorite three lines from this book. "Would you believe there's a medical term specifically and exclusively for a mass of undigested Sharon fruit in an intestine. more
The book didn't live up to it's initial promise by never developing. It remained a selection of anecdotes taken from the Christmas shift every year from 2004 (afair) to the present. Occasionally it is laugh-out-loud funny or a broad smile, as in: "Full marks to the anaesthetist wearing a badge that says, "He sees you when you are sleeping, he knows when you are awake," but mostly it's just mildly amusing. Or not. It doesn't compare to the clever, percipient This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor, not a book in the same league. more
This Review ✍️ Blog 📖 Twitter 🐦 Instagram 📷 “Would you believe there’s a medical term specifically and exclusively for a mass of undigested sharon fruit in an intestine. No wonder medical school takes so long, learning all this shit. ” Actual Rating: 3. 5 stars★ I read the author’s debut while I was studying for my final tests in med school and now I read this while I am officially a doctor. I received the license test results on the same day I received this book so that was definitely a sign. more
I listened to this audio narrated by the author, Adam Kay, a relatively short listen at 2 hours and 20 minutes, painting a picture of the hardworking NHS staff over the crazy and manic festive season. Kay mines his experience of the numerous Christmas periods in his years as a doctor, the horrors and joys, with a particular focus on his specialism of obstetrics and gynaecology. So we have birth of babies, the lottery associated with IVF treatments, and the oh so human sorrows associated with the failures of IVF. There is so much unbelievable material with the insanity of people and what they get up to as they present themselves in hospitals at Christmas, and something I just could not believe, families 'dumping' their confused grannies at A&E for the festive season. I had to take several moments to take in just how low people can go when it comes to their family members. more
The only complaint I have about this book is that it wasn’t long enough. I love Adam Kay’s writing and I love reading about his time as a doctor. I felt every emotion whilst reading this book - and I loved it. It was hilarious but also heartbreaking at times. It also makes me angry for the way NHS staff are treated, and it really shows what amazing people they are. more
Blog | Instagram Rating: 4 stars Cover: 🌟🌟🌟 With the blood bag stocking, this cover neatly alludes to medical and festive content in the book. However, it is still painfully simple and unremarkable. Writing: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 The dry humour I loved in This is Going to Hurt is once again woven into the anecdotes in this book, though some punchlines fall flat. The cleverly written stories also have just enough details and context to make them clear and easy to follow. “Who's that you can see in his suit of magenta. more
“Full marks to the anaesthetist wearing a badge that says, “He sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake. ””Having listened to the audiobook for Kay’s amazing account of life as a junior doctor, This Is Going To Hurt, earlier in the year, I was very much excited to read this little festive book in the run-up to Christmas. Kay is simply hilarious. He perfectly combines his sense of humour with his compassionate side as he recounts the different Christmasses he has spent working in hospitals. Some entries are heartbreaking and incredibly sad, whereas others lighten the tone and had me in stitches of laughter. more
Following up from the brilliant This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor with this festive treat, Kay helps explain the exact day to day life of the healthcare profession and the pitfalls of working over the Christmas period. Just like the previous book, their were plenty of squeamish and odd antidotes explained in a brilliant humours way. But more importantly it yet again highlights the amazing jobs those working in our NHS do and such never be taken for granted. more
For my full review, visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks. wordpress. com/. You know when a music artist has a really successful album and the producers decide it is a great idea to re-release it at Christmas time, except with a few extra tracks added in. And, being a massive fan, you feel obliged to purchase it because you like the artist’s music and you have that small doubt that maybe, just maybe, it won’t appear on the next full album. more
Not much to say about this that’s not already been said, made me laugh in so many places and also hit home what the staff have to put up with at times. more
A festive diary style look into working in the NHS, this has all the wit, heart and humour of Adam’s previous book, This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor with added tinsel and fairy lights. As before, some of the entries are hard hitting and difficult to read about, mixed with some other, more light hearted entries, that had me laughing out loud. I can see a lot of myself and my colleagues in Adam’s writing style, with an almost stoic approach to life with certain patients and situations that stay with you forever. There were many, many anecdotes and scenarios I’ve seen firsthand myself, and I could relate a lot to Adam’s thoughts and feelings on the NHS and working over the Christmas period. Moral of the book. more
Re-read Dec 2020 - Still love this. I was super excited to pick this up as I absolutely loved its predecessor This is Going to Hurt Thankfully this festive spin off was just as good/heart-warming/heart-breaking and kept me thoroughly entertained. 5*s. more
Funny Short Stories of six christmases spent in the ER or the labour ward Totally season appropriate . more
Adam Kay candidly shares his experience working almost every Christmas shift. No children, his peers pretty much were able to take the day off, but he, childless and (loosely) Jewish lucked out. This work takes a toll on families, and I get the impression his gave him a bloody hard time. Many silly/crazy happenings are talked about here, the led green light up the nose of a child leaving a green face behind, the roasted 'tin man' gentleman whose fancy dress of tin foil creating his own human 'basting', the broken bones of children scooting down the stairs in their scalextric boxes were the tame tales. Then there were the Mars Bars wrapping in place of a condom, a translucent appendige from using 'enlargement' internet devices, to unforutnately placed items in other orrifices. more
I’m on the fence about this one. On one hand, it was fun to dive back into more real-life stories from the NHS frontline, however, it was short in length and some T/W for miscarriage and abortion. Some of the entries I enjoyed, some not so much. For now, I’ve rated this one 3. 5 stars but may edit in the future. more
Truly a brief and ribald rant by Adam Kay. Audible experience enticed laughter in many en route to an architectural paradise by the sea. Kayes’ style imparts a unique view and classification of the morose nature of holidays when experienced through the eyes of medical professionals. Learned what “G-y” dumping is and how “Turkeybone” in a trachea is a quotidian occurrence on Satan’s merry go round (aka “The ER”). “Would you believe there’s a medical term specifically and exclusively for a mass of undigested sharon fruit in an intestine. more
I absolutely LOVED This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor but if you have not read it then THIS collection of stories won’t really make sense. It also feels a little like the stories in this one were the rejects that did not make the cut for the first book. As the author himself states:”In my first book, This is Going to Hurt, the most common reasons for entries being omitted included ‘too disgusting’ or ‘too Christmassy’. Here I make amends for both. And because this was just a hodgepodge of stories with no real narrative arc it didn't feel as complete as the first book. more
This was a really good book. I’ve read the first Adam Kay book which was great and this one was just as good. It was absolutely hilarious in a lot of parts and a few sad pages but the hilarious pages more than made up for it. I really hope Adam Kay writes another book. This was short but very sweet and I definitely recommend both books to everyone. more
I'm so glad this was my first read of the year - funny but melancholy at times, it was a wild ride and I'm all for it. Just as good as his first book This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor this very much lives up to the hype. I was excited to be learning more about working in a hospital and dealing with serious (and some not so much. ) issues. How do some of these things happen. more
a short enjoyable read about working in hospitals being a junior doctor at Christmas time it was funny in parts as most people forget NHS is 24/7 365/366 days a year thing . more
Like many people i really loved 'This is going to hurt', it was hilarious, gross and had plenty of heart to it, and was certainly eye opening. So when i saw that he was bringing out a second book, again , like many i was really looking forward to more. When this came through the door, firstly i was so let down by how small it was. , it's more of a 'gift book' and something you would just buy for someones stocking or something like that, it is nowhere near the size of the first book, i read this in about 90 mins, and all it left me was disapointed that i didn't have more to read. I was really expecting something twice the size, or even if it had been the same size and length as book one that would have been great. more
I was lucky enough to go to a performance by Adam Kay at the Birmingham Literature Festival (if he is ever performing near you I strongly urge you to go and see him, he was hilarious, honest and insightful) and whilst I adored his first book This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor, how nice he was at the book signing really sealed him as one of my favourite authors. So when I found out that he was releasing another book this year, I immediately pre-ordered it and have been looking forward to reading it ever since. And I can officially say that I was not disappointed. The stories are eye-opening, sometimes hilarious and provide an insight into the humanity of the NHS. I loved that Government Health Secretary’s were compared to Defence Against the Dark Arts Teachers in Harry Potter, you know they will be evil but you have to wait out the year to see how they are going to be evil. more
3. 5 starsA quick, enjoyable read, and even more relatable now that I've started working as a doctor myself. Adam Kay is definitely a talented writer and I'm looking forward to reading more of his books, whether about medicine or anything else. Also, could someone please stop slashing the health care budget. more
Biškį toks bandymas prilaižyti iš pirmosios knygos sėkmės. https://knyguziurkes. com/2020/12/30/n. more
Felt so different from what i have read so far. Such a nice way to end the year. . more
ریویوم کو؟ دوباره بیارمش:اینکه کلن تو اورژانس اتفاقات عجیب همیشه میوفته یه بحثه، ولی جدی تو روزهای خاص اتفاقات عجیب تری هم میوفته. این کیس های کریسمساش بیشتر زنان زایمان بود ، منم یه سالی عید زنان بودم و چه فاجعه ای بود؛ فکر میکردم این مسخره بازی روز تولد بشه ۱/۱/۱(یاپ ۱۴۰۱ بود سال هم) فقط برا ماعه، نگو اینا هم همزمان با تولد مسیح به دنیا اومدن و بچه خدا شدن براشون مهمه. ولی کلن کیس ها و خاطرات کوچولویی جالبی داشت، یه سریش جالب بودن. پانویس های کتاب(که میشد تفکرات خود نویسنده ؟) رو بیشتر از خود متن دوست داشتم حتا. یه سری تیکه های کتاب رو همینجا هم نوشتم موقع خوندنشون؛ ولی اینم اینجا باشه At the degree ceremony they never mention the huge impact medicine will have on your social life. more
הספר כולל רשומות שהוחלט להסיר אותן מהספר הראשון מאחר והן עוסקות בתורנויות של הסופר בבית החולים בערב חג הכריסטמס. מבחינות רבות הוא פחות מצחיק, הוא יותר רציני ומטריד יותר במיוחד בתקופה הזו של נגיף הקורונה והתמוטטות מערכות הבריאות. בערבי חג, המצבה המצומצמת בין כה של הצוות הרפואי, מצטמצמת יותר למרות שערבי חג נוטים לפורענות. זהו סיפורה העצוב והטראגי של מערכת הבריאות והאנשים שעובדים בה. סיפור שלא רק יחודי לארץ, אלא כנראה גם לבריטניה ואני מניחה שגם לעוד ארצות מפותחות, שלא בחורו לשים יהבן על מערכת הבריאות וצימצמו משאבים לרמה שהמערכת גוועת עד כדי פגיעה בציבור וגם בצוות הרפואי. more
Well, you can tell how productive my studying has been based on the fact that this is the fourth book I've finished this week and it's only Monday. Review to come, once I finish this horrible essay. Seriously, no one tells you that once you get a good grade, you have to work twice as hard to make sure your work will be up to the standard you've set. Also Ethics, I have to find the energy to study for Ethics. Although, let's be real, failing Ethics would be hilarious and would hurt my ego just the right amount. more