Perks of having a fellow bookworm Manager, not only does she give good recommendations but sometimes even lends me books!
I wrote a review on This Is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay back in August. If you haven’t read it, Kay was a Doctor for seven years, a few years ago he published the diaries he wrote during his time working for the NHS. It is a one of a kind book that is both side-splitting funny and heart-wrenching sad at times.
So when I heard that a sequel came out, Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas I was excited to read it. I was going to buy it until one of my Managers very kindly lent me her copy.
As the name implies, this book is a collection of diary entries dated around Christmastime. It is a much shorter book than This Is Going to Hurt, its only 150 pages long, but that isn’t a bad thing. I always feel bad if I hold onto someone else’s book for too long so this meant I could return it in a few days.
While most of the entries are funny, some are rather sad not only for the patients but reading first hand about folks who have to give up their Christmas Day to help others. My Grandfather was released from hospital a few days ago and the staff I met during my visits were lovely. I already had a lot of respect for those who work in the NHS before reading This Is Going to Hurt but afterwards, that respect has skyrocketed.
One of the entries he includes is one he thought would have been too upsetting to publish the first time around and he regrets leaving it out. Being a decent bloke he includes a warning before you get to that entry and where to skip to if you don’t want to read that entry which I think was a good way to handle that.
Full marks to the anaesthetist wearing a badge that says, “He sees you when you are sleeping, he knows when you are awake,”
It’s more of the same, really. Now with more festive flair. Not that I am complaining, since I adored This Is Going to Hurt having a second helping was more than enough to satisfy me.
Needless to say that I highly reccomend both This Is Going to Hurt and Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas. For the later to make sense, you need to read the former first as it is by no means a stand-alone book. More of a booster pack for a card game, or a Christmas DLC if you prefer.
Nerd Rambles 
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