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Mayhawke (97 KP) rated This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor in Books

Feb 13, 2018  
This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor
This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor
Adam Kay | 2017 | Biography
10
9.0 (44 Ratings)
Book Rating
A Trip tThrough the NHS in Easy, Accessible Anecdotes
On the surface of it this is an engaging and often hilarious collection of anecdotes from someone who worked as a doctor in the NHS for several years. There is an abundance of stories for those who love to hear about the quirks and peculiarities of humanity. Dark and funny things that will make you laugh out loud whilst simultaneously making your toes curl. The de-gloved penis. The dehydrated cocaine users. The homeless man who preferred to go back out on the streets rather than run the risk of MRSA.

Referring to the diaries he was obliged to keep during his years as an obstetrician, Kay has pulled together a raft of stories and thoughts ranging from simple one line 'notes-to-self' to more lengthy tales of patients he cared for. The happy, the funny and the occasional simply uplifting make for an easy and read that clips along nicely. I had this in audio book form and it was a little over six hours long. It is easy to pick up, slightly less easy to put down.

You may also have seen this book referred to as 'heart-breaking'.

And it is. Because in writing a highly entertaining memoir Kay has found the perfect vehicle to deliver some brutal truths about the state of our NHS these days. To highlight the lies being pedalled by the Secretary of State for Health and the government.This is not a treatise on the issues facing the National Health Service and the people who work there-in delivering health care, there is no lengthy analysis - he simply punctuates the usually funny, sometimes tragic stories with brutal realities he has experienced first-hand:

- being told that he would have to come back for a weekend halfway through a two-week holiday abroad because the cover he had had to arrange himself fell through.
- falling asleep in his car in the hospital car park before he even managed to start it and waking up the next morning only to find he'd slept so long he was still late for work. On Christmas Eve.

- working out that with the unpaid overtime he was expected to put in his actual wage was £6.60ph - less than if he'd worked in McDonalds.

This is far more important book than it is really given credit for. It should be mandatory reading for anyone who has ever nodded their head when Jeremy Hunt's lips have been flapping.
  
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Alison Pink (7 KP) rated The Mark of Athena in Books

Jan 15, 2018  
The Mark of Athena
The Mark of Athena
Rick Riordan | 2013 | Children
10
8.9 (14 Ratings)
Book Rating
Book Three in the Heroes of Olympus series did not disappoint! I have to admit that out of all Rick Riordan's series this has been my least favorite, but I really enjoyed this installment. It is literally a cliffhanger...if that cliff is hanging over Tartarus & is under a parking lot in Rome that is!
All the characters have matured nicely and I have to say that was a pleasant surprise. Percy & Annabeth's relationship has followed the same line. But despite all the characters in the book, I have to say my favorite is Leo Valdez; the brainiac of the demigods. He was very funny in this book & easy to like. His personality was developed a lot more throughout this story so the reader gets to know him on another level.
As for the plot, a war breaks out between the Greek & Roman camps thanks to some nasty spirits taking over Leo. Despite this, the 7 demigods & Coach Hedge, the satyr, must embark on a mission to unite the 2 camps & prevent Gaea & her giants from destroying the world. Needless to say, it isn't easy & they run amok of quite a few gods & monsters on the way.
I am really looking forward to seeing how Riordan wraps up this series!! I have a sinking feeling that it may be the end of Percy Jackson though...
  
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graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick (Perry & Gobi, #1) in Books

Feb 15, 2019  
AR
Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick (Perry & Gobi, #1)
Joe Schreiber | 2011
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
<b>Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick</b> is a pure adrenaline rush from start to finish, never letting up for a moment. The tagline: "Ferris Bueller Meets La Femme Nikita in this funny, action-packed young adult novel" pretty much describes it to a T (though I'm sure there are other influences involved too), except in this case the main character, Perry, is closer to Alan Ruck's Cameron than Ferris himself. While reading, I couldn't help but visualize this as a movie, as it'd work very well developed for the big screen. This is definitely a plot-driven book, with less characterization than action, though the author gives just enough to get a sense of who both Perry and the pseudo-foreign-exchange-student-but-in-reality-assassin, Gobi, are that goes beyond two-dimensional. If you're looking for a realistic book, this isn't it, but if you're looking for a wild ride filled with death, violence, rock 'n' roll, humor, mystery, and a main character who grows as the night unfolds, give this a shot, it's loads for fun. A very short book (190 pages), ARCEC is a fast, non-stop action read that would be perfect entertainment if your brain is overworked from work, school, or just every day worries and should appeal to both males and females who enjoy light YA novels.