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Quick answer: If you loved Adam Kay, read This Is Going to Hurt's follow-ups, then Henry Marsh's Do No Harm and Admissions, Atul Gawande's Being Mortal, Ben Goldacre's Bad Pharma, Mary Roach and Bill Bryson. All are funny, honest and informative nonfiction.
Adam Kay is a British comedian and former junior doctor whose 2017 memoir This Is Going to Hurt is based on his diaries, mixing dark humour and a frank view of the NHS. The books below offer similar medical memoirs, humane science writing and comic nonfiction.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas | Adam Kay | Adult | festive medical tales |
| Undoctored | Adam Kay | Adult | after medicine |
| Do No Harm | Henry Marsh | Adult | neurosurgeon's stories |
| Admissions | Henry Marsh | Adult | more Marsh |
| Being Mortal | Atul Gawande | Adult | how we age and die |
| Bad Pharma | Ben Goldacre | Adult | drug industry |
| Packing for Mars | Mary Roach | Adult | funny space science |
| A Short History of Nearly Everything | Bill Bryson | Adult | popular science |
| Notes from a Small Island | Bill Bryson | Adult | British humor |
| A Walk in the Woods | Bill Bryson | Adult | funny trail stories |
| Born a Crime | Trevor Noah | Adult | funny and moving |
| An Unquiet Mind | Kay Redfield Jamison | Adult | memoir of bipolar disorder |
| Girl, Interrupted | Susanna Kaysen | Adult | memoir of hospitalisation |
| Hillbilly Elegy | J.D. Vance | Adult | class and family |
| Neither Here nor There | Bill Bryson | Adult | European travel |
1. Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas by Adam Kay
Kay's stories from hospitals over the holiday season. Funny and moving.
Best for: festive medical tales.
2. Undoctored by Adam Kay
Kay recounts why he left medicine and what came next. Honest and sad.
Best for: after medicine.
3. Do No Harm by Henry Marsh
A British brain surgeon reflects on hope and mistakes. Honest and absorbing.
Best for: neurosurgeon's stories.
4. Admissions by Henry Marsh
Marsh's follow-up looks back on his career and retirement. Reflective and frank.
Best for: more Marsh.
5. Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
A surgeon looks at aging, illness and how to care for people at the end of life. Practical, compassionate and eye opening.
Best for: how we age and die.
6. Bad Pharma by Ben Goldacre
A doctor explains how drug companies bend research. Technical but readable.
Best for: drug industry.
7. Packing for Mars by Mary Roach
Roach explores the odd realities of life in space, from food to bathrooms. Funny, curious and informative.
Best for: funny space science.
8. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
A lively tour through science, from the Big Bang to bacteria. Informative and humorous.
Best for: popular science.
9. Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson
A farewell tour of Britain full of affection and complaints. Warm and funny.
Best for: British humor.
10. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
Bryson attempts the Appalachian Trail with an old friend. Funny, informative and perfect for armchair hikers.
Best for: funny trail stories.
11. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Noah recounts growing up in apartheid South Africa. Humorous and humane.
Best for: funny and moving.
12. An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison
A leading psychologist writes about her own illness. Beautiful and frank.
Best for: memoir of bipolar disorder.
13. Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
Kaysen recalls her time in a psychiatric hospital. Short and haunting.
Best for: memoir of hospitalisation.
14. Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance
A memoir of growing up in Appalachia and Ohio. Debated, but widely read.
Best for: class and family.
15. Neither Here nor There by Bill Bryson
A journey around Europe with a rueful narrator. Light and amusing.
Best for: European travel.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Adam Kay: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Adam Kay. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For more Kay begin with Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas. For brain surgeon memoirs choose Henry Marsh. For humane medical writing pick Atul Gawande. For laughs read Bill Bryson or Trevor Noah. This Is Going to Hurt is frank and sometimes upsetting, so these picks suit readers who like honest humour. This Is Going to Hurt was adapted into a BBC series in 2022 starring Ben Whishaw. The book has been a huge bestseller, and Kay's live shows toured widely.
Related: Mary Kay Andrews Books in Order Printable List · Kay Hooper Books in Chronological Order
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Adam Kay?
A British comedian and former junior doctor.
What is This Is Going to Hurt about?
His time as a junior doctor in the NHS.
When was it published?
2017.
Is there a TV show?
Yes, a BBC series.
Is it funny?
Yes, though it is also serious.
Does it have disturbing content?
Yes, some medical and emotional scenes.
Does he narrate the audiobook?
Yes. Check current listings.
What should I read next?
Try Do No Harm or Being Mortal.
Which book here is best for more Marsh?
Try Admissions by Henry Marsh, which suits readers looking for more Marsh.
Which book here is best for funny space science?
Try Packing for Mars by Mary Roach, which suits readers looking for funny space science.
Which book here is best for funny trail stories?
Try A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson, which suits readers looking for funny trail stories.
Which book here is best for memoir of hospitalisation?
Try Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen, which suits readers looking for memoir of hospitalisation.
Which book here is best for after medicine?
Try Undoctored by Adam Kay, which suits readers looking for after medicine.