Adam Kay
Adam Kay has published 13 books across 5 series. The recommended reading order starts with How to Be a Bogus Doctor (2011).
Adam Kay is a British author and screenwriter, formerly a doctor. He is best known for This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor, a memoir drawn from his experiences working in the NHS that combines dark humor with honest reflections on medicine and burnout. The book was a Sunday Times number one bestseller for over a year, selling more than 3 million copies in 37 languages, and was later adapted into an award-winning television series. Kay's subsequent books, including Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas and Undoctored, also reached number one on bestseller lists.
He is also a significant figure in children's literature. Kay's Anatomy became the fastest-selling nonfiction children's book of its decade, and his other children's titles include Kay's Marvellous Medicine and the picture book Amy Gets Eaten. His writing is noted for making complex subjects accessible to a broad audience.
Shelf & Shadows
Order of Anthologies
- Tags---DescriptionIt's Not OK to Feel Blue is a collection of words from those who have suffered through the worst and know what it's like to fight to feel better. This anthology, part of the Order of Anthologies series, is a response to a mental health epidemic, offering a choice: be floored by it, or start to make a difference. Fifty-seven individuals share their experiences, making this book a shout that cuts above the noise, letting everyone know they are not alone. It is a testament to the power of words to make us all feel better, from people who are making that difference.Publication date15 October 2019Amazon rating4.6/5Print length576LanguageEnglishPublisherPenguin (General UK)
Order of Dexter Procter Books
- DescriptionDexter Procter, a ten-year-old paediatrician at Lilydale General Hospital, struggles to fit in despite his extraordinary abilities and a loving family. He began speaking at four seconds old and by age three had earned 87 A-levels. Now, with a mortal enemy in Dr. Drake and all the teachers at his old school suddenly struck down with an awful stomach ailment, Dexter faces a series of challenges that threaten his position and the school itself. Can Dexter save his job and the school while navigating the complexities of his unique life? This laugh-out-loud series, from Adam Kay and Henry Paker, follows the world's youngest doctor as he seeks his place in the world.Publication date2024Amazon rating4.7/5LanguageEnglish
Order of Non-Fiction Books
- Tags---DescriptionSix years at medical school can be skipped with this guide to becoming the man of medicine you always wanted to be. Doctors Adam Kay and Stanley Tedson distilled their training into the essence of what it takes: a big desk and an MRI scanner made out of a washing machine and lilos. This 2011 book, How to Be a Bogus Doctor, is part of the Order of Non-Fiction Books series. What else can be faked to get ahead in the medical world?Publication dateJanuary 1, 2011Print length288LanguageEnglishPublisherJohn Blake
- Tagsbiographynon-fictionDescriptionWelcome to 97-hour weeks. Welcome to life and death decisions. Welcome to a constant tsunami of bodily fluids. Welcome to earning less than the hospital parking meter. This Is Going to Hurt, a non-fiction book first published in 2019, chronicles the realities of being a first-year doctor scribbled in secret after endless days, sleepless nights, and missed weekends. It offers a no-holds-barred account of time spent on the front lines of medicine, detailing experiences that are hilarious, horrifying, and heartbreaking by turns. This 288-page book explores everything you wanted to know about the life of a junior doctor—and more than a few things you really didn't. It follows the arc of experiences, from the initial shock of stepping onto a hospital ward to the profound personal toll, revealing a world of constant challenges and the lasting impact these years can have.Publication dateDecember 3, 2019Amazon rating4.5/5Print length288LanguageEnglishPublisherLittle, Brown Spark
- DescriptionTwas the Nightshift Before Christmas collects humorous anecdotes from a doctor's time in obstetrics and gynecology wards during the holidays. This book, first published in 2019, is part of the Order of Non-Fiction Books series. It continues the author's diary entries from the wards, offering a festive look at the chaos and humanity of hospital life over Christmas.Publication dateOctober 17, 2019Amazon rating4.2/5Print length160LanguageEnglishPublisherPicador
- Tagsnon-fictionDescriptionWhat Seems to Be the Problem (With: Mark Watson) is a non-fiction book that explores the peculiar ways the human body malfunctions and the efforts of the medical world to provide assistance. In conversation with his health-anxious friend, comedian Mark Watson, Adam Kay examines the bizarre past, surprising present, and speculative future of medicine. The book is filled with wild historical accounts, contemporary anecdotes, and astonishing facts, tracing humanity's often misguided attempts to improve well-being. Part of the Order of Non-Fiction Books series and first published in 2019, this work offers a fascinating and humorous look at medical history, from Leonardo da Vinci's experiments to personal experiences on the wards.Publication date2019Amazon rating5/5LanguageEnglishPublisherAudible Originals
- Tagsnon-fictionDescriptionKay's Marvellous Medicine is a non-fiction book that explores the history of medical practices. In the past, doctors understood very little about the human body. People in ancient Egypt believed the brain was useless stuffing, and teachers encouraged pupils to smoke. This book reveals why hairdressers once cut off legs and why people were paid for farting. It answers questions about patients gargling with urine and how a doctor used a washing machine, beans, and sausages to save lives. Readers will also learn about "the great stink," which was not what doctors called a backside. Prepare to explore a gross and gruesome history where patients gargled with wee, and the air was thick with the smell of pus and poo. This 416-page book, published in 2021 as part of the Order of Non-Fiction Books series, invites readers to put a peg on their nose and pull on wellies to understand the unhygienic practices of past medicine. It asks if you are sure you are ready to delve into this world, where cleanliness was not a priority and medical knowledge was rudimentary at best.Publication dateSeptember 30, 2021Amazon rating4.7/5Print length416LanguageEnglishPublisherPuffin
- Tagsnon-fictionDescriptionAre boogers safe to eat? How much of your life will you spend on the toilet? Kay's Anatomy is a nonfiction book that dives into the weird and fascinating workings of the human body. It answers the important questions readers might have about what is happening inside them, from the effort their nose puts into creating a snack to the year spent in the bathroom. The book is a tour of the insides, presented by a former doctor. This 2022 guide is 415 pages long and part of the Order of Non-Fiction Books series. It aims to explain what is going on inside the body in a way that is both informative and humorous, making the extraordinary and often gross realities of human anatomy accessible.Publication dateJuly 26, 2022Amazon rating4.9/5Print length415LanguageEnglishPublisherDelacorte Press
- Tagsnon-fictionDescriptionUndoctored: The Story of a Medic Who Ran Out of Patients is the latest non-fiction book in the Order of Non-Fiction Books series, published in 2022. This 274-page book continues the story begun in This Is Going to Hurt, sharing more anecdotes from life on and off the wards after the author's medical career ended. It covers the author's experiences from medical school through his departure from the NHS, offering a look at both the funny and the deeply moving aspects of his life. The book explores what happened when his time as a doctor concluded, moving beyond the hospital walls to examine the consequences and the path forward.Publication dateSeptember 15, 2022Amazon rating4.1/5Print length274LanguageEnglishPublisherTrapeze
- Tagsnon-fictionDescriptionKay's Brilliant Brains is a 2023 non-fiction book for young readers, part of the Order of Non-Fiction Books series. It introduces ten individuals whose big ideas changed the world. Readers will meet Amelia Earhart, who flew across the Atlantic when airplanes were still made of wood, and Thomas Edison, who invented the light bulb and movie camera despite leaving school at twelve. The book explores how these brilliant minds woke up with an idea and went on to alter history forever. At 83 pages, it offers a concise look at human ingenuity.Publication dateFebruary 16, 2023Amazon rating4.6/5Print length83LanguageEnglishPublisherPuarmeid
- Tags---DescriptionAdam Kay's Order of Non-Fiction Books series presents Kay's Incredible Inventions, a 2024 book that asks readers where the things around them truly came from. It explores the origins of everything ever invented, from the silly to the dangerous. Discover how velcro was invented by a dog, why the Ancient Greeks used dinner plates for hygiene, and the stories behind countless other innovations. The book delves into the daft, the disgusting, and the downright dangerous aspects of human ingenuity. This 448-page book, part of the Order of Non-Fiction Books series, promises a laugh-out-loud exploration of history's most peculiar inventions. It raises questions about the initial ideas for video games and the motivations behind building schools. What annoying or amazing ideas will readers uncover, and what does the sheer volume of facts suggest about human creativity and its consequences?Publication dateMay 23, 2024Amazon rating4.7/5Print length448LanguageEnglishPublisherPuffin
Order of Picture Books
- Tags---DescriptionAmy Gets Eaten is a picture book where Amy is swallowed whole by a monster. What happens next is the question.Publication dateNovember 6, 2023LanguageChinesePublisherDong Yu Wen Hua
Order of Standalone Novels
- TagscrimemysteryDescriptionEitan Rose, a young doctor, suspects his medical director's fatal heart attack was murder, but no one else, not even the police, believes him. Eitan vows to uncover the truth himself, despite his own complicated past and a budding relationship with a hospital porter named Cole. As his colleagues grow worried about his mental state, Eitan's investigation into the death becomes increasingly erratic, raising questions about his own stability. Could a killer truly be at work within the hospital wards, or is Eitan orchestrating his own catastrophic downfall? This debut mystery, A Particularly Nasty Case, is filled with acerbic wit and unexpected twists. It includes texts, transcripts, and medical reports to aid readers in solving the case. Published in 2025, this standalone novel from Adam Kay offers a deathly funny and deeply moving story.Publication dateSeptember 16, 2025Amazon rating4/5Print length336LanguageEnglishPublisherLittle, Brown and Company
Frequently Asked Questions about Adam Kay
Adam Kay's books can be read in several orders, depending on your interest. For his adult non-fiction, beginning with This Is Going to Hurt offers insight into his experiences as a doctor, followed by Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas and Undoctored. His children's books, such as Kay's Marvellous Medicine, can be read independently of his adult work. If you are interested in his early work, How to Be a Bogus Doctor is a starting point. For newer readers, the Dexter Procter series begins with Dexter Procter the 10-Year-Old Doctor.
A good starting point for Adam Kay's books is This Is Going to Hurt. This memoir draws from his time as a junior doctor in the NHS, blending dark humor with candid observations about the medical profession. Its success led to a television adaptation and established his reputation. Following this, readers might explore his other adult non-fiction works like Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas or delve into his highly popular children's science books, beginning with Kay's Marvellous Medicine.
It is not necessary to read Adam Kay's books in a specific order, as many of his works are standalone. His adult non-fiction books, such as This Is Going to Hurt and Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas, can be read independently. Similarly, his children's books, including Kay's Marvellous Medicine and Kay's Anatomy, do not require prior reading of his other titles. The Dexter Procter series is intended to be read in order, but this is a recent addition to his bibliography.
Adam Kay writes both standalone novels and books that are part of a series. His early work includes standalone non-fiction titles like How to Be a Bogus Doctor. His most well-known books, This Is Going to Hurt and Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas, are also standalone. However, he has also begun the Dexter Procter series, with the first book, Dexter Procter the 10-Year-Old Doctor, published in 2024. Additionally, A Particularly Nasty Case is listed as a standalone novel for 2025.
Adam Kay has written numerous books across different categories. His non-fiction adult titles include This Is Going to Hurt, Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas, and Undoctored, among others. He has also authored several popular children's books, such as Kay's Marvellous Medicine and Kay's Anatomy, which made history as the fastest-selling nonfiction children's book of its decade. His bibliography also includes picture books like Amy Gets Eaten and the Dexter Procter series for younger readers.
The first book Adam Kay wrote was How to Be a Bogus Doctor, published in 2011. This book offers a humorous look at the medical profession, drawing from his background. While it predates his most famous work, This Is Going to Hurt, it established his voice in blending medical themes with comedy. This early publication set the stage for his later successes in both adult non-fiction and children's literature.
Adam Kay's most recent book is Dexter Procter the 10-Year-Old Doctor, published in 2024. This book marks the beginning of a new series aimed at younger readers and features illustrations by Henry Paker. It draws on Kay's medical background to create an engaging story for children. Following this, A Particularly Nasty Case is scheduled for release in 2025, indicating his continued output across different formats.
Adam Kay writes across multiple genres, primarily adult non-fiction and children's literature. His adult non-fiction often combines memoir, humor, and commentary on his experiences as a doctor, as seen in This Is Going to Hurt and Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas. In children's literature, he writes engaging science books like Kay's Marvellous Medicine and Kay's Anatomy, making complex topics accessible. He has also ventured into picture books with Amy Gets Eaten and is writing a fiction series for children.
Richard Preston
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Jessica Fellowes
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Quentin Bates
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We verified the reading order for Adam Kay's books by cross-referencing official publication dates, ISBN databases, and publisher catalogs.
Last verified: July 2026
Shelf & Shadows. (…). “Adam Kay Books in Order.” Retrieved …, from https://www.shelfandshadows.com/authors/adam-kay