Sam's Fireside - Cosy Book Reviews & Recommendations

"Are you certain of the diagnosis? Is there any chance you might be wrong?" 📖 A unique and in-depth read, this book explores the trauma the Plourde family face when they receive the devastating news that their son’s leukaemia has returned. 💔 If You Knew… is an incredibly emotional story that will tug at your heartstrings every step of the way. 😢 We live through each moment of Gabriel’s treatment plan as he prepares for a bone marrow transplant. 🏥 ✨ Alongside the true-life elements of the story is a fictional take on how someone might change their life if they knew what the future held. ⏳ Do you carry on as normal, knowing what lies ahead will be traumatic, or do you try to change your path before anything bad can happen? 🤔 📚 This isn’t the type of fiction I would usually choose to read — I tend to avoid authors like Jodi Picoult because I often find the stories too sad — but I really enjoyed this one. ❤️ The time-traveller aspect is woven in nicely and adds an interesti...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I bought ‘This is Going to Hurt’ during lockdown 1.0 in 2020 but I’ve only just got around to reading it (the dilemma of having too many books to choose from)!  Having worked in the NHS for 25 years as a Receptionist/Secretary and Personal Assistant, I thought it would be interesting to see what Adam Kay went through as a junior doctor.   Adam Kay wrote snatched entries into his secret diaries whenever he had a chance, ‘after endless days, sleepless nights and missed weekends.  Beginning when he got his first post as a House Officer through to when he quit medicine as a Senior Registrar.  Throughout his stories, he holds nothing back, being totally honest about what he thinks of the NHS, his colleagues and his patients.  For anyone who thinks a doctor has things easy and gets paid a lot, and for anyone who doesn’t work in the NHS (and those who do) - read this book - I think you will be surprised. I loved the honesty Adam brings to his diaries and I’m gues...