AUDIBLE SCHOLAR

Ama Hagan

When Ama first joined Audible as a high school intern back in 2017, she listened to mostly romance novels (the more dramatic the better). Now an Audible Scholar and full-time student at Wesleyan University, she still likes a good romance but has broadened her range of listening considerably. Most recently, inspired by a course in African literature, she's become a bit of an expert on African writers and the talented narrators whose performances bring their stories to life.

I'm Not Dying with You Tonight

By: Kimberly Jones, Gilly Segal

Narrated by: Brittany Pressley, Channie Waites

Length: 5 hrs and 20 mins

Release date: 09-04-19

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 609 ratings

Two Colors, One Goal

Race is thrown out of the window when two colors, black and white, find themselves stuck in a dangerous night. The two high school girls desperately try to make it home alive as riots seem to sprout everywhere around them. Each having their own personal problems, they still manage to travel throughout the night to their eventual safety. I felt as if I was running and hiding for my life with these two, occasionally losing them in the mix and finding them all over again. I was also just as frustrated as Campbell was to see Lena’s desperateness in getting to her boyfriend rather than getting home. In all of these tragic events, color did not matter although it may have seemed like that in the background. The ultimate goal was to stay alive together. As far as the narration, the switch between the two narrators made the story that much more amazing, especially since it made the conversation come alive. The differences in the tones and speeches would even have the reader feeling as if they are there hearing the two girls in talk, yell, fight each other and more.
The Beauty in Breaking

A Memoir

By: Michele Harper

Narrated by: Nicole Lewis

Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins

Release date: 07-07-20

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 952 ratings

Its Doctor Hagan to You

Medical school all of a sudden became a little more nerve wrecking than it already was with this amazing listen that hones into the personal life and journey of a physician. As I started off listening in the first few chapters, I became very excited because I felt like I knew somewhat what was going on when it came to the health care workers tending to patients in the ER. My knowledge came from virtual clinical cases that I have been observing over the summer which also taught me how to approach different situations, such as a stroke, decreased cardiac output, etc. in the Emergency Room. Not only does this listen go through the personal life of a medical student who became a physician, but it highlights her experiences with different types of cases and people that she confronts in the ER. I loved this listen as it really speaks to the reality of a physician especially for an aspiring physician like me and all aspiring doctors should definitely come across this somewhere throughout their medical journey.
Presence

Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges

By: Amy Cuddy

Narrated by: Amy Cuddy

Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins

Release date: 12-22-15

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 7,443 ratings

How to Actually BE There

We find ourselves in situations where we know we are physically at a place, but people don’t seem to notice us. This listen teaches the listener what it means to not be present in a situation and how to actually be present in one. From the way we think, to our body language and even deeper into how we may eat, the idea of “presence” occurs in every aspect of our lives. Through this listen, we learn that people will only respond to us when we are actually present. This would be great for people who are preparing for big interviews, whether it is for a job or graduate school.

Getting To The Heart Of The Matter

Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness is the most controversial piece of literature I have ever come across in my years of reading about African people, African history, or anything African. Here's what I learned by confronting this "classic" and finding my own truth.

READ ON

Stiff

The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

By: Mary Roach

Narrated by: Shelly Frasier

Length: 8 hrs

Release date: 02-26-04

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 8,348 ratings

What's the Afterlife Like?

The greatest most gruesome explanations of what happens to our bodies after we well... die. This may not be MY field of interest when it comes to the medical studies, LOL. Yet, I was pulled further into the book in the midst of all my cringing and drawing back after listening to the different scenarios that come with dealing with dead bodies. The book shines light on what many of us skim over and don’t think too much about, the process of studying cadavers. It also gives an appreciation for the donation of the bodies which were used for scientific studies. If you are looking for a bit of comedy among the detailed explanations of dead body inspections, this is the book to listen to.
Being Mortal

Medicine and What Matters in the End

By: Atul Gawande

Narrated by: Robert Petkoff

Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins

Release date: 10-07-14

Language: English

5 out of 5 stars 13,949 ratings

Fear of Aging

Everyone wants to stay young for as long as they can, maybe even forever. Everyone wants to live for as long as they can too. But we have to face the fact that aging is inevitable and once we hit those stages where we are no longer able to function on our own, how do we expect to live the rest of the days nearing death comfortably? This is what Atul Gawande, a practicing surgeon, writes about in his novel when he details his life in the medical world and his experiences with older patients and their journey through their old age. It was truly fascinating to hear about the upbringings of nursing homes and how they form as well as the decisions that go through the minds of families and patients when the illnesses seem to get to the point where it makes the decisions in the patients’ lives. Of course there is medicine available to reduce the pain and discomfort of those nearing the end of their life, keeping them alive for as long as they can, but humans cannot escape being mortal as seen in the novel.
When Breath Becomes Air

By: Paul Kalanithi, Abraham Verghese - foreword

Narrated by: Sunil Malhotra, Cassandra Campbell

Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins

Release date: 01-12-16

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 29,296 ratings

Started as a Doctor, but Ended as a Patient

Medical school is no joke and we all want to be in the last stages of the process and officially be the doctors we aspire to be. But how ironic is it to turn from being a doctor to being the patient? This was the fatal tragedy of Paul Kalanithi who was battling lung cancer, halting all the progress that he has made in his life. As an aspiring doctor, I found myself getting very emotional, wanting him to get better and return to what he named, “his calling.” Kalanithi got to experience both sides of the medicine world, enhancing his knowledge not only as a medical student, but also as an individual who had to be taken care of. Given the possibilities, I myself would have never thought facing both sides of the medical world, but this novel brings the situation to the attention to those aspiring to be physicians, those who are in training or nearing the end of their training and those who already are physicians.
The Laws of Medicine

By: Siddhartha Mukherjee

Narrated by: Santino Fontana

Length: 1 hr and 44 mins

Release date: 10-13-15

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 598 ratings

The Commandments of the Hospital

This is a great short listen that talks about the main rules and regulations of medicine that any doctor must be aware of. But it is not only for physicians or those who have already found their calling in the medical field. Without this short people, people who do not find themselves deep in the medical field may overlook essential principles of the medical world. This book serves as a quick yet informative summary of how human illness are looked at, examined and treated and it is an eye catcher for those who are passionate about medicine in general.
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat: and Other Clinical Tales

By: Oliver Sacks

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, Oliver Sacks - introduction

Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins

Release date: 06-21-11

Language: English

4 out of 5 stars 6,287 ratings

The Controlling Brain

This book falls in between the field of psychology and the field of medicine as it explores the brain, one of the most powerful tools of the human body. One of the stories that struck me the most happened to be the story of the individual who could not see anything that was in her left vision. It reminded me of a lecture that was taught in my psychology class about what the left and the right hemisphere of the brain can perceive and how these hemispheres function to control the body. This book really fed into my aspirations of being a physician and I was intrigued by the whole time I was listening to such fascinating stories. Sacks was also very descriptive with the various stories that he mentioned throughout the book which allowed the listener to get a glimpse of what occurs in the medical field from various perspectives as well as get introduced to new neurological terms.
The Learning Brain

By: The Great Courses

Narrated by: Professor Thad A. Polk PhD Carnegie Mellon University

Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins

Release date: 05-25-18

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 1,280 ratings

Psychology 101

This audible original is structured just like the Psychology class that I took last semester. I felt as though I was able to listen to a semester’s worth of basic psychology summarized into 12 hours and I only wish I discovered and listened to this book before my finals (lol). The narrator, Professor Thad A. Polk also does a great job in his narration which is structured as if I was sitting in a lecture hall and listening to him lecture me on new topics about the brain every day. The book is engaging because it contains new information with detailed explanations so not only am I learning something new every few minutes or hours as I am listening to this, but I am able to understand the topics in depth. I enjoyed the interaction of the Professor to the listener and even partook in some of the activities such as listening to a list of words he would mention and writing them down after he was through with the list in order to test memory. Psychology in itself is a fun topic to learn.
Well-Read Black Girl

Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves

By: Glory Edim

Narrated by: Glory Edim

Length: 5 hrs and 7 mins

Release date: 10-30-18

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 448 ratings

I AM the Well-Read Black Girl. She is ME!

It is not everyday that a black girl is going to pick up a book and see themselves being portrayed in a beautiful light. They are not going to see themselves on posters in the middle school hallways urging them to run for class president or to become a big part of school politics. But when they do see themselves in books, they find that black women unite under a similar struggle so they should never find themselves alone. When they do run for class president next to the white girl the teacher advocated for, the black girl can find herself in the lead. These are just some of the scenarios Edim writes about. This is a beautiful collection of essays by black authors. It's a collection for the well-read black girls/women who need to find themselves being depicted in literature and who need to tell their stories. Edim even narrates this as a black girl learning to see herself in everyday life. It is a short and sweet listen that many black females should listen to. And when young black girls struggle to find books that portray them, Edim provides a list of suggestions to dive right into.
She Would Be King

A Novel

By: Wayétu Moore

Narrated by: Wayétu Moore

Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins

Release date: 09-11-18

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 883 ratings

Women Should Be Kings Too

Wayetu Moore’s She Would Be King is a beautiful concoction of magical realism and a historical lesson about the early ages of Liberia. When listening to this book, I became intrigued by how the narrator, Moore herself, spoke in her native Liberian accent which sounded beautiful and flowed nicely throughout the story. The language of the novel is captivating and the book allowed for the listener to enjoy the liveliness of each character. It was a little hard to follow in the first half of the story, but it all came together for me in the later parts when the characters finally meet. Gbessa, June Dey, and Norman make the story come alive with the magical aspects that come with it and they help to piece the story together. This is a great listen, and everyone should take the time to enjoy it more than once.
Unbowed

A Memoir

By: Wangari Maathai

Narrated by: Chinasa Ogbuagu

Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins

Release date: 08-28-09

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 138 ratings

Inspirational Woman of Africa

Wangari Maathai’s Unbowed is an inspirational memoir that chronicles her journey from childhood into adult life. What makes me especially interested in her story it that fact that as a woman Maathai's accomplishments could have easily been overlooked. The narration by Chinasa Ogbuagu literally gives voice to how adamant Maathai was in her actions throughout Kenya. Her voice is what draws listeners into her plans, motives, and ideas rather than just brushing over them. There is also beauty in her accent. Maathai is a very influential woman in Africa and she had a great impact on the political situation in Kenya specifically. Religion is also a huge part of her life and story. God is her greatest inspiration and motivator, and she credits God with the many prosperous moments and accomplishments she's had, including getting educated and bringing her education back to her homeland. What impresses me the most is the fact that Maathai was the first woman to receive a Ph.D. in Central and East Africa. She is a shining example of the importance of the female figure in Africa.
July's People

By: Nadine Gordimer

Narrated by: Nadia May

Length: 4 hrs and 53 mins

Release date: 12-15-99

Language: English

3.5 out of 5 stars 85 ratings

Plot Twist: Not a Story About Enslavement

Be aware: The audio quality is not ideal, but this is still an important listen. Nadine Gordimer’s July’s People does not focus on the actual riot and plot against the white oppressors in South Africa during apartheid, but rather the lives of members of one white family who have been affected by the turmoil and must hand over their authority. I know it's a classic, and is a story "of it's time," but part of me felt as though this novel also says that black people in South Africa took advantage of their long-fought liberation because once they saw that the white people ceased to have power over them, they simply ran free to do whatever they wanted in a sort of hectic and unorganized way. My knee-jerk, modern-day, American reaction was a little negative. It felt a little like blaming the victim, but I respect Gordimer's brave willingness to tell it like she saw it--it could go down that way--and hold her people to a high standard in the fight for real change.
A Long Way Gone

Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

By: Ishmael Beah

Narrated by: Ishmael Beah

Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins

Release date: 06-19-13

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 2,039 ratings

The Childhood Soldier

A Long Way Gone is one of the most powerful memoirs about partaking in warfare as a child and having to go against you own people. Listening to the book being narrated by the individual who first hand experienced the tragedies just brings more power and strength into the memoir. I thought it was very interesting how Ishmael Beah started off by describing his childhood with his brother and friends. Besides the title, the listener may probably not have guessed that he would transition into the story of his war experience. However, this serves as a very powerful transition from something that can be so powerful to something that became so negative in the blink of an eye. This book was hard for me to read the first time especially analyzing it as a younger child just in middle school. Rereading this book at an older age especially with the audio at hand allowed me to understand the weight that the story actually holds. But his road to recovery was just as strong as his bravery through the war, something that I feel would have made me fall under the weight of the pressure. Beah narrates this story with passion regardless of how tragic it may have been for him to read his pain, but this strength is what attracts a larger audience.
The House at Sugar Beach

A Memoir

By: Helene Cooper

Narrated by: Helene Cooper

Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins

Release date: 09-02-08

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 304 ratings

The Cooper's Adjustment

I love how the book is a real personal reflection of the life of the author. Cooper’s narration, although very monotone throughout the novel does a great job at enunciating Liberian English which the reader may miss if they fail to read it correctly. It is important to understand the native language of one’s country. The book is written very differently from the very beginning starting with the fact that Cooper outlines the history of Liberia through her parents who seemed to have an affiliation with the founding of the country. It genuinely reflects her childhood and how they reflected her actions and decisions. She is very honest and true to the fact that she lived a very dazzling lifestyle, unlike other Liberian children, who had to scrape for money to even ensure their kids were able to get a good education. I love how she does not shy away from the truth of her childhood and how she grew up. Her opulence seemed to define her and this is what takes the root of the story. The story of her sister is very engaging and leaves readers to ask “What about Eunice?” However, her life was not always a world of fantasies especially after a coup was staged, overthrowing the government, and ruining the lives of many Liberians thus driving the family away from their beloved home, and also separating the family from the adopted sister, Eunice. Now as the reader moves to America with the Coopers, we look into her adjustment and how she copes with being in America.
Half of a Yellow Sun

By: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Narrated by: Zainab Jah

Length: 18 hrs and 10 mins

Release date: 09-19-17

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 1,580 ratings

The War and History

This book with its overarching themes is the most captivating book I have listened to by far. Zainab Jah’s narration animated the book and brought the listener in as if they were apart of the actual story. It gave great insight into the history of Nigeria. I enjoyed how Adiche simultaneously incorporates the relationship of family both interior and exterior in the middle of a raging war in Nigeria. This helped me as the reader to understand how people of everyday Nigerian life lived, coped, and survived through the war (if they made it out alive). I enjoyed how unlike other books, Adiche uses the role of a white man as someone who is genuinely interested in the culture of the people instead of trying to exploit the people and their land for his own good. Jah’s phenomenal narration emulated very well how the white man spoke in the novel which allowed the listener to differentiate whether a Nigerian was speaking or a white man was speaking. The narration was not monotone in dialect and tone. The listener experienced the fear of the characters every time an attack was launched on the country or even the anger that was sparked from the betrayal of a man to his wife. Also unlike other books, the protagonist of the story is female. Very rarely is it seen that a woman is the center of a novel especially in an African book, but this novel changed that aspect and the voice of Olanna narrated by Jah highlighted her elegant and patient nature.
With the Fire on High

By: Elizabeth Acevedo

Narrated by: Elizabeth Acevedo

Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins

Release date: 05-07-19

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 3,010 ratings

Mom, Chef, Student, What Next?

I enjoy listening to Acevedo’s books because they are so full of passion and they are so genuine. This is the second I have listened to that is written and narrated by her. She never ceases to amaze me. Despite the many problems faced by the main character, Emoni Santiago, the optimism and positivity in Acevedo's voice makes it impossible to see her as a victim. Emoni may be struggling to raise her daughter and go to high school and keep up with her passion for cooking all at the same time, but this does not stop her from moving past these struggles. Acevedo’s books are motivational even if some people think they cannot relate. The hope in her beautiful voice just compels someone going through problems to look for the brighter ending of it all whether their feats are as big as Emoni’s or smaller. The story is also simply a lot of fun--something I think all teens should find entertaining.
Monday's Not Coming

By: Tiffany D. Jackson

Narrated by: Imani Parks

Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins

Release date: 05-22-18

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 3,159 ratings

A Forever Missing Best Friend

Why doesn’t anyone know that a girl has gone missing? Why isn’t anybody taking action in finding this girl? Why is her family acting so strange when her best friend desperately tries to figure out where Monday is? The story turns out to be a scandal and these questions and so much more are answered near the end. Poor Claudia has to cope with PTSD after finding out that she has been negligent to her best friend’s clear signs of physical abuse at home. She constantly relives the moments that her and Monday shared… when she was alive... causing her to stay stuck at the age of 14, even though the incident occurred two years prior and she is currently 16 as she is finding out the truth. Her fear, confusion, and sadness is all echoed by the narrator Imani Parks. The listener even constantly questions with Claudia about the awkwardness of everyone close to Monday because of the small to non-existent lack of concern. Now that Claudia knows the truth, she has come to the realization that she has lost half of herself that she will never get it back.
On the Come Up

By: Angie Thomas

Narrated by: Bahni Turpin

Series: Garden Heights, Book 3

Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins

Release date: 02-05-19

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 3,732 ratings

You Can't Stop Me on the Come Up

Bri is on a mission to become a great rapper, something that her father could not accomplish since he died before becoming big. Now her mother is losing everything from her house to the food stamps that is used to feed the family and Bri takes it upon herself to do anything she can to help her mother and her family. She gets herself in a lot of trouble with the songs she puts out, but eventually gets people to come to an understanding of the messages that she was trying to put out. The narrator’s voice, Bahni Turpin has represents the dedication in Bri’s voice as she makes decisions that she feels would be right for herself, her “career” and her family.
The Hunger Games

Hunger Games, Book One

By: Suzanne Collins

Narrated by: Tatiana Maslany

Series: The Hunger Games, Book 1

Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins

Release date: 10-30-18

Language: English

5 out of 5 stars 13,792 ratings

Love and War... Survival Too

I was hooked! The odds were surely in my favor as I was listening to this novel which is beautifully narrated by Tatiana Maslany. The youthfulness in the narrator's voice fits in well with the voices of the youth that were unfortunately picked to be apart of such a tragic event. I felt as if I was sitting in front of a TV watching all these events commence and take place and I could visually imagine everything that was happening at the moment that I listened to them happen. It seems as if the listener is actually in Katniss’s mind as we hear every single thought that comes to her and every single debate that determines her life or death situation. This also turned into a dramatic love story which I absolutely love to read. Katniss and Peter worked very well together to distinguish their names as the couple and lovers from District 12. I was on the edge of my seat every time I heard of a near fatal death that could have happened to the tributes from District 12, of course everyone’s favorite tribute thus far (why wouldn’t it be). But I can’t stop listening here and must continue to find out what happens in the next book...
Catching Fire

The Hunger Games, Book 2

By: Suzanne Collins

Narrated by: Tatiana Maslany

Series: The Hunger Games, Book 2

Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins

Release date: 06-17-19

Language: English

5 out of 5 stars 13,548 ratings

This is the REVOLUTION!

Even though I knew the love story from book one was all a masquerade for survival, I am sad to listen to how fake it actually becomes by this book. I paced around through most of this listen from the moment the sneaky President Snow announced that the previous winners of these deadly games would have to face their fate a second time. How conniving! I winced every time I heard of the plagues that engulfed these tributes every hour and questioned everyone’s questionable attempt to risk their lives for Peter and Katniss in the arena.I didn’t even know myself who I wanted to stay alive by the end of these games, whether it was Peter or Katniss. I even wished for the berries to be present so they can stage a group uprising like the first games and defeat the capital once and for all. All these thoughts ran heavily through my mind until I reached the end of the novel where it became hectic and Katniss nearly bled to death after being caught by one of her “allies”. But who knew that a plot twist could come near the end of the novel?! This narration by Tatiana Maslany was of course just as spectacular as the first one, and yet again keeps the listeners at the edge of their seats continuing to ponder what would happen next. Now onto the season finale! I just have to find out how this revolution ties together in book 3...
Mockingjay

The Hunger Games, Book 3

By: Suzanne Collins

Narrated by: Tatiana Maslany

Series: The Hunger Games, Book 3

Length: 11 hrs and 19 mins

Release date: 06-19-19

Language: English

5 out of 5 stars 13,857 ratings

An Eerie Victory

This is the wrap up of every single tragedy to occur in the past two books. I read this one hearing the more ominous and eerie tones that traveled throughout the book all the way to the end even when Katniss is describing her children playing. The Hunger Games just seems to be inescapable at this point and the narrator, again doing an amazing job, relays this message well. There seems to be little to no hope by the time we get to this book, a series of killings, and a pattern of confusion and picking sides. The listener hears the darkness in each of the characters voices as they fight through this war and questions who will the winning side ever be especially when new important information is revealed closer to the end. Listening to this series made me undergo a flood of emotions and I am glad that I was able to enjoy such actions and hear such an amazing narrator play different roles very well.
A Serial Killer's Daughter

My Story of Faith, Love, and Overcoming (An Insider's Look at the True Crime Story of the BTK Killer, Dennis Rader)

By: Kerri Rawson

Narrated by: Devon O'Day

Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins

Release date: 01-29-19

Language: English

4 out of 5 stars 1,580 ratings

My Dad a MURDERER?!

What would I do if I found out that my father was a serial killer? Do I still love him? Forsake him? Forgive him? Do I shun him for the rest of his life as I try to cope with the wave of feelings flushing over me? Fear? Hate? Confusion? These are the questions that took over Kerri Rawson’s life when the news of her father’s “other life” was exposed to her. Devon O’Day does a great job in narrating the grief, shock, pain, and agony of Rawson and her whole family when the truth about her father finally came out. At first you can hear the denial clearly as she and her mother tried to convince authorities that Dennis Rader is the wrong guy that they are looking for. Then as he confessed, the feelings of confusion and the troubles of reminiscing where he might have been on the nights that he was not around when people went missing flooded into their minds. O’Day nicely narrates such dark times which such dark tones and the listener can actually feel sympathy for the family. Rawson will have to live with the trauma for the rest of her life as she raises her family, yet decides to forgive her father and catch him up on the past five years of her life that he has missed. Their family may not always be the same as they remember from time to time that they have a murderer as part of their family, but as the years go by, the pain will eventually start to subside and they will be able to overcome their struggles.