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Tamara’s Year In Books

Tamara’s 2024 Year in Books

Take a look at Tamara’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

Go to Tamara’s 2024 Year in Books

Tamara Agha-Jaffar’s Followers (281)

Tamara’s Bookshelves

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Tamara Agha-Jaffar

Goodreads Author

Website

http://www.tamaraaghajaffar.com

Genre

Classics, Fiction, Mythology

Member Since

January 2016

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I have been in academia all my professional life, as a professor of English, an academic dean, and a Vice President for Academic Affairs. I retired in July 2013. I finally have time to do what I love best: read and write.

My interest in reading runs the gamut from books on ancient cultures, beginning with the mythology and culture of ancient Mesopotamia; world religions; poetry, especially the poetry of the British Romantics; novels; the classics; and all things feminist.

My awards include the 2004 Kansas Professor of the Year Award from the Carnegie Foundation and the 2010 President’s Call to Service Award for my volunteer work with the local school district, with victims of sexual assault, and with community shelters for battered women.

I ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Tamara Agha-Jaffar Writer’s block is a bit like a roadblock: it doesn’t mean you can’t get to your destination. It just means you have to find a different way to get the…moreWriter’s block is a bit like a roadblock: it doesn’t mean you can’t get to your destination. It just means you have to find a different way to get there.
I deal with writer’s block by going around it. If I get stuck at a certain point in my writing, I leave that section and start working on a different section where the writing flows more easily. That action triggers the writing juices. Somehow, while I am working on the “easy” section, my mind simultaneously tries to figure a way around the writing block. The activity seems to percolate in the background, sometimes without my even being conscious of it. By the time I have finished the “easy” section, I find I can go back to the point where I encountered the block and, just like magic, the block seems to have been cleared away. The orange barrels have disappeared and the road ahead is open and clear. (less)

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With which of your books do you recommend a reader start?

Tamara Agha-Jaffar Hi Mark,
Thank you for the question.

In answer to your question, I think it depends on what interests you the most. The books are based on different myt…moreHi Mark,
Thank you for the question.

In answer to your question, I think it depends on what interests you the most. The books are based on different myths and tell very different stories.

A Pomegranate and the Maiden re-tells the story of the abduction and release of Persephone to the Underworld by the god of the Underworld, Hades. It is told through the voice of the many characters involved. You hear the voice of Zeus, the patriarch, who thinks he can dispense with the women in his life as he sees fit; Demeter, the mother, who retaliates and insists on a mother’s right; Persephone, the young girl on the cusp of womanhood, who loves her mother but wants to escape from her suffocating tentacles; and many, many others. Each character interprets the same event through a different lens.

The novel is also available on Audible with me as the narrator. I grew up in England so my accent is decidedly British:) You can hear a sample if you go to my page on Amazon and click on the link to Audible.

If you are interested in Homer’s Odyssey, you might enjoy Unsung Odysseys which tells the story of Odysseus’ return from Troy through the voices of women: his mother and wife as they plead with him not to set off on this fool-hardy adventure; his wife as she struggles to raise her son and keep the suitors at bay; his nurse as she tries to shepherd his young son into manhood; the witch who guides him; the love-struck princes who wants him to acknowledge her; the possessive nymph who refuses to release him; and the goddess who mentors him.

Finally, if you are interested in a 4,000-year-old myth from ancient Mesopotamia, I suggest you begin with Gilgamesh of Uruk. Told in the 3rd person point of view, Gilgamesh of Uruk recounts the adventures of the epic hero, Gilgamesh—an actual king mentioned in the Sumerian King List. It retells the story of Gilgamesh’s meeting with Enkidu; their strong bond; their battle with Humbaba, the guardian of the Cedar Forest; their battle with the Bull of Heaven sent by the goddess Ishtar; Enkidu’s death; and Gilgamesh’s journey to his ancestor, Utnapishtim, to unlock the secret of immortality. It includes Utnapishtim’s description of a devastating flood that bears an uncanny resemblance to the flood story in Genesis, preceding it by a couple of thousand years. So if you’re interested in epic heroes, quests, and battling monsters, I suggest you start with this book.

Let me know which book you decide to read. I’d love to hear what you think of it when you’re finished. Meanwhile, take care. All best and happy reading.(less)

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Tamara Agha-Jaffar’s books

Average rating: 4.03 · 126 ratings · 51 reviews · 6 distinct works • Similar authors

	Ancient Reflections: A Mythic Trilogy 4.44 avg rating — 36 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Women and Goddesses in Myth and Sacred Text 3.83 avg rating — 29 ratings — published 2004 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Pomegranate and the Maiden 3.96 avg rating — 23 ratings — published 2015 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Gilgamesh of Uruk 3.89 avg rating — 18 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Unsung Odysseys 3.85 avg rating — 13 ratings — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Demeter and Persephone: Lessons from a Myth 3.71 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 2002 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Tamara Agha-Jaffar's Blog

2024 Reading Challenge--November Update

It's been a hectic month for a number of reasons with a lot of personal challenges. So I wasn't able to get as much reading done as I normally would. But I enjoyed the books I had time to read. Other than Hanif Abdurraqib, the other authors were new to me. I loved The Swan's Nest. And one of my favorite books of the year has to be Ferdia Lennon's debut novel, Glorious Exploits.

These are the books Read more of this blog post »

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Published on December 01, 2024 06:08 • Tags: 2024-reading-challenge

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Tamara’s Recent Updates

Tamara Agha-Jaffar wants to read The American Agent (Maisie Dobbs, #15) by Jacqueline Winspear (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Tamara Agha-Jaffar rated a book really liked it A Summons to Memphis Paperback - International Edition, June 29, 1999 by Peter Taylor	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 29, 2024 10:41AM · like
Tamara Agha-Jaffar rated a book really liked it A Summons to Memphis by Peter Taylor	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
A Summons to Memphis by Peter Taylor opens when forty-nine-year-old Philip Carver, living in Manhattan, receives phone calls from each of his two-middle-aged, unmarried sisters urgently summoning him home to Memphis. Their eighty-one-year-old father ...more
Dec 28, 2024 05:26AM · 1 like · like · see review
Tamara Agha-Jaffar made a comment in the group 2024 & 2025 Reading Challenge — Tamara's Reads and Reviews 64 in 2024 topic " 77/64. The Oceans and the Stars by Mark Helprin My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ...more "
Dec 25, 2024 08:52AM
Tamara Agha-Jaffar made a comment in the group All About Books — Tamara's Reads and Reviews topic " 77/64. The Oceans and the Stars by Mark Helprin My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ...more "
Dec 25, 2024 08:52AM
Tamara Agha-Jaffar rated a book liked it The Oceans and the Stars by Mark Helprin	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
The Oceans and the Stars by Mark Helprin tells the exploits of Stephen Rensselaer, a Navy captain nearing the end of his accomplished career. Called upon to speak in front of the president of the United States, Rensselaer annoys the president by braz ...more
Dec 25, 2024 08:48AM · 4 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Oceans and the Stars by Mark Helprin. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Oceans and the Stars by Mark Helprin <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tamara Agha-Jaffar wants to read The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 23, 2024 11:57PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tamara Agha-Jaffar wants to read The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman (Goodreads Author) Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Readers' Favorite Fantasy	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 23, 2024 06:44AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tamara Agha-Jaffar wants to read The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (Goodreads Author) Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Readers' Favorite Historical Fiction	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 22, 2024 01:49PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tamara Agha-Jaffar wants to read The Gathering by Anne Enright	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 22, 2024 01:44PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Gathering by Anne Enright. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Gathering by Anne Enright <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Tamara Agha-Jaffar (?)

“My anger mounted. “What about your son and me? What about us? How can you even think of leaving me alone here with our baby boy? Telemachus needs his father. What’s going to happen to us if you leave? Who will help me raise him? Who will take care of us? You know as well as I do some of the men around here are nothing but a bunch of scoundrels. Mark my words, Odysseus. The second you’re gone, they’ll swarm in here like bees around honey. They’ll take over the place. I won’t be able to do a thing to stop them.”
― Tamara Agha-Jaffar, Unsung Odysseys

tags: historical-fiction-novel, mythic-fiction, odyssey, retelling

5 likes

“You cruel, hard-hearted gods!” I flung the goblet in his direction. Hermes barely had time to dart out of its way before it hit the wall and shattered to small pieces. “You’re all the same! Hsst! Jealous! Vindictive! That’s what you are! You allow yourselves to take pleasure with any mortal you wish. Let a goddess do the same. Let a goddess choose a mortal for her lover, and you set off in a fury of revenge against her as if her actions are an affront to you. And all the while, you male gods allow yourselves all kinds of liberties you deny to us females.”
― Tamara Agha-Jaffar, Unsung Odysseys

tags: historical-fiction, mythic-fiction, odyssey, retelling

4 likes

“It happened so quickly. One minute I was plucking the flower, and the next I was in his chariot immersed in darkness. I struggled to wrench myself free from his grasp and run away. I twisted as far as I could, hoping to see mother chasing after me. But ahead of me, behind me, on either side of me, everywhere I looked, all I could see was darkness.”
― Tamara Agha-Jaffar, A Pomegranate and the Maiden

tags: demeter-and-persephone, historical-fiction, mythic-fiction, retelling

2 likes

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Polls

What should be our March Group Read? (Mythology/Folklore/Retellings)

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

20 votes 18.0%

Girl Meets Boy by Ali Smith

16 votes 14.4%

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

12 votes 10.8%

A Pomegranate and the Maiden by Tamara Agha-Jaffar

11 votes 9.9%

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

11 votes 9.9%

Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin

10 votes 9.0%

The Girl in the Glass Box by Andi Adams

9 votes 8.1%

Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente

8 votes 7.2%

The Goddess Chronicle by Natsuo Kirino

7 votes 6.3%

The Letters of Mina Harker by Dodie Bellamy

5 votes 4.5%

The Firebrand by Marion Zimmer Bradley

2 votes 1.8%

Athena the Brain by Joan Holub

0 votes 0.0%

111 total votes

5 comments

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Read Women: March nominations - Mythology/Folklore/Retellings	27	123	Jan 31, 2017 03:25AM
Into the Forest: July/Sept Group Read Theme Nomination	24	47	Jun 30, 2019 05:21PM
Into the Forest: Greek Mythology Group Read Nominations	34	53	Sep 03, 2019 10:52AM
Read Women: 2019 Summer Challenge - Fantasy and Mythology	67	118	Sep 25, 2019 02:20AM
Into the Forest: Hags and Crones Group Read Book Nominations	42	32	Nov 12, 2019 07:01AM
Middle East/North...: * 2019 plan	78	145	Dec 10, 2019 11:21PM
Middle East/North...: * 2019 MENA Lit Challenge Progress	118	137	Jan 01, 2020 12:11PM

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Tamara’s Quotes

“Sit in a room and read--and read and read. And read the right books by the right people. Your mind is brought onto that level, and you have a nice, mild, slow-burning rapture all the time.”
― Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth

tags: advice-for-daily-living, inspirational, reading

803 likes

“That's the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.”
― Jhumpa Lahiri, The Namesake

6472 likes

“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.”
― Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore

tags: adversity, inspirational, life-lessons, problems, trials

10477 likes