The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford

First read of 2023. I loved his debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. The Many Daughters of Afong Moy does not disappoint. 

For me, it is the kind of book where I can not be reading anything else at the same time; a lot going on in this one. I love the premise for this; genetic memory. Ancestral memories. Undoubtedly something I will ponder from time to time going forward.

Wiki: 'A theorized phenomenon in which certain kinds of memories could be inherited, being present at birth in the absence of any associated sensory experience, and that such memories could be incorporated into the genome over long spans of time.'

Epigenetics; Some people receive family heirlooms from their ancestors: historic jewelry, trinkets, vintage clothes, sentimental photographs, and other mementos which are passed down from generation to generation. But scientists are beginning to discover that we may be inheriting much more from our grandparents than the contents of their attic. New studies suggest that some of our memories, fears, and behaviors are passed down genetically through generations from our ancestors.

Recent studies done by scientists and researchers even suggest that we receive loads of genetic memories from our parents, grandparents, and further ancestors, in an instinctive effort by their DNA to better prepare ours for difficult experiences that they have faced, such as fear, disease, or trauma.' 

-Buzzworthy, Memories Are Passed Through DNA From Your Grandparents, Say Scientists.

2023 Goodreads Reading Challenge

 If you actually knew me, you'd know that my hyperbolic number of choice is usually 87. 

So, for the 2023 Goodreads Challenge I have chosen 87 books to read for the year. This excludes the books I read with my daughter, otherwise I would reach my goal with her books alone by March. 

She is in 5th grade, and I love that the class reads have been getting heftier in the last couple of years; more substance. Some grit. I am not nostalgic for the rainbow fairy unicorn phase we have now left behind.

The first read of 2023 for me will be Jamie Ford's The Many Daughters of Afong Moy: A Novel as it is the one I started not long before the end of 2022. 

Why I Really Don't Review Books Anymore

Don't you just love when you read something that resonates? I forget which book that I found it in, but nevertheless it has left an impression. 

The passage in the book was along the lines that you form a sort of relationship with a book. That you "meet" the book, and the experience of reading the story is largely based on your own life; how relatable it is. That every reader has a different perception of the book.

Did you ever read a book that a friend raved about and you were like meh...? And vice versa, had friends not be enthralled by the books you love? Have you ever hated a book but then later give it a second try and adore it? Something to this, perhaps. 

To go further, I have decided that books are like people, in a way. There are perfectly good books that I just don't get along with. A writer's style is like the personality of the book. Some authors have the same "personality" for all their books, while others write books with ones that are unique to that particular novel. Explains why you can absolutely love one book and not another one from the same author.