Most boring book I ever read. ( )

I’m interested in birds. I recognize that Amy Tan is the author of another famous book which I wasn’t interested in reading either. One issue is I’m listening to it as an audiobook and apparently you’re supposed to use it as a regular book because you can’t see the pictures that she is drawn when it’s an audiobook.

So I managed to get a hold of them e-book edition from the library and it does have all these really nice pictures, but somehow looking through the pictures and reading it made me depressed. First of all the author seems like this annoying overachiever who is nature journaling, and such a way to make everybody else feel bad. Some of the birds that she draws are actually dead and there’s some tragic stories. If you’re sensitive to dead birds you may not want to read this book depending on if you’re overall interest in birds, overrides your sadness. I can’t give low star rating to a book that’s about environmentalism and naturalism. It’s just that I didn’t like this book, but I’m still giving it, Five Star based on the principal that it deserves to have good stars. Even reading the other glowing reviews on libary thing about this book makes me depressed because what’s wrong with me that I can’t appreciate this book when other people can? ( )

I am impressed with Tan's dedication to leaning how to illustrate as well as her devotion to her lovely backyard and its birds. I work in a bird rehab clinic and getting to interact and see birds up close will change you. Well done and hopefully an inspiration for others and their backyards. ( )

The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan is a delightful illustrated love story dedicated to birds and bird watching. It is very highly recommended. This is an amazing book and I can't wait to buy a hardcover copy.

In 2016 Amy Tan began keeping journals with drawings about the birds she observed in her northern California backyard. The Backyard Bird Chronicles represents material from nine journals full of observations from September 16, 2017 to December 15, 2022. Most of the entries are observations or lighthearted notes, but a few more serious events are also included, like the 2017 salmonellosis outbreak among Pine Siskins. She observes and identifies the many birds, the problems like squirrels, crows, cats, etc. At the end is a list of all the birds she has seen in her backyard as of Dec 2022, and a selected reading list.

This is a spectacular book! I can't even explain how much I adored this book. I loved the charming personal, reflective, humorous observations about the birds, the information, and especially the sketches of the birds she seeing. Tan is the daughter of an ornithologist, which explains some of her knowledge, but she also adores watching the birds.

Her devotion to feeding them, providing water, and creating a welcoming habitat for a wide variety of birds is inspiring. David Allen Sibley, the acclaimed ornithologist, wrote the foreword and writes that this is a "collection of delightfully quirky, thoughtful, and personal observations of birds in sketches and words." Thanks to Knopf Doubleday for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2024/04/the-backyard-bird-chronicles.html ( )

I have enjoyed the author's previous books very much, and I have to commend her for writing this one. What a departure from her other books! And what a talent she has. Wow.
I definitely can relate to Ms. Tan's love of watching birds. It's something I have enjoyed for almost 60 years. From the first birds my father pointed out to me as a boy in Wisconsin (blue jays, chickadees, and grosbeaks), to the first robin of spring, to beautiful Baltimore Orioles, and on and on. I remember the first Indigo Bunting I saw, in a creek bottom while trout fishing as a teen. It absolutely took my breath away. And then on to ducks and geese, and then owls out here in the PNW. I currently have SEVEN feeders in my yard, and spend many moments just watching the birds come in.
The author seems to have the same love for birds. The difference being her absolute incredible ability to describe them, as well as her beautiful drawings of them. What a great artist!
I fell in love with this book. I received it as an ARC from NetGalley, but I will absolutely be buying a hard copy when it is released in April. As well as a copy for my father, who is now 89 years old and still feeding the birds. I'm sure he will love it!
Thanks Ms. Tan for a great experience! ( )