This is a lovely bird journal of Amy Tan’s time at home during the Covid pandemic. She relates the stories and information about the backyard birds in her life and draws and sketches many bird adventures, their habits and what she has learned while observing them.
I recommend this book for bird and nature lovers alike and anyone who notices the creation around them.
#netgalley

I have something in common with Amy Tan--I too am a backyard birdwatcher. Watching hummingbirds and their antics saved me during Covid, I swear! And from Amy Tan's writings, I've learned a few facts about them and other birds common to California too.

These chronicles are her journals and lovely sketches of the birds she observed at her backyard feeders in California over several years. The accounts are quite charming and touching. Would make the perfect Mother's Day gift!

Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this book via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

This is an engaging and lyrical exploration of the the outdoors, the senses, and a return to wonder. Amy Tan's prose is interesting and entertaining, and her drawings are beautiful. I enjoyed reading her thoughts and insights immensely, and love that she wrote this introspective journal in her 8th decade. Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf for the advance digital copy!

I loved her descriptions and illustrations of birds and the process that she took to observe them. I would love to read it in print because it was difficult to see it correctly on Kindle

"The Backyard Bird Chronicles" is a birder's lovechild born from the inimitable author, Amy Tan. Out of her love of nature and birds, she has lovingly created (amd now shared) her very personal set of journal entries and drawings. The great big "wild" was her own Californian backyard.

Begun in 2019 as a hobby, but magnified into an intense personal journey during the Civid-19 pandemic, Tan opens the reader's eyes, ears, and heart to the magnificent beauty of the world around you! If the pandemic has an upside that we can all take with us as we move past its horrors and isolation, it would be to follow Miss Amy Tan...find the time amd the will to look...REALLY LOOK...at the intimate and infinite beauty of this world of ours. And if we truly follow her example, we need look no further than our own backyards!

I am not a "birder," but this chronicling by Amy, my dear new friend in finding beauty and new possibilities, has reopened my to the journey called personal discovery and renewal. If one follows her example, it's as simple (and as perhaps as hard) as simply stopping, watching, listening, and embracing what's right in your own backyard!

I am honored to have taken this journey through the grace and talent of the author. This book will be published on April 23, 2024. I wholeheartedly recommend it to those who seek nature's beauty and the calm that can be provided when you look beyond yourself.

#TheBackyardBirdChronicles
#AmyTan
#NetGalley
#Nature'sBeautyInYourOwnBackyard

Whether or not you’re a birder, this is a book to savor for both prose and artistry. When getting about became limited during the worst of Covid, Amy Tan turned her intellectual curiosity on her own back yard and the birds who visited. She entertained herself by challenging herself to recreate accurately on paper and in color what she observed and kept a diary of sorts on her bird observations. The result is this incredible book which reveals not only the normally unobserved lives of birds but how many types and varieties that can exist unknown in one small yard. It is delightful, informative, and the artwork is joyous. A book to repeatedly savor.

Thanks to Knopf for the early review copy via NetGalley (available 23 Apr 24) and to @PRHAudio for the #gifted audiobook. #PRHAudioPartner #sponsored

My family calls me The Crazy Bird Lady. I sweet talk the birds I see at my feeders and bushes, I put little dots in my bird identification book when I discover a “new” species, I text my neighbor to report the first migratory sightings (and she texts me when she sees baby wood ducks), I run to the store for grape jelly on our first Oriole sighting. I ordered fancy feeders from Etsy (photo from @coppervinefeeders).

I’m thrilled to know I’m not alone. When I recommended Margaret Renkl’s COMFORT OF CROWS to my friend Tricia, she immediately recommended this GEM. Amy Tan wrote and illustrated six years of journal entries, musings, and drawings of backyard birds, squirrels, and the occasional rat. Yes, THAT Amy Tan.

It was perfect. Of course, Tan is a beautiful writer! Here, her talents extend to describing her birds - both their antics and their identifying features. She fills her fridge with live mealworms, engages the aid of animal rescue, and dedicates large portions of her time (and income) to keeping her feathered friends happy and healthy. In return, the effort also makes her (and her readers) happy.

Reading the full-color e-book while listening to Tan narrate the audiobook was a true luxury. Initially, I hadn’t planned to listen to the audiobook due to the drawings, but another friend insisted. And boy, was she right! Tan's sly humor shines through as she unabashedly anthropomorphizes her birds, and her remarkable talent for IMMITATING them adds another layer of entertainment. Her demonstration of how an owl’s call differs from a dove (“It is deeply sonorous and reverberates far and wide. Its voice is a saxophone, the dove’s a recorder.”) was a delightful surprise.

I wish I could remember who recommended the audiobook! Whoever it was, THANK YOU! You were so right.

Maybe my first Amy Tan book should have been The Joy Luck Club, but I think The Backyard Bird Chronicles being my first Tan book is perfect. This is a tender, caring look into birding in your own backyard. There are plenty of books describing long trips to remote, special locations to spot a rare bird for a few exhilarating seconds. There are few books that show you the magic of looking out your back window and watching what special things fly in.

I loved this partially because I enjoy the way that Tan observes animals. There is curiosity and kindness in each journal entry, and how she thinks about birds reminds me of my own thought processes on birds. I also loved the sketches and how Tan places thoughts into the birds' heads, trying to understand their actions.

It's just a really, really nice book, and if you are a beginner birder or an advanced one, you will find beauty in this book.

Thanks to Knopf and Netgalley for the e-ARC!

Well known fiction author Amy Tan takes us to her backyard for her observations and drawings of the birds that populate her feeders. Most of her journaling takes place during the pandemic, a divisive time during which she developed an interest in birdwatching. Her observations and stories are entertaining; her drawings are beautiful! She also shares the knowledge she has gained over the many hours spent studying the birds' behaviors. Many nature lovers will relate to the attachment and compassion she has for the birds. This won't be the book for everyone, but I really enjoyed it! She left me with lots of food for thought about bird behaviors and migration

Tan chronicles the birds in her backyard over several years in journal format. She starts out knowing very little and ultimately learns a ton (and spends A LOT of money!) She also sketches the birds. This would be a good gift book for someone newly interested in attracting birds to their backyard.

I LOVED this book. Amy Tam journaling about the birds of her backyard? With pictures? Sure! Tan's obsession (her word) with the birds found her going pretty deep to create a haven for the birds, and they repaid in full. The book is laid out chronologically from September 2017 to the last entry in December 2022 and includes excerpts from her journals and accompanying drawings. The drawings are beautiful. Some are cartoon-like (with captions), some are in color, some in pencil. There's a lot of humor, there's excitement as she learns to identify birds with the confidence of an expert. And the writing is sublime. The bird action reads, at times, like a thriller.

Tan began her nature journaling adventure by taking classes and going on field trips led by John Muir Laws, "Jack". An artist, naturalist, author and educator he's well known in the Bay Area (and beyond). Tan refers to Jack frequently in "The Backyard Bird Chronicles" and these mentions had extra weight because coincidentally a group of us went on a nature journaling adventure with him last month. Talk about a small world. His philosophy to stay curious, to have wonder, to be in awe resonated and it was so refreshing to see in Tan's work. She asked many many questions in her journaling to home in on the bird behavior she was observing. A refreshing reminder to slow down and really look at the beauty that surrounds us, to ask questions.

This book was calming. It was meditative. I loved how I felt when I was reading it.

I read it on my phone to render the drawings in color. You'll cheat yourself if you only see Tan's gorgeous drawings in black and white. I also think the physical book would make a great gift.

My thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC. "The Backyard Bird Chronicles" will be published on April 23, 2024.

I've found the perfect gift. For the curious ones to the ones uneasy in their obliviousness to the natural world around them, I highly recommend THE BACKYARD BIRD CHRONICLES written and illustrated by Amy Tan. Turning from an increasingly fractious and tense world, Tan plunged headlong in birding and in drawing and the result is stunning beauty that inspired me to look differently at familiar suburbs with fresh eyes and new questions. I was stunned by the beauty, the reverence for life, the curiosity to probe further and keep learning, practicing, developing newfound talents from writing memorable stories to telling a truer and more piercing story in Tan's remarkable, lyrical voice. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

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.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, X, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

My thanks go to Net Galley and Alfred A. Knopf for the review copy. This book will be available to the public April 23, 2024.

I probably should have read the promotional blurb more carefully, because here’s a fact: I have very little interest in birds. But I saw the name Amy Tan, and her work is always wonderful; I figured that the birds would sometimes be metaphors for other things, and that there would be a significant nonbird component to her essays. However, this little book is exactly what the description indicates: a book about the birds she’s seen in her backyard, along with her very own illustrations. And so, even though the book is by an iconic author, I soon found my eyes glazing over. I tried changing sections, since sequential reading isn’t important here; no joy.

It's really just birds.

So, as a general read for fans of Tan’s writing, I have to call this a three star read. However, as a niche read for birding aficionados, particularly in California, this might well be a five star read. I’ll split the difference and call if four stars.

Recommended to those that love birds and bird art.

The perfect gift for any person who loves birds or nature. This book would make a great conversation piece on anyone's coffee table or book shelf. Any Tan's words, combined with intricate sketches, are simply magical.

What a delightful read for those who enjoy watching birds. I'd recommend buying it in hard copy to more fully experience the drawings, which while lovely in e-reader, surely are even better in color. Tan's observations of and interactions with birds may mirror that of many, who will be able to relate to her experiences. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I very much enjoyed this.

As a fan of Amy Tan, I knew I would enjoy her journal entries about the birds in her backyard. I found her keen observations to be both entertaining and educational. I didn't know what a gifted artist she is. Her artwork adds a unique dimension to the stories, enhancing the reader's experience.

It is difficult to rate a book that covers a specific subject. If you are wild about wild birds then The Backyard Bird Chronicles is clearly a 5-star read. You should buy copies for yourself and your enthusiastic wild bird-loving friends. If you are only mildly curious about wild birds, it is more of a 3 to 4-star read.

If there is one thing I’ve learned about Amy Tan in all my reading years, it is this: She is a woman of incredible, enviable talents. I knew about the writing. I knew about the music. However, The Backyard Bird Chronicles reveals yet other talents – drawing and birding.

One caveat I must include is that Tan ventures into new territory with Chronicles, and it is a territory much narrower in scope than her fiction work. What do I mean? This book appeals to bird lovers, probably animal and general nature lovers, and very possibly artists, but it will not be a book for Tan fans looking for another beautifully written novel. Luckily for me, I am an animal lover, nature lover, amateur birder, and wannabe artist, so this is an excellent match.

With that in mind, Tan has mastered the art of observation in fostering her hobby, nay obsession (she admits as much), of journaling the bird happenings right in her own backyard. For six years, Tan monitored the comings and goings of the avian creatures, drew in meticulous detail and notated many of their remarkable behaviors, and learned many ways to feed and provide a haven for them through trial and error. The cast of characters occasionally featured four-legged critters who wandered onto the stage and the setting included birding life under lockdown for the pandemic and other life events, including the death of a dear friend.

Through the diversity of winged visitors, Tan demonstrates her insatiable curiosity over their behavior and destinations, wonderful humor in her birding failures, and heartfelt compassion for the ones who struggled.

The illustrated journal pages included within entries are gorgeous and evidence that Tan has dedicated years to honing the art of drawing birds of all varieties. If ever someone wanted to learn how to embrace a hobby or learn something new, Tan provides a charming blueprint for doing so.

Thank you to Knopf for the ARC of this book through NetGalley, which I received in return for my honest review.

I thought The Backyard Bird Chronicles would be nice fluffy reading compared to my memories of reading Tan's work (the Joy Luck Club from ages ago). Well! Just a few pages into these Chronicles I already got sad about an epidemic that hit migratory birds. I felt her worry as she discussed mortality rates of songbirds, or talked about how quail can be such easy prey. I was silently cheering on moms trying to teach their babies how to use squirrel-proof bird feeders. I got invested in the well-being of birds I will never see while sitting at my desk, waiting for work processes to finish. I found myself wishing that I was reading this on my tablet instead of my e-ink reader just to see more detail in her illustrations. I'd recommend this for birders who want their non-birder friends and family to get to know their hobby, or for anyone trying to read more nonfiction.

Oh the wonder of wild backyard birds! Learning so much of a birds life through the eyes of Amy Tan was remarkable. How they eat, what they eat, how they live, how they interact with different species, which includes human beings. So many different ways of nesting and where they like to nest. The different types of feeders and why some birds differ in their opinions of which feeder they will use. Also how some hide food for later use called caching. How they protect one another from harmful attacks. What I found interesting was how they interacted with Amy Tan.

Amy Tan what a remarkable book you have written. So many of us have in interest in feeding wild birds, like me. I learned so much about all the birds in your yard. This journel you wrote is a grand idea. And I thank the person who encouraged you to do a book to be published on your wonder of birds. Your drawings are amazing too.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to get to read before publishing. I learned so much from Amy Tan.