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.

Like many since the lockdown, I can proudly call myself "a birder". This Backyard Bird Chronicles was the perfect book to dive into every morning while I enjoyed my coffee. I loved seeing how Amy connected with the birds outside her window and the illustrations were lovely! Highly recomend to any bird lover! Thank you Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

You may be like me and have Amy Tan nicely cubbyholed into a novelist that writes from her cultural heritage. I have certainly enjoyed her string of books – The Kitchen God’s Wife, The Joy Luck Club, and The Bonesetter’s Daughter – to name a few. Now she has done something entirely different and worth reading.

In 2016, she became disturbed with the state of the world and turned to nature for relief from the volatility of social media and the news. From September 16, 2017 to December 15, 2022, she kept a what amounts to a bird diary, tracking visitors to her yard. The Backyard Bird Chronicles is her newest and entirely different book that chronicles her experience and knowledge about birds. In addition, she paints beautiful pictures of those birds with witty notes on what they were doing and perhaps what their motivations were.

Her chatty humor shows up in lines like, “I will not go to prison, a place where I would have gotten a lot of writing done.” Any idea that this is a scientific writing disappears with her use of words like “jolly” and “conniving” as descriptions and in her wondering questions. Day to day, she just invites the reader to join her enjoyment of the birds who show up around her.

Readers who are seeking their own escapes from the divisive world in which we live may join Amy Tan as she takes them into the natural world. Accessible knowledge about the birding world that she either knows already or learns about, her sense of humor, and her beautiful paintings will give relief from the world’s noise – and an entirely different picture of Amy Tan herself.

*Extra hint: If you love Amy’s bird paintings, you can follow her on Facebook for more.

I enjoy reading about other people's relationships with birds and bird watching. Learning new facets of their personality and comparing it to my own experiences. Amy Tan always makes me think.

This book was so much fun! Tan puts so much joy into it, and it put a smile on my fave to read it! the book is a collection of journal anecdotes and sketches from Tan as she observes different types of birds over the span of a few years. I really enjoyed the inclusion of her sketches in it.

What a lovely, wonderful book. We all know Amy Tan, writer of one of my favorite books ever, The Joy Luck Club (and so many others). This is a departure from her works of fiction in which she truly chronicles the birds she feeds and sees in her yard with both a narrative and her brilliant illustrations which are breathtaking! As someone with a few bird feeders, this inspired me to look closer - to observe and log. With so much madness and uncertainty in the world, there's such beauty in carefully watching and appreciating nature. It's lovely, like a hug from a friend you haven't seen in a while. I really enjoyed this one. I think you will too. Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy.

“The Backyard Bird Chronicles” by beloved author Amy Tan is a very special book. Ms. Tan shares with us her journey of learning about and loving the songbirds in her backyard. This is a very open, approachable and immersive book. You will feel as if you are sitting with Ms. Tan on her back porch, gazing at her lovely gardens, and listening to her describe her bird friends.

Ms. Tan begins by relating how she always loved exploring nature as a child. It wasn’t until a few years ago, that she became aware of the birds in her backyard. She started out recognizing three types of songbirds. Now, she can identify 60 birds. But more than mere identification, she has become close friends with her “visitors”.

Her “Chronicles” feature her daily observations of her bird friends. We also get to see her sketches of the birds she gets to know. ( really liked how she immediately bought many sketch pads and drawing tools as her passion took off. I would do the same.)

This is a very engaging book. Probably the best way to enjoy this book is to read it in little bursts. You may also want to use Ms. Tan’s drawings to help you identify birds in your own backyard. And take note- it’s really hard to outsmart the squirrels!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance digital review copy. This is my honest review.

Amy Tan, best-selling author of The Joy Luck Club, keeps journals of the bustling birds in her backyard, finding solace in her observations and pencil drawings. Here, her joys, reflections, and illustrations on birdlife are collected into one volume. Full of engaging and vibrant birds and their personalities, The Backyard Bird Chronicles will inspire readers to take note of the beauty and nature that surrounds them.

THE GOOD:
Very sweet. Addictive, at first. Amy learned how to draw birds so she could sketch those in her backyard! She got quite good at it, and many of her sketches are included in the book. Her enthusiasm is very contagious. She writes about, and draws, over 60 species that visited her yard.

THE BAD:
The book is a bit long (288 pages) and can get repetitive, as the same birds are discussed multiple times.

CONCLUSION:
A lovely coffee table book, or gift for a bird-living friend - especially those who are fans of Ms. Tan or who are California-based birders, as she is.

I absolutely loved this - it won't be for everyone but I found it quite emotional and personal, and it almost has me wanting to try to draw my feeder birds (which is really something, as even my stick figures are not very good stick figures.) I did actually give my feeders a good clean and put them back out after reading this.

I really enjoy noticing birds are coming and going on my walks. I especially enjoy seeing blue jays and cardinals. I really enjoyed this beautiful book. Amy Tan's writing is lovely and her drawings are impressive. I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys nature, birder or not.
Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to enjoy these beautiful illustrations and prose.
This book should be on all coffee tables for those who enjoy outdoor life.

February ended on a high note with The Backyard Bird Chronicles. Back in high school I was a big fan of anime and manga -- my favorite genre was called Slice of Life, pure comfort watches/reads. Normal people going about their everyday lives, no giant robots in sight or epic fight scenes (although Amy does have more than one showdown with squirrels determined to break into her bird feeders). The Backyard Bird Chronicles felt VERY Slice of Life in the best way.

Over several years, novelist Amy Tan kept a diary of her foray into birding. As the weeks turned into months turned into years, she began to recognize individual bird calls and could pick out breeds as they visited her backyard. She experimented with different types of suet and seeds, ultimately discovering her visitors had a rather sophisticated palette that demanded pricey mealworms. Eventually 2020 happened and watching it play out through Amy's entries brought on a mix of emotions. Later, the California wildfires brought new birds seeking refuge to Amy's backyard.

While there were Big World Events happening this was also a really lovely read of a woman's time spent in her backyard. I could feel the awe Amy felt when she managed to get a hummingbird to land in her hand, the surprise when she realized the bird trying to get her attention was in distress -- not in pain -- but because its favorite feeder was empty despite every other feeder in the yard being fully stocked. There were moments of sadness and heartache along with the joy and it all came through with each entry, every beautiful illustration. What a delight this was to read.

I love Amy Tan and will eagerly read anything she writes. I probably should have done a bit more research before diving into this one! Rather than a novel about someone who loves birds (which I am lucky to have an interest in due to my son), this is more of a personal journal of observations and illustrations (quite literally) of the birds that visit the author's backyard. The drawings are very well done, it is a sweet little book, but not what I want from Amy Tan! Sophisticated birders may find this book a little too earnest, avid amateurs will enjoy it and those who happen to also love Amy Tan will find it delightful.

This is a sweet book and would make a wonderful gift. This is definitely one of those books that I would recommend a reader enjoy in its physical form.