2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge #4

The 2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge is hosted by Book’d Out. The rules for this challenge are pretty simple, you just have to read some nonfiction and write up reviews for them. There are four levels to choose from and for this year I am going to challenge myself to read six nonfiction books, a Nonfiction Nibbler. (I am actually going to shoot for 8 books, but there wasn’t a level for that.) 

The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan

Publication Date: April 23, 2024

Summary from Goodreads:

Confession:

As an avid backyard birder myself I found this to be a wonderful read. I was delighted by the illustrations as I turned every page, and the descriptions of the birds and their antics made my heart sing. This book probably isn’t for everyone, but if you have any interest in birds or nature this is one you want to add to your list.

The book is exactly as described, it is a journal of the birds the author saw at her backyard feeders. She not only describes the birds, but also their various behaviors. Ms. Tan is not a naturalist, but a fiction writer, so she often ascribes emotions and sometimes anthropomorphizes the birds, but in a fun way. She also sometimes questions their behavior and asks friends and experts what they know about these types of birds. She doesn’t always get an answer to her questions, but it does make you think.

I have been feeding and observing the birds in my backyard most of my adult life. I don’t get quite the variety that Ms Tan does, but I also don’t have as many or the variety of feeders she has. Her book almost makes me want to expand my backyard feeding, but then I realize the cost of that venture, and find that I am content with what I have. She spends a lot of time talking in a general sense about the expense, especially of feeding live mealworms, that I am amazed at her generosity. I know how much I spend a month and most people if they knew would think me crazy. But I totally get why she does it.

The journal entries are short and while most of them are happy or amusing, there are a few that are quite heartbreaking. Like the injured young hawk that she rescued and took to a wildlife sanctuary. There are also many heartwarming stories about birds mating and taking care of their young, something I love to observe in my own yard.

I can not speak enough about the illustrations. Some are obviously quick sketches without a lot of detail, but most are beautifully done. I also loved the little anecdotal notes that she wrote next to the illustrations. There are also quite a few extensive illustrations of some of the birds, that look like paintings. They were wonderfully well done and I admired them all, having no talent at drawing at all myself.

This is definitely a niche book, one that birders and naturalists will enjoy. But I certainly hope that because of who the author is that other people will pick it up and come to appreciate how wonderful and beautiful birds and nature can be.