Thoughtful and meditative, in the vein of Braiding Sweetgrass, this book would be a stunning gift for any bird lover in your life.

This is an interesting non fiction book. I always like what Amy Tan has to say. I love the drawings and found them charming. A change from my usual historical novels

In “The Backyard Bird Chronicles,” Amy Tan invites readers into the oasis of her California home—a verdant haven teeming with life. Through daily journal entries and exquisite color sketches, Tan chronicles her fascination with over 60 bird species that grace her backyard.

Tan’s observations are intimate, whimsical, and infused with wonder. Each entry is a snapshot of her evolving relationship with these feathered neighbors. From the first hummingbird encounter to the last acknowledgment from an eating bird, she weaves a tapestry of avian moments with the same beautiful prose of her fiction novels.

The birds themselves become characters—distinct, quirky, and occasionally aloof. Tan’s sketches breathe life into their plumage, capturing their personalities. Whether it’s the Townsend’s Warbler with its “displeased expression” or the fledglings learning to fly, these avian beings resonate beyond mere ornithology.

The writing maintains a graceful rhythm throughout and Tan’s commitment to journaling becomes infectious; readers find themselves peering through binoculars, sharing her joy and frustration. The battle against squirrels, the war on outdoor cats, and the beetle larvae budget—all contribute to a delightful narrative.

“The Backyard Bird Chronicles” is a love letter to nature, a celebration of curiosity, and a reminder that even in our own backyards, magic awaits.

A must read for all bird lovers! The author's descriptions were entertaining as well as educational. I'll be purchasing this one for my birdwatching friends.

Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan. This is part memoir, part journal of bird watching. I am an Amy Tan fan, but unfortunately I am just not interested enough in bird watching to finish this book. Possibly I will go back to it at a different time in life with a different perspective.

A longtime fan of Amy Tan's fiction and non-fiction essays, I immediately perked up when I saw that she has just written an account of her life feeding and caring for wild birds in her California home. As a very amateur birder here in the Pacific Northwest, I do find a lot of pleasure in finding the right food that brings birds to my back garden and shopping for unique new bird feeders. And like Tan, I've had a few similar adventures with rodents and birds of prey. Once when my bird feeding got a little out of hand, a situation that Tan captures really well as a common problem birders might face, I drew the attention of a Broad-Winged Hawk to my patio just feet from where I was standing. It was honestly thrilling.

So, in essence, most of Tan's stories and anecdotes resonate with me. She divides her stories and chapters by a wide range of themes one might expect if they wanted insight on life as a backyard birder. There are chapters on food that different species prefer, types of feeders that gave her insight into how different types of birds prefer to eat, and different elements in a yard, such as how to create the perfect bird bath to make a sanctuary for these animals that she loves so much.

There are some funny episodes where she readily admits that her bird feeding has become a "pathology." Her chapter on spending $250 a month for 20,000 live mealworms is what she humorously describes as her "descent into madness," especially when she hears herself having a conversation with her husband in which she explains their need for a second refrigerator. I also didn't realize until reading this book how active an online culture there is for fellow birders. I will admit that I found myself researching potential new feed and feeders after her chapter on corvids and woodpeckers so that I can better try to feed these stars of the bird world. I might try it, but I agree with Tan that it is a hobby that can spiral.

Of particular note from this book are the lovely drawings of different birds that Tan herself drew. She began going to nature drawing classes as a child in summer camps, and has maintained this hobby throughout her life. Her drawings are really wonderful to look at while reading. Also, I would just mention that I found Tan's deeply compassionate musings here so lovely. She is genuinely distressed by the loss of birds who come to her yard injured and deeply grateful for wildlife she feels she can help. Her epilogue made me teary when she thanked a bunch of people for helping her get this book published and ended it by thanking "To all the birds in my backyard. If only you knew what I see in each of you. If only you knew how much I love you."

Amy Tan's books helped turn me into a reader so I was very excited to see she was coming out with a new book. The added bonus was reading about her exploration of a topic, backyard birds, that I too find fascinating. I would recommend this book to anyone who feeds birds in their yard or thinks it might be fun to start, as well as to bird enthusiasts in general. Her artwork is beautiful and you can tell she has spent time developing her skills. The book is organized into journal entries and accompanying illustrations. Each entry explores her observations of birds in her yard and gives readers a chance to learn more about Amy Tan herself. This was a lovely book and I do hope she will write another one sharing her bird observations and stories.

The Backyard Bird Chronicles was such a balm to my soul. I loved Tan's writing but also her illustrations were so gorgeous.

I found Tan's reflections to be thought-provoking. However, I wasn’t able to view her illustrations in color, and so feel as if I've missed out!

I loved this rambling reflection of coming to appreciate backyard birds from author Amy Tan, who is also evidently an accomplished artist. Tan started recording the birds that came to her backyard, but like many others, the habit really took off during Covid, when everyone's world slowed down.

This is a great book to ingest in small bites. I found it both meditative and soothing. It would also make a great gift for anyone interested in birding. Although I am only a casual bird lover, putting out a bowl of seeds when I think about it, I found the book very enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amy Tan, and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A unique perspective into an aspect of a writer's life we don't often get to see; Amy Tan's illustrations are incredible! Happy I had the opportunity to give this a read.

With an introduction by David Sibley (a great birder and artist in his own right), Amy Tan documents the comings and goings of bird and wildlife in her backyard through observation, feelings and incredible drawings. I also have my home office looking out to my backyard and enjoy watching the birds, hawks, squirrels come in and out of my view. This book is a non-fiction journal with drawings in case you think it is another great novel by her. I really enjoyed this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review.

“The Backyard Bird Chronicles” by Amy Tan - 3 stars (Pub Date: Out Now!) is a lengthy but beautiful description of the birds seen from the California porch of renowned author Amy Tan.

Good things: Tan is a great artist. Her rendering of the birds she describes are stunning, the color and detail speaking to the 1000’s of hours she’s spent studying and then drawing the visitors to her back yard. As the daughter of a ‘crazy bird lady’ and a fellow amateur artist, I really appreciated the artistry on display. The author provides an excellent demonstration of the observational calisthenics needed to become an expert on a specific topic of interest. The drawing, writing, and reflections on bird behavior and the author's motivations for doing so are a playbook for mindfulness.

Opportunities: While there was great heart in the art, and there was obvious and immense interest in the subject by the author, there was something missing in the connections between journal entries. I at first thought that the book was written after the fact based on notes and I believe it was, but there was no narrative thread to speak of so then I thought maybe it was truly just a lightly edited journal. But I think it was written purposefully without any kind of narrative guiding the reader to any kind of personal reflection or conclusion, and if that’s the case it was a very very long personal diary read.

Final Thoughts: This is a great book to pick up and just read through the art and description pages. It would probably also make a great gift for a bird lover, a wildlife artist, or a hobby orinthologist. It was not something I would recommend reading straight through though, and ultimately I realized that as I’m not the crazy bird lady that my mother is, this book really wasn’t for me. I found the author a tad bit obsessive and repetitive in her reflections, and there was only so much bird behavior reflections and bird feeder descriptions that I could absorb.

I appreciate the opportunity afforded me to have an early read of this book by netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf in exchange for my honest opionion. The opinions in this review are expressly those of ButIDigressBookClub and are intended for use by my followers and friends when choosing their next book. #butidigress #butidigressbookclub #thebackyardbirdchronicles #amytan #netgalley #netgalleyreviewer #arc #arcs

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Review Shared on Goodreads - www.goodreads.com/leah_cyphert_butidigressbookclub
Publishing Review 5/30/2024

As an Amy Tan fan I know I would enjoy her backyard journal entries. Having an interest in my own backyard birds, I could relate to her journal entries having had similar thoughts. While I knew her writing style would be descriptive and witty what blew me away was her artwork. Her sketches were absolutely beautiful and detailed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an amazing book.
4.5 stars

I am a long time fan of Amy Tan’s novels so I was excited to read something a bit different from her. I loved this! There was so much to enjoy about it and I will definitely be buying a copy for my shelves.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for providing an eARC for review.

This was a beautiful, extensive and engaging narrative about the world of birds. Most readers are probably familiar with Amy Tan's Asian historical fiction books with the most famous being "The Joy Luck CLub." I do not know if Tan has written any nonfiction books previously but I was very impressed by the prose and beauty she has portrayed in this wonderful book...

I like how this book is glimpse and education into all types of birds, not just birds of prey or songbirds; all bird! Enjoying birds has become a recebt hobby of mine and this an exceptional and thoughtful book on the subject. Plus the pictures are beautful.

I am definitely purchasing a hardcover copy of this to enjoy for myself and share with other people. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Amy Tan, NetGalley, and the publishers at Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Already available.

You might know Amy Tan from her award-winning book, THE JOY LUCK CLUB, and numerous other novels. But, I bet you didn’t know she was a bird lover and an amazing illustrator. In her newest book, Tan chronicles the comings and goings of birds in her own backyard along with intricately detailed illustrations of the birds she is writing about.

Tan shares the joy of a visit from a Golden-crowned Sparrow and the frustration of birds visiting her neighbors’ feeders and not hers. She tried not to feel rejected when she lured birds with her expensive bird food and they dropped her when she no longer provided it; eventually creating their nests elsewhere.

I’ve always enjoyed watching the birds as they were a common visitor to my backyard growing up. We have feeders in our backyard now and my husband diligently fills them every morning. Even though we live in town, we are on the outskirts and enjoy visits from a redheaded woodpecker, sparrows, goldfinches, juncos, robins, and occasionally an oriole. My mom still gets an array of birds to flock to her backyard and I’m always in awe of the variety of birds when I visit. There is something quite enjoyable about sitting and watching the birds stop by.

Tan shares the unique behaviors of various birds and other wildlife that frequent her backyard. She notes how they take turns visiting the feeders, watch out for cats or hawks, and shakily take their first steps and flights. She struggles with wanting to interfere with Mother Nature and knowing she shouldn’t. She notes the migration patterns and gets excited when new visitors stop by to take residence, even if just for a short time.

As a backyard bird watcher, something I have noticed that Tan also talks about is their songs and conversations. Using my favorite app, Merlin Bird ID, I learned the sounds of the various birds in my backyard. I may not have been too excited to see a House Sparrow on our feeder, but once I learned their song, it is now one I look forward to hearing. Tan has reminded me to enjoy all the visits to our backyard feeder and maybe one of these days I’ll get a visit from something really special.

This was a great book! I very much enjoyed it and I look forward to reading the author’s next work! Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.

I was really, really looking forward to this one but, ultimately, I didn’t finish it. I love Amy Tan and think she is a great author. I had no idea what a great artist she was, and the illustrations are spectacular. It was just…boring. It took me 3 weeks to reach 75%. I just couldn’t keep going. Maybe you all will have better luck.

Some books you want to race through. . . this is not one of them. Amy Tan's beautifully illustrated chronicles of her birdie besties is one that is a treat with which is it worth taking time to consider and explore. Compare your world as you turn pages through your time with her. If you can do it outside, even better, especially if you are in an area where birds are in your daily vistas.

Listening is my usual choice, but it wasn't for this one, and I'm glad. I found it is one to read, hold in your hands, and keep your binoculars at the ready!

*A sincere thank you to Amy Tan, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and independently review.* #TheBackyardBirdChronicles #NetGalley