This book is uniquely beautiful. It is simply Amy Tan's journals and sketches of the birds in her backyards, but it's also so much more. It's reflections on stopping and watching the world around us, specifically what's in nature. It's a deep dive into the details she sees, relationships she notes, and connections she makes to the birds who find their way to her backyard. There were also some really interesting facts about different birds throughout. And her sketches are quite stunning. This was an unexpected read in a good way, and I found myself captivated by her world of birds. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this April 2024 release.

Amy Tan is a gifted writer. I will forever remember reading The Joy Luck Club in my 10th grade English class. I was really excited to receive a copy of The Backyard Bird Chronicles, not realizing that it is a journal of the bird in Tan's backyard that she was inspired to draw during the early days of the pandemic. There is no doubt that she is a talented writer, but this is such a niche book - probably of more interest to those who enjoy bird watching as a hobby. I will give three stars just because it was not at all what I was expecting but the writing - and the message about slowing down - is still lovely.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this ARC.

I loved this unusual book. The prose is so witty and so personal. The drawings are so exquisite for an "amateur" birder. She shows us the beauty and wonder of nature in our own backyards.

I am a long-time fan of Amy Tan and am happy that she has taken up extensive birdwatching in her backyard with the help of the John Muir Laws. While I am happy for her on a personal level, I cannot say that it made for riveting reading material.

As an aside, I have heard several unsavory accusations against John Muir Laws and do wish to support him in his bird sketching endeavors and predatory practices

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published April 23, 2024.

The premise of this book appealed to me, because I, too, spend a lot of time looking out my windows at the birds and the wildlife. My favorite are my “pet” hummingbirds, but I also like to watch the juncos, house finches, flickers, crows, and squirrels.

This book is unique in the best of ways. It is Amy Tan’s journal entries dating back to 2016 when, the world was so divided, and filled with hate, that she turned to her backyard for peace and comforting. What started out as a hobby for her turned into much much more as she became a knowledgeable birdwatcher. The book is also filled with pencil drawings that she drew of all of the creatures she sees in her backyard. The drawings are quite impressive, and also comical at times.

She writes “Watching birds for countless hours is the way to get to know them, and drawing is the test to demonstrate that knowledge.”

Since part of her journal takes place during the pandemic, she writes”Thanks to the birds, I have never felt cooped up, staying at home. So much remains new, so much can be discovered. As restricted as we are by the specter of a deadly disease, when watching birds, I feel free.”

This is not a typical nonfiction book (bird observations and drawings), and some may find it quite boring. But let me tell you: her huge cast of characters (all of the birds) combined with all of the emotions, funny stories, and interesting questions will make you laugh and cry, and hopefully appreciate what’s outside your window in a new way.

What a lovely read by a fabulous writer and amateur birder. Is there anything that Amy Tan can't do? Over the course of this short book, she shares her backyard birding adventures and the joy she experiences observing birds as they stop in her yard along their migration, or raise their young in her trees and branches, or as they learn to problem solve in order to get the best bits of food. Her illustrations and journal entries are sprinkled throughout the book which add to the charm - it makes me want to start nature journaling and spending more time in observing my immediate environment. Her curiosity is infectious, the stories she creates around her avian characters are entertaining and I've learned quite a lot about birds in the Bay Area. 4.5 rounding up to 5.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for the e-arc. I do think this is the kind of book that would be better as a hard copy so you can really enjoy the journal entries and illustrations.

The e-arc I received I read on my kindle and so I am not sure whether the formatting and drawings were in their intended states. I didn't see any color and the drawings were small and difficult to read, but it's obvious Amy Tan is not only a wonderful author, but skilled at sketching (or in the alternative, insert correct term for whatever this is here). I mean if you are into birds who meander into California, this may just be the book for you. But it's kind of like reading someone's journal who is really into a subject that you've casually observed. Like birds are cool and all but I hardly have the ability to engage in the kind of bird watching depicted here. For that reason, I did not feel super connected to any of it. All that aside, this was definitely not boring and I still enjoyed it.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

There's a joke on IG that the older you get the more you appreciate birds.

I know the forward and preface talk about youth birding here but this is more true for me and my friend group in our late 30s/40s. So to that end loved this! Such a delightful look into a wonderful world.

I follow the Green Bird Brigade on IG now so I get more bird content and yes, that's also probably why I adored this

I don’t know what happened to me but one day I started watching birds. And listening to them. I used to hear them communicate in the strangest ways until I realized I was also listening to squirrels - ha!
Anyway- so imagine my joy when I discovered this new book about birding by Amy tan! And not just writing- artwork as well!

Of course all the stars for this book. I would prefer it in physical form though even though I read a lot of ebooks.

This would make a great gift for all bird lovers/watchers!

If you are a birder, or simply live where you have birds flying by, this book will draw you in and probably trick you in to putting out some seed and sitting back to watch. Amy Tan brings the same insight and contagious joy to bird watching as she does to her captivating fiction. Her books have stayed with me over the years, and now, as a more sedentary senior, I have enjoyed bird watching and appreciate the way Amy Tan has given the birds personalities and character traits that rival those in her fiction. In this book she tells of the beginnings of her birding hobby as it developed, including failures long with successes. Her drawings are exquisite, showing another skill of this multi talented women..
#Thebackyardbirdchronicles. #NetGalley

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!

The chronicles is a passion project for author Amy Tan. As she shares, in 2016 she began to steadily document bird sightings. The drawings over the years become more refined and absolutely beautiful. It's a pleasure to read a great writer's musings and this is a gem of a book for any Amy Tan fan, birdwatching fan or just someone wanting to slow down and appreciate the nature around us #Thebackyardbirdchronicles #amytan #knopf

Amy Tan invites the artist in all of us to come with her as she shares the birds that visit her yard. And yes, I believe that everyone has an artist inside... her encouragement is contagious! I read this ARC on my Kindle App on my iPad, but I believe that the true delight of this book (Amy's artwork) might be best experienced in the book, which I absolutely plan on getting!

I love the idea of keeping track of my backyard visitors! If you love to watch birds, you will enjoy this book! If you are inspired to try your hand at drawing your backyard visitors... you will absolutely love this book!

I would like to thank Netgalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for this copy of The Backyard Bird Chronicles. This book will be published April 23, 2024.

This book was an absolute delight! Just lovely writing and a truly enjoyable read especially for the novice birder. The drawings are simply spectacular and the forward by David Sibley is splendid. Highly recommend for the birder/nature lover in your life. Really fun to see how human relationships developed as a result of a common interest in birds.

Such a sweet book. I loved the illustrations. There is so much to be found in our own backyards. Highly recommend this book.

This is such a lovely book! Love the story from the artist as she tells the reader of how she came to watch, track/document birds in her backyard. Beautifu essays and drawn illustrations . One of my favorite books of 2023. A very special Thank you to Knopf via NetGalley for the advanced ebook in exchange for my honest review.

I liked the drawings and some of the writing, though it felt a little off as a diary - I kept feeling like there wasn't a great cohesive whole, that there should have been more plot or something, so for me the journaling aspect didn't work all that well. But still some insightful moments and the illustrations are wonderful

Amy Tan writes about birds seen in her backyard in a journal format. She is a talented artist, and includes color sketches of many of the species. At the end of the book, she lists every species she has identified. This book may be of special interest to those who enjoy birdwatching as a hobby, but possibly less interesting to the general reader. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Many of you likely know Amy Tan. She is a phenomenal writer who has been around a minute. This, however, is not her normal style of book.

Beginning before she knew anything about birds to being able to identify and sketch an impressive variety. However, this is not a dry, scientific nature journal. This book allows you to grow with the author as she learns what she can about birds, even finding facts about them herself through observation and impromptu experiments. You also get a sense of who the author is on a deeper level than perhaps her works of fiction.

Between 2017 and 2022, you can see the constant evolving improvement of her artwork, and through these, you get a taste of her sense of humor as she interprets actions into emotions and conversations.

Now, I rather enjoyed this book. The Big Year with Steve Martin and Jack Black is one of my favorite movies. I have watched it numerous times, and sometimes when I just need to destress, that is my go-to movie. I have been subscribed to ABC for years, and recently was turned on to eBird by an environmental science course at OSU. I am not a birder by any stretch of the word, but I do love to see them. So, this book immediately grabbed my interest and did not disappoint.

I love that it felt like Amy Tan invited the reader into her world, into her obsession/hobby. I could imagine perhaps standing on her porch, still as a statue, watching the birds on the suet cages, in the birdbaths, in the feeders, and on the windowsills, as she quietly pointed out the different species and varieties.

I appreciated the fact that she did not take the sides of certain birds over others when it came to natural predator/prey scenarios, and how vehemently she disagreed with certain societal norms in petkeeping. I could also empathize with her grief over birds that met ill fates. She rarely named the birds because the number and types and individuals varied from year to year, season to season, day to day, but she never fails to give them personalities.

One of the most endearing things about this book is her endless curiosity. She states she began birding at the age of 64, and that made my heart just absolutely soar because reading these journals and the little blurbs she puts next to the sketches truly shows her child-like wonder at these magnificent creatures. She never stops asking questions, and she doesn't let the "poobahs" on the Facebook birding groups who put her down for asking questions get her down.

I absolutely adored this book, and I am so glad she decided to allow us a glimpse into her world by publishing this.

A truly wholesome and beautiful book, The Backyard Bird Chronicles would be a lovely addition to your bird-book collection.

Amy Tan guides us through the her persinal stages of birding and drawing them.

Thank you #NetGalley for #TheBackyardBirdChronicles