The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan

This is not your usual Amy Tan book, and I would characterize it as a memoir more than anything else. The author self-discloses that she is prone to obsessiveness, and we know that birds have a way of bringing that quality out in people. When the author finds something that she loves, she jumps in with both feet and gets those around her on board so that it goes her way, and that is what happened here. She is someone who, like a lot of us, has enjoyed nature and being outdoors, and birds are a ubiquitous part of that no matter where you are. It wasn't until 2016 that she caught the bird watching fever, and then during COVID, when in the Bay Area where she lives there were very few things to do outdoors, she took it from a hobby to a mission. She notes that on top of the love of nature she has also enjoyed sketching throughout her life, and that birding has been an avenue to hone those skills as well. On the up side, this book really got me thinking about myself and how I related to birds, and where I want this to incorporate this into my life, especially as I inch towards retirement and having way more time. The downside is that this just really seems more like interfering with nature, of brining it into your life in a really organized and somewhat strange way rather than just observing. She wants to be part of their lives, to be recognized by them rather than watching them, to the point where she is purchasing literally thousands of dollars worth of worms that she stores in her refrigerator to get birds to come back to her yard in droves. All in all I would say if you are an Amy Tan fan, you should check this out, and then if you are not, but you really love birds and stories about the people who are obsessed with them, this would fit the bill.