The Backyard Bird Chronicles

 

The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan

Nonfiction

2024

Finished on October 20, 2025

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

A gorgeous, witty account of birding, nature, and the beauty around us that hides in plain sight.

Tracking the natural beauty that surrounds us, The Backyard Bird Chronicles maps the passage of time through daily entries, thoughtful questions, and beautiful original sketches. With boundless charm and wit, author Amy Tan charts her foray into birding and the natural wonders of the world.

In 2016, Amy Tan grew overwhelmed by the state of the world: Hatred and misinformation became a daily presence on social media, and the country felt more divisive than ever. In search of peace, Tan turned toward the natural world just beyond her window and, specifically, the birds visiting her yard. But what began as an attempt to find solace turned into something far greater—an opportunity to savor quiet moments during a volatile time, connect to nature in a meaningful way, and imagine the intricate lives of the birds she admired.

Random Thoughts...

Began reading on January 1st. Reading one journal entry each day. [This didn't last. I wound up reading some here and there, but not every day.]

Inspired to look up each bird mentioned by Tan on the Cornell Lab website. Listened to the bird calls, as well as noting physical characteristics that Tan has mentioned in her notations. Started watching Cornell Lab FeederWatch Cam at Sapsucker Woods, which is highly addictive. So many birds to see. Chickadees, nuthatches, juncos, cardinals, woodpeckers, jays, doves, tufted titmice, finches, etc.

Humor in sketch captions - gorgeous drawings of the birds! I was going to list my favorites, but they are all lovely. What a talent.

Tan is a very involved backyard birder:

Now that the migrants are returning in greater number, I have added more feeders to each of the four locations: the patio, the verandah, the office porch, and on the other side of the bathroom window. Sichuan Sunflower Seeds. Vindaloo Suet Mini Balls. Farm-raised Mealworms. Vegan Nectar. Spicy Suet. Nuts & Chews & Bugs. Nyjer Nirvana. Graines Pour Oiseaux Sauvages. Alaskan Taste Water. These are signs of my descent into madness.

Hand feeding a hummingbird – amazing!

Tan mentions the Camp Fire and the loss of the town of Paradise (Nov 2018) and as I read this entry, L.A. County was burning. When we drove through Oregon last summer, the smoke was so thick from the fires out there, and like Tan, I wondered how the polluted air would affect the birds. Do they fly far away to get out of the smoke?

Tan is very curious. She ponders the sounds of a hummingbird as it approaches a feeder or circles her head. Clicks and chirps that are accompanied by a tail swing. What is the purpose of these noises and movements?

What I Leaned:

Auricular – feathers around ears?

John Muir Laws advised his nature class to talk to yourself to encode details into memory and understanding while watching birds/animals.

Mention of a fake dead crow to ward off crows in backyard. One of our neighbors did this and it seems to have worked. We have a lot of crows with noisy babies in the spring. Might have to try it…

“Hummingbirds use sticky spider webs to bind together a strong flexible nest that attaches like rubber cement to a branch and expands as the babies grow.” (p. 48)

"When people compliment bird drawings, mine or others', saying they are 'better than Audubon,' they don't realize that there is a lot more that Audubon did than simply draw feathers on a bird, apart from being a racist slave owner. He took on the feat of drawing all the birds in America, tracking them down, capturing both their habitat and a signature behavior. (p. 112)

I enjoyed Amy Tan's birding journal, which spans five years (September 2017 to December 2022) and includes 132 drawings, sketches, and color illustrations by Tan. This is not the sort of book to read quickly, but rather over several weeks or months. 

Simply lovely. 

Nonfiction November 2025

 

Nonfiction November is one of my favorite blogging challenges. While I rarely participate in the weekly prompts, I love spending an entire month reading nothing but nonfiction. For me, this year looks to be the year of memoirs. You can learn more about this challenge here. 

I've been saving these books for the better part of a year and I'm excited to finally get to them. Have you read any of them? Which should I start with?

Click here for my previous Nonfiction November posts.

The Names

 

The Names by Florence Knapp

Fiction

2025

Finished on October 19, 2025

Rating: 4.5/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

The extraordinary novel that asks: Can a name change the course of a life?

In the wake of a catastrophic storm, Cora sets off with her nine-year-old daughter, Maia, to register the birth of her son. Her husband, Gordon, respected in the community but a controlling presence at home, intends for her to follow a long-standing family tradition and name the baby after him. But when faced with the decision, Cora hesitates....

Spanning thirty-five years, what follows are three alternate and alternating versions of their lives, shaped by Cora's last-minute choice of name. In richly layered prose, The Names explores the painful ripple effects of domestic abuse, the messy ties of family, and the possibilities for autonomy and healing.

Through a prism of what-ifs, Florence Knapp invites us to consider the "one ... precious life" we are given. Full of hope, this is the story of three names, three versions of a life, and the infinite possibilities that a single decision can spark. It is the story of one family and love's endless capacity to endure, no matter what fate has in store.

I've been on a roll! The Names was another remarkable read, and one I won't soon forget despite the harsh depiction of domestic violence. There are three distinct threads, carefully woven together to create an exquisite tale of one family and how the naming of a child can determine not only the life of a young boy, but also that of each member of his family. Florence Knapp delivers an ambitious and impressive debut work. My only regret is that I didn't jot down the names of each set of characters and their relationships in each version of Bear/Julian/Gordon's life. It was only when I was at the halfway point that I realized some of the secondary characters were in each storyline, but with different roles. What a provocative story!

I loved The Names and want to read it again, so I'll recommend it to my book group for our 2026 calendar. Florence Knapp is one to watch. Highly recommend!

Orbital

 

Orbital by Samantha Harvey

Fiction

2023

Finished on October 12, 2025

Rating: 2/5 (OK)

Publisher's Blurb:

A slender novel of epic power and the winner of the Booker Prize 2024, Orbital deftly snapshots one day in the lives of six women and men traveling through space. Selected for one of the last space station missions of its kind before the program is dismantled, these astronauts and cosmonauts—from America, Russia, Italy, Britain, and Japan—have left their lives behind to travel at a speed of over seventeen thousand miles an hour as the earth reels below. We glimpse moments of their earthly lives through brief communications with family, their photos and talismans; we watch them whip up dehydrated meals, float in gravity-free sleep, and exercise in regimented routines to prevent atrophying muscles; we witness them form bonds that will stand between them and utter solitude. Most of all, we are with them as they behold and record their silent blue planet. Their experiences of sixteen sunrises and sunsets and the bright, blinking constellations of the galaxy are at once breathtakingly awesome and surprisingly intimate.

Profound and contemplative, Orbital is a moving elegy to our environment and planet.

Truthfully, I didn't care for Orbital. Since it was a book group selection, I felt obligated to finish the book (which isn't very long--slightly over 200 pages), but it took me a longer than it should have, and it felt a bit like a chore. There are a few lists (things the astronauts wished for, things that surprise them, things they anticipate) that I liked to read, but the long one that begins on page 172 reminded me of Billy Joel's song "We Didn't Start the Fire" and seemed contrived. I recently read Project Hail Mary, which I think is much more entertaining. Orbital isn't much on plot and not a true character study, either. I'm in the minority, at least with my book group, most of whom loved the book and Harvey's lyrical writing. 

Life in Orbit:

Sometimes they wish for a cold stiff wind, blustery rain, autumn leaves, reddened fingers, muddy legs, a curious dog, a startled rabbit, a leaping sudden deer, a puddle in a pothole, soaked feet, a slight hill, a fellow runner, a shaft of sun. Sometimes they just succumb to the uneventful windless humming of their sealed spacecraft. While they run, while they cycle, while they push and press, the continents and oceans fall away beneath--the lavender Arctic, the eastern tip of Russia vanishing behind, storms strengthening over the Pacific, the desert- and mountain-creased morning deserts of Chad, southern Russia and Mongolia and the Pacific once more.

Time:

They feel space trying to rid them of the notion of days. It says: what's a day? They insist it's twenty-four hours and ground crews keep telling them so, but it takes their twenty-four hours and throws sixteen days and nights at them in return. They cling to their twenty-four-hour clock because it's all the feeble little time-bound body knows -- sleep and bowels and all that is leashed to it. But the mind goes free within the first week. The mind is in a dayless freak zone, surfing earth's hurtling horizon. Day is here, and then they see night come upon them like a shadow of a cloud racing over a wheat field. Forty-five minutes later here comes day again, stamping across the Pacific. Nothing is what they thought it was.

I might have enjoyed this novel had I read it before Project Hail Mary. I'm curious to hear what others think.

We the People... (No Kings Day 2025)

No Kings Protest 2025

Newport, Oregon

I participated in my very first protest this past weekend! My 92-year-old mother said she would really like to go, so we made a couple of signs, and joined 20 friends from our neighborhood to protest in Newport, OR. The weather couldn't have been more perfect; the sun was shining, temps in the 60s, and a gentle breeze kept us from getting too warm standing in the sunshine. There were hundreds of us along Highway 101 and it was incredibly uplifting! I felt proud to be among all those like-minded folks. We didn't have any serious problems with negativity. A few people held up hands with thumbs down. One guy flipped us the bird, one guy yelled that he loved Trump, a few people kept their windows rolled up as they stared straight ahead. But overall, the positive attitude from people driving by, some very slowly, smiling and waving and giving us thumbs up or peace signs, was so inspiring. A young girl (9 years old) walked by with her mom, pulling a cart full of snacks and bottled water to offer to the protesters. Her mom said it was her daughter's idea. My heart was bursting by the time we left Newport. 

Just a small portion of the crowd lining the highway!

From Heather Cox Richardson's daily column (Oct. 19, 2025):

Scholar of social movements Lisa Corrigan noted that large, fun marches full of art and music expand connections and make people more willing to take risks against growing state power. They build larger communities by creating new images that bring together recognizable images from the past in new ways, helping more people see themselves in such an opposition. The community and good feelings those gatherings develop help carry opposition through hard moments. Corrigan notes, too, that yesterday “every single rally (including in the small towns) was bigger than the surrounding police force available. That kind of image event is VERY IMPORTANT if you’re…demonstrating social coherence AGAINST a fascist government and its makeshift gestapo.”

Such rallies “bring together multigenerational groups and the playfulness can help create enthusiasm for big tent politics against the monoculture of fascism,” Corrigan writes. “The frogs (and unicorns and dinosaurs) will be defining ideographs of this period of struggle.”

From Brian Bahouth of KYAQ on October 19, 2025:

On Saturday in Newport, Oregon, roughly 1,200 people assembled as part of the nationwide No Kings II protest. According to organizers, nearly 7 million people turned out for more than 2,700 demonstrations across the nation, with at least one in every state. Thirteen rallies were held in Oregon coastal communities.

In Newport, protesters occupied both sides of the Pacific Coast Highway from the intersection with U.S. Route 20 to just south of Newport City Hall.

Another source claims there were "more than 2,600 protesters gathered Saturday in Newport to protest President Donald Trump. Event organizers from Indivisible Waves had several counters present to capture the record number of participants. There were more event organizers present, with some taking on sections to count with manual clicker tools. The group counted 2,632 protestors in Newport."

This Must Be the Place

This Must Be the Place by Maggie O'Farrell

Fiction

2016

Finished on October 1, 2025

Rating: 2/5 (OK)

Publisher's Blurb:

Daniel Sullivan leads a complicated life. A New Yorker living in the wilds of Ireland, he has children he never sees in California, a father he loathes in Brooklyn, and his wife, Claudette, is a reclusive ex-film star given to pulling a gun on anyone who ventures up their driveway. Together, they have made an idyllic life in the country, but a secret from Daniel's past threatens to destroy their meticulously constructed and fiercely protected home. Shot through with humor and wisdom, This Must Be the Place is an irresistible love story that crisscrosses continents and time zones as it captures an extraordinary marriage, and an unforgettable family, with wit and deep affection.

In a crazy effort to read all of Maggie O'Farrell's books, I stuck with this one in spite of my irritation with the structure of the novel. Anyone who has read O'Farrell's works is familiar with both her nonlinear timelines and multiple points of view. I have enjoyed a few of her books with these formats, but This Must Be the Place pushed me to my limit. Allow me to share the following line-up for each chapter:

Daniel 2010

Claudette 1989

Niall 1999

Phoebe 2010

Auction Catalog 2005

Donegal 2010

Claudette 1993

Daniel 2010

Lenny 1994

Donegal 2010

Todd 1986    

Lucas 1995

Daniel 2010

Claudette 1996

Teresa 1944

Daniel 2010

Maeve 2003

Ari 2010

Daniel 1986

Daniel 2010

Nicola & Daniel 1986

Niall 2013

Claudette & Daniel 2013

Interview with Timou 2014

Lucas 2014

Rosalind 2015

Ari, Calvin & Marithe 2016

Daniel 2016

There you have it. If my calculations are correct there are 16 points of view. As it's Daniel's story, he is the primary narrator, but the complex puzzle of a story made my head hurt. (I didn't even try to keep track of the locations!)

This is not the sort of book you can set down for more than a day without losing your place in the narrative. The prose is lovely, and the conclusion was satisfying, but this is not a book that I can recommend. I can't imagine what it would be like to listen to the audiobook. The novel really needs more than two readers (and the male's delivery is bland and annoying), and the constant shift between characters, time, and place would be agonizing. Thankfully, I had the print edition, which I promptly threw across the room once I finished. Bah!

2025 Third Quarter Favorites

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (4.5/5)

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn (4.5/5)

So Far Gone by Jess Walter (4.5/5/5)

20 Books of Summer Reading Challenge Results - 2025

 

The 20 Books of Summer Reading Challenge is one of my favorite reading challenges, and this is the sixth year that I've participated. I prefer to wait until the fall equinox (September 21st) rather than Labor Day to finish up the challenge, giving myself three extra weeks to complete my goals.

Once again, I chose 20 books, and had a mix of new releases and backlist titles. I had four that I gave up on, but subbed in nine (some for book club, as well as a few audio selections). All in all, I wound up reading seventeen books, and I'm very pleased with my results. Seven of the books were over 400 pages, and one of those was over 600 pages. 

Below is an image of my original picks. I'm currently reading This Must Be the Place, and I still plan to read The Lacuna, The House of Special Purpose, The Song of Achilles, Where the Forest Meets the River, The Grey Wolf, and The Nix.  Maybe my fall reading list will include these unread books.

For past posts (and results) about this challenge, click here. 

A Month in Summary - September 2025

Little Whale Cove

Depoe Bay, Oregon

September 2025

Didn't I just post August's summary?! Time truly does seem to speed up the older we get, doesn't it? Since it doesn't really get hot here, summer feels nonexistent (other than the longer days), so when the rainy season arrives, it seems like the year is much shorter. Whatever. Time for another wrap-up.

The first half of the month was spent traveling down and back to the Santa Rosa/Bodega Bay area for my Auntie Sue's memorial. It was nice to spend time with family & friends, as well as a brief visit with our granddaughter. We didn't go on a long road trip this year, so it was good to get out to some of our favorite campgrounds for a couple of weeks.

With that two-week long road trip, and another week of catching up around the house with errands and appointments, it's no wonder I didn't read very many books in September. I also blame my current book which has taken me over two weeks to read. I should have called it quits, but I held out hope that it would improve. Nope. But at this point, I will finish since I'm stubborn. Once I finish that book, I'm on to my fall reading selections (which I shared here). 

Books Read (click on the title for my review):

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn (4.5/5)

The Ride of Her Life by Elizabeth Letts (3.5/5)

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (4.5/5)

Movies & TV Series:

Person of Interest (Season One) -  We finished the first season and will take a break before watching more of this show. It's good, but each season has close to two dozen episodes!

The Thursday Murder Club - I haven't read any of the books in this series, so I didn't know what to expect from the movie. We thought it was entertaining and worthwhile.

Unforgotten (Season Six) - This series is ok, and we were kept guessing, but it's not as good as the earlier seasons. I miss Nicola Walker!

I Am a Noise - I would have liked more about her music and career and less about her therapy and the possibility of sexual abuse by her father. Too much navel-gazing.

Travels:

As mentioned above, we were in Bodega Bay for my aunt's memorial. It was great to spend time with family, as well as some of her friends, whom we had met on previous visits.

A bunch of Jacksons

Sue's immediate family

And then we had lunch with our beautiful granddaughter, Shaylyn!

Health News:

I was thrilled that not only did I not need a prescription from my doctor, but I could get my Covid booster even though I'm not 65. Whoohoo. Got my flu shot, too. #itrustscience

R.I.P.:

September ended with sad news of the passing of a dear friend and fellow blogger. You can read my post about Nan here.

Be well, friends. 💕