#NonficNov
Click on the logo to see the detailed schedule
Be The Expert/Ask the Expert/Become the Expert
hosted by Katie @ Doing Dewey
Three ways to join in this week!
You can either share 3 or more books
on a single topic that you have read and can recommend (be the expert),
you can put the call out for good nonfiction on a specific topic
that you have been dying to read (ask the expert),
or you can create your own list of books
on a topic that you’d like to read (become the expert).
This year, I would love to ask the expert, about books on birds or birding. According to Goodreads, I have read the following books:
Click on the picture to know more about them
Alas, I don’t remember much of these. Except Life List, which was the amazing adventure of this woman diagnosed with cancer, who decided to use the last months of her life looking for the most unusual birds. Really good, and sad. I won’t spoil it by telling you why.
And now, here are the bird books currently on my TBR!
Needless to say, that’s way too many for one single topic.
So I need your help: if you have read any of these, please let me know which ones I should keep or skip.
NB: if you right click and open the picture in another tab, you will see much bigger.
HAVE YOU READ ANY OF THESE?
WHICH ONE WOULD YOU RECOMMEND MOST?
WHAT’S YOUR AREA OF NONFICTION EXPERTISE?
Words And Peace 
I’ve read Birds in the Ancient World by Jeremy Mynott and it’s excellent – I have his BIrdscapes on my wishlist. Funnily enough, I have four books on birdwatching on my own Become The Expert post today! I have no idea how I came to have four books on the topic … The Seafarers by Stephen Rutt is also excellent and I recommend it.
LikeLike
Lol, I didn’t realize my bird books TBR was going to explode! Thanks for adding The Seafarers to it though, sounds really good. And thanks for your advice on the others
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sorry, can’t help you here. Birds are not my favourite subject, although I love seeing them in nature. Good luck with your expert reading.
LikeLike
Thanks for stopping by anyway, I appreciate
LikeLike
I am a person who is very interested in birds. I have three bird feeders which I carefully watch every day. I have participated in Hawk Watch down in Galveston and I also love to volunteer at the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory during migration season.
I recommend North on the Wing and The Genius of Birds. I have The Thing with Feathers here.
LikeLike
I knew you would come to my rescue! Thanks!
We also have 3 bird feeders, plus suet, plus bird bath. Who needs TV??
Right now, the goldfinches are hilarious. They still come to the thistle feeder, but it’s cold (2 inches of snow, real feel 1 F), so they are super fluffy
LikeLike
I have read The Genius of Birds which was excellent and I have Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures with Wolf-Birds by Bernd Heinrich on my list. Good luck!
LikeLike
OMG, what are you doing, adding bird books to my TBR! Lol, I can’t resist, this one sounds so good. And keeping your advice for The Genius of Birds, thanks.
By the way, I clicked on your wordpress ID, but it says your blog is protected and I can’t visit. You might want to change the ID
LikeLike
I wish I knew more about birds. When I homeschooled my daughters we learned to identify many different birds, but I’m afraid I’ve lost a lot of that knowledge. (Hopefully they remember more than I do! ha)
LikeLike
It’s definitely fun to recognize birds, especially by their songs, you can often hear them before you see them!
LikeLike
I won’t add to your TBR but if you read all the ones on there you would be an expert yourself! N’est pas?
LikeLike
Could be. But some may not be worth it
LikeLike
My sister-in-law is very into birdwatching, she would probably enjoy a lot of these!
LikeLike
Let me know if she has some special recommendations
LikeLike
I feel it’s my duty to promote Aussie non-fiction during AusReadingMonth, so I;m going to recommend one of our recent best-selling bird books by Tim Lowe – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22586113-where-song-began
LikeLike
Ok, I couldn’t resist! Thanks, that will be a nice way of discovering new birds as well
LikeLiked by 1 person
A book that springs to mind, although I haven’t read it myself is H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald in which she attempts to train a goshawk as a way of dealing with grief at her father’s death. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18803640-h-is-for-hawk
I’m reading something similar at the moment, The Outrun by Amy Liptrot in which the author returns to her childhood home on Orkney to recover from alcoholism and, amongst other things, becomes involved with RSPB surveys of birds (including the elusive corncrake).
They may be not enough bird and too much memoir for you though 😀
LikeLike
Silly me, I only thought of books with the word bird in the title, and forgot to mention H is for Hawk. I have read and thoroughly enjoyed it. But I didn’t know The Outrun, so thanks!
LikeLike
Identifying local/native birds is as far as my bird knowledge & abilities extend – sorry I can’t provide any recommendations. I wish you luck on learning more about them though!
LikeLike
No worry. Thanks for stopping by
LikeLike
Hi there. How about “The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London” by Christopher Skaife (2018)? It’s all about his life at the Tower of London and how he looks after its famous ravens. PLUS he’s just adorable to read about because he really loves the birds. 🙂
There’s a fab couple of coffee-table books on specialty hens (lovely to look at). The one I’ve read is called “Extra Extraordinary Chickens” by Stephen Green-Armytage (2005). (Sort of the Vogue of chickens, but not dressed up or anything. Just wondering portraits.)
And there’s a really good documentary about people in the world of Show Chickens: “Chicken People” (2016) which is just lovely and will charm your socks off (about both the people and the chickens)…
And there’s really poignant novel called “The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly” b Sun-mi Hwang (2014) which is just gorgeous but might make you cry.
Or “The Thornbirds” by Collean McCullough (1977)? Not really. 🙂
LikeLike
*wonderful
LikeLike
OMG, that Ravenmaster sounds so good. I can’t believe here’s another book to add to my TBR!!
Oh, this is for nonfiction November, so I didn’t mention fiction, the list would be big. I have read Hwang’s book, and really enjoyed it: https://wordsandpeace.com/2019/01/22/short-reviews-the-monkey-the-hen-and-the-swan/
Talking about ravens, this Swedish novel is fabulous: https://wordsandpeace.com/2015/05/01/iffp-2015-review-the-ravens/
LikeLike
I’ve never given much thought to birds except how noisy they can be (we have kookaburra’s that next right outside our bedroom window) You might be interested in Where Song Began by Tom Low.
Please stop by to see my NonFicNov: Become The Expert
LikeLike
Thanks, another blogger recommended it, so it’s on my list
LikeLike
I really enjoyed Birding Without Borders and would definitely recommend it 🙂 I’m also interested in reading more about birds and The Genius of Birds caught my attention too. I’m adding Life List to my to-read list as well!
LikeLike
Thanks for your input
LikeLike