Name: Briar's Reviews's review of Birds Art Life by Kyo Maclear
Item: Birds Art Life
Rating: 5
Author: Briar's Reviews

Kyo Maclear

A writer’s intimate and exuberant search for creativity, meaning, and solace leads her to birdwatching in this “profound, charming memoir of art, books, life—and birds” (Minneapolis Star Tribune). When it comes to birds, Kyo Maclear isn’t seeking the exotic. Rather she discovers joy in the seasonal birds that find their way into view in city parks and harbors, along eaves and on wires. In a world that values big and fast, Maclear looks to the small, the steady, the slow accumulations of knowledge, and the lulls that leave room for contemplation. An “inspiring” (Parade) read, Birds Art Life celebrates the particular madness of chasing after birds in the urban environment and explores what happens when the core lessons of birding are applied to other aspects of art and life. Moving with ease between the granular and the grand, peering into the inner landscape as much as the outer one, this “timely and generous reprieve from anxiety, fear, and grief” (Globe and Mail) and “incandescent exploration of beauty, inspiration, art, family, and freedom” (Toronto Star) was sprung from Maclear’s sense of disconnection, her passions faltering under the strain of daily existence. Ultimately, however, Birds Art Life is about the value of reconnection—and how the act of seeking engagement and beauty in small ways can lead us to discover our most satisfying and meaningful lives. In this “fragile fluid commentary…The reader can relax in the solitude of Maclear’s musings as the words gently flow into the consciousness” (Seattle Book Review, 5/5 stars).

A Year of Observation

Birds Art Life

Briar's Reviews

Book Review
Book Title: Birds Art Life: A Year of Observation
Book Author: Kyo Maclear

Introduction: I was craving some inspirational nonfiction, so I decided to pick this book up. I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads for an honest review.

Review:

"Every love story is a potential grief story" - Kyo Maclear reference - Julian Barnes's Levels of Life.

This book is an inspirational gem that truly surprised me. I never expected a book about watching birds to be one of my favourite reads of the year. There are numerous quotes that are truly amazing from this novel, and now I want to pick up many more Kyo Maclear novels.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who needs a pick me up. Difficult topics are discussed within this novel, but it gives you a very different view on life. It's not just a book about birds - it's a book about humans too. While there are facts within this book about birds, it's not just an encyclopedia. Kyo Maclear explains movements throughout life and how changes can be dealt with through analogies, metaphors and similes. Overall, it's a truly impressive book.

The more I read this book, the more I appreciated it. While I might not have been able to relate to every topic discussed in it, I truly felt lifted after reading it. With so many inspirational quotes, it was hard to not put a sticky note on almost every page where I found words that just fit with me.

"Die knowing something. Die knowing your knowing will be incomplete." - Kyo Maclear.

The final two pages of this book gave a list of many, wonderful lessons. Lessons regarding living in general, taking chances, surprises, opening up, relaxation, people, and having a guru in general. Out of this entire book, I felt that these two pages summed the book up better than the synopsis. If you're not going to read the entire book, just reading those two specific pages makes the entire novel worth it.

Final Thoughts: I was truly impressed by this book. I was not expecting to get so attached and feel so desperate to continue reading it. Who knew birds could be so interesting?

Five out of five stars.

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Birds Art Life by Kyo Maclear

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Birds Art Life by Kyo Maclear