Fiction Books on Birds (2 Viewers)

[elinamarks]

I would like to also put in a word for Kathryn Lasky's The Guardians of Ga'Hoole, as I can say with absolute confidence that it was the series to spark my fascination with owls and birds as a whole!

Even if not always realistic (with the use of explicit magic as plot points), I do appreciate Lasky's worldbuilding in that it treats the characters as physical animals with their own instincts and idea of anatomy/physiology, rather than just as stand-ins for human characters. I would sooner compare the series to Watership Down than Redwall, if that works as a point of reference to anyone who's read either of them as well haha.

I first read the books in late grade school, but have reread the series several times in the time in between then and now (the most recent being at the beginning of quarantine). Reading the series as an adult has definitely made it easier to pick up on its commentary on fascism, something I think was (unfortunately) very toned down in the film adaptation in favor of flashy, marketable villains. But, this topic thread is about fiction books and I will ramble endleslly if given the option! So I will leave it at "the film looked fantastic and definitely influenced my artistic career, but the books are better" And some time ago, when I was writing a uni paper and needed to include a book review, I immediately thought about this series. There were no specific requirements, just an informative essay. I did some online research, looked for ideas, and came across one page where I managed to learn more and read informative essay examples, and they provided me so many ideas. And I decided to choose that book and one nonfiction for comparison. And it was so easy to write because the issue was interesting to me, and the books I'd already read.

Yes, the same! I was always interested in birds, but after reading the first book, I wanted to read more and wanted to know more about other birds, not only owls.
And I also like Sky Hawk a lot.
I've read other books, but these I liked the most.

 

[LynnAllen02]

This just came in my email from Audubon:

Spark Birds for Audubon - Orion Magazine

This collection gathers the best stories, essays, and poems about birds from forty years of Orion. In it you'll find owls, cranes, thrushes, finches, penguins, petrels, and buzzards—and the people who love them, including Brian Doyle, John Freeman, Elizabeth Kolbert, J. Drew Lanham, Mary Oliver...

orionmagazine.org

 

[jurek]

I am surprised that nobody mentioned The Wonderful Adventures of Nils. Not only many characters are birds, but also an interesting insight into the psyche of Swedes.
https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/s...rful-adventures-of-nils/velma-swanston-howard

I also read an interesting scifi story about a deaf-mute woman. She received an AI software to communicate more easily with other people. Then her friends started receiving strange, prank-like calls. They decided to investigate. It turned, the woman ran a wild bird shelter and the AI started translating movements and sounds of birds. The characters plan to show the AI to different animals and wonder what they would tell. I liked it, because it was a hard sci-fi, something which could realistically happen. The problem is, I cannot find the name of this story anymore.

 

[halftwo]

My own book,

Razor In The Wind

Is about nature, particularly birds, and dominated by a pair of Hobbies.

Available in bookshops & online.

 

[Patudo]

T.H White The Goshawk

The Goshawk is technically non-fiction/autobiographical, but there are a couple of sections in White's The Once and Future King featuring birds - one where Wart is transformed into a merlin, and another where he's transformed into a wild white-fronted goose. That section is my favourite part of the book (which is much acclaimed, but which I felt painfully tedious at times- maybe I don't have the wit for it).

I would hope Razor in the Wind (halftwo's book, mentioned in the post above) which as a fellow admirer of the hobby I have read with much pleasure (though found the Bakeresque passages somewhat painful to follow - maybe I do indeed lack the soul to appreciate literature ) is very much non-fictional!

 

[zoetman]

Not fiction but H is for Hawk. Memoir. Great for falling to sleep listening to audiobook on audible. Read by the author

 

[S_Man]

What about "the Conference of the Birds", by Sufi poet Farid ud-Din Attar...

You should find the text on the internet for free, although I have no idea about the quality of the translation, it is supposed to be one of the finest Persian/Sufi poem ("supposed" because I only read texts about it, I'm too sensible for poetry)...

 

[ONTHATWAVEOFGULLS]

I just finished Vernon R.L. Head's "On that wave of gulls" where one of the three protagonists is a seagull. The author is a keen birdwatcher and it shows in the description of the gulls' behaviour although the human side of the story is devastating.

He's also written three other bird-related books and I look forward to reading those too.

Thanks so much for reading my new book , On that Wave of Gulls. Hope you enjoyed it 🙏❤️

 

[KC Foggin]

Thanks so much for reading my new book , On that Wave of Gulls. Hope you enjoyed it 🙏❤️

Thanks so much for reading my new book , On that Wave of Gulls. Hope you enjoyed it 🙏❤️

Welcome to BirdForum ONTHATWAVEOFGULLS ! I hope you enjoy your time with us!

 

[Ignatius]

"Ka: Dar Oakley in the Ruin of Ymr", a fantasy novel about a very special crow by John Crowley.

 

[jurek]

I also read an interesting scifi story about a deaf-mute woman. She received an AI software to communicate more easily with other people. Then her friends started receiving strange, prank-like calls. They decided to investigate. It turned, the woman ran a wild bird shelter and the AI started translating movements and sounds of birds. The characters plan to show the AI to different animals and wonder what they would tell.

The story is 'Hello, Hello; Can You Hear Me, Hello' by Seanan McGuire

 

[jurek]

Fonda Lee 'Untethered Sky'. If you like birds of prey, you will like this book.

In a medieval Eastern kingdom, there live splendid oversized eagles and people who train them to hunt wolves, lions and man-eating manticores. A story of adrenaline, strong emotions, overcoming trauma and personal growth. Described as fantasy, the book lacks any magical elements. The Rocs are described much as real eagles - breathtaking to watch, but not clever or friendly. Just a bunch of instincts tied together.

I wondered whether a Roc as described in the book could physically fly? Surprisingly, yes. With a wingspan of three peoples' spread arms, it would be about the size of the real-life Argentavis or a medium pterosaur. And if a trained Golden Eagle can hunt a wolf, then perhaps such an eagle could kill a lion.

 

[kennethwfd]

The Roc is a legendary giant bird featuring in Middle Eastern folklore, in one version powerful enough to fly off with an elephant

 

[Ignatius]

'Hollow Kingdom' by Kira Jane Buxton.
The adventures of a crow called S.T. and a bloodhound called Dennis in a dystopian Seattle and across WA. There is a second volume called 'Feral Creatures'.

 

[JTweedie]

Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin books, about the naval officer Jack Aubrey and his friend, the doctor, spy and naturalist Stephen Maturin features a lot of birds and other wildlife.

In one of their first encounters in the first book Master and Commander, Maturin spots a Hoopoe in Mahon, Menorca and tries to point it out to Aubrey but it's gone before Aubrey can see it. I've been noting down all the natural history elements from the first two books that I've read so far and I hope to write up a blog about them.

 

[Farnboro John]

Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin books, about the naval officer Jack Aubrey and his friend, the doctor, spy and naturalist Stephen Maturin features a lot of birds and other wildlife.

In one of their first encounters in the first book Master and Commander, Maturin spots a Hoopoe in Mahon, Menorca and tries to point it out to Aubrey but it's gone before Aubrey can see it. I've been noting down all the natural history elements from the first two books that I've read so far and I hope to write up a blog about them.

Coincidentally or not (and it peters out after a few books) Sharpe's NCO oppo Patrick Harper in the Peninsular War is also interested in birds and occasionally goes looking for one he thinks he hasn't seen before e.g. "the magpie with the blue tail".

Maybe it's that thing about war being 10% sheer terror and 90% boredom that does it.

John

 

[JTweedie]

If you're interested in the wildlife mentioned in Master and Commander, then I've written a blog about it, as long as you're aware it might include some spoilers for the book.

Master and Commander: natural history

Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin series of books is centred around two main characters during the Napoleonic Wars. Jack Aubrey is a naval officer and Stephen Maturin is Aubrey’s f…

jtweedie.wordpress.com

 

[lockbreeze926]

I found your blog very interesting J - and was amazed how much nature was in the book (and in such detail).