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caty_murray's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
pval4's review
4.0
A delightful, soul-curing little book. A memorable lesson on how to be more attentive and responsive to the beauty around us. I loved how its lyricism highlighted humans’ connections to birds and birdsong so gracefully. I would love an audiobook featuring the birdsongs he describes :)
margaret21's review
4.0
This is a joyful book about the pandemic. Yes, really. It's about that man-made silence which descended on the Northern hemisphere last March, when lockdowns and birdsong began simultaneously. And we all noticed, even those who'd never knowingly listened to a bird in their entire lives. Lovatt had enjoyed birds as a boy, but it took the pandemic to re-kindle his interest. He's good as describing he birds he loves - the sounds, songs and croaks they make. He's good at weaving poetry, folk lore, science and myth to look at a history of birdsong in the life of man. It's been charmingly illustrated too, by Katie Marland. Perhaps it's not a great book, but it's a good book, and an evocative one, and perfect if you want to read something timely, yet uplifting too.
keepreadingbooks's review
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
Birdsong in a Time of Silence is, on the surface, about rediscovering a love of birdsong during the “silent” months of the pandemic. But (luckily) this turned out to be much more about birds and less about the pandemic itself. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind reading pandemic-centred books – quite the opposite, really – but at the same time we’re so long past the isolation and global stand-still of that first year that it sometimes feels like an entirely different life (oh the glorious naivité of thinking we’d never go back to our polluting, destructive ways), and such books can easily feel outdated.
Books about birds, however, will never feel outdated, and especially ones that are well-written and preferably slightly witty too. Lovatt’s book check both boxes. His scientific and factual knowledge and insight are communicated in a delightfully inventive way; as he himself points out, some of his metaphors for explaining bird behaviour and sounds can get rather creative. And usually, I don’t enjoy simile- and metaphor-heavy writing, but Lovatt’s use of both is so clever, and even at times hilarious, that it was a major contributor to my enjoyment of the book. Not to mention that he’s a really skilful writer, which is not necessarily a given in nature writing. Be mindful that it IS a fact-focused book, though, so if you’re not into that kind of nature writing, maybe steer clear of this one!
sanmeow's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
basically a sweet celebration of birds, as the author reflects on the lockdown. however, the lockdown discussion isn't overbearing. i quite enjoyed learning more about birds and i can tell that a lot of scientific research went into the book. obviously, i think i would've liked this more if i was a huge fan of birds. i do like them and think they're super sweet, but this is more for ultra fans of birds.