Birds of a feather.

Do yourself a favour and read "A guide to the birds of East Africa"! Rarely has a book got me glued to the pages and stealing moments to read just one more chapter. It's a novel by the way. This frantic reading was spurred on by the fact that the book had to back in our bookclub collection by tomorrow morning. I only got the book from B on Sunday - I've never read a book in less than a week, but I was determined not to give it back half-read and wait my turn to read the rest of it.

Nicholas Drayson's language is full of innovative adjectives that add a very special sense of humour to the story. I even had to haul out the dictionary to look one of these up. What presents itself as a field guide is actually a bit of a love-story wrapped up in guy talk, walk, politics, wagering, escapades and twitching aplenty (bird watching). One reviewer (on the kalahari.net site) calls these 'fairly frivolous events'. They also said it was set in Nigeria *koff* umhmn that's not in EAST AFRICA! Maybe reading the title would help before you write a book review. This light-hearted narrative is set in Nairobi, Kenya.

In the haste to finish the story before the bookclub deadline, I took the book to the symphony last night, reading during the pre-concert talk, while the orchestra was tuning up, and the last few minutes of the interval, and even in one-chapter snatches at my desk today. One particularly humourous thread in the story nearly had me rolling in the isle at the Linder - a hysterically funny story about .... hadedahs.

Here's précis of the story to entice you further to read the book. Mr. Malik is an shy ordinary man, with a comb-over. He's a semi-retired and spends Tuesday mornings on a bird walk led by Rose Mbikwa with whom he is secretly in love. Harry Khan, a long-lost school bully of Malik's, turns up in town and meets Rose hoping to convince her to be wife #5. A love triangle develops and the boys set out to win Rose's company at the Kenyan event of the year - the Hunt Ball. The winner will be the one who sees the most number of bird species in one week. Frivolity ensues - African twitcher style. Do enjoy the read - it was far more manly and funny that I had imagined. I've very glad it'll be on my bookshelf again soon.