A Guide to the Birds of East Africa by Nicholas Drayson

Drayson, Nicholas. A Guide to the Birds of East Africa. Houghton Mifflin, 2008.

Mr. Malik is in love with widow Rose Mbikwa and plans to ask her to the Nairobi Hunt Club Ball. His plans are stymied when his school days nemesis Harry Khan returns to town and announces his plans to woo Rose. Harry and Mr. Malik stage a friendly bird-watching competition to determine who gets to ask Rose to the ball. While the plot sounds simple enough, the engaging characters, charming dialog and glimpses into Kenyan wildlife and politics weave a rich African tapestry.

I chose this title for my book club to read and we really enjoyed it. Comparisons to Alexander McCall Smith are inevitable, but I like both Drayson and Smith equally well. Drayson's portrayals of Africa are a little more realistic than Smith's touching on crime, AIDS and poverty more overtly. Drayson uses the unique device of an anonymous narrator who offers humorous asides and directly addresses the reader. And while the plot is not the most complex, there is a revealing of character and layered nuance that hallmarks the literary fiction genre.

Recommendations:

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith is the first in a series that introduces the iconic, "traditionally-built" Mma Ramotswe. Smith offers an evocative African setting with charming and elegant prose.

A Rant of Ravens by Christine Goff (#1, Birdwatcher's Mystery series)

Readers enjoying the birding aspect of Guide will enjoy this series which features amateur sleuth and birdwatcher Lark Drummond.

Birds of East Africa (Collins Field Guides) by J.G. Williams

This specific guidebook is the namesake for Drayson's novel. Having an actual guide book at elbow would add to readers' enjoyment of Mr. Malik's and Khan's exploits.

Kenya - Culture Smart: A Quick Guide to Customs and Etiquette by Jane Barsby

If readers are interested in booking a birdwatching expedition, they won't want to forget to pack their Kenyan etiquette guide. They could end up in jail like Khan's two Australians!

The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt

Hunt, Samantha. The Invention of Everything Else. Houghton Mifflin, 2008.

Reclusive inventor Nikola Tesla lived out his final decade in the Hotel New Yorker hiding from the world, befriending pigeons and bemoaning the loss of his radio patent to Marconi. In a masterful blending of fiction and history, Hunt tells Tesla's story through the eyes of fictitious chambermaid Louisa who is drawn to Tesla through their mutual interest in pigeons.

Tesla is one of my favorite characters in history and Hunt does justice to this prolific inventor, possibly one of the most brilliant men to ever live. This is literary fiction at its finest; a quirky real life character, elegant prose, seamless blending of fiction with history and a compelling story.

Recommendations:
The Prestige by Christopher Priest
Readers interested in Tesla's Colorado experiments with electricity will like this tantalizing tale of two magicians who seek his assistance in creating the most amazing illusion of all.

The Tesla Testament by Eugene Ciurana
For people interested in another of Tesla's inventions, Ciurana envisions what would happen if terrorists got their hands on Tesla's Death Ray, the blueprints to which were lost during the 1940s.

Tesla: Man Out of Time by Margaret Cheney
Cheney's biography is considered to be the definitive work on this man who many believe was too before his time to be fully appreciated.

Empires of Light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse and the Race to Electrify the World by Jill Jonnes
Readers who want to know more about the epic battle among the titans of invention will enjoy this chronicle of competition during the beginning of the technological revolution.

Superdove: How the Pigeon Took Manhattan ... And the World by Courtney Humphries

You can't read Invention without seeing pigeons in a different light. If you want to read more about their natural history and their presence in New York, you might enjoy Superdove.