Can I give more stars? A million infinity stars? My favorite writer for always and such a gift to the soul and heart. I’ll be forever grateful I live in a time when I can read Brian Doyle’s writing. I’d read anything of his. I’d read his grocery lists. I bet he wrote epic grocery lists. I’d give this book to everyone dear in my life. I just ordered it actually for someone as a surprise. It’s pure shining gold manna for the spirit. God bless Brian Doyle. I hope heaven is filled with otters and falcons and stories for him to continue telling.

I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who loves words, honest reflection, witty repartee, history, the natural world, family connections and so much more! I will return to this book again.

I loved this essay collection and how the author was able to thoughtfully observe the little moments in life. Some of his writing left me in tears or a little breathless. The only things that kept it from being five stars for me personally were when he got a little more religious than I was comfortable with or when it seemed like some of his ideas about gender were a little old-fashioned.

Oh my stars and garters but can this man write! This is a selection of essays written by the incomparable Brian James Patrick Doyle. Irish-American, Christian, Buddhist, boyhood wrassler, author of delightful fiction, and basketball fan extraordinaire. These essays cover just about everything Mr. Doyle has ever thought about. And his thoughts roamed far and wide and broad and tall. In here you'll discover his love of birds, his love of the Pacific Northwest, his love of family, his love of God, and his love of that basketball game. Over and over you'll read about basketball. But the basketball essays are not always about basketball. The bird essays are not always about birds. So on and so forth. I think each of these essays at least touch on Mr. Doyle's enduring love of his fantastic, flawed, and forgivable fellow humans, the wonderful mess we make of our lives, and those moments when we shine brighter than the sun itself.

Reading these essays (even the sad ones) is an act of pure delight. His point is not to convince you of his viewpoints but simply to share his joy in sharing them.

Read it. You owe that to yourself, whoever you are and whatever your beliefs.

Tho', personally, I think "The Creature Beyond the Mountains" may be the best of the bunch. ;0)

Full of wonder and delight and beauty.