My Life in Plants – Flowers I’ve Loved, Herbs I’ve Grown, and Houseplants I’ve Killed on the Way to Finding Myself // by Katie Vaz // narrated by Taylor Meskimen
Pub Day: September 01, 2020
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Audio
Synopsis:
From Katie Vaz, author of Don’t Worry, Eat Cake, the beloved Make Yourself Cozy, and The Escape Manual for Introverts, comes My Life in Plants. Her newest book tells the story of her life through the thirty-nine plants that have played both leading and supporting roles, from her childhood to her wedding day. Plants include a homegrown wildflower bouquet wrapped in duct tape that she carried on stage at age three, to a fragrant basil plant that brought her and her kitchen back to life after grief. The stories are personal, poignant, heartwarming, and relatable, and will prompt readers to recall plants of their own that have been witness to both the amazing moments of life and the ordinary ones. This illustrated memoir covers the simplicity of home, the sharpness of loss, the lesson of learning to be present, and the journey of finding your way.
My Thoughts:
I’m a fan of memoirs, especially serious ones that will teach me something, such as those focused on mental health, working abroad, or the medical field. While I was browsing NetGalley though, I came across this and it sounded really cute. It is short at less than 2 hours and I knew I was about to finish up my other audiobook, so why not? It is delightful! It is like a break from the seriousness and a fresh breath of air. I love my other memoirs but this was so fun to listen to!
The narrator has a voice that seems to work for the chapters where the author is young as well as later on when she is older. She has a good rhythm as well that fit the stories perfectly. There are 39 chapters that are very short and each focus on a different plant. Some plants feature more heavily in their segments while others are mention more in passing. But I found it very interesting that so many of her memories are attached to plants and it eventually made me wonder about my own as well, such as eating tomatoes with my mom, collecting cucumbers from her yard with my grandma, and picking strawberries with my dad and friends. I liked how some stories were more serious than others and also how she looked at herself critically, recognizing both the good aspects of her life as well as the areas of herself where she could improve.
Whether you want a slow introduction to memoirs, a change in perspective for your own life, or just a break from more serious reads, I think you should really consider this audiobook! In my Google search for images for my blog post, I also came across the print copy of this book and really liked the illustrations so I’m sure it would be a lovely print book to own as well!
About the Author:
Katie Vaz is an illustrator, author, and hand-letterer. Her books include My Life in Plants: Flowers I’ve Loved, Herbs I’ve Grown, and Houseplants I’ve Killed on the Way to Finding Myself; The Escape Manual for Introverts; Make Yourself Cozy: A Guide for Practicing Self-Care; and Don’t Worry, Eat Cake: A Coloring Book to Help You Feel a Little Bit Better about Everything.
Katie also designs her own line of greeting cards, prints, and other stationery products, which are sold both online and in brick and mortar shops across North America. Katie also works as a freelance illustrator and designer on a variety of branding, illustration, print, and packaging projects. Her work has been featured on BookRiot.com, ElephantJournal.com, Buzzfeed.com, RealSimple.com, WomansDay.com, POPSUGAR.com, in Stationery Trends magazine, and in Time Out New York magazine.
She lives in Upstate NY with her husband, their dog Tater, and their cat Kittenface.
All the adorable animations in this post are Katie’s!
About the Publisher:
As a global, independent publisher, Andrews McMeel discovers and develops original content that is both profound and popular. One of the enduring characteristics of the company’s success is the ability to identify and amplify unique, powerful voices that tell the story of our times. They strive to empower their creators, engage readers, and unite audiences, communities, and cultures.
They are known for New York Times bestselling poetry and inspiration, cutting-edge comics and humor, interactive puzzles and activities, and enlightening and entertaining children’s books and series. Their publishing decisions and the authors they represent continue to evolve and are a reflection of what’s relevant in the world around us as well as who they are as a company. We value confidence, creativity, and collaboration, and employ these tenets with a goal to effect change, embrace new thinking, and orchestrate outcomes.
AMP offers the responsiveness and intimacy of an independent publisher along with the global reach of a major house through their unique partnership with Simon & Schuster. Editorial, marketing, and production are headquartered at Andrews McMeel in Kansas City, while Simon & Schuster handles the logistics of sales and distribution.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Shaggy Shepherd 