A Non-Fiction Audiobook Review | “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 courtesy of #NetGalley

Posted Thursday, 3 September, 2020 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

#AudioReads banner created by Jorie in Canva. Unsplash Photography (Creative Commons Zero) Photo Credit: Alice Moore

Acquired Book By: Earlier this year, in late Winter (February) I joined NetGalley for the first time as they finally announced they were going to be offering full-length audiobooks for reviewers. I was never able to join NetGalley due to having chronic migraines and being unable to read ebooks. I started requesting audiobooks to review as soon as they opened their audiobook catalogue in July, 2020. I am an eclectic reader and thereby, you will see all genres in Fiction explored from both markets of interest: mainstream and INSPY as well as from Major Trade, Indie Publishers & Press and other routes of publication, too. There might be the occasional Non-Fiction title appearing in my NetGalley queue of reviews as well. This marks a new adventure for me seeking stories for review consideration and I look forward to seeing where the stories lead me to venture.

I received a complimentary digital and temporary audiobook copy of “My Life in Plants” direct from the publisher Andrews McMeel Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All audiobooks via NetGalley are able to be heard via the NetGalley Shelf which is why I was thankful to be gifted an android tablet by my parents to celebrate my 7th Blog Birthday on Jorie Loves A Story. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

NOTE: As a new reviewer on NetGalley, I’m sorting out how to get the Press Materials for each of the audiobooks I’m reviewing when I share them on my blog Jorie Loves A Story. When I contacted NetGalley Support they informed me if a separate Press Kit is not included on the audiobook’s book page we’re allowed as reviewers to use the book cover and synopsis provided when we go to share our review of that audiobook on our blogs; as long as we give attribution as I have done at the bottom of this review in “Sources”. Those materials are provided with permission of the publishers to be used by reviewers via NetGalley.

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

Why I was intrigued to listen to
“My Life in Plants”:

What first drew me into wanting to hear this story about one woman’s life centred round the plants which populated her memories was the fact I needed a segue story to resume my current reading queue as the world’s news headlines were getting to me this week. We all have our level of tolerances for how much news we can sustainably read before it all becomes a bit too much to filter and this week, my tolerances simply vacated.

I decided to see if I could find a short audiobook about something completely outside my own purview as a reader and as an audiobook listener to where it would be a dynamic shift outside my current wanderings as much as be a story I could get behind because of its own authentic voice to tell its own story. What I found was a curiously titled Memoir about a woman who stored her memories from the seeds and experiences she had with plants. To me that was a wholly original concept and I wanted to follow in her stead!

What I found was a thought-inducing Memoir which helps you think about your own life as your listening to her adventures whilst finding inspiration along the way. The only downside for me (despite how much I loved this book!) is that some of the chapters and snippets of her life are quite on the shortened end of the spectrum – so don’t be too surprised if you’re hugged into one of her memories and suddenly that chapter ends!Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

A Non-Fiction Audiobook Review | “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 courtesy of #NetGalleyMy Life in Plants
Subtitle: Flowers I've Loved, Herbs I've Grown, and Houseplants I've Killed on the Way to Finding Myself
by Katie Vaz
Illustrator/Cover Designer: Katie Vaz
Source: Audiobook Direct from Publisher via NetGalley
Narrator: Taylor Meskimen

From stumpy potted houseplants to intricate and delicate flower arrangements, My Life in Plants is a heartfelt, honest memoir that intertwines the complex nature of houseplants with a journey of self-discovery.

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.

Genres: Biography / Autobiography, Botany, Horticulture, Memoir, Non-Fiction, Self-Improvement & Self-Actualisation



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781524864019

ASIN: B08FJFKJDC

Published by Andrews McMeel Audio, Andrews McMeel Publishing

on 1st September, 2020

Format: Audiobook | Digital Review Copy (NetGalley)

Length: 1 Hour, 36 Minutes, 58 Seconds (unabridged)

Published By: Andrews McMeel Audio
an imprint of Andrews McMeel Publishing (@AndrewsMcMeel)

Genre(s) of Interest: Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Self-Help and Botany
as well as Gardening & Horticulture and Foodie centric memories

Formats Available: Hardback, Audiobook and Ebook

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

7th Annual Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards badge created by Jorie in Canva. Coffee and Tea Clip Art Set purchased on Etsy; made by rachelwhitetoo.

This story received my award for Best Non-Fiction: Memoir.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Enjoy a preview of the artwork in the book!:

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

my review of my life in plants:

Vaz begins her memoir and reflections when she was going to a pageant as a young girl, noticing how her father had picked wildflowers and the curious differences between her clothes and the clothes of the other children. Her eyes were just opening to the curious differences between her family and others; as it is a notation about who had a more humble budget for shopping and who could walk into any store to purchase something off the shelf. It is a lesson all children learn during childhood – the ways in which we are all part of a different class and how that can stipulate what we have and how we have to choose about what we need. I still remember fondly the talk I had with my Mum about this and she enlightened me with the story about how there will always be those who have more, those who have less and those who have a similar amount of things to us. It was the ways in which society would classify everyone that would be the harder lesson to understand because no one should feel less than anyone else as everyone is equal to everyone.

By mentioning the wildflowers it seemed to serve as the first metaphor about her life – how her clothes reflected her family’s status and means, whilst the wildflowers gave a nod towards how sometimes a life lived by humble means holds within it a beautiful beginning which can keep you grounded. It also reflects how wildflowers are any persons flower because they grow in the wild, can be collected on a whim and share a bit of joy with the person to whom they are given. They are not claimed by anyone and they are generally spread by the birds who have a quirky sense about how to carry and drop the seeds which pepper colour onto roadways. At least I used to laugh at the quirkiness of the wildflowers – as the patterns of growth never had a pattern of sense about how and where the flowers would take root, grow strong and give us a rainbow of blooms!

I found it interesting how I had a different experience than the author when I experienced the joys of country living tucked away from the metropolis of my birth. Unlike her, I enjoyed the fact I had breathing space and room to explore the world without the cycles of pace you’d find in a larger city; especially when the night fell and you realised for the first time the greater expanse of the stars, the cosmos and how small we are standing on Earth and looking skyward. However, I also understand that being so far removed from others is not everyone’s cuppa tea and that is reflecting in how Vaz is describing her childhood home. For some of us, the short respite from a city is a welcome breath of joy, for others the immediate return to the bustling pace of a city is what renews our soul more than the open space and fresh air; we each have to own how we feel where we are living and own those feelings in order to live a healthier life.

I had a bit of a chuckle about what caused the need to use aloe vera – mostly because I made a faux pas once in high school with a science experiment and became the reason why a bucket of ice is kept nearby for sudden burns and stupid acts by high schoolers who are too chatty for their own good! Laughs. Uniquely, I wished I had known about the healing properties of natural and homeopathic medicines back then, as I would have definitely appreciated the aloe vera soothing my burn and perhaps limiting the after effects. I was blessed not to be scarred and that I credit a fast acting science teacher! Clearly both Vaz and I had some important lessons to learn about both fire and the intensity of heat as it relates to our skin!

I was enjoying the chapter about ‘green onions’ and just when I was settled into this section the chapter dissolved into the next one! I found that a bit sombering because this was a memory about her grandfather – about how he had a green thumb and how green onions were part of their connection as a grandfather and granddaughter. I honestly wish this section could have been a bit more fleshed out and not have ended on such a quick ending! At least this is the impression you receive whilst hearing the narrator narrate this part of the book. It might not have been intended to sound as if ‘there is more’ as it could have boiled down to interpretation on how to present that part of the chapter. I suppose you could say by her voice it felt ‘larger’ than it became in that moment.

I nearly choked on my laughter when Vaz recounted how she overfed a Venus Flytrap with her sister! She compared taking care of this plant to an ordinary house cat and that dear hearts is what set my laughter into motion! You can almost see how that would be true – as you have to dote on the plant as much as you have to monitor the health of a cat and yet both are particularly easy to overfeed! This is one of the instances of where Vaz talked about her sister with fond affection and gave you a proper sense about their childhood, the experiences they shared together and the memories which gave her a lot of joy to retell. For sisters seeking stories about sisterhood treasures and adventures in childhood, this is a memoir for them as it is a pure celebration of sisterly companionship and love; with a nod towards how complicated their lives can evolve into lateron in their lives.

When of the more gentler memories was how her Mum honoured her achievements and her trials at a sport she tried to find enjoyment out of as a child. The simple grace of how a carnation by itself or in a bouquet can speak volumes about the growing milestones of a youth pursuing sport and how sometimes despite our most humbled efforts, the sport or the experience isn’t always what it is cracked up to being overall. I felt this spoke to how we see things differently when we’re children vs how view them as adults. When we’re children all experiences are dynamically new and they can lend to strong memories which last longer than the events which shaped them.

I could directly relate to her fond affection for tomato sandwiches – as my family loves to gather food at the local farmer’s market(s) which supports local (within 100 miles) produce to be bought in our community. The tomatoes are sometimes trucked in from a further radius of sourcing but are definitely within the same regional growing area which I think aides to how they taste. For my tomato sandwiches I like them best with onions because the combination of tomatoes and onions just has a sharp taste that is comfy and soul lifting as it is a refreshing meal on volcanic Summery days!

As Vaz readily points out – not every memory is entirely positive, as sometimes our memories can also contain the questionable and less than ideal associations such a how the scent of lilac is a double-bladed sword for her as it has two truths of reference rather than merely an ideal one of joy. Each of her sections re-directs your focus on a different part of her life and a different period of growth therein. You get to meet and greet her family, especially her grandparents and her sister of whom she fondly has included with such regularity as to become a secondary character. You can tell they both share quite a strong bond even if over the years their relationship changed since the one they had in their childhood. Likewise, Vaz owns to the curious way the mind relates its own storage of our memories – how what we fuse one memory with can alter our understanding of that moment and/or redefine how we process memory as a whole.

Vaz is not shy about unpacking the growth she gained as a young adult about to enter into adulthood through her memories of being in high school whilst experiencing her first serious relationship. It was one of the chapters where she discussed choices she made and how some of those choices were based on what she believed due to advice she had been given but realised lateron where not views she had shared herself but rather she chose not to go against that kind of advice out of what she felt was expected of her at that age of growing into your own skin.

I could definitely relate to having cats throughout my own life who were dearly addicted to eating plants in the house! I even had a cat devour a fake botanical display and I currently have a tabby who can’t tell the difference from silk flowers or the real ones: he just wants to chew the petals and devour the plant! (not that I’d let him!) And, yet I also have a tuxedo who is ill amused and can’t stand the scent of them! Imagine? Two different reactions and the irony is I understand both the fascination and the repulsion as that can be said of our own reactions to different scents in our environments.

The second half of this unpacked memory involved a missing cat – how cats have the curious way of hiding themselves somewhere in your living environment you would never suspect them to be and in the end you exert so much energy to find them you feel as if you’ve lived through a crisis with all the bells and whistles of having to call the emergency crews to help you resolve it. Not that you call them but just that a lost cat is as epic as any reason to call 911 because of how helpless you feel in the height of their disappearance. Which is why I could relate to how long it took for her find her heart calm and ease back into a rhythm of normalcy.

Her way of articulating why she loves gardening resonated with me because of organic connection you can feel with the living earth as you’re digging round and finding your own joy in cultivating your own garden. The connectedness she’s felt and has enjoyed whilst watching the garden grow as her efforts take root and develop to the end results she was hoping to receive gave me the hope that perhaps one day I can have a humble garden myself full of the memories she’s experienced as the seasons fold into each other and how the fruits of the garden itself will stay with me long after their presence has gone to seed.

Even when some of the snippets of her life might seem irrelevant on the surface of how their being re-told us in their autobiographical manner of disclosure, there lies little wells of truth about how a person living their authentic life can noodle out notations about their own experience during ordinary moments wherein others looking in on their lives might not fully understand the import of those moments as much as she who had lived through them. It is in those extracts of her life where you have to listen closer and see why she’s shared those moments with us as they help paint the fuller portrait of this story.

The dilemma about how to find balance in relationships in direct connection to our pets was a subject I could relate to personally. Being that I’ve had cats throughout my life in all seasons of my life therein I can attest to the fact that finding someone who has a propensity for loving animals and for having them round us full time is something that is important to me. The internal wrestling she underwent to understand how to have that kind of balance and that kind of acceptance in a relationship that respected the important issues to each person in the relationship was something I felt was relevant to everyone.

Within the chapter of ‘Boston Fern’, Vaz discusses and unpacks the topic of losing our companions in fur and the impact that loss has on our souls, our hearts and our minds. Being that I’ve had numerous animals (of different species) over the course of my life, the hardest moment in having them is finding the strength ‘let go’ of them when their time has come to say ‘goodbye’. You simply aren’t prepared for it – the emotional gutting reality of what that moment means and how it will affect you afterwards. And, yet, never to love an animal or have had their companionship I have oft felt is worse reality because of what you would have lost without understanding the depth of that love you would have given and thus received in return. I also understood the merits of the quotation she shared about ‘not begging for trouble’ whilst your living through your life and to grip the happiness you find along the path you’ve walked. In other words, sometimes when we share our lives with animals we let our minds wander to days where they are not going to be with us and in effect steal away the hours we have in the present with worries about a future we do not need to chase forward into tomorrow.

In the chapter “Crocus”, Vaz imparted how she learnt the most important lesson of our lives with our parents and our families – of how we’re meant to look back on the memories and the hours we’ve spent together. There is such sincerity and truthfulness in this moment of reckoning for her it felt like a raw revelation shared with the world with words that reflected her acknowledgement of how all those little moments add into such a wealth of joy and happiness in the fullness of our life being reflected back to us. It is a humbling moment and yet one that has such a recognition of awareness by those of us who come from close knit families.

My Life in Plants is a sensory journey into a woman’s own living history. She talks openly about how conversations and life’s memories for her are unpacked as soon as she relates a story anchoured to either a plant, a gardening adventure or a food memory which provides a stepping stone into her own past. These snippets of stories not only curate a map into one woman’s internal and external experiences but it serves as a guide towards discovering your own living memory by how her stories entice you to cross-relate your own notations to re-examine your life alongside her own.

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

on the inspiring style of katie vaz:

Each type of plant within this memoir serves as a moment of entrance into the annals of Vaz’s memories – owning to a particular time and age of her life wherein the plant itself is the stepping stone and acts a metaphor for the memory (or memories) the plant brings back to mind. It is a clever way to tell a memoir – re-routing us as readers into your life plant by plant, which in of course is also a reflection on the author’s personality – per the curiosity of choice of plants and how these plants in particular offered such a wealth of insight into life as it is lived by her and her family.

Vaz is definitely a foodie with a foodie soul – as her love and affection for food as well as plants shines such a bright light throughout her memoir! She has a way of inserting us into the height of a memory pulled forth by a particular food or a meal and redirects that to the plants themselves as everything is tethered to each other and connected to how her mind has remembered the hours in which she has lived. I found this approach to be wicked relatable because I too am a foodie with a food centric memory wherein I like to route back to specific time intervals within my own living experiences simply through the foods I’ve eaten and the people of whom I shared a meal.

It takes strength of heart and soul to dive into the corners of our memory which produce the hardest memories to relate to others. When Vaz was speaking on behalf of losing her father it took me back to losing my own loved ones over the years from age seven to twenty-four and how each death in turn took its toll. She was quite right to point out that even whilst we’re in the height of our own grief – others are still living their lives as if nothing happened at all. And that’s a truth of how life and death are walking hand in hand everyday – for each person who is grieving there is an opposite experience of happiness in another. The two must balance each other out as for each person who passes on from this world there is a new person who is just becoming bourne to it. Our lives have a similar pattern of cycles as plants – from seed to maturity, a plant also returns back to the Earth consumed by what it had lived during its time in nature.

The beauty of how she shared how she grew out of relationship with her first serious relationship showed not only a compassionate kindness for her past and the choices she had once made which felt like they had been important at the times she was living through those experiences and yet, in retrospect held other truths that were now humbling to recount. Vaz owns all of her memories – the good, the bad and the in-between and giving her listeners and/or readers a chance to feel like their own lived lives might have that kind of duality to their memories as well.

I hadn’t realised the author was behind all the beautiful illustrations associated with this book until she found my first tweet mentioning I was listening to her book! I am truly amazed because that is one avenue of my life I’d like to pursue moving forward as I focus on my own writings; to re-establish myself as an artist. I used to draw and create art as a child – before being dyslexic had its own difficulties to overcome and maintain grade levels as much as the fact it was harder to find instructors of art who understood my passion for art as a child after my first teacher passed rather suddenly due to a heart condition. I oft wondered what it would be like to both fuse words to my stories and art through illustration to compliment the words. I am thankful I spied this lovely little audiobook from NetGalley as I found the illustrations to be soothing, calming and a wonderful companion to the vignettes from Vaz’s life as this becomes a percolating memoir of memories which are first planted to seed by the living plants of the author’s life.

By the time you’ve reached the conclusion of this autobiographical collection of nuanced snippets of the author’s life, you’ll want to revisit certain chapters again to ruminate over a second or third time because of how this became a living picture of how she grew through her experiences, gained insight into how to best live her life through the cultivation of plants and how the plants themselves played a role in how her life was better for the presence of the plants whilst she was occupied by life itself. She honestly gives you inside glimpses into how she grew as a person and how humbling the journey towards finding both yourself and the life you want to live is an act of progressive discovery. Especially when if you get the chance to look back of the accumulation of what you’ve gained against the chance to have a new companion in fur in your life – sometimes the universe loves to give you a curveball you weren’t expecting and then diffuses the situation whilst you were too busy worrying over the details that never materialised.

I loved her capacity for etching out the humbling truths of all our lives within the fragments of given us so much of her own life to use as a barometer of understanding our own experiences. It is a wonderful collection of stories and the uphill climb in realising that life is best understood in the future when the fullness of our past can be better seen and processed. Sometimes it takes the journey towards the future to know why we had to walk the path we took to arrive inside the hours which give us the most joy of all. In other words, there is no need to rush towards where we want to be because eventually the past, the present and the future have a fitting lesson to give us about how we’ve spent our hours whilst we’ve been alive.

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

In regards to the audiobook directly:

I am appreciative of Ms Jess providing a cursory outline of how best to articulate my listening hours on behalf of this audiobook and the others I shall be blogging about or reviewing in future. I’ve modified the suggestions to what I felt were pertinent to respond too on my own behalf as well as keeping to the questions I felt were relevant to share.

Number of Times I’ve heard the Narrator(s):

I haven’t heard Taylor Meskimen narrate a novel previously and this is my first experience hearing her as a narrator which is quite lovely as I love finding new narrators to follow and seek out stories by other authors they narrate throughout their career.

How the story sounded to me as it was being Read: (theatrical or narrative)

This is a spoken narrative version of the story – meaning, Meskimen did not theatrically add-on additional in-line performances with her narration style. Some narrators can lengthen the words themselves, drawing out an emotional conveyor of presence within the context of the storyline however as this was a work of Non-Fiction I approached how it sounded a bit differently than when I listen to fiction. In the absence of those theatrical additions, what made listening to this story as enjoyable as it became for me was the liveliness of Meskimen’s performance! She simply glows and smiles throughout the short stories and she makes you want to hear more of Vaz’s life!

Regards to Articulation & Performance of the story:

Articulation:

I loved how you can hear every word and narrative portion of this story with a level of clarity where you do not have to second guess the words you’ve heard. The narrator has a way of drawing you into the snippets of the author’s life – of pulling you forward into this curious rabbit hole of where memories are stored through the catalogue of botanical explorations.

Performance:

There were a few moments within the context of the stories presented where I felt the chapters ended too abruptly for me! I dearly ached for ‘more’ in those moments – to hear more about those snippets of insight into the author’s past and perhaps even, have a longer shorter story to listen too therein. Except to say by the conclusion of the audiobook I understood how those sections had to be shorter in order to lead-in to the longer portions which eclipsed more markers of growth and insight into her life where the shorter bits were just hints towards what would be relayed upon lateron.

Notes on the Quality of Sound & the Background Ambiance:

There was nothing in the background to affect your listening experience as the sound quality was wicked brilliant and free of distractions.

Preference after listening to re-Listen or pick up the book in Print?

Hmm, that is a good question this time round! Mostly because I will admit, I will always identify this story with the narrator’s voice and the audiobook version of it – there is a part of me who wants to gather a copy of the book in print for not just a keepsake of my journey into “My Life in Plants” but as a lovely companion to that experience because I am very fond of original illustrations included with stories and works of Non-Fiction. They give a special contribution to the story or stories whilst presenting the kind of art which befits the story and/or stories as well. Thereby I’ll have to purchase copies of this in both print and audiobook eventually as I will definitely want to read them in tandem in future!

In closing, would I seek out another  Taylor Meskimen audiobook?

I definitely would! I’d love to see what she would do with different characters in fiction (if she narrates Fiction as well as Non-Fiction) as much as I believe I’d enjoy more works of Non-Fiction, too! She has a sweet innocence of presence in her voice and I love listening to her narrate as there is an immediate joyfulness in hearing her narration style.

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

This book review is courtesy of:
Andrews McMeel Publishing via NetGalley

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Enjoying my Non-Fiction style of book reviews?

Ever so often I am inspired to read select topics in Non-Fiction stemming from uplifting human interest stories, Memoirs, Biographies, Autobiographies, Scientific Topics & Subjects of Interest, as well as Environmental Science, Mathematics, Mumhood and wherever my curiosity might lead me next to explore throughout Non-Fiction!

Visit my full archive for ALL my Non-Fiction wanderings! – Years 1-7!

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This book review is cross-posted to LibraryThing.

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After I shared my review, I scouted the book blogosphere:

Each of these lovely book bloggers shared their thoughts on ‘My Life in Plants’:

Book Review | The Beat (Comic Culture)

Book Review | A Scholar Review

Book Review | Mushroom Books

Book Review | Moonrise Reader

Flaka @ Moonrise Reader loved this review of mine for “My Life in Plants” so much she decided to ‘quote’ a small snippet of my review which resonated with her and matched her own reactions to the story. It was quite humbling having a book blogger share my review with her followers.

I was thankful for the attribution and for the shout-out
– beautiful random joy!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

{SOURCES: Cover art of  “My Life in Plants” and book synopsis were all provided by the publisher via NetGalley and are used with permission of the publisher and NetGalley. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission. LibraryThing banner provied by librarything.com and used with permission. Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: #AudioReads banner;  7th Annual Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards badge (using Coffee and Tea Clip Art Set purchased on Etsy; made by rachelwhitetoo) and the comment box banner.}

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About jorielov

I am self-educated through local libraries and alternative education opportunities. I am a writer by trade and I cured a ten-year writer’s block by the discovery of Nanowrimo in November 2008. The event changed my life by re-establishing my muse and solidifying my path. Five years later whilst exploring the bookish blogosphere I decided to become a book blogger. I am a champion of wordsmiths who evoke a visceral experience in narrative. I write comprehensive book showcases electing to get into the heart of my reading observations. I dance through genres seeking literary enlightenment and enchantment. Starting in Autumn 2013 I became a blog book tour hostess featuring books and authors. I joined The Classics Club in January 2014 to seek out appreciators of the timeless works of literature whose breadth of scope and voice resonate with us all.

"I write my heart out and own my writing after it has spilt out of the pen." - self quote (Jorie of Jorie Loves A Story)

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Posted Thursday, 3 September, 2020 by jorielov in 21st Century, Animals in Fiction & Non-Fiction, Anthology Collection of Stories, Audiobook, Autobiographical Fiction & Non-Fiction, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Book Review (non-blog tour), Botany, Diary Accountment of Life, Epistolary Novel | Non-Fiction, Horticulture, Indie Author, Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards, Journal, Memoir, Modern Day, NetGalley, Non-Fiction, Philosophical Intuitiveness, Short Stories or Essays, Vignettes of Real Life




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