Category: Publishers & Presses (Direct Reviews)

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.

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

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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

An #EnterTheFantastic Cover Reveal w/ Notes | A new voice in #dragonfiction has created “Under the Lesser Moon” by Indie Publisher Mythos and Ink!

Posted Friday, 21 August, 2020 by jorielov , , 4 Comments

Stories Sailing into View Banner created by Jorie in Canva.

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

By now, you will realise how smitten I am with dragons as this is a favourite topic of mine – except to say, you also know I’m a discerning reader of #dragonfiction wherein I am quite particularly particular about the kinds of *dragon stories!* I will read. So far, lightning has only struck twice to where I have found myself so wholly enthused and wondrously enthralled by a series involving dragons and their societies wherein their worlds were brilliantly realised by their writers to where it heightened my own interpretation of their world through my mind’s eye. Honestly… after reading a glimpse into this new world… I felt redeemed a bit more because I always feel like I’m in the minority about the kinds of dragon stories I love to read.

I have only previously found two series and authors who write #dragonfiction in a style of narrative and scope of their world which resonates with me as a reader. Those authors are Jackie Gamber with her Leland Dragons series and Elizabeth Foster with her Esme’s Wish series both published by fellow Indie Publishers (Seventh Star Press, Odyssey Books). These are the kinds of dragon stories which lift my bookish soul to new heights in Fantasy because of how the authors have developed their worlds!!

Despite my longer journey into the world of Dragon Fiction and the many different routes of discovery I undertake to find dragons agreeable to me as a reader (ie. I am not an appreciator of the evil dragons and/or dragon fiction which is explicitly violent or bent towards the darker side of a dragon world; I can take adversity but leave some Light to permeate the Darkness!) – I am quite often wholly surprised when I uncover a ‘new’ story which features ‘dragons’.

The last time this happened was during #WyrdAndWonder (@WyrdAndWonder) this past May, 2020 as we celebrated our 3rd Year co-hosting this lovely fantastical book blogosphere, booktube, book Twitter and bookstagram event which also has some followers on Litsy and other routes of social bookish communities. My co-hosts Imyril @ Always Room for One More and Lisa @ Dear Geek Place are as passionate as I am about Fantasy (as a genre, as an expression of music or art; as style of fashion or a niche of the gaming world; to name a few entries of fantastical realms) and I have the tendency to take the Indie route of highlighting authors who are publishing their fantastical stories by Indie Publishers. This past May, I had the pleasure of hosting a series of features by Odyssey Books – this August, it is my pleasure to introduce you to *Mythos and Ink Publishing* of whom is equally as new to be discovered as an authoritative voice in Speculative Fiction.

I hope my excitement for having discovered a new Indie publisher *and!* a new dragon fiction author will whet the thirst of interest from my Wyrd And Wonder community as well as those readers and book bloggers who follow me who share my passion for the fantastical realms!

Without further adieu, here is today’s featured release,…

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com Read More

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Posted Friday, 21 August, 2020 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book Cover Reveal, Dragon Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Folklore and Mythology, Indie Author, Mythos and Ink Publishing