This was a pleasant read. Oddly relatable in many ways. The illustrations are simple, yet complex. I enjoyed flipping through this one.

This is a really fun book. The stories are warm and funny. The illustrations are perfect accompaniments. It is well written and easy to read. It will make a perfect gift. Enjoy

My Life In Plants is a nostalgic memoir. In each chapter, Katie Vaz picks a flower, herb, or plant and tells a story about what the plant reminds her of. The memories are from childhood to high school and to adulthood. Such a cute, novel idea for what is essentially a memoir.As a plant lover and book lover, this was the perfect happy medium.

This was a beautiful book with lots of practical advice and neat stories. A must for anyone who loves nature and gardening.

Thanks to NetGalley and Andrew McNeels Publishing for a review copy. The below opinions are my own.

My Life In Plants is a cute illustrated book with stories about plants and the author's life. The author describes the various incidents in her life via thirty nine plants which were a part of that particular event or memory. I felt that was very unique. The illustrations were so pretty.

This was a very heartwarming and enjoyable book.

I just reviewed My Life in Plants by Katie Vaz. #MyLifeinPlants #NetGalley

A memoir told through the plants and flowers during times in her life. In each chapter, Katie Vaz picks a flower, herb, or plant and tells a story about different times in her life. The addition of her charming illustrations was such a nice bonus! I will recommend this book to all my friends!!

At first glance, this book seemed to be about the author's experience with various plants. But read on and you'll realise that it's actually a memoir and each plant actually signifies a special memory in her life, which I really enjoyed reading about.

Besides the symbolism, I also appreciate the imagery as to how the author shares vivid descriptions of the plants: Colours, texture, shape etc. As such, I feel that this is a book that's best enjoyed as a physical copy. In fact, I'd actually read a hardcover copy as well as the e-ARC.

A super cute and quirky book that is perfect for any plant lover. As someone who became a full-time plant mom during quarantine, I related to this title so much. I really love Katie Vaz's art style as well - it makes the whole book feel so whimsical.

I’ve just read My Life in Plants by Katie Vaz and it was such a delightful, quick read. Told in small vignettes about the plants she’s had in her life, she shares the various moments that make up her life. Relatable & charming, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It would make a lovely gift for a plant lover.
Thank you to NetGalley for the complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

My Life in Plants by Katie Vaz is a pleasant, earnest read. Lovely homey artwork frames biographical vignettes from Katie's life, each story at least nominally involving a plant in Katie's life, from houseplants that died from neglect to a flowering tree she planted long ago with her sister, which is still blooming today. It's not exactly a graphic memoir, but more a heavily illustrated one, and instead of being read by the author, it is illustrated by her. There was some relatable emotional content and personally familiar memories, like picking strawberries for a farm for money, wet plants making for itchy, uncomfortable work for surprisingly little money. But nothing revolutionary.

If ever a memoir could be labelled cozy, this would be it. Yes, there's some heavy themes, such as death and breakups and emotional struggles, not to mention the poor houseplants, but the short length, often only a page, of each vignette, as well as the tone in which they are written, feels calm and nostalgic and didn't leave me feeling very emotional. This isn't a bad thing. It was an easy, reassuring book to read in the midst of hellyear 2020. Attractive and easy on the eye, with stories about plants and families and relationships. Not overly demanding emotionally or intellectually. Able to be read in one sitting. A bit reminiscent of greeting cards, which I believe the author designs as well. If you're looking for a pleasant, relaxing read to help you wile away a few hours, and you enjoy plants and gentle memoirs, this may be a good choice for you.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Andrews McMeel for sharing a temporary digital advanced copy of #MyLifeInPlants . This is my honest review.

I listened to an audio version of this book, and although the narrator was great, I would have enjoyed the memoir more being able to see the illustrations that accompany each sweet little vignette; key moments in the author’s life that involved flowers, plants and herbs. That being said though, you couldn't have picked a better narrator - her voice is lovely and complements the prose perfectly. I would recommend this audio and the book would be a charming gift for lovers of flora.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this in exchange for my honest review.

This book was super good. It was super original and I flew through it. It didn't feel like anything I've read in the past. Can't wait to read more from the author!!

Everyone has a history. But how we choose to tell that story is a matter of personality, style, and imagination. Illustrator and writer Katie Vaz has chosen to tell her history through plants. Her new memoir, My Life in Plants, tells of important moments in her life and in her relationships using a flower or a vegetable or a houseplant that played a part in that memory.

For example, there were the carnations that her mother sometimes gave her at her gymnastics meets, the summer in high school that she spent picking strawberries, the mums she left in front of her dad’s house when he was traveling so the house would look and feel lived in, the cat grass her adopted cat refused to eat, the poinsettia she bought when she was in graduate school in Germany over the holidays, or the tulips her husband brought inside because she said she always wanted fresh flowers in her home.

Some memories are sweet, like the prom corsages or the basil she grows in her kitchen that makes it feel like her space. Some are more poignant, like the standing funeral wreath from her father’s funeral or the Boston fern that died due to her grief following the death of her beloved cat Spanky. Most of these moments are about her love for her family and the few close friends she keeps near her, and they reflect the intention of Vaz to try to make the most of each moment and not lose herself in thoughts of what other people’s lives look like or what she thinks her life should be.

Vaz’s openness and honesty in telling her story is brave and lovely, and it’s that vulnerability that drew me in. She speaks a lot of her overthinking, of comparing herself to others, to what she sees on social media, to what she sees on television and in movies. I can relate to that, to the overthinking and how that can ruin moments that could be special memories.

Each story is accompanied by hand-drawn illustrations, the moments of her life on display along with those plants she loves. Vaz has a specific point of view in her illustrations, and they add a genuine and personal level to each one of these short chapters.

My Life in Plants is a unique and enchanting way to tell a life’s story, and it would make a perfect gift for anyone who is struggling to figure out who they are and where they fit in life, lovers of plants and flowers, and anyone who can appreciate the engaging drawings throughout the book.

Egalleys for My Life in Plants were provided by Andrews McMeel Publishing through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Cute idea. Poor execution. It felt too cutesy and nonsensical to make it a valuable piece of literature worth thinking about. There are better books to read out there.

My Life in Plants
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗻 𝟬𝟵/𝟭𝟮/𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬
While I am continuing to post my regular content, the BLM movement is still going on. Please keep referring to my story and linktree to find ways to help out.✊🏻‼️
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Welcome back to another netgalley review.😊
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My Life in Plants chronicles author Katie Vaz’s ‘life in plants.’ From Roses to Mums to different types of Herbs, each one has a story, and you get to find out why in this autobiographical story full of whimsy.🌿🌷🌼
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Soooo, this was fine, it was just not what I wanted. I am desperate to become a plant mommy, and I really wanted somewhat of a guide, on which house plants are easier to take care of, which are more likely to survive in particular climate, etc. Instead, we got little vignettes about what particular flower was used for her father’s funereal. Again, that wasn’t BAD, I just really didn’t need it. I guess I recommend this if you want a small but sweet book? I just don’t really know who this book is for, unfortunately.🙃
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What’s the last book you read that wasn’t what you were expecting? Let me know!💋
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Dm me to talk about all things book or writing related! I’ll be looking forward to it! —Em😌

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Thank you for the opportunity to review My Life in Plants: Flowers I've Loved, Herbs I've Grown, and Houseplants I've Killed on the Way to Finding Myself in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this book because I have a beginner's interest in gardening and houseplants, so I thought this initially looked relatable and possibly even funny. The cover also promises some cute designs, as I love a drawn houseplant and foliage. So, I thought it would be a great fit for a nice read.

So, this book is more of a memoir or set of essays reflecting on personal experiences wherein plants are present or symbolic. That's pretty interesting! What really sets this book above your average set of essays is the illustration, which I already knew I would love due to the beautiful cover. The writing style is sometimes funny, always personal and relatable, It is a unique idea executed well with the inclusion of the illustrations. I have read elsewhere that the audiobook version is enjoyable. I would suggest this book as a gift to someone who is about to embark on young adulthood, or maybe someone who is struggling with young adulthood? It would give anyone a glimpse of humanity and perhaps make them smile.

A very cute, light, illustrated memoir about a woman and her houseplants. Cute concept, easy-breezy prose. A nice treat on a rainy afternoon./

If you are a plant and memoir lover, this book is for you!

I thoroughly enjoyed this short memoir. Katie Vaz shares short stories of her life, each involving a plant. The short stories begin with a wildflower bouquet bound by duct tape that she carried as a three-year-old in a pageant and ends with her wedding bouquet. While each little vignette has a different plant for a title, the plant is not the focus of the story - the plants are simply the vehicle for exploring another stand-out event or memory from the author's life. Enough about the stories, the real MVP of this book are the illustrations. They are whimsical and colorful and downright lovely. I enjoyed looking at the illustrations for each and every chapter as they really made her memories come to life. I saw some reviews of people listening to this on audiobook - I would definitely skip that and get the physical or ebook option as the pictures really make this memoir!

So. This was.. probably not for me.

A memoir told in plants (well, plant headlines) that are sometimes relevant to the little story being told but often.. not at all? relevant? Which.. this type of memoir is definitely a new concept to me, and while I quite liked the art, the rest just felt.. flat? I'm not sure who this was written for, but I went in expecting a fun memoir with a focus on plants and got "this thing happened to me and also I killed this plant", which was uh.. not what I'd hoped for.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A self reflective memoir told in a uniquely interesting way by correlating life events with plants. Each chapter featured a short story written with beautiful detail that paired perfectly with the cute little illustrations.

I read this alongside listening to the audiobook which was narrated with great inflection and authentic emotion.