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.

This is a neat book. It has cute illustrations and I love how Katie tells stories about growing up and growing as a person and how plants and flowers played such a role in her life. They are short little stories that keep you interested and show how plants played a part.

"My Life In Plants" is a brilliant and heartfelt memoir. Katie Vaz uses different types of plants to tell the story of her life. Each plant represents a moment/memory that defines her, and the people that she loves the most. I found this book very touching and I loved the beautiful illustrations throughout.

Unable to download before archived as my tablet was damaged and I had been unable to afford a new one until recently. Apologies.

I'm a fan of memoirs, and I'm an even bigger fan of plants, so I approached this book with great enthusiasm. The premise of viewing life through the lens of plants sounded really intriguing,

However, this just fell a bit flat for me and, indeed, I'm not sure who it was aimed at. The artwork was lovely, but the stories all very short and several of them very thin. I wasn't convinced by the significance of several of the stories, and many were not very engaging.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was completely different than what I expected based on the title. That said, I found myself reading the entire way through in one sitting. It is short, the writing is simple and the illustrations are fun. For most of the book it read like something that could be a children's book except it discusses her late teen to adult relationships, and her growth as a person as she is navigating adulthood. That simplicity is actually what I enjoyed most about this book. The memoir was a bit shallow and would not stand alone without the illustrations, but I think that each of the anecdotes complemented the illustrations just fine. I turned each page wondering what plant would come next (and whether I had grown them before) and studied the illustrations before each anecdote in an effort to decipher what the corresponding story would be about.

Based on the title, I did expect this book to be a little more centered on plants. The chapters are named for plants and those plants are mentioned but, a lot of times, simply in passing or what seemed like an afterthought. We learn of the favorite flowers of the author's mother and grandmother but never about the plants themselves: which are easy to grow, which require more care, what season does each plant grow in, what life-lesson did growing each plant teach? Obviously I expected to see glimpses of the author's life in this book (which to be sure, I did), but I was disappointed that there was no connection to the plants that she's loved and grew and killed. Overall though, the simplicity of this book made it a fun, leisurely read.

This is a super cute book with lovely illustrating. I loved how the author connected the plants in her life with her life story. It made me really think about the plants that have been meaningful in my life.

I received a copy of this ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know a lot about flowers, in fact, I'm notorious for completely forgetting about my house plants so I read this in the search for knowledge, inspiration?

I like how it includes both plants and self-discovery, though how helpful it'll be for me remains to be seen. It's such a cute cover and story that I'd love to watch an adaptation for it, a short youtube style video where the protagonist cares for the plants, day in the life type thing.

In conclusion, I must take better care of my plants and read more stories like these.

I really thought the art in My Life in Plants was very adorable. I am a big lover of plants, as well as nonfiction shorts, so I thought this book blended to the two quite nicely. I did find that I wanted a bit more of each. I don't know if that's a bad thing, though. You want to be left wanting more from nonfiction stories - that is, if the author is still alive. Then you are interested in the rest of their story.

I also liked the fact that the illustrations felt more light hearted. When there are tough topics that blend with more mundane ones, it's easy to go to the darker side. This was cutesy and sweet on every page, and at this time in 2020, we need that.

I have recently joined plant groups and I plan to post this on my planstagram page (Plants.That.Read) as well because I think it helps people understand how plants can affect your life. I think it has something to do with the healing aspect, the growth and cycle of life aspect, to plants. Either way, care for plants and heal your soul!

If I could give this my own rating I would give it a 3.5! Thank you for your stories Katie Vaz.

Jade

I was disappointed with this book because I thought it would be more about plants, but it was a heavy and somewhat uninteresting memoir with a few plants thrown in. I did not enjoy it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel for an advance copy of My Life in Plants in exchange for honest feedback.

.A charming memoir! Each plant represents a memory in Katie's life, giving us a window into her life. My only real complaint is that some of the shorts feel like they aren't complete. There's a lot of heart in the book, but it feels like some of the stories were added as an afterthought, or to make the book longer.

That said, the book is really lovely! "African Violet" was absolutely gorgeous and heartrending, and "Sunflowers" was short but very sweet.

Would recommend to someone looking for a quick read that feels homey and sweet.

My life in plants by Katie Vaz is a must read book for plant lovers. I like how she correlated plants with her life journey. As a plant lover myself, I find it hilarious and the illustrations were so greeting card-esque. It's like Daria meets plants and I must say that the author has a quirky sense of humor 🤣 Thank you Netgalley and Andrews McMeel for giving me an advanced copy 😊🍃

5 Stars ( I received an e-arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)

I read the author’s previous work a guide to introvert’s; which was very funny and I loved it; and this book did not disappoint. Before each story is an illustration relating what the plant or flower is the focus of the story. The stories go chronologically through the author’s life, her close relationship with her family, various relationships, grad school in Europe, adopting a cat, deaths and many other life events. The art is simple but extremely cute and colourful and I highly recommend this book as a quick entertaining read.

It's hard to review this book as the pdf did not include images, which was my primary interest in it. The writing was fine, for some reason I expected something more like a graphic novel or comics, not images with prose. I think people who really love plants and feel more of a connection to them will like this more than I did.

My Life in Plants is literally what it sounds like: short vignettes centered around a new plant from the author’s life. From rosemary and basil to lavender and peace lily, the author paints her life in plants in this charming book. Each story centers a plant, but also shows the personal growth of the author as she takes us on her journey from childhood to college and beyond. I related to a number of these sweet stories, but I found a few to be a bit repetitive and redundant. The illustrations were amazing, though, and were probably my favorite part of this book.

Read this if you’re looking for a quick read or are struggling to get out of a reading slump. I probably could have finished this book in a day, but I actually really enjoyed savoring the stories.

Thank you to Andrews McMeel and NetGalley for access to this title.

Rating: 3.8

Recommend: THIS BOOK HAS ILLUSTRATIONS. And it has deliciously creamy pages! If you love plants, cats, and charming stories scattered with beautiful, colorful illustrations. then you will love reading this book. Especially recommended for beginner readers.

My Life In Plants tells the story of Katie Vaz - starting with tales from her vibrant childhood and continuing through various events in her life. I picked this book up (in the hypothetical sense since I found it on Netgalley :V) simply because of it's cover and title. It promised a reading experience which I had last felt when seeing the gorgeous illustrations of Nick Sharratt in the countless Jacqueline Wilson novels I read in childhood.

Though not a work of literary fiction, the artwork was definitely on par. Paired with the creamy patterned pages, I think it will be a joy to read as a hardcover!

I had no idea who Katie Vaz was before stumbling across this book. But after reading her stories, the author somehow feels... relatable? At least to an extent. Being a passionate plant lover with a huge soft spot for cats (and plans for graduate study), I think her experiences touched me more than I expected. There were some hints of melancholy which struck surprisingly strong.

The only reason I'm saving the 4+ star rating on this however, is because I wish there were a few more words! If the stories were lengthened into a little bigger chapters instead, it would have been an absolutely perfect read.

CW: Death of a pet

My Life in Plants is a quick and wholly pleasant look at snapshots of the author's life, some things she's learned, and the plants that served as part of her life's backdrop. The illustrations featured beside each chapter added to the experience by matching the warmly introspective tone.

Sometimes it felt like I had written this book, as the stories and musings were so familiar and relatable, especially those related to her cat Spanky. It was comforting to read and reminded me I am not alone. It also caused me to reflect on the plants that have played a part in my own life.

This was a really cute quick read.

All the stories were fleshed out really well, and for being such a short book I really feel like I got a sneak peak into the author's life.

The illustrations were fantastic, they truly brought the story to life

The only reason this isn't getting five stars is because of how short is it, but I have no problems or complaints with this book at all

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the glimpses into the author’s life and the illustrations fit beautifully. A sweet book to curl up with and savor.