It is a funny book to read and enjoy as an audiobook, but surprisingly, it worked. The first half better suits the format with the author talking in depth (she is the narrator as well) about the history of indoor plants and the act of cultivation – not for consumption but for other reasons.
There is a lot of information to parse through, but as I mentioned, the first half is more like a story. The second half came upon me unexpectedly. I did not realise that this book will have an extensive list of houseplants in alphabetical order with their care instruction and short talking points.
It is a very thorough book, one that several houseplant lovers (who are also readers to some degree) would enjoy keeping around them to browse through.
I would not recommend this book to people who have no interest in the topic since the topic is explored in depth. The colonial beginnings of some of the ‘fashions’ and other smaller pieces of information were very interesting. I may not have retained everything about everything the author covered, but it was a book I am glad I picked up.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own listening experience.
Superfluous Reading 