This was a random find for me ... I came across a physical copy in a Little Free Library. The title and cover intrigued me. Hubs (and I) have a personal connection to monarchs (just the the basic raising of them in youth, one a few years ago). This wasn't solely about monarchs, nor even just about butterflies (moths and flowers getting quite a bit of attention too). Nonfiction, and while conversational, 1st person (past tense), it had a school "lecture" feel. It felt a bit verbose at times ... purloined (I've actually been finding this word in quite a few recent reads), vituperative, abstemious, quixotic, attestation, venerated, subjugation, senescence, stochastic, concomitant ... some words I had to look up, not having heard them before, others, just a little less everyday. 

I had the physical copy, but was also able to grab the kindle version (included in Kindle Unlimited) and the audio (in Hoopla). There were some photographs and illustrations that added a lot (obviously not in audio, and a color Kindle/app would be needed to fully appreciate them).  There were notes and a thorough index in the text copies. I was impressed with the informative Table of Contents, and that the TOC was consistent across all the formats.  Three parts, 14 chapters, and intro and epilogue. 

Part 1: Past
1. The Gateway Drug
2. Down the Rabbit Hole
3. The Number One Butterfly
4. Flash and Dazzle
5. How Butterflies Saved Charles Darwin
Part 2: Present
6. Amelia's Butterfly
7. A Parasol of Monarchs
8. The Honeymoon Hotel
9. Scablands
10. On the Raindance Ranch
11. A Sense of Mystical Wonder
Part 3: Future
12: The Social Butterfly
13. Paroxysms of Ecstasy
14. The Butterfly Highway
Epilogue : In the Mountains of Mexico

Actually, looking back on these TOC headers, they don't automatically nudge tons of memories of what portions were in which chapter, but I still appreciate the headers and the parts and the continuous chapters.  

I felt like I learned a lot of little tidbits that will stay with me. I think I'll likely hang onto the book too, keeping it in my personal collection. It's inspired me to look up another book, based on one of the researchers (Maria Sibylla Merian). I don't know that it's a book I'd really recommend to others though - only to those with an extra interest in butterflies. 

Hubs and I have read a couple books together recently - Into Thin Air (Everest) being one. I was very surprised when here in this butterfly book, K2 (the second highest point on the planet) was brought up, and it suddenly sounded similar to a climbing book! Very interesting story of seeing butterflies/painted ladies, at twenty-two thousand feet!

Some of the other words I watch for ... crevasse, purloined, cerulean, bucolic, roiled, detritus. I've seen Ornithology in more books that you might think (within the last couple months it was one I'd noted). Of course, lepidopterist ... for some reason, whenever it was said, it made me think of "The Mummy" (was there a similar word in that movie?). Lapis Lazuli ... I've noticed that (and seen it several times) since reading [book:The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 1|52085140].

So I think this is a sentimental 4* for me ...