Beth F
bermudaonion (Kathy)
Sandy
Stephanie
Trisha
Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln’s Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities by Amy Stewart
“In 1856 a dinner party in the Scottish village of Dingwall came to a horrible end A servant had been sent outside to dig up horseradish, but instead he uprooded aconite, also called monkshood. The cook, failing to recognized that she had been handed the wrong ingredient, grated it into a sauce for the roast and promptly killed two priests who were guests at the dinner. Other guests were sickened but survived.”
So begins Amy Stewart’s “Wicked Plants,” and things don’t get any less interesting from there. There are trees that shed toxic daggers, another that can poison any animal that eats an animal killed by its poison, and a plant that may have caused visitors to a garden to pass out on hot days due to mere proximity.
This book was really entertaining, even though I’m not a gardener, know almost nothing about plants, and can’t even keep a houseplant alive (the baby and the cats tell me when they are hungry, plants just quietly die before I notice). It is a great book to read in short bursts, since no section is more than a few pages long, but it is also diverting enough to read for 30 or more minutes at a time. Stewart wrote about plants that are deadly, dangerous, or simply intoxicating, highlighting certain plants and grouping together other plants with similar effects. Her writing kept things interesting, although perhaps that isn’t difficult to do with her subject matter.
‘Wicked Plants” was perfect for me as the first book to read after Daniel was born, I could read as much or as little as I wanted and I stayed interested. This would be great as a little coffee table or side table book, as a bathroom book for those who like bathroom books, or just to pick up and read. I liked it.
Buy this book from
Powells.
A local independent bookstore via Indiebound.
Amazon.
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Perfect review! I always like to know when there’s a good bathroom book around!
.-= rhapsodyinbooks´s last blog ..Review of “Undone” by Karin Slaughter =-.
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I added this to my TBR list when I first heard about it, but yours if the first review I’ve read. It sounds fantastic! I love books like this – educational, fascinating, easy to read … you can’t get better than that.
.-= Heather J.´s last blog ..Kid’s Picks – July 21 =-.
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Great review! This one sounds really, really good.
.-= Anna´s last blog ..Mailbox Monday — July 20 =-.
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I have this one to read and I’ve flipped through it a couple of times and have read a few fascinating tidbits already.
.-= Kathy´s last blog ..Review: Soul Survivor =-.
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A good bathroom book, LOL. It does sound very interesting.
.-= stacybuckeye´s last blog ..Teaser Tuesday – Quilter’s Apprentice =-.
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Books like this are great to have around when you have “focusing” issues…like lil cute baby boys….
.-= Kelly @The Novel Bookworm´s last blog ..Books you’ve just GOTTA read!! #3 =-.
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My local college bookstore manager handed me this book last Friday and told me I wanted it, but I haven’t read it yet, so glad to hear you liked it. It does fit the criteria I had for books I could read right after I had my first baby–it’s small enough and light enough to be held up in one hand while breastfeeding.
.-= Jeanne´s last blog ..Record =-.
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This has been on my list for a couple of months. I enjoy books like this every now and then. They do have their place.
.-= Ti´s last blog ..Guest Post: Vanina Marsot and Foreign Tongue / Lip Gloss Giveaway! (5 Copies) =-.
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This sounds like a perfect book like you said.
.-= Wisteria´s last blog ..Tuesday Teaser, July 21, 2009 =-.
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The idea of wicked plants reminds me so much of Hawthorne’s “Rappaccini’s Daughter.” I know that has nothing to do with the book, but it’s always nice to be reminded of a good short story.
I’m beginning to appreciate books I can read here and there more and more these days. That’s definitely handy when there are children around. I’m glad you were able to get reading and reviewing as quickly as you were. Congratulations!
.-= Literate Housewife´s last blog ..#183 ~ Two Brothers: One North, One South =-.
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devourerofbooks Reply:
July 21st, 2009 at 10:59 pm
You know, I believe she actually references that story in the book. Either that or something else I read recently references it, but that seems like too big of a coincidence.
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I used to have an herb garden and I loved reading about plants and their uses. I’ll have to put this one on my radar.
.-= Beth F´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday (July 22) =-.
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This sounds like a fun read. I’ll have to put it on hold at the library.
.-= Alyce´s last blog ..We Take This Man – Review =-.
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So it’s interesting, you said that MULTIPLE times– which honestly, is so vague in a book. Oh and rather simple to read. Your loyal readers are easy to please.
.-= Amy S.´s last blog ..Miles Fisher: This Must Be the Place (cover) with Lydia Hearst =-.
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devourerofbooks Reply:
July 22nd, 2009 at 9:44 pm
I welcome differing opinions here, but there’s no call to be rude, particularly to my readers.
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