By Karen England, for Let's Talk Plants! November 2023.
Please join the SD Hort Book Club and read some great horticulturally imbued books along with us. Some titles are old, some new, some historical, some biographical, some fictional, some educational and all enjoyable.
To join the SDHBC, just send an email to Karen at info@sdhort.org with "Book Club" in the subject line to receive the Zoom link to the meetings.
The next book being read and discussed is The Oak Papers by James Canton, and the next SD Hort Book Club meeting is on November 6, 2023, on Zoom at 4:30p for happy half hour social time and 5p for discussion.
A Goodreads review of last meeting's book:
Victoria Van Vliet ’s review of Agave Spirits: The Past, Present, and Future of Mezcals (goodreads.com) May 29, 2023
Victoria really liked it. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and rated this book with four out of five stars. As an avid tequila drinker and budding botanist, I picked up this book. I wanted something easily digestible and was a little worried about this book not fitting into that category. I was pleasantly surprised and found this book to be an easy read. I really enjoyed how the author looked at the whole picture of the issues surrounding the agave plant and did not focus on just one section. I have a newfound love for the agave plant and tequila.
SDHBC rated this book 👍.5, which is an average of one and a half thumbs up out of two by the members.
SD HORT BOOK CLUB'S Previously Read List:
January 2021 - The Language of Flowers by V. Diffenbaugh 👍
February 2021 - The Food Explorer by D. Stone 👍👍
March 2021 - Green Mansions by W. H. Hudson👍
April 2021 - A Memory of Violets by H. Gaynor 👍
May 2021 - Founding Gardeners by A. Wulf 👍👍
June 2021 - Elizabeth and Her German Garden by E. von Arnim 👍
July 2021 - In Praise of Tomatoes by S. Shepherd 👍👍
August 2021 - Undaunted Courage by S. Ambrose 👍👍
September 2021 - Around the World in 80 Plants/Trees both by J. Drori 👍👍
October 2021 - American Eden by V. Johnson 👍
November/December 2021 – Finding The Mother Tree by S. Simard 👍👍
January 2022 – Braiding Sweetgrass by R. Kimmerer 👍👍
February/March 2022 - The Seed Keeper by D. Wilson 👍
April 2022 - In Search f Lost Roses by T. Christopher 👍👍
May 2022 - Turn Here Sweet Corn by A. Diffley 👍👍
June/July 2022 - The Arbornaut by M. Lowman 👍👍
August 2022 – Orwell’s Roses by R. Solnit 👍
September 2022 - The Nature f Oaks by D. Tallamy 👍👍
October 2022 - Vanilla: Travels in Search of the Ice Cream Orchid by T. Ecott. 👍
November 2022 - The Complete Writings f Kate Sessions in California Garden – New Edition - San Diego Floral Association. U👍👍
December 2022 - The Multifarious Mr. Banks: From Botany Bay to Kew, The Natural Historian Who Shaped the World by T. Musgrave 👍
January 2023 – the Botanist’s Daughter by K. Nunn. 👍.5
February 2023 – Eating to Extinction by D. Saladino. 👍👍
March 2023 - The Natures of John and William Bartram by T. Slaughter. U👎
June 2023 - The Plant Hunter by C. Quave. U👍👍
July 2023 - The Overstory by R. Powers. 👍.3125...
August 2023 - Tulipomania by M. Dash. 👍.21428...
September 2023 - Garden Spells by S. Addison Allen 👍
October 2023 - Agave Spirits by G. P. Nabhan Ph.D., & D. S. Piñera 👍.5
Our Ratings System Explained -
👍👍 Two thumbs up = excellent
👍 One thumb up = good
✔️ No thumbs up or down = okay
👎 One thumb down = bad
👎👎 Two thumbs down = awful
U The letter U = unanimous vote
Karen England, the SD Hort Book Club Head Muckety-muck, agrees with writer and poet Jorge Luis Borges who famously said,
"I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library."