December’s Most Wanted List

December 5, 2022 by catie in Gallery Picks

The team at Livingstone St. Ives are delighted to present a top ten list of our favourite reads and current most-wanted books, including must-try recipes from Lucy Lawrence, hair-raising tales of the edgier side of Cornish life in The Swordfish and the Star by Gavin Knight, and the necessity of a winter before there can be a spring in Katherine May’s powerful memoir Wintering.

The Story of Art Without Men
It is sometimes assumed that throughout history, female artists either didn’t exist, their work was overlooked or were so rare as to be unimportant. But the truth is that all over the world, female artists have always been founding movements, innovating techniques and ways of seeing, and contributing greatly to the sum of human creativity. This brilliantly written revisionist history shines a light on the women artists whose work changed the course of art history itself.

Looking To Sea
Lily Le Brun looks at ten works of art created between 1912 and 2015, all of which were considered controversial or innovative, and through them explores questions of nationhood, war, class and philosophy to create a portrait of the UK though the twentieth century.

Cornish Tales
Stunningly illustrated by Michael Foreman, this book is the perfect bedtime read, with traditional Cornish folktales featuring giants, mermaids and pixies, which deserve to be as well-known as Jack and the Beanstalk and Robin Hood.

The Botanical Wife: Home-Cooked Food for Sharing
Full of simple, failsafe recipes, this is a cookbook that is guaranteed to introduce some new favourites into your family’s weekly rotation.

Around the World in 80 Trees
From the streets of Berlin to the tropical paradise of the Seychelles, this multi-award-winning book takes the reader all around the world to discover eighty different trees, and the surprising, intriguing and unexpected roles they play in the lives of the humans around them. 

The Mousehole Cat
This celebrated tale is a must-have for any children’s bookshelf. Filled with unforgettable illustrations, it tells the story of Mowzer, the intrepid fishing-boat cat, who meets the great Storm-Cat threatening the harbour of Mousehole…

Painting The Warmth of The Sun
A must-read for anyone interested in St. Ives’ journey from unremarked fishing village to internationally-renowned artistic hub, this is the story of the artists who made it their home and the extraordinary events from 1939-75 which changed the face of British art forever.

Wintering
This intensely personal memoir is an inspiration to anyone who has ever felt the need to withdraw, regroup and renew themselves. 

The Swordfish And The Star
Capturing the story of the fishing community at Penwith, this rugged, rich account of the unseen face of Cornwall is dramatic, human and full of unforgettable characters.

Artists’ Letters
This extraordinary archive of letters from dozens of artists (including Michelangelo, Frida Kahlo, Rubens and Mark Rothko) is perfect to dip in and out of to gain inspiration on art, life, friendships, heartbreak and the trials of everyday life.