T&W Editorial Director and author Karen McCartney chooses her top 5 books. 

I have to confess I went a little mad at the last T&W book sale and bought seven amazing titles – some of which have been given as presents but some have stayed put - at home – where I believe they belong. So I was very pleased to see another sale on the horizon, and this time from publishers Penguin/Lantern with whom I am presently working on an architecture book. Having spent quite a lot of time in their offices working on the designs I can vouch that the paper, the photography and the art direction are all of world-class quality. Knowing my enthusiasm for books the buying team have asked me to choose my top five – so here, in no particular order, they are.



Grandiflora Celebrations – by Saskia Havekes
Nobody knows more about creating a statement with flowers than Saskia – no matter what that statement is. From the grand gesture at a gala dinner or a fashion show to an intimate wedding, she has a surety of touch that delivers beyond expectation every time. I have been at dinners where people can talk about nothing but the flowers - be it a cacophony of clashing colours or a whimsical play on white, she knows what works best.



The book is a wonderfully produced volume which is designed to give both a delightful behind the scenes scrapbook feel alongside annotated images of large-scale installations which demand dissection to understand their sheer cleverness. For anyone interested in the world of flowers or just in need of an injection of sheer beauty this is the book for you.



Art - The Definitive Visual Guide
As an ex-history of art student I should remember more than I do, and a book like this would get me right back on track. It is a visually led, clearly designed book, featuring 700 artists, taking you from cave painting through to the modern day.



Each artist is treated in digestible, but very knowledgeable, bite sized pieces of information alongside timelines and milestones. It also aims to help the layman (person) 'read' art – to understand composition, technique and style. My excuse is that it will help my son with his visual arts HSC and then I can have it. I am all heart.



How to Decorate by Shannon Fricke
I have been to Shannon's workshops in Byron Bay so I know first hand how motivating they are and how much people (mostly women) get out of being able to take time out to focus on the things that surround them in a creative sense. If you can't quite make a workshop the book is the next best thing.



Shannon brings the magic combination of her years of styling experience with a genuine passion for creating homes (not show homes) and backs it up with clear, actionable advice for making it happen. It is inspiring and practical in equal measure.



Things I Love by Megan Morton
The irrepressible MM has captured the essence of her quirky philosophy, to be shared with the world, in her book "Things I Love'. The title is purposefully broad allowing her to roam from the specific house interiors she, well, likes a lot, to deliciously random items such as how to clean a vintage painting.



The tone and treatment is very Megan – upbeat, informative and a tad kooky. And everyone could do with a bit of that in their life.



Smalltown – Tim Winton with photographs by Martin Mischkulnig
This is my outsider choice: a book that is beautiful and sad in equal measure, or to quote the publisher it is about 'fugliness and smalltown shambolic'. The photography has a wonderful evocative quality even when its subjects are about emptiness, decay and neglect (am I selling this to you?).



It is a coffee table book, but not as you know it, and with text by Tim Winton you know that it will be a quality read. My favourite photograph is the strangeness of the oversized stacked dice seemingly abandoned in a field which leaves you desperate to know the story behind the image.