I really love cookbooks. And cookbooks that manage to capture the author or a culture or some sort of story even more.
Mangoes and Curry Leaves seems to do a wonderful job of capturing the food and culture of the Indian subcontinent. It’s got enough good information in the recipe headnotes, and the essays that accompany the photography, to keep you reading. And while I haven’t cooked directly from it yet, I was inspired more than once!