A Book of Verse—and Thou Beside Me

If you’re looking for a different kind of gift for St. Valentine’s Day, something that says as much about you as it does about the adored one, consider these beautifully produced volumes of poetry from Hachette India: Essential Rumi and Essential Gibran (both with exquisite calligraphy by Lassaâd Metoui), and Essential Kabir (in the recent translation by Arvind Krishna Mehrotra). While the interiors aren’t as exquisitely designed as the covers, they’d look good on your shelves and are all well worth the casual browse or the extended read. At Rs. 399 each, they aren’t cheap as books go, but in real terms, they’re hardly expensive as a gift. You’ll have plenty left over for a bouquet or that romantic dinner.