Editor’s note: Thanks to the immense popularity of the gift box, we’ve run out of copies of  ‘World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments’ by Aimee Nezhukumatathil—and can’t source them anywhere else. Don’t worry, we’ve found a more-than-perfect replacement.

Also important to know: This is NOT sponsored content and we do not receive any payment for any product that you may buy in this guide. 

The gorgeous splainer X Champaca gift box

We’re a bit nervous about this one as it’s our very first gift box—curated with great love and care by the team. We teamed up with our partners Champaca—a wonderful women-run independent bookstore that epitomises all the values we advocate: integrity, independence, high quality, and great care for their customers. And we did our collective best to create a goodie bag designed to inspire wonder, laughter and delight. It makes a lovely gift for any occasion—weddings, festivals or birthdays. Or you could just treat yourself!

The theme: We decided to do a fun twist on the old bridal tradition of wearing ‘something old’, ‘something new’ etc. We have picked three books that will appeal to almost everyone. Each is unique and wonderful in its own way. And to add a splash of beauty, the package includes a beautiful box of silkscreen cards that you are sure to treasure. 

A big bonus: The box comes with a quarterly gift subscription worth Rs 900. Please be sure to fill in this form once you buy the box—so we know whom to gift the subscription to. You also get two specially illustrated Champaca bookmarks—so you can keep track of your reading in style;)

The very best bit: You pay only Rs 2,500 for this gift box valued at Rs 4000—a massive discount that is available for just 30 days. In other words, be sure to snap these up before November 20. 

Buy it here: You can buy the box over at the Champaca website. 

Let’s start with the books…

Something old: ‘Mirror of the Darkest Night’ by Mahasweta Devi. 

This is a rare and sparkling novel from an author best known for her searing political prose. Just check out the description:

“It’s the mid-to-late 1800s and the British have banished Wajid Ali Shah—the nawab of Awadh in Lucknow—to Calcutta. To the sound of the soulful melody of the sarangi, the mercurial courtesan Laayl-e Aasman is playing a dangerous game of love, loyalty, deception, and betrayal. Bajrangi and Kundan, bound by their love for each other and for Laayl-e, struggle to keep their balance. Ranging across generations and geography, the scale of Laayl-e’s story sweeps the devil, a crime lord, and many other remarkable characters into a heady mix.”

What’s not to love? The novel is also a great reminder of how little we know of our own Indian classics—which contain lesser-known treasures like these. We highly recommend this one for lazing in bed during the holidays.

Something funny: ‘Anxious People’ by Fredrik Backman. 

This wonderful Swedish novel about a bungled bank robbery has already been made into a Netflix series. But we prefer you first read the book that New York Times describes as “equal parts comedy, relationship drama and locked-room mystery.” The plot revolves around eight strangers who become friends when taken hostage by a bumbling bank robber. 

Washington Post says it’s “laugh-out-loud funny and will help restore your faith in humanity”—and we 100% agree. It is a perfect read for these dire times—and to keep you company on the plane as you head out on that holiday vacay.

Something true: ‘Sentient: What Animals Reveal About Our Senses’ by Jackie Higgins. 

How do each of us experience the world? In this wonderful book, Higgins looks for answers not in fellow humans but a wonderful menagerie of creatures. In her world, the star-nosed mole which can barely see is not all that different from the blind Turkish artist Esref Armagan, who needs only to touch an object to be able to paint its likeness. Through these wondrous animals, we discover how humans see, touch, smell and hear. 

A writer-director of films for BBC and the National Geographic, Higgins’ writing is every bit as vivid as a wildlife documentary. Here’s how she describes how we see: “Whereas our cones bring us bright, cloudless days arced with rainbows, our rods give us starless and forest-canopied nights.” Washington Post critic Michael Sims writes: “[W]hat could possibly be more poetic than the raw facts of nature? In Higgins’s hands, they don’t even seem raw; they feel elegant, interwoven, meaningful”—calling it a book that feeds our “hungry sense of wonder.” The Wall Street Journal’s judgement: “Ms. Higgins’s most extraordinary achievement in an extraordinary book may be that in the course of her investigations she seems to have discovered a new sense: the sense of how to write compelling popular science.”

Now, for that big splash of beauty…

Something pretty: The Night Life of Trees card box by Tara Books. 

This is a gorgeous set of 10 handmade cards—featuring intricate Gond tribal art. Each card has been silkscreen-printed on recycled paper—and comes with envelopes and a specially crafted box. These images—exquisitely created by talented tribal artists—are drawn from Tara Books’ iconic ‘The Night Life of Trees’—which the art critic John Berger described as “a book where the nightingale sings until morning…”

Buy it here: You can buy the box over at the Champaca website.

Other gift options for you…

Of course, we’d rather you spent your hard-earned money on our special gift box. But if you’re looking for something other than books, here are some good options.

For home decor: The always quirky and stylish Chumbak is perfect if you’re looking for thoughtfully curated gift sets across décor, dining sets, steel and copperware, scented candles and more! The gift items start at Rs 595—and you can get a 10% discount if you use the code SPLAINER for upto Rs 500. Check out the lovely options out over at their website.

For your wardrobe: Here are some picks that come highly recommended by our subscribers: 

• Avani: Scarves and shawls are the go-to present for the unimaginative. But Avani—which comes highly recommended by Diwita Mathivanan—has a gorgeous, one-of-a-kind collection. We love their ‘textiles with a conscience’ philosophy and are in shopping lust already. 
• Andamen: Nope, we haven’t forgotten our gentlemen subscribers. Jyotsna is all praise for their apparel: “Their signature is high quality material and craftsmanship and the brand that is proudly Indian.”
• The Silk Concept: A gender-neutral and seasonless clothing brand that specialises in exquisite silk weaves from rural Assam. Run by Ishita Das, this is a company driven by the mission to promote the state’s community, culture & craftsmanship. The website isn’t functional as yet, but you can shop via the Insta handle.

To light up your home: Since it is Diwali, we leave you with these festive options—that work just as well to light up your life on those ho-hum days.

• D'Candle Corner: For Diwali candles or just date night at home, Mithil Oswal highly recommends the brand for their lovely hand-made candles made of soy wax. Also: they are 100% organic.
• Ekam: When it comes to candles, Sara is in love with everything Ekam. They have a wide wide range of scents that they continuously update. Added bonus: they’re very affordable. She personally recommends the three-wick ones over the ring jars because they burn more evenly. 
• Studio Coppre: Amruta Ghanekar loves their most beautifully crafted Indian decor pieces–and we totally heart their Teal Appeal tea light candle stands. Good karma points: this is also a socially conscious enterprise that employs local copper artisans.
• Phool: Everyone loves their incense because it is biodegradable, uses recycled temple waste, and arrives in gorgeous packaging. Also: they are offering lovely curated Diwali boxes right now.