I have a huge collection of cookbooks and my wife often asks why so many and why don’t I cook more recipes from the cookbooks I own. I consider it a bonus if I find at least one recipe in a cookbook that I will repeat over and over again because it is not only delicious, it is a great dish to serve to company.
I read cookbooks like others read novels and biographies. I learn about flavors, spices, techniques, history and people from reading cookbooks. I will often take parts of one recipe and combine it with another that I think would enhance it’s flavor.  I also don’t necessarily follow a recipe exactly (unless it’s baking), adding my own intuitive palate to the dish. One of the best examples of that is whenever something calls for garlic, I add just a little more; I only will use cumin in Mexican dishes. If it’s called for in any other cuisine, I usually leave it out, especially in any Spanish or Cuban dish.
I will list some of the cookbooks that are my favorite and highlight a recipe or two from that book that I think you will enjoy. But feel free to peruse through a book of your choice and find what catches your eye and palate.