Five books to begin 2023 with

Anannya SarkarPublished on Jan 11, 2023

Five reads to start the new year with

With books by Salman Rushdie and Pico Iyer, and three non-fiction reads–including a Goa cookbook and a gripping military account of Kashmir

From books by Salman Rushdie to Pico Iyer and a cookbook from Goa to an army veteran’s biting account of Kashmir and a reproduction of the forgotten Mughal capital of Shahjahanabad, there are plenty of fresh reads to choose from

As the season of parties wraps up and a new year begins, it’s perhaps the best time to snuggle with a book. If you like staying clued in with geo-politics, the real-life account of a retired Lieutenant General with multiple stints in Kashmir over his 40-year-long career is a good start. To indulge readers’ interests in the culinary arts or cartography, there’s a cookbook delving into Goa’s cuisine, and a stunning coffee table book that reproduces the stories of Delhi’s Shahjahanabad through old maps. But to get a break from the mundane, dive into the lyricism of Pico Iyer’s travel notes as he seeks paradise or Salman Rushdie’s latest novel, in which the writer revisits his homeland in the realm of magic realism. Here’s more on our top five picks:

The Half-Known Life in Search of Paradise by Pico IyerThere’s no harm in a bit of soul-searching to begin the year with, especially if it comes from Pico Iyer. In this book, Iyer approaches the topic of seeking “paradise” through the question of what it actually is. Is it a concept? Is it a place? Do you only arrive there after death or is it possible to exist in a state of mind akin to paradise? Iyer tries to answer these questions through his travels from Iran to North Korea, and from the Himalayas to Japan, as he explores questions of how certain landscapes get marred by war while others thrive in serenity. — **The Half-Known Life in Search of Paradise** **by Pico Iyer**
There’s no harm in a bit of soul-searching to begin the year with, especially if it comes from Pico Iyer. In this book, Iyer approaches the topic of seeking “paradise” through the question of what it actually is. Is it a concept? Is it a place? Do you only arrive there after death or is it possible to exist in a state of mind akin to paradise? Iyer tries to answer these questions through his travels from Iran to North Korea, and from the Himalayas to Japan, as he explores questions of how certain landscapes get marred by war while others thrive in serenity.

Kitne Ghazi Aaye, Kitne Ghazi Gaye: My Life Story by Lieutenant General K.J.S 'Tiny' Dhillon (Retd)Kashmir, with all its beauty and turmoil, is a place with layered nuances. Lieutenant General K.J.S 'Tiny' Dhillon, an infantry veteran from the Rajputana Rifles, in his autobiography, tries to explore those through the lens of his four-decade-long military career, multiple tenures of which were spent in Kashmir. Significant issues pertaining to the region such as the exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits; the Pulwama attack; the Balakot air strikes; and the abrogation of Article 370 and its impact are some of the aspects that Dhillon talks about in this book that is bound to pique the interest of readers. — **Kitne Ghazi Aaye, Kitne Ghazi Gaye: My Life Story** **by Lieutenant General K.J.S 'Tiny' Dhillon (Retd)**
Kashmir, with all its beauty and turmoil, is a place with layered nuances. Lieutenant General K.J.S 'Tiny' Dhillon, an infantry veteran from the Rajputana Rifles, in his autobiography, tries to explore those through the lens of his four-decade-long military career, multiple tenures of which were spent in Kashmir. Significant issues pertaining to the region such as the exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits; the Pulwama attack; the Balakot air strikes; and the abrogation of Article 370 and its impact are some of the aspects that Dhillon talks about in this book that is bound to pique the interest of readers.

Victory City by Salman RushdieThe Booker Prize-winning writer returns to the realm of magic realism as he tells the story of a fantastical kingdom in southern India and a nine-year-old girl who breathes it into existence. Rushdie narrates the tale of Pampa Kampana, her divine encounter and how she will be behind the rise of the great kingdom of Bisnaga or the “victory city”. The book goes on to retrace the rise and fall of Bisnaga and how Kampana’s life becomes interwoven with the kingdom as it is hubris that ultimately leads to its downfall. — **Victory City** **by Salman Rushdie**
The Booker Prize-winning writer returns to the realm of magic realism as he tells the story of a fantastical kingdom in southern India and a nine-year-old girl who breathes it into existence. Rushdie narrates the tale of Pampa Kampana, her divine encounter and how she will be behind the rise of the great kingdom of Bisnaga or the “victory city”. The book goes on to retrace the rise and fall of Bisnaga and how Kampana’s life becomes interwoven with the kingdom as it is hubris that ultimately leads to its downfall.

Shahjahanabad: Mapping a Mughal City by Swapna Liddle; Visual Curators: Pramod Kapoor & Sneha PamnejaIt is said that history serves as the best recorder of time and in this case, a forgotten map by a worker in 1846 has served as the basis for retracing the glorious history of the forgotten Shahjahanabad in Delhi, founded as the Mughal empire’s capital. The book beautifully reproduces the large-scale map, as it also explores the diversity of the communities inhabiting the erstwhile Mughal capital, throwing light on this important, forgotten slice of Delhi’s history. — **Shahjahanabad: Mapping a Mughal City** **by Swapna Liddle; Visual Curators: Pramod Kapoor & Sneha Pamneja**
It is said that history serves as the best recorder of time and in this case, a forgotten map by a worker in 1846 has served as the basis for retracing the glorious history of the forgotten Shahjahanabad in Delhi, founded as the Mughal empire’s capital. The book beautifully reproduces the large-scale map, as it also explores the diversity of the communities inhabiting the erstwhile Mughal capital, throwing light on this important, forgotten slice of Delhi’s history.

Goa: The Cookbook by Pablo MirandaIn this book, the Goa-born-and-raised chef Pablo Miranda traces the culinary heritage of the place, along with its many influences, ranging from Portuguese, Arab, Brazilian, African and French among others. Miranda, chef and owner of Patrão’s Deli and António in Panaji, was first drawn to the kitchen by his mother’s cooking. With this book, he hopes to lay down the myriad cultural influences on the cuisine of his land, alongside some quintessential recipes representative of the region. — **Goa: The Cookbook** **by Pablo Miranda**
In this book, the Goa-born-and-raised chef Pablo Miranda traces the culinary heritage of the place, along with its many influences, ranging from Portuguese, Arab, Brazilian, African and French among others. Miranda, chef and owner of Patrão’s Deli and António in Panaji, was first drawn to the kitchen by his mother’s cooking. With this book, he hopes to lay down the myriad cultural influences on the cuisine of his land, alongside some quintessential recipes representative of the region.

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Five reads to start the new year with

From books by Salman Rushdie to Pico Iyer and a cookbook from Goa to an army veteran’s biting account of Kashmir and a reproduction of the forgotten Mughal capital of Shahjahanabad, there are plenty of fresh reads to choose from

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