New on Shelves: ‘Rise to the 1%’, 'The Last Death of the Year’ and more

Like all great ancient cities, Srinagar is built upon layers of history. Through different eras, diverse cultures entered this urban hub, clashed, and were absorbed in. In his new book, architectural historian Sameer Hamdani goes back two millennia to trace Srinagar’s evolution using Sanskrit, Persian and Kashmiri texts, alongside material remains.

‘City of Kashmir: Srinagar, a Popular History’, by Sameer Hamdani, Hachette India, 288 pages, ₹699.

Annie Besant was an unusual figure in the country of her birth Britain and in India, her adoptive home. She defied norms: a Christian wife who advocated birth control; a liberal campaigner who became a social activist, a celebrated Theosophist, who fought for India’s independence. Clare Paterson’s biography tells her story.

‘The Nine Lives of Annie Besant’, by Clare Paterson, Penguin Random House India, 256 pages, ₹499

For fans of Agatha Christie, Sophie Hannah has been resurrecting the beloved detective Hercule Poirot for the last several years. In her new mystery, set on a Greek island, the Belgian detective is determined to prevent a murder that is planned to take place before the clock chimes in a new year. Just the cosy crime you want to snuggle with this season.

‘The Last Death of the Year’, by Sophie Hannah, HarperCollins India, 384 pages, ₹499

Personal finance influencer Sharan Hegde is a well-known face on social media, mixing humour and quirky insights in his videos. In his new book, he starts with the first principles of wealth creation—cultivating the right mindset—then moves on to planning and executing to build an impressive portfolio, save taxes and rise to the top 1%, not through sheer luck and inheritance, but strategy.

‘Rise to the 1%’, by Sharan Hegde, Penguin Random House India, 280 pages, ₹499